• From: East Midlands, UK
  • Registered: 2008-06-30
  • Posts: 164

Topic: getting more out of my guitars controls

i've been playing my vintage les paul clone for a while now and think it's time for a few tweaks. recently, i've noticed that the controls  aren't very usable compared to my strat. i'm used to turning down the guitar volume for cleaner sounds and tweaking my tone pots for warmer sounds. the volume pots on the les paul don't react well to turning down, they tend to muddy up and then you lose a fair bit of volume. the tone pots don't tend to do much either, i can get woman tone but others sounds tend to be bright or wooly, no halfway house. also, i like to do the kill switch effect by turning the neck pickup volume down. normally, there would be no sound on neck and both pickups position but on this les paul the bridge pickup cuts in on the middle position.

what would people suggest, should i rewire it with better components?

Fender 60's Strat>Fulltone OCD V4>>TC Electronics Polytune>Orange Dual Terror>Torres 2x10 Cab(with a vintage 30 and a greenback)

2 Reply by JohnTB (edited by JohnTB 2010-04-28 04:53:02)

  • From: Lancashire
  • Registered: 2008-02-26
  • Posts: 700

Re: getting more out of my guitars controls

Welcome to my problem  with Les Pauls!! I've rewired with good stuff, I've put in decent pck ups (57's, SD Blues, Burst Buckers) and still I'm not happy I cant do chords properly because they always sound too boomy (like there is no dynamics like on a strat) sad I've come to the conclusion that I'm just a strat person and nothing is gonna change it lol

Btw lead stuff is great on the Les Paul I just struggle having it all (I mainly play rhythm with a bit of lead every now and then so my guitar needs to have everything :x)

  • From: Essex UK
  • Registered: 2010-03-19
  • Posts: 164

Re: getting more out of my guitars controls

Halesie wrote:

i've been playing my vintage les paul clone for a while now and think it's time for a few tweaks. recently, i've noticed that the controls  aren't very usable compared to my strat. i'm used to turning down the guitar volume for cleaner sounds and tweaking my tone pots for warmer sounds. the volume pots on the les paul don't react well to turning down, they tend to muddy up and then you lose a fair bit of volume. the tone pots don't tend to do much either, i can get woman tone but others sounds tend to be bright or wooly, no halfway house. also, i like to do the kill switch effect by turning the neck pickup volume down. normally, there would be no sound on neck and both pickups position but on this les paul the bridge pickup cuts in on the middle position.

what would people suggest, should i rewire it with better components?

Hi Halesie,

Some quick and inexpensive tweaks for the Vintage LP Copy, replace the standard ceramic caps with Orange drop Caps at about 90p each, make a big difference to the tonal sound, replace the standard pots with CTS Pots at about a tenner each, will give more response from the Tone controls a smoother pot that has been caliberated at source.

The Vintage (depending on age and model) normally used a thick Mahogany body and neck so therefore the sustain and resonance should be fairly good to begin with, try the caps first and see what result you get. If you vintage has the Wilkinson Pups again they are fairly good to begin with, if not a slightly more expensive set of Bare Knuckle Mules will give more of a warm JBish blues tone, they are about £130.00 for a matched pair but definately worth the money. My only other advice would be change 1 thing at a time and then try it out, if you change everything in one go you could be spending more than you need to. Caps first, pots second, and finally PUPS, hope this helps.

Stewart smile

Have Fun and laugh like it's your first time! You never know you might get to like it! big_smile
  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: getting more out of my guitars controls

JohnTB wrote:

Welcome to my problem  with Les Pauls!! I've rewired with good stuff, I've put in decent pck ups (57's, SD Blues, Burst Buckers) and still I'm not happy I cant do chords properly because they always sound too boomy (like there is no dynamics like on a strat) sad I've come to the conclusion that I'm just a strat person and nothing is gonna change it lol

Btw lead stuff is great on the Les Paul I just struggle having it all (I mainly play rhythm with a bit of lead every now and then so my guitar needs to have everything :x)

Sounds like you want to try P-94's the humbucker sized P-90. I have those in one of my LP copies... LOVE IT... very hot single coil with more balls. hum cancelling when using both.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • From: Lancashire
  • Registered: 2008-02-26
  • Posts: 700

Re: getting more out of my guitars controls

Ill give that a try cheers matey

  • From: Lancashire
  • Registered: 2008-02-26
  • Posts: 700

Re: getting more out of my guitars controls

Well on a whim (before I decided to do any more work to the guitar) I gigged with the LP last night.... I used the bridge on 5 vol and 6 tone for rhythm (sounded remarkably like my strats middle pick up) and for lead I had the neck on 9 volume and 8 tone and the thing just screamed sustain and tone it really kicked my amp up a gear, and on top of that it really seperated my sound from the other guitarist (on a strat) and stood out from the mix with out being loud, it was really refreshing not having to fight for a place in the mix....

I really enjoyed playing it and after the gig a regular came up and asking about the guitar and said I looked like I was really enjoying playing it...

So thx for making me think of her again!!