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One cheat that will work is cutting the pickup output cables close to the baseplates, then, mounting replacement pickups via Seymour Duncan Triple Shot mounting surrounds.
TBH, if you are going to the time, trouble and expense of indubitably professional quality replacement pickups, they deserve to be hooked up to similarly high quality controls.
There is a video by guitarista I think on YouTube who installed Montys, it also sounds great, just a bit more pricey than. I had in mind.
https://cziltangbrone.bandcamp.com/album/null-hypothesis-5-ep
https://cziltangbrone.bandcamp.com/album/machine-space-2
Also, the Probuckers are no slouch, I’d even go so far as to say I prefer them to Gibson 490s or some of the higher output Burstbuckers for example.
Made a quick demo of the current pickups. Do you think they sound dark/ wooly?
This is my first 335 semi so not sure if this design of guitar just naturally sounds a little darker/ wooly than a solid body or if it's the stock pups?
For those who have changed the stock pups would you say it made a noticeable difference? I'm on the fence about whether to keep it and do the pups and electronics upgrade (making the total spend about £1000) or go all in for a Gibson 335.
Love the build, feel for the money and would be happy if a pup and electronics upgrade made the difference. If not, I'd probably rather put the money into a Gibson. I know this guitar will never sound exactly like a Gibson but I'd be happy with the Epiphone if it were just a bit clearer with more top end as finish and build feels on par if not better than some Gibson USA's I've played.
335 into Boss Katana
Thoughts appreciated
In terms of pickup upgrades there are other more affordable options out there other than Monty’s. Fletcher and Catswhiskers both come to mind. Contact them directly, tell them what you are looking for and they will advise accordingly.
I didn't realise there were "grades" of CTS pots. When you see CTS pots you automatically think, quality, but obviously not...
Tbf, your current pickups do not sound bad. But pickup swapping is a bit more than that - new pickups can noticeably alter the feel/response of your guitar and will interact with your amp differently. That's hard to convey with online sound clips, and it can be sometimes a challenge finding those pickups which are an ideal match to a specific guitar.
Regarding for a 335, I feel you could go two ways. One is the early PAF ('57 type) sound. Usual descriptors such as sweet, airy, woody, smooth apply. A good A2 set below 8K DC would do this nicely, and for that I would personally recommend a used SD Seth Lovers set. I much prefer them over 57 classics. There are tons of A2 sets around though that are fantastic, so my recommendation is purely personal preference and not to say they are the absolute best.
You could also go the T-Top route of the 60s onwards (DC ratings vary wildly, but A5 mags are the order of the day). Trebly, bitey and more aggressive. Some of the new 335s come with the Gibson "T-Type" pickups - personally, I don't like them. Bridge pickup is good, but I just cannot deal with the neck. For something at a great price, I would absolutely recommend the Oil City Scrapyard Dogs (not the pluses, though they kick ass too). I've tried them in a few guitars and I love them - plenty of bite but also super clear. Dimarzio 36th Anniversaries are good too, and pop up cheap. They are slightly darker than the Scrapyards, but they just work really well. The A5 pickup market is massive though, so loads of other good options too.
Sorry for the essay, I am in bed recovering from surgery and need something to occupy my mind! My recommendations are based on being somewhat affordable used, I could easily have praised Monty's, Sunbear, Radioshop, OX4 and all of the other very talented UK winders out there.
Swapped for a set of Sunbear 57PAF’s with A2 mags, they sound heavenly.