Hey Mick. I’m one of three guys that build the ES models, in White wood, at the Gibson Custom Shop. I know you are very particular about details so a few things you may like to know… Gibson builds two main years (with a few small exceptions) a ‘59 and a ‘64 (not a ‘63)… and the hole in the maple Center block is called a “window “. (A detail only someone as geeky as us would appreciate)…. Also, the window was added in 1964. Love the show… I’ve watched since the beginning… love what you guys do… God Bless my friend. Tell Dan Hi from the Custom shop. Ps… very impressive how you pushed through and got the job done. Even people here (who do this every day) has a hard time with ES style guitars. Great job, Brother.

This might be one of my favourite vids ever. Watching a man fight a full breakdown & I felt every second of the frustration!!! Massive effort.

It's amazing how much younger Mick looks in the the pre-op playing samples. 😆

i have never felt so represented in a youtube video. Mick sorry for all the trouble but man did it feel good to not be the only one who thinks they are undertaking a simple task with their guitar and getting to the point where you just can't handle it anymore. Great video on showing the utter frustration that guitars can be!

This video has thought me a lesson, don’t buy a 335 style guitar unless I love the pickups it comes with

You haven’t lived until you’ve rewired a 335. So relaxing…😳

Mick, I applaud your willingness to experiment with trial and error for an International audience. You're teaching countless budding guitar techs valuable lessons, including perhaps the most important: frustration is real, but can be circumvented. Thanks for your work, per usual. Good job. 335 sounds fantastic.

The building rage and frustration seen in this video is quite possibly the funniest and relatable thing I’ve seen this year. I would love to see the outtakes. You have the patience of a saint.

Mick, I felt your pain so much on this one that I had to pause halfway through and go and get a glass of wine! 🍷 I could actually hear a difference (albeit a small one) and really appreciate that you gave us some examples in the context of some tracks. Take a bow, Sir!

Once saw Trogly show a neat little trick to avoid all that fishing the pots in and out hassle: he ties thread 🧵 around the shafts before dropping them inside the body. That way you can just pull each thread through the respective holes and fish the pots back up in no time. Works for the pickup leads, or the jack as well

The sparkle and clarity in the new ones got me. Love em much more than the originals. Congrats Mick!

And lots of kudos that you showed all that frustration and modesty, and never once seemed embarrassed to show it to the world.

The new pickups certainly add clarity and brightness. That being said, I actually slightly prefer the original ones.

I hope Monty's and other techs give you a kickback on all the work you've just (deservedly) sent their way 😀 My revelation about money 'saved' versus quality of job was a few years back, I'd way rather pay a pro now. Much like how I feel when clients ask if their family can sing at our gigs....

What a colossal difference. Reminds me of why I put the same pickups in my LP. The clarity, articulation, and note separation are night and day between the two. Been waiting for this video for a while and it did not disappoint. Thanks, Mick, if for nothing else than confirming I should never work on my 335-style guitars. And the beautiful shots of Those Pedal Pets!

I went through the same emotions you went through when rewiring mine with push-pull pots, and I had a window in the cavity to work with! Working on an ES’ electronics takes nearly an act of God. Congrats on pulling through. It took me 4 days but I finally got through as well and it is glorious. Just left with a lot pride and crippling guitar PTSD.

I've experienced so many different emotions watching this video, you're a champion Mick

If ever there was a "beware, don't try this at home" warning, this was it. Thank you for taking some stress and multiple swear words away from my life. 👍🤟😎

Your patience knows no bounds. The amount of nonchalance with which you tell us "I'm so angry I could smash the thing to bits." Good on you!

You can always put the old ones back in :) This was a lesson in perseverance. Nice work Mick!

I rewired a jazz box once, it was a breeze because I tied washers and strings to the existing pots then removed everything leaving the washers and strings in the guitar. I then did all of the wiring outside of the guitar. I then just tied the strings to the new pots and fished the entire new harness and pickups back through the respective holes by pulling the strings with the washers. It was actually the easiest wiring job I’ve ever done.

