ES-335 Prewired Wiring Harness

Prewired Wiring Harness for the Gibson & Epiphone ES-335

The ES-335 is semi-hollow, not fully hollow — a solid maple block runs down the center of the body, so your pickups mount to something solid instead of hanging off a floating top. The control cavity itself is still an open, routed pocket, though, so there's no rear access panel either way: every pot, the switch, and the jack have to go in through the f-hole, same as on a fully hollow body. This harness is built as a single complete unit and tested on our workbench first, so what arrives at your door is a single pre-spaced assembly you can feed in and mount — not a bag of parts to solder blind. Two volume controls, two tone controls, a 3-way pickup selector switch, wiring diagram, and installation instructions included.

Every ES-335 harness we build uses premium components selected for reliability and tonal performance, wired 50s-style so that rolling back the volume knob keeps your top end intact rather than getting dull, with a tone control that stays smooth across its full range. 

Choose Your Tone Caps

Paper-in-Oil (PIO) or Orange Drop

Centralab Paper-in-Oil (.033uF bridge, .015uF neck) is our Premium build — cleaner, warmer tone for jazz and blues playing, with a bit of bluesy grit when you dig in and improved sustain. Both are built for humbuckers.

Orange Drop (.022uF bridge, .022uF neck) is our Classic-series cap — modern-style tone with full dynamic range and a bright, distinct sound, a straightforward step up from the stock electronics most ES-335s ship with.

Since both cap options wire in exactly the same way, swapping later is a cap change, not a rewire.

What's Included

• Four Bourns Pro Audio 500K potentiometers (coarse-spline, short shaft)
• Tone capacitors — your choice: Orange Drop (.022uF bridge / .022uF neck) or Centralab Paper-in-Oil / PIO (.033uF bridge / .015uF neck)
• Switchcraft or Centralab 3-way toggle switch, prewired with a black tip
• Switchcraft 1/4-inch output jack
• Vintage-style braided Gavitt 22 AWG push-back wire
• Fully prewired harness assembly board, drilled to specs and tested before it ships
• Wiring diagram and installation instructions included

Specifications & Fitment

• Fits the Gibson or Epiphone ES-335 and Casino
• Sheraton models may have a smaller f-hole — if yours measures too small (see f-hole minimum width below), contact us, we have an option with a smaller potentiometer.
• Knobs require an 18-tooth coarse-spline fit (replacement knobs sold separately)
• Each pot mounts through a 3/8-inch control-cavity hole. Offshore-made units are often drilled for 5/16-inch pots and will need to be reamed out to 3/8 inch
• Jack wire run is long enough to reach the edge of the body — 9" total, which includes 3" of extra allowance built in for guitars with the jack mounted at the end of the body
• Not sure what your guitar needs? Reach out through our Contact Us page before ordering

Component spacing, for reference against your own guitar's control cavity:

Shipping & Build Time

• 5–10 business days to build before it ships — every harness is custom-built to order, not pulled off a shelf
• In-stock means we have the parts on hand to build yours
• Ships to your USA front door for free
• Tested on the bench before it leaves — every harness is 100% guaranteed, and I want you to be 100% satisfied

Frequently Asked Questions

Why choose PIO versus Orange Drop capacitors?
It comes down to voicing, not quality —  Centralab PIO leans warmer and cleaner for jazz and blues, with more sustain and grit when pushed. Orange Drop gives you a brighter, more modern sound with full dynamic range;  Both are built for humbuckers and wire in identically.

Is the pickup selector switch part of the kit?
Yes — a Switchcraft or Centralab 3-way toggle, prewired with a black tip, comes on every harness.  The gold-plated switch is an option.

What size knobs do I need?
Coarse-spline, 18-tooth — we sell replacement knobs in that fit if yours don't match.

Will this work on my Casino?
Yes, this harness fits the Gibson/Epiphone ES-335 and the Casino.

Will this work on my Sheraton?
Sheraton owners should first check their f-hole width. The minimum f-hole width, at the widest point, for harness feed-through is 1 1/8". Contact us if you're unsure about how to measure. We have an option with a pot that has a smaller base that will fit through smaller f-holes.

There's no back panel on my guitar — how does this actually go in?
As one piece. We build and test the whole harness on our bench first, then it feeds through the f-hole into your control cavity as a single assembly — see the Workbench Note below for the technique.

What's the turnaround time?
5–10 business days to build, then it ships free to any US address.

Cheers,
Gary Standerfer / Tone Man Guitar