Les Paul control wiring

[Stratman]

Here a photo for you!

[FuseG4]

that looks hawt but I've never gotten what's up with the metal c-shaped thing linking the backs of the pots. clue me in!

[super rad stuff]

since the back lugs of the pots are just grounded straight to the pot casings, the "c" on the back of the pots is the linked ground wire.

that setup looks pretty nice. who makes it and how much does it cost? or did you just put that together yo'self?

[FuseG4]

hey thanx I'll have to remember to do it like that when I finally get $50 for pots, caps, and wire. I really want my LP to sound it's best.

so what is that C of metal made of?

[dr. ad]

nice...
are they no-load pots?

[Stratman]

nice...
are they no-load pots?

Never use no-load pots for volume and don't suggest to use with humbuckers...

RS guitarworks can supply this set-up

The 'C-shaped wire is the ground

[MikeS]

so what is that C of metal made of?

It's just an uninsulated wire, nothing special.

[freddarl82]

It's just an uninsulated wire, nothing special.

You can also use any type of wire normally used for guitar wiring. RS supplies standard cloth "push back" wire for this purpose. Here's a pic of the inside of the 76 LP I sold:

This is set up 50's-style - the pickup goes to the bottom (or right-most, looking straight down at the pot) lug and the switch is wired to the middle lug.

Also note: if you use the vintage style braided wire like this, you really don't need the ground connection between the two volume pots (upper left and lower left in the pic) -- the braid carries ground all the way up to the switch, which is then also serves as ground to the output jack.

[FuseG4]

wow. that looks sweet.
Mine still has the epi quick-connect wiring from the switch to the pots. It's stupidly more crowded in my control cavity than it ought to be because of it.
This should all come in handy when I finally get to redo everything in there.

I'm glad my tele's wiring is so simple.

[freddarl82]

That 76 LP also had the control "plate" originally - all long-shaft pots mounted to a steel grounding plate (thus, no pot-to-pot ground wires needed). Overall, much more crowded and busy-looking. I prefer the simplicity of the new setup with 50's style wiring. I have all my Gibson-style guitars wired this way now.

[FuseG4]

what kind of tool does one work on metal-braided wire with? is it hard to cut? I've never used it. My main tool on working on guitars has been my needle nose pliers. I'm guessing the braid shields the wire and so it's best for long pieces such as those from the switch?

[super rad stuff]

what kind of tool does one work on metal-braided wire with? is it hard to cut? I've never used it. My main tool on working on guitars has been my needle nose pliers. I'm guessing the braid shields the wire and so it's best for long pieces such as those from the switch?

get a pair of wire clippers, kinda like these:
http://www.pixelperfectdigital.com/f...e-clippers.jpg

btw if you're still using stock electronics in your guitars i suggest you try upgrading your tone caps from those crappy stock chiclet caps and get some sprague orange drop caps. you can get'em for $0.99 each over at wymore

[freddarl82]

Good questions. man! Besides the basic screwdrivers you'll need (to remove the cavity cover, etc), I find I use these tools for about 95% of the work:

I think I found the needle-nose pliers with the angle ends at Radio Shack. Awesome for working inside a control cavity!

Another thing that's cool to have is a "third hand." Let's face it, you're humming along on your project...now you've got your soldering iron in one hand, the solder in the other...now...if there was just someone else to hold the parts in position while I soldered...

Granted, there's a ton of tools that are "nice" to have, but these will be the essentials to get the job done. In lieu of the "third hand," you can also use some vise grip pliers or clamps to hold things in place.

A few other tips:
1. To separate the braid from the wire, I use the "pick" pictured above (the sharp, pointy looking thing). Start at the end of the braid. Use the pointy end to unbraid the braid. Take small bites -- you can only go about 1/8" at a time from the previously unbraided end. Some people use this technique (although I've never had much luck with it): if you need 1" of exposed end, use the pick to separate a hole in the braid 1" from the end. Then, use the pick to carefully pry inside the hole and get the inner (cloth covered) lead out through the hole.

2. If you are going to be soldering things on to the backs of the pots (like the aforementioned ground connections), make sure you have a soldering gun of AT LEAST 35-40 watts.

3. When soldering, get in and get out as fast as you can. Don't overheat things. There's a lot of excellent tutorials on the web about soldering.

Hope this helps...

[freddarl82]

btw if you're still using stock electronics in your guitars i suggest you try upgrading your tone caps from those crappy stock chiclet caps and get some sprague orange drop caps. you can get'em for $0.99 each over at wymore

Or, even better, IMO, would be MOJO Vitamin Q (real paper-in-Oil, like those used on the 50's Les Pauls) or MOJO Dijons.

Really, there's a ton of choices out there... But it's an inexpensive way to make a DRAMATIC improvement in your tone. Opinions vary, but the "standard" values used for Les Paul style guitars are .047 mfd (microfarad. make sure you get the decimal point correct. DON'T buy .0047, or .47, etc). Or, a lot of people like a .047 on the neck and a .022 on the bridge. Buy a couple of each and experiment!

[FuseG4]

Can i probably leave the stock pots? They seem fine.
Does pot quality effect tone?

[freddarl82]

Can i probably leave the stock pots? They seem fine.
Does pot quality effect tone?

Let's face it -- Epi's are not known for having good electronics (although they seem to be making some nice guitars these days). I would replace the pots, too (with CTS, they're only about $4.50 each). Many Epi owners on the MLP forums report great results when they swap out electronics (INCLUDING the switch $18 and input jack $2). I did this on my Epi Flying V.

[super rad stuff]

just a quick note, most CTS pots are 3/8"(US dimensions) in diameter which is larger than the stock metric pots in there, meaning you would have to (very carefully!)drill the holes bigger to make'em fit. otherwise alpha pots should get the job done.

[MikeS]

IMO... while CTS pots certainly feel different, the tapers are more consistent, and pot values have tighter tolerances, any audible tonal difference is a figment of the imagination brought on by the musician's desire to further justify his purchase. The pots, like switches, often feel better and work better, but sound better? I don't buy it. I especially do not buy the difference between two output jacks.

So can you leave stock pots in a guitar? Sure. If I decide to change a guitar's pickups, I typically replace all import electronics while I'm at it. I like to have the highest quality hardware in a guitar, but I don't claim that the Switchcraft toggle sounds different than the import toggle. In fact, I left the original switch and jack in my Epiphone G400 because both work absolutely fine for the time being.

[super rad stuff]

IMO... while CTS pots certainly feel different, the tapers are more consistent, and pot values have tighter tolerances, any audible tonal difference is a figment of the imagination brought on by the musician's desire to further justify his purchase. The pots, like switches, often feel better and work better, but sound better? I don't buy it. I especially do not buy the difference between two output jacks.

So can you leave stock pots in a guitar? Sure. If I decide to change a guitar's pickups, I typically replace all import electronics while I'm at it. I like to have the highest quality hardware in a guitar, but I don't claim that the Switchcraft toggle sounds different than the import toggle. In fact, I left the original switch and jack in my Epiphone G400 because both work absolutely fine for the time being.

i actually like stock switches in epiphone guitars better, they're stiffer and last longer!