What a good video Mick!!! I swapped pus on my Gretsch…mine did not work at the end… I will NEVER try it ever again!!! It is one hell of a task… but you persevered and were successful!!! Much respect Mick,speaks volumes to your character,a man of many talents you are,bloody good show mate!!!

As soon as I saw the thumbnail & title I knew what to expect. Sat down with a mug of tea and some biscuits and thought 'let the fun begin'. Wasn't disappointed. From 7:00 I just grinned all the way. Over time, I've swapped out three looms & pickups from 2 '335's and a 339 - custom wound Wizz Paf replica's, Bareknuckle Mules and SD Pearly Gates, if anyone is interested. You seriously almost have to be in a zen state of calmness to attempt this job. But the end result is what its all about. I now have three hollow body's with three seperate sound colours. Was it worth it? 100%. The biggest suprise was the Mules. Hadn't heard them in a '335 but they just kicked the package up a level more than the others. Won't be doing it again, though.

I can relate to this whole experience in a very real way! Love the new p/u's! They're choice and have so much clarity!

Oh man, I feel the pain. And still you managed to keep pushing onward. Congrats on your endurance

Cleaner and more defined sound is what I hear. Nice upgrade Mick!!

I watched this during breakfast with my wife this morning who asked me if that is the same reason she can hear shouting and screaming coming from my workshop sometimes! Sorry, but I was crying with laughter, (sympathetically) when you realised the pots were too short. But you didn't give up and that's the trick to learning for next time. Great vid.

I think what I admire most about this is the perseverence alongside the honesty and admission of near-failure. Many, many people (probably myself included) would have given up and packed it off to Monty's long before you considered that might be your only option. To me the new pick-ups sound more "you" in the sense that the smile that grew across your face when playing them was a reflection of the inner satisfaction of "yup, that's a sound". Huge thanks for showing every painful bit of the process, and for producing yet another insight into the perils of tone-hunting, whilst also proving, sometimes it's worth the pain!

HUGE difference. Much more air to my ears, sounds great Mick. Sincerely hope it was worth the pain!

Mick, your frustration was visceral and palpable -- and way too relatable. I've modded many, many guitars and basses, and the one notable failure was my attempt to install a set of Duncan P-Rails (and a coil-splitting tone pot) in my Dean Boca semi-hollow electric 12. The three biggest issues were the original wiring (which included a multi-pin plug assembly for the pickups), the narrow f-hole, and the shallow body cavity. After two days (seemed longer) my frustration was off the charts and I threw in the towel. Am truly glad you were ultimately successful with the 335. Congrats!

You really should be calling it "That Pickup Show" for these episodes. Love a good guitar tinker. 👌

"The Gentle Barking of a Distant Labrador" is a great song name!

Love the Lollar imperials. I have the normal wind bridge in several guitars, but I’ve been thinking about doing low winds in my 335. Thanks for another great video, Mick!

the old ones sound a little muddy to me but the true revelation for my ears is the open string to string articulation... lovely! thanks for sharing another adventure in tone.

Has to be one of my favourite TPS videos. Have so often found myself at the point of wanting to smash whatever guitar related thing I've been toiling with, it's hugely refreshing seeing another highlight the struggle. Red light fever's bad enough tracking guitars for recording let alone taking them apart for nightmare service jobs on camera - top job!

Enjoyable lesson Mick, thanks for letting us know what a royal pain in the arsse it is to change the wiring harness on a ES-335

Dear Santa. Please send Mick a magnetic scredriver and a packet of rubber bands to help him pull the pots through.

I feel terrible for laughing but that image at around the 20 minute mark of all of the aquarium tubes coming out of the holes had me on the floor. I would have tossed that damn thing through the window. Your patience is commendable. ….

Thanks Mick, unintentional I know but this is such a hilarious video, it deserves 100k views! How many of us can identify with the red mist of guitar maintenance! Brilliant.

Post vid thoughts: I can understand why you might prefer the new set up. The transient (Attack) is a little sharper, there is less bass and a higher main mid frequency and this I think is more the type of thing you go for. Personally I prefer a softer attack and overall I preferred the Memphis pick ups but as you say there is no better as tone is so subjective.

