ES 339 volume knobs

[Ted_Zeppelin]

My Epi ES 339 has a separate volume knob for each pickup. I’m sure there are some advantages to this but it seems to me it would be a lot easier to only have to deal with one volume knob for both p/u’s. It would limit some of the flexibility, but seems like it would make switching between the pickups much smoother. I’m not very knowledgeable on the electronics but would assume this change could be made. Would this be a simple fix or something more complicated?

 

[sdbrit68]

I would leave it.............I have some with a single knob, and I would prefer to change them to dual knobs honestly.

Even taking rock n roll out the equation, sometimes at blues its easier to set a volume for rhythm, then when your turn to solo, just flick the switch and have the volume boost for lead, I have three of my favorite guitars right now I am considering adding a volume knob to them

 

[jmin]

I agree with Mark. Buy a Telecaster!

 

[snarf]

I have a 335-type that I dropped some p-90s in and switched it to a single volume and single tone when I did. I think @cowboy was the one that told me that I should leave it with the dual setup. After I changed it all up, I liked it initially, but wished I'd listened to him after a few months. That was like 8 years ago. That guitar has since turned into a closet queen, and I've never reverted it.

I think I heard Griff once say that you should set the neck pup to a rhythm volume and the bridge pup to a lead volume. Or you could do like I've started doing and just leave all the knobs dimed. Then, if I want to clean something up a bit, I'll back the volume off, but everything else tone-wise is done either at a pedal or on the amp.

Slight tangent. I've been playing my 339 predominately for the last year or so. A couple of weeks ago, I swapped the bridge vol/tone to be speed knobs. So now it has the regular flared knobs (whatever they're called) for the neck, and speed knobs for the bridge. That way I can tell which one I'm on without having to look so hard to see which knob is which.

 

[Rancid Rumpboogie]

I have dual-bucker guitars set up both ways. Personally I find the 4-knob affair to be of no real advantage.. I actually prefer the single volume, single tone set up. Usually, when playing, if I want more volume for a solo, I want the same exact tone I had for rhythm, just louder, and I do that with my pedal board and either my volume pedal or a booster pedal.

 

[blackcoffeeblues]

Leave it like it is--you will get use to it. My self I like the bridge just a touch louder with more treble than the neck, and the only reason for that is when you got to cut through. JMOP..

Jim; just get you a single pickup guitar But like you I prefer the same tone---more of a boost thing---I have never been a big fan of the bridge pick up--to brittle---but some people like that brittle sound---my self it drives me up the wall. Later

 

[Rancid Rumpboogie]

Leave it like it is--you will get use to it. My self I like the bridge just a touch louder with more treble than the neck, and the only reason for that is when you got to cut through. JMOP..

Jim; just get you a single pickup guitar But like you I prefer the same tone---more of a boost thing---I have never been a big fan of the bridge pick up--to brittle---but some people like that brittle sound---my self it drives me up the wall. Later

No, I really like a good biting bridge pickup ... biting but smooth with no 'ice-pick' ... I am actually more anal about my bridge pickups than I am about my neck pickups. I said that when I want a lead boost, I want the same tone I had before I hit the boost.. Whether that was my trebly bridge or my warm neck. That is not to say that when things call for it that I won't switch to my bridge at the same time I hit the boost. I don't own a single guitar with only one pickup and consider them rather useless.

I generally prefer one volume and one tone. BUT ... this is one of my favorite guitars that I put together expressly for classic rock. It can do a good job for blues, but it excels at classic rock. It started life as a Xavior XV 500. Pickups were swapped out for a set of JWP American Steel pickups.

 

[Elio]

I would leave it.............I have some with a single knob, and I would prefer to change them to dual knobs honestly.

Even taking rock n roll out the equation, sometimes at blues its easier to set a volume for rhythm, then when your turn to solo, just flick the switch and have the volume boost for lead, I have three of my favorite guitars right now I am considering adding a volume knob to them

That is exactly how I use the multiple knobs on my guitars that have them. It's also nice to be able to blend the two pickups in the middle position to get relatively more of the bridge or neck sound for some tonal variety.

 

[ChrisGSP]

This past week or two we've all been celebrating the life and legacy of Peter Green - not least, his tone. Two volumes, two tones, three-position switch. Whether it's a Les Paul, Lucille, 335 or 339 - that's the classic Gibson sound, and that's why you've got the Epi isn't it? don't mess with it.

 

[Ted_Zeppelin]

I appreciate everyone’s feedback. I do love playing the 339 and the variety of tones it is capable of. All of my other guitars have one volume knob and I guess I am just used to that. I generally keep the volume knobs dimed out but there are times that I want to roll it back a little to clean things up. I have not come up with a smooth technique for being able to turns both knobs evenly at the same time. It’s definitely not a showstopper since I play the 339 as much or more than the others. I was just trying to get a feel for what others do/prefer.

