Ron Ellis ‘60s Bette Humbuckers | The Perfect Semi-Hollow Humbucker?

Ron Ellis Pickups returns to the channel with the '60s Bette Humbuckers — patent-era voicing installed in the 1967 Gibson ES-335. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Ron Ellis Pickups '60s Bette Humbuckers, installed in the 1967 Gibson ES-335 with Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds, run into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Benson Tall Bird+, Benson Amps Stonk Box Fuzz, and Effectrode Tube Vibe all feature.

In Ron Ellis' own words:

"Bette set is based on the patent era Humbuckers that were used in the early to late '60s ES Gibson guitars. The Bettes are a bit more fundamental sounding when compared to our other sets. The Bettes work best in a ES335 style semi-hollow guitar, but they work well in any guitar looking for a Patent Applied For sound. Bettes have a beautiful musical sound and timber on the notes, where you can hear the acoustic sound of the guitar. They're named after Ron's mother, who was instrumental in Ron's love for guitars."

The Bettes are inspired by the mid-1960s patent-era Gibson humbucker — focused fundamentals, woody mids, and a clear acoustic fingerprint that lets the guitar's natural resonance come through rather than being masked by the pickup's own character. In a fully hollow or semi-hollow platform like the ES-335, that acoustic fingerprint is genuinely audible in the recorded tone, not just a marketing description.

The 1967 ES-335's centerblock semi-hollow construction gives the Bettes exactly the platform Ron designed them for. Explored across the Benson Vincent's dynamic range, with the Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds keeping full high-frequency content present through the entire volume knob sweep. The Benson Tall Bird+ contributes its optical harmonic and amplitude tremolo alongside spring reverb, and the Benson Amps Stonk Box Fuzz adds a completely different textural dimension — vintage fuzz character against the Bettes' naturally woody, acoustic-forward voice. The Effectrode Tube Vibe rounds out the modulation with rich, three-dimensional swirl.

🎸 Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.ronellispickups.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

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🎸 1967 Gibson ES-335 | Ron Ellis '60s Bette Humbuckers (Patent Era) | Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds 🎛️ Benson Tall Bird+ (Reverb + Harmonic/Amplitude Tremolo) | Benson Amps Stonk Box Fuzz | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC | Boss Waza TAE