A purring cat always helps

Nice job, Mick! Thanks for posting this. Putting new pickups & wiring, etc in a 335 was the first mod I ever took on. I used a backpacker's wire survival saw to widen the center block window so the new (coil tapping) pots would fit through. My second mod was to a strat and was quite pleased at how simple it was! I probably won't do another 335 but I'm glad I didn't know beforehand just how difficult it would be. Now my only real hesitation to mod guitars is from soldering. It's such a frustrating disappointment to get the thing all back together only to find that it doesn't work. I really wish I could find a way to make my soldering more consistent.

I have an ES-335 studio (no F holes) from the 80s. The pickups finally gave up from exposure to high heat and sweat. After seeing your video, thank God I had an excellent luthier for the replacement surgery! Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck and Jazz pickups. I have worn a lot of the finish off that guitar and love it to death.

I changed the SD59 pickups and loom in my Eastman T184MX for a set of Montys Retrowinds. When I say 'I changed...' I mean Dave Farmiloe unsoldered my dirty secret of a bodge job and made good. Night[mare] and day better thanks to his skills.

Seymour Duncan Seth Lover PAF's, for me they beat Lollars Imperial range and Bare Knuckles. However any swap from the original Gibbo pickups is going to help. I took the pickups from my Gibson ES345 and dropped them into a Strat. They work very well there, as it happens!

I know a lot prefer that warmer "traditional Gibson" thing - but I have to say for me the new pickups are so much better. Especially coming from a single coil background, that clarity is like your nostrils finally clearing after a headcold. Congrats on persevering Mick! Was worth every frustrated second.

This was hilarious! As someone who started a pickup swap on an ES style/F-hole guitar about a year ago, that is still hanging unfinished in my workshop - I can totally relate!

They call them F-holes for the word you say a lot whilst rewiring a guitar with them.

I did this to my bandmate's and my 335 back to back all with lock washers. Instead of tubing, I used long pieces of neon green sewing thread tied to each pot shaft and a nut on the back side of the jack. Somewhat easier

You're a legend Mick, not an easy task! I'm sure there are many of us who have avoided it due to the limited number of quality video tutorials out there. Nothing worse than seeing an expert making it appear like a simple 30 minute task, when in fact the existing loom won't even fit through the f-hole without a tremendous struggle. This has given me the confidence to give this one a crack.

Great job, Mickolas. And thanks for your honesty too. Appreciate it.

I heard they made people do ES wirings and pick up swaps in Guantanamo.

Now we know why it’s called an F-Hole

I know the process was terribly frustrating, but to my ears the new loom and pickups have given that guitar new life! The absolute clarity is astonishing, but without sacrificing what I hear to be the “voice” of that guitar. Time well spent in my opinion!

This video is particularly relevant for me, as I have a 2018 Gibson Memphis, ES 335 traditional model with the MHS pickups. Your framing of the issue at the top of the episode is exactly what I thought I might be missing with these MHS pick ups. Particularly at lower volumes, I was just looking for a little bit more sparkle and life sonically speaking. Given the opportunity to open up the guitar and play at gigging volume, the issue dissipates. So recently, several friends and I got together - each bringing a 335 to the party. And we did a bit of a shootout between the MHS, Burstbuckers, Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates (out of phase) and I believe the 57 Classic. In the end, everything sounded more alike than different. However, we all agreed there was a clear winner. Perhaps surprisingly, it was the Seymour Duncan pearly gates. A little bit hotter a little bit more life and bounce and sizzle. And for me a little bit more top end. And when you set them out of phase, I was really turned on by that. But seeing what a pain in the ass it is to swap pick ups I still have the MHS pick ups in my 335 at present. But this was very thought-provoking. Fantastic content. Thank you!

Ha ha this brought back some uncomfortable memories Mick! 😱🤣well done for persevering against all odds and getting the job done without an access hole... sorry to have given you false hope, we now know for sure that not all 335's are created equal and that Matt's earth wiring is very pretty but a complete 🤬

Liked the old ones

I just finished mine a few days ago.. took 2 attempts to get the loom oriented correctly, and took a number of tools out of the garage to accomplish it. Shrink wrap and a butane torch are invaluable.

