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2014 Les Paul Classic Mod?


MikeThomasmusic

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Just wondering if anyone has purchased a recent Les Paul classic that has the boost switch feature and actually removed it,and instead rewired it for a more traditional two volume,two tone setup either with or without the coil tap feature? I have the chance to get a pretty good deal on a brand new 2014 scratch N dent model lp classic that more or less is a guitar that was purchased and then returned,so usually by scratch and dent this company is refuring to maybe some light pick scratches on the pick guard or something. Anyhow my plan is to gut the electronics and install something more traditional along the lines of maybe a luxe harness or rsguitar works harness or whatever. I'm leaning towards going more with a vintage 50's wiring kit but you never know maybe I'll stick with something that has the coil tap option just as long as I get rid of the boost switch setup. I'm sure for some the boost is cool,but I've just always been more traditional. I'm also going to either get new pickups entirely or just add some nickel cover over the existing,lastly followed by replacing the classic labeled truss rod cover with a blank bell one. Has anyone ever changed out the boost in one of these for a more standard two volume,two tone setup?

 

Thanks.

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Just wondering if anyone has purchased a recent Les Paul Classic that has the boost switch feature and actually removed it,and instead rewired it for a more traditional two volume,two tone setup...?

Yup.

I think you'll find absolutely everything you need to know in Donny's thread here - it's pretty encyclopaedic;

http://forum.gibson....ssic-but-is-it/

 

P.

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Yup.

I think you'll find absolutely everything you need to know in Donny's thread here - it's pretty encyclopaedic;

http://forum.gibson....ssic-but-is-it/

 

P.

 

Man, has that guy has done just about everything like everything that most of us think and dream about doing! I think he needs to work for Gibson product research and development design! Sorry for my ignorance again, I should have checked the forum archives first. I'm still just getting the hang of what the whole Les Paul thing is all about after years of exclusively playing Gretsch professional models.

 

It seems to me to be though that its abundantly clear that die hard Gibson fans, (regardless if you're an Sg, Les Paul or some type of ES guy), just want to see Gibson make some regular line somewhat affordable non custom shop guitars that have all the basic bread and butter vintage correct features. Maybe guitars in the $1200 to $2000 range.give or take that are closer to VOS spec? If they were to do that then maybe a lot of the mods people like Donny and other have to do wouldn't be necessary.

 

I mean think about it, lets use an ES335 for example. If it were up to me and probably most,(because it makes sense from a common sense point of view), why not make say every single es335 model that is available,(regardless if it is a stripped down satin version,studio or a custom shop version ) made with the proper vintage correct Micky mouse ear cutaways? Those cutaways should be like that on every 335 regardless of the model version! We shouldn't as loyal customers,(who no doubt have purchased probably more than one Gibson over the years) have to pay 1k to 1.5k more for basically the exact same guitar just to get the actual vintage period correct Micky mouse cutaways. Those cutaways should be on every 335 to begin with! Thats just one example of many I'm sure some of you could come up with.

 

Gibson is so annoying at times, I love them but I do get annoyed with their sales philosophy/model at times. And it doesn't help when you have other manufactures producing similar designs with similar quality for a fraction of what Gibson charges. But the sales model just doesn't make sense at all. Never mind all the B.S.when it comes to pricing and models but, what about times when they will do something like release a new limited instrument like for example lets use the new Gibson original SG with the dark aged cherry. That's a nice guitar on the more affordable side for Gibson,but come to find out after overlooking the specs just a few years back they maybe might have had an almost identical guitar that pretty much featured the same exact specs, only that version might have been custom shop only costing nearly double in price. Or, even sometimes vise versa the opposite might occur and maybe a newer custom shop guitar might be close to a much less expensive non custom shop that they came out with a few years ago.

 

I think they could use a revamp of the whole line's sales structure. The classic iconic core designs should of course always stay the same but the model versions and prices within them could easily be sorted out better I think. If it were up to me and I was the head of Gibson or if I could just suggest to Gibson. I would do something along these lines. I would have three versions or tier levels of instruments. I would have the entry level stuff. Call them Specials or studios,whatever you want to market them as. Those guitars would consist of anything on the more affordable side such as satin finished guitars,specials, or even like today's studio models. These affordable level guitars would all cost somewhere in-between the $500 to $1,000 range give or take. Moving up next I would have what is called the standard models,which unlike today's standards would be a lot closer to actual VOS historic instruments. Like a VOS these guitars would feature all of the nice period correct appointments that most of us tend to modify to when we purchase a standard today anyways. These instruments could be priced roughly somewhere over $1,000 to the $2,000 in range; unless of course its like an arch top or a nicer VOS style guitar than maybe price wise you'd have an upper standard level and a basic standard level. The upper being closer in price to maybe around $3,000-$3,500 and the lower standards being around $1,000-$2,500 give or take? Lastly I would have the custom shop guitars,which would be actual customs shop guitars. Meaning, just like with a lot of other guitar manufactures,people would have the ability to more or less pick and choose from among different options to create their ideal custom gibson; Allowing them to choose among everything from the type of wood and quality of the figure in the wood, to the neck shape, and of course to choices in hardware and electronics. Which not only would the customer be creating a custom instrument that suits more of their specifics needs,it would maybe even bring them closer to the brand feeling more of a connect therefore increasing future sales? One custom shop example might be that maybe someone wants a 59 historic type of les paul but (cringe)they might really be into and want it to come with some type of active EMG style pickups or something,with the new custom shop option choices it could be done. A truly custom experience. Whatever they want, within reason, which the options available would all be anyways. These guitars would of course start much higher somewhere at least over $3,000 if not closer to more like starting at $5,000? But 3 basic tiers or price point levels would make things so much more simple. And in doing so they might have to offer things like a Studio model guitar for a little less at maybe $999 instead of $1,300 or whatever they start at these days. Which I think is something they need to do anyways, when you consider how the industry has been changing in recent years, allowing for many companies to produce higher quality guitars that are much,much more affordable than what the same quality instrument would have cost to produce even just 10 to 15 years ago.

