LP Scratch build

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Reeltarded
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by Reeltarded »

That is what a Les Paul does. It's brite like the Sun. Cuts through massive amounts of bass if it's a standard. The all mahogany guitars with magic wood sound more typical.

The king of vibes is correct. Changing parts doesn't change much but the price.

Changing pot values would be sacreligious to me. I never spin the tone knobs in normal operation and I do run the volumes wide open.

I have a secret to get more resonance out of the instrument.. figure the backspacing of the pickups to the route bottom, cut superduper light wood blocks to fill that backspace and roll pairs of springs together instead of singles for mounting. The pickup now transmits body knock.

The thick shims are the exact same as the route inside the leg holes.
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Phil_S
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by Phil_S »

If you are finding this guitar is somehow bad, please send it to me and I will give it the appropriate punishment. Thank you.

Seriously, I am in awe of this build. Sometimes a thing turns out as it is meant to be, but not exactly to the builder's liking. I hope this will not be the case. So much effort deserves the result you are seeking.
telentubes
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by telentubes »

My apologies for the tantrum. I've been playing single coils since the 80s and am just learning about the land of humbuckers.
So after getting a good night's sleep, and watching the video, I went back in and made a few adjustments, and twisted a few knobs and I am now much happier, and liking this beast quite a bit. There's a learning curve in progress here.
I took the advice of the last few post and screwed the neck pickup right to the body (on blocks), and got some beefy springs for the bridge PU, then messed around with all the knobs on amp and guitar and came up with some nice sounds. You have to adjust your touch as well (lighter, like when getting the feel of D style amps). It's not a tele.
I will get a set of pickups that are matched, and feel that this will make a big difference. Finish will help as well. Pics tonight, as I forgot to bring the camera with me this time.
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Structo
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by Structo »

Don't Gibson post 70's LP's have 300K pots?

I wonder if they downsized due to ice pick highs?

So the Vol pot is 300K but the tone pots are 500K?


Nice job on the guitar telentubes!

That takes a lot of skill.

I have a 2003 Traditional LP.

I changed to .022 6PS tone caps and changed the wiring to 50's style.

At the time I didn't like the 50's wiring but I never got around to switching it back to modern.
Maybe trying it again is in order before heating the iron.

The controls are so foreign to me, being a Strat player most my life.

But da Dumble wants humbuckers and I abide.
Tom

Don't let that smoke out!
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Colossal
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by Colossal »

That is a spectacular build. Been following this with admiration, jealously, and fascination :lol:

Definitely go with Historic pots and fifties wiring. I have a 2013 R9 Lemonburst and it sounds, looks, and plays nothing short of incredible. I work the tone controls quite a bit. As others have said, you can really thicken up the sound without losing clarity by backing off on the tone slightly.
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by telentubes »

Tom,
I was wondering about the 300K pot values also.

The "Gibson Historic" pot values I got measured 490K, 510K, 530K, and 540K.
For some reason I decided that the highest value should be on the bridge pickup volume pot. Maybe I simply need to use one of the lower values on the bridge pickup volume pot to tone down some of the treble, as a "500K" is what's called for. The neck pickup is fine. I'm also getting used to, and kinda digging the treble, so If I change it, it will be when I put it back together after the paint job.

And getting back to what Miles said about LPs being bright. Of course they're bright. They shine in a band setting. If they were all warm and fuzzy, you wouldn't hear a thing. They would be completely buried in the mix.

Colossal, I'm leaning towards a Lemonburst.

I set my string width to what I've gotten used to from playing finger style acoustic guitar. At 2 1/8" from outside to outside on the two "E" strings, I'm also on the outside of the pole pieces on the bridge pickup. That can't be ideal, but it seems to work.
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telentubes
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by telentubes »

Phil_S
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Reeltarded
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by Reeltarded »

Sweet!!

I vote uneven fade if we are allowed to vote.
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by telentubes »

Is that the refinish (I don't like brown) you did a while ago?

Here's one, of many, that I like. Even more fade here.
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by Reeltarded »

Yes! i hate brown!

Mine has lost lots of red since that pic without using any tricks but in 2-3 years it will have faded almost just like that one. Love that.
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Colossal
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by Colossal »

telentubes wrote:Is that the refinish (I don't like brown) you did a while ago?

Here's one, of many, that I like. Even more fade here.
Lemonburst!

Love the fade on that one...stunning.
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Scratch build

Post by ampmike »

This thread is awesome,Really enjoying it.Thanks Mikey
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JoeCon
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by JoeCon »

Yeah for a LP Lemonburst is the way to go and no Brown EVER!!
Beautiful work...
In theory, theory is the same as practice. In practice it's different.
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by vibratoking »

The "Gibson Historic" pot values I got measured 490K, 510K, 530K, and 540K.
For some reason I decided that the highest value should be on the bridge pickup volume pot. Maybe I simply need to use one of the lower values on the bridge pickup volume pot to tone down some of the treble, as a "500K" is what's called for. The neck pickup is fine. I'm also getting used to, and kinda digging the treble, so If I change it, it will be when I put it back together after the paint job.
I would put the lowest value pot on the bridge pickup vol to reduce the brightness. The highest on the neck vol. That is the best approach IME. Also, the neck pickup height needs to be set VERY low. Most of mine usually end up below the height of the pickup ring. It is how you get rid of the woofy mud on the neck pickup. 99% of the world sets the neck pickup too high IMO. I think because they think it looks better. Which it does, but it sounds like poo. My procedure is to lower the neck pickup until the mud is gone. This is usually a how low can you go type of thing. Then set the bridge pickup height by volume balancing with the neck pickup.

Oh, and that thing is pretty. Can't say that enough.
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Re: LP Scratch build

Post by telentubes »

You can't see it in the photo, but the neck pickup is actually set below the level of the wood on the top, well below the PU ring, and could be even lower, though I won't mess with it until I get the "real" PUs for this guitar. I will also change the pots at that point. That's good advice. I went back and found the thread that talked about which value pot should go with which pickup, and I had remembered it backwards, so installed them backwards. I don't want to reheat the pots any more that I have to, as I've ruined them with to much heat in the past. Thanks for the tips. It's all a learning experience.
What values would you recommend for the tone pots?
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