Mick, small tip, try some reverse tweezers. They grip until you press on them. Any small increment of making things easier can be helpful.

The new bridge pickup is just what it needed! It’s got that edge you were probably looking for!! Great result Mick!

Coffee ready, hoping for no power tool anxieties!

What a great episode! I was considering replacing the pots in my ES-339. Now, I am convinced that I will mess it up (probably not going to stop, though). And yes, I think many here can relate to that sense of anger and frustration when something that seems simple turns out to be such a pain. But, delighted that you went through with it and figured it out -- that guitar sounds gorgeous!

Thank you for transparently showing the struggle of this project! Given your experience doing these type of swaps, it will prevent less experienced operators from damaging their stuff and is also a shared experience for anyone who has had challenges on similar tasks.

Ya we feel you, we've been there! and those who haven't yet will be at some point! Enjoy the peace hero, it sounds great

I was screaming encouraging words at the screen, following the suspense and then you do an edit leaving out those moments of triumph as the control pots fall into place. Would really like to have seen those moments, but cheers for perseverance!

Whew! Oh man. Right then. I'm definitely never doing any of that. New pickups sound a bit brighter and sweeter don't they? Good work mate! That was tough!

Here I was thinking this would be a relaxing video 😂 nail biting thriller ensued. New pickups sound terrific. Love the clarity and sparkle.

Hats off to you. That was some work out. It certainly gave it a bit more bounce than the original pick ups. But as you eluded to it could be done with a bit of eq. However, we do not have the pleasure of being in the room with you playing. Thank you.

I'm glad that we were spared the eight hours of footage of Mick crying into his dog's fur and regretting his life choices. I can't tell you how many times I've been glad that my grandfather was a watchmaker. He left me so many ultra-fine tweezers and magnifying loups.

An old fable about a young man, in his search for that perfect tone, visits his local guitar shop and trades in his amp for a new one. A couple of months later he goes into the shop to buy some strings and hears someone playing in the back of the store. He runs to the back declaring that is the tone I am looking for only to find someone playing the amp he traded in. The search is endless.

The new setup sounds great. There's something tighter about it, but without losing bass response. And you seem to have your shimmer. Very nice.

Wow Mick! I was relaxed when I started watching … I think I will need a vacation after this! Love the show, cheers to you & Dan!

Trick for desolding, add some fresh solder on top of the old to let the iron have an easier time getting the old solder to temp, idk exactly why it works that way, but it does.

I’m sitting here watching this video with headphones while my wife is watching Married At First Sight. I don’t know which is the harder to watch 🤣 Great work for hanging in there. I’ve been there, done that, and felt your pain, brother. Love the show. Keep up the great work 🙏

I have a 335 with the T Top pickups and I just love them. They are bright but not harsh. It can do country, rock with clear note's and when you reduce your amp treble knob down to 4, and use the neck pickup, that wonderful jazz tone is there. With both pickups, you get that BB King sound. I personally will only buy a guitar with pickups i already love. Unless you buy a cheaper guitar like a Ephiphone 335 and you put Seth Lover pickups to save money over a Gibson 335. With that said the old pickups sound a little dull and the newer pickups are brighter and sound closer to my T top pickups.

Having done a few semi and full hollowbody pickup and loom swaps, I can TOTALLY feel your pain.

When I clicked on this video I thought it was gonna be the installion of old and new pick ups then comparison. What I got out of it was a dogged determination to get done what u set out to do while at the same time knowing at any time u could quit or hand over to the guitar shop and u chose to stay with it. The tones were a just bonus to the video. Well done and thank you

A big effort it was indeed…What I find peculiar in every pickup change, and this makes no exception, is that the fundamental character of the guitar is still recognizable to my ears

😊You are making my day… by a strange coincidence, last week I decided to change the pots of my over 20 years semi guitar, one pot stopped working… and last night, yes really last night… after spending much time to solder and trying to fit the pots back into my guitar, I decided to stop and take a break before trying again :-) A ground wire broke while moving all the parts around inside the guitar so I will have to start everything all over again… I will wait a few days before I try again… cheers and congrats on your job…