 

[artyman]

Well my Gibson LP 2016 has separate volume controls yet when in the middle position either volume knob affects both pickups. On my el cheapo Encore LP they operate independently regardless of pickup selection, which to be honest I would prefer. I recall reading somewhere that Griff gets his LP's modded to a single volume knob

 

[Rancid Rumpboogie]

Well my Gibson LP 2016 has separate volume controls yet when in the middle position either volume knob affects both pickups. On my el cheapo Encore LP they operate independently regardless of pickup selection, which to be honest I would prefer. I recall reading somewhere that Griff gets his LP's modded to a single volume knob

In the standard Gibby configuration, since the middle switch position runs both pickups in parallel, when in that position whichever volume is rolled back the most affects both pickups and whichever tone is rolled back the most affects both pickups. There really isn't any way to remedy this.

 

[CapnDenny1]

If you would use active electronics you can do all kinds of things.

Each pickup can be independent, both volume and tone. You could aslo have tone boost, not just cut. And you could have bass and treble boost and cut.

I’m not sure why, but active circuits ith preamps are common on bass guitars, but not on regular guitars. I’s even had to find preamps for electric guitars, not basses or acoustics.

 

[straightblues]

The actual wiring change part of it would take about 5 minutes. But the issue is fishing it out of the semi hollow body. That could take an hour. If you do switch to 1 volume 1 tone, you would probably need to switch it back when you are ready to sell the guitar.

Everyone has their own preferences. It is kind of funny, on my Teles I am happy with 1 volume 1 tone and don't feel like I am missing anything. But on humbucker guitars, I want 2 volumes and 2 tones. I like to have my humbucker pickups out of phase and I really like tweaking the middle sound.

Do what you want, there are no rules. And even if there were, rules are made to be broken when it comes to guitar playing.

 

[snarf]

The actual wiring change part of it would take about 5 minutes. But the issue is fishing it out of the semi hollow body. That could take an hour.

Having rewired a couple of semi-hollows and my Gretsch hollow body, I found a secret that makes the rewire go super fast. Aquarium tubing. I'd have to look, but I think it was 3/8" tubing cut into about 18" lengths. Pull the knobs off the pots, secure the tubing over the shaft of each one, and then undo the nut that goes on the pot. Drop the pots and tube through the hole in the guitar and out the f-hole. Redo the wiring, and then shove the shaft of the new pot into the appropriate tube. Pull the tubing back through the hole and screw the nut back onto the pot. For the jack, I have a 1/4" plug attached to the end of a coat hanger that I found somewhere that works the same way. Plug the old jack in, shove it through the f-hole, replace the plug, and then pull it back out the jack hole. Easy peasy lemon lawn chairs. Here's a pic that gives you the general idea from when I rewired my Gretsch a couple of years ago. That aquarium tubing saved me an enormous amount of time. Oh - and for it to work, you need to drop all the pots and the jack at the same time. You can't do them individually.

 

[Rancid Rumpboogie]

Do what you want, there are no rules.

Only one rule: Before attempting to fish everything out of an F-hole and stuff it all back in through one, HIDE every hammer or bashing device in the house and HIDE every hole saw you have, buy a jug of your favorite 100-proof, pad all of the walls in the room!!!

 

[Grateful_Ed]

Having rewired a couple of semi-hollows and my Gretsch hollow body, I found a secret that makes the rewire go super fast. Aquarium tubing. I'd have to look, but I think it was 3/8" tubing cut into about 18" lengths. Pull the knobs off the pots, secure the tubing over the shaft of each one, and then undo the nut that goes on the pot. Drop the pots and tube through the hole in the guitar and out the f-hole. Redo the wiring, and then shove the shaft of the new pot into the appropriate tube. Pull the tubing back through the hole and screw the nut back onto the pot. For the jack, I have a 1/4" plug attached to the end of a coat hanger that I found somewhere that works the same way. Plug the old jack in, shove it through the f-hole, replace the plug, and then pull it back out the jack hole. Easy peasy lemon lawn chairs. Here's a pic that gives you the general idea from when I rewired my Gretsch a couple of years ago. That aquarium tubing saved me an enormous amount of time. Oh - and for it to work, you need to drop all the pots and the jack at the same time. You can't do them individually.

View attachment 12342

Is that the one you put the TV Jones pups in? Actually I'm not sure that was even you. I remember reading in the forum about what a pain it was fitting the new pups to the old pick-up cavities. I so want to do that to my 5120. I might actually play it more.

 

[TwoNotesSolo]

Rubber tubing is a godsend for wiring through f-holes.

On my homemade jazz bass I wired it up as a volume and a blend knob and I really like it (jazz basses usually have a volume for each pickup). I plan on doing that on a guitar some day.

 

[Slofinger]

Aquarium tubing works good, but I found that by the time you have four of them inside the guitar it gets real crowded. So I cut the tubing into 1” pieces and drilled a hole through one end to feed some 14ga stranded wire through, And tying it to itself, leaving the insulation on the rest of the wire. Also, make sure the holes are plenty big enough to allow the pot to go in easily. And don’t forget to put the star washer on before to push the tubing onto the pot. I forget nearly every time.lol

 

[sloslunas]

Knobs??? You don't need any stinking knobs. Those are just dead weight...pull 'em off and toss 'em. If you got something to play, just play it!!YMMV

Steve