 

So to recap you would have the entry level $500-$1,000 guitars which would include specials,and studio type of instruments.

 

Then you would have the $1,000-$2,500-ish standards (which would really be more like today's VOS models). Perhaps,maybe within these standards you would have to maybe have a second tier of higher quality VOS type guitars maybe costing around $2,500-$3,500 that would also include some semi's and full hollow archtops?

 

And lastly you would have the actual custom shop guitars that people would be able to create based on a list of available options starting at $3,500 to maybe $5,000 and going up from there?

 

If Gibson did something along these lines I think not only does it seem cool and seem to sort of make more sense, I think they would see a dramatic increase in sales. it would take a lot of the B.S. out of trying to justify why an instrument say for example that might cost $6,000 is the price that it is when maybe a guitar priced at $2,800 is nearly identical to it,minus something like just the neck shape being different or something?

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  • 7 months later...

What is that color variation between the tailstop and the bridge? I must be lame it must be light from the flash.

Does the link to modding the 2014 classic still exist as it does not work for me.
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Does the link to modding the 2014 classic still exist as it does not work for me.

No.

 

Donny was whacked by the ban-stick 2nd/3rd week of Feb and both he and all his posts were gone for good.

Shame in many ways. He was a great forumite, a knowledgeable guy and an inverterate tinkerer but he was considered to have fallen foul of the 'rules'.

I'm not 100% sure why - I was away on holiday and didn't see the specific thread which saw him overstepping the mark - but I was informed it is unlikely that he will be allowed back in.

 

P.

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Thanks pippy, is there any similar posts giving a breakdown of parts required to retain the standard 57 zebra pick ups, remove the electronics and 15db boost and to fit a tone pot in place of the boost switch.

 

Which pots are best suited ie brand, length & linear or taper, 350k or 500k, capacitors, best way to wire for that classic rock sound, I aren't bothered about push / pull pots.

 

Someone else must of modded there 2014 classic so would have a parts list of info.

 

Thanks guys.

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Thanks pippy, is there any similar posts giving a breakdown of parts required to retain the standard 57 zebra pick ups, remove the electronics and 15db boost and to fit a tone pot in place of the boost switch.

 

Which pots are best suited ie brand, length & linear or taper, 350k or 500k, capacitors, best way to wire for that classic rock sound, I aren't bothered about push / pull pots.

 

Someone else must of modded there 2014 classic so would have a parts list of info.

 

Thanks guys.

 

After removing the boost circuit, you will have to drill out the mini toggle switch hole for pot shaft size.

 

Since I don't know where you live it's hard to recommend vendors, but here are the parts I would use:

 

1 Gibson Les Paul electronic compartment cover without battery housing

1 500 kOhms audio taper long-shaft pot like used stock by Gibson

1 speed knob matching those on your guitar, or 4 of your like

1 .022µF polyester capacitor, or 2 if you want to replace the stock capacitor, too - you may find Orange Drops for $ 1...3 each

 

Then rewire the existing tone control from toggle switch output to the neck pickup volume pot's hot leg, and wire the added tone control in same manner to the bridge pickup's volume pot.

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No.

 

Donny was whacked by the ban-stick 2nd/3rd week of Feb and both he and all his posts were gone for good.

Shame in many ways. He was a great forumite, a knowledgeable guy and an inverterate tinkerer but he was considered to have fallen foul of the 'rules'.

I'm not 100% sure why - I was away on holiday and didn't see the specific thread which saw him overstepping the mark - but I was informed it is unlikely that he will be allowed back in.

 

P.

 

Bummer about Donny. I was recently given the option of purchasing a used Signature T and was going to dig up his post on the mods he suggested to do to them. I mostly lurk here but I always enjoyed his posts.

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Bummer about Donny. I was recently given the option of purchasing a used Signature T and was going to dig up his post on the mods he suggested to do to them. I mostly lurk here but I always enjoyed his posts.

 

Hello!

 

He has a great facebook page about the topic:

 

http://www.facebook.com/lespaulclassictraditional/info?ref=page_internal#!/lespaulclassictraditional/info?tab=page_info

 

Cheers... Bence

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I'm really delighted that Donny has managed to provide the info.

It would have been a shame had all his wonderful work had been lost.

 

He really is a great guy - and one Hell of a player - too.

 

[thumbup]

 

P.

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I'm really delighted that Donny has managed to provide the info.

It would have been a shame had all his wonderful work had been lost.

 

He really is a great guy - and one Hell of a player - too.

 

[thumbup]

 

P.

I can't believe he was booted from this site... He had a wealth of knowledge and experience and I always like reading his posts/threads.

Anyone know what caused him to be banished from this corner of the interwebs??? His dismay for Gibson's entire 2015 USA lineup?

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  • 2 years later...

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