2012 Standard Traditional Les Paul

[Structo]

I was wondering about my Les Paul I bought awhile back.
It is a 2012 Standard Traditional Les Paul.

It is my first Gibson and the controls are a bit foreign to me.

I notice when I am in the middle position that it really depends on the volume settings.
I understand the neck to bridge pickup settings as this is popular among LP players, like using the neck position turned down a bit for rhythm and using the bridge pickup for lead at full tilt.

What style is this wiring?
50's?
60's?

2012 standard traditional Les Paul.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Reeltarded]

Dunno the wiring scheme but the jimmy page sound comes with everything all up in the middle position. Any imbalance goes jazz box.

[Structo]

Thanks Miles.
I have heard these terms thrown around and I don't really understand them.
Jimmy Page, 50's, 60's, modern, etc.
I probably need to play it and take notes so it isn't so confusing (to me).

I'm also having trouble finding this exact model.
So far it seems it is a Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional in iced tea.
Man this is even more confusing than Fender's Strat models.

This seems the closest I have found.

http://www.themusiczoo.com/product/3562 ... -Iced-Tea/

[doveman]

I have a 2009 LP Traditional in Ice Tea. Stock they come with modern wiring - likely 300k vol pots and can be a bit bassy. I like the 500k+ Vol pots in it much better.

50s wiring is fairly easy change - but I did not like it. As I recall, the easiest way to test if you have 50s wiring: Set on middle setting: if you have to turn both volume knobs down to turn the guitar off = 50s, if either vol control can silence the guitar = modern.

Guys who like the 50s wiring say that it resolves the muddy tone you get when you turn down the volume on neck pickup. I think a 680pf/220k resistor in parallel (treble bleed) on neck vol control does it. I think the controls make a whole lot more sense with modern. However, I've played that way since the 70s so probably biased. I think the 50s wiring is a bit too interactive - changes on one pickup affect the other in what feel like strange ways. One man's opinion.

[Structo]

Thanks for the information Ken.

I'm going in.

[doveman]

Again, I'm not a fan of the 50's but this is retry good explanation.

http://www.dominocs.com/ToneWorks/mod50s.html

I like modern wiring, with 500k pots all around. I admit I like the taper OD RSGuitarworks Superpots on both volumes. Regular CTS tone pots are fine. Some think RSG pots are over priced but you are guaranteed at least 540k which really brightens up an LP. I only put a 680pf/220k (in parallel) treble bleed between the hot an middle lugs on the neck vol pot. The bridge doesn't need it. I experimented with lots of cap and resistor values and series vs parallel. This worked best for me. I also liked the taper of the neck pot still - after putting the treble bleed in.

It's really not a treble bleed but that's what it's most offen called.

Good luck! BTW it's my favorite guitar for the last few years.

Edit:when I measured my stock 300k volume pots they were about 270k if I recall. It was pretty mushy sometimes. I thing the old LPs had 500k pots all around. If you do modify and can check those pots, it can tell a lot.

[Structo]

The reason I bring this up is in the current Premier Guitar magazine it has an article about the 50's wiring and how to wire a telecaster the same way.
And it says that with the vintage LP wiring it doesn't attenuate the treble as bad as the modern version.

Electronically, there’s nothing too special about this wiring: It simply connects the tone pot to the output (the middle lug) of the volume pot instead of to the input. Tonally, however, ’50s wiring has three major influences on your tone: First, your overall tone gets stronger and more transparent—more in your face. Some players say it “blooms,” because the notes just seem to open up after you’ve played them. It’s difficult to get this type of response from a dual-humbucker guitar without using this wiring style.

The second big impact that the vintage-wiring mod has is that it drastically decreases the treble attenuation that occurs when you roll back a volume knob. With passive volume controls, when you turn down—even just a little—the treble loss is far greater than the volume loss. One way to remedy this by installing a “treble-bleed” network—a combination of a capacitor and a resistor in parallel or in series—on your volume pots. However, ’50s wiring does the trick, too. This means it’s much easier to clean up an overdriven amp by simply rolling back the volume on your guitar. (Incidentally, we’ll cover the treble-bleed mod next—it’s my favorite for “super strats.”)

So I should be able to pop off the cover on the LP and see if this is the way it is wired.

[Structo]

Yeah, it looks like my LP has the modern wiring.
Cermic disc tone caps.......

I'm going to put some new tone caps and change the wiring.

The tone pots measure 460-470K, hopefully the volume pots are similar.

[NickC]

I have always run my Gibsons (LP, SG, ES335, L6S) wide open, all the time. But the other day someone here at TAG posted a YouTube of Glen Kuykendall playing his 59 LP through his TW Express, using no pedals, only the volume/tone controls. Now I am convinced of the value of having those controls, and using them with the right amp.

I don't think those controls matter much playing through a Twin (through a Plexi, different story). Glen Kuykendall sure knows how to coax a boatload of tone out of that TW with nothing but the guitar (albeit a really nice guitar). Respect!

[Structo]

Yeah, it's amazing how well his Express cleans up when he turns the guitar down.

Dynamics!

[Reeltarded]

Express is a special case. Most other amps don't allow that with a dirty full up sound. It's bright as fuck and adds lowend at wide open on the guitar controls.

Mushall

[Structo]

Yes, none of my amps do that.....

[vibratoking]

No other setup provides the wonderful interaction of working the volume and tone on a Les Paul as well as a 50s wired Les Paul into a Tweed Deluxe IMO. It's deliciously versatile and addictive. That being said, I work the controls with all my amps to great effect. There are so many tones available with both pickups on. The other key is to lower the neck pickup far enough to resolve the muddy tone that is there for almost all Les Pauls.

[NickC]

........... The other key is to lower the neck pickup far enough to resolve the muddy tone that is there for almost all Les Pauls.

When you say "lower", do you mean lower the neck pup volume pot, or physically lower the height of the neck pup? I'm guessing the former, but it could be interpreted either way? Thanks.


PS - I've been pondering what to build next. Tweed Deluxe get much praise, and I'm leaning towards that or a Rocket.

[John_P_WI]

Lower the pickup height.