Back in 1975 I purchased an old ES 345 (stereo) that had broken solder joints for the wires connecting the varitone switch. I pretty much had to remove everything as you did, but with more complexity of the varitone. This was obviously decades before KZfaq and I knew nothing about guitar repair. I had no lifelines. But I managed to get it all done despite my severe shortcomings. Instead of plastic tubing to guide through the components to their holes, I recall using old guitar strings that I first fished through the destination holes to the F hole. I used electrical tape to help secure the strings to the screw columns. Bent coat hangers helped fish stuff through as tough angles. It was time consuming and a bit frustrating, but I think I got it done in two 1.5 hour sessions. I was happy since I bought the broken guitar for $200 and made it perfect despite my abject lack of experience and ability.

The analogy about your dad's situation and your inability to retrieve some washers was very good. And funny...

Appreciate you taking the time out to highlight the subjectivity of guitar tone, absolutely true. With that in mind I'm a huge fan of Lollar's too, the guys over there are great folks and the pickups sound insane!

Hey Mick, Iain here. I was going to slip a set of those into my Eastman……….just decided it’s easier to convince Mrs V that I must purchase a Gibo VOS 335. Well done sir

Mick we all laugh cause we have all been there buddy. Much love and thank you for this video thank god I found it at the perfect time I need this

'What a rubber Johnny' - spat my tea out at this point ! :)

Only halfway through and I just want to give Mick a big hug!

Love these videos and new pick ups sounds brilliant there is just that more clarity coming from them

This has to be the best advert for Monty's ever! When you buy one of their looms pay them to fit it 😂

Hi Mick, I decided to change the pickups myself on my Hagstrom D2F to CreamT afterburners. After looking at what was actually involved,I chickened out and got a professional to do it for me. It is a really fiddly job and the man did a fine job for me. I would definitely have got into difficulty trying to do this myself. Well done on doing a really good job that would have had me blowing my top myself..

Oh, mate. This is where so many of us live trying to get it done. But, speaking of where people live: wtf. Your place is extraordinary. I need a TPS tour of that castle. Wow. Good on you.

Your hypothesis was 100% right. Way less bloat and more clarity. Felt more percussive in a really pleasant way too. Great job!

I'm not screaming, I am just feeling so bad about how amazingly entertained I am with this travail. I apologize, Mick. When we meet, you can remember this and say: head or gut? (see The Last Boyscout).

I gutted my 2012 LP traditional as soon as I got it. Replaced everything, got rid of the coil taps, and popped in a set of standard wind Imperials from Lollar. Been my #1 ever since. Low winds are sounding nice in the 335, Mick! Nice work!

Awesome show as always, Mick. I think both sound great. However I believe there is a certain "smile" in the Lollars that the MHS lack, but I guess it really depends on style. Personally I find the sound of the Lollars closer to me, but I strongly believe the MHS ones will sound better in my band's mix. Take care and be safe, you're one of the greatest benefits to the whole music world. Cheers!

This video came just in time. I was in the middle of a pickup swap for a hollow-body Ibanez jazz box. My very first time. I made a wiring loom from scratch, also my first time, and after seeing you test the setup by hitting the polepieces, i did exactly that. And it worked! That way my mind was at ease, because i assumed I had to wait for the guitar to be fully assembled to test it. Thanks! I must agree that a full hollow body is probably easier to access it seems.

The difference at the end was like night and day to me. Love the new loom and pickups I thought the guitar sounds much clearer now! What a brilliant video Mick, the story of the pure frustration was so completely relatable and genuinely inspiring that you took a day, slept on it and made it to the end!!

Mick I fell you pain, been chasing tone since my teens and the new pu sound like they did what you wanted. I have seen 335’s that some folks got so frustrated they cut an access panel in the back. Well done.

I have an older 333. I dropped the pickups and it got magical. Dropped meaning put them lower. I love the show.

I use string tied to the Pots when pulling them out. Helps to not lose any washers in the cavity as well making it easier to pull the pots back thru. Then I just cut the string off the pot when I have the pot locked in place.

The anxiety this caused me was ridiculous. It was so relatable.