Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Pickup selecter Question


seamusg

Recommended Posts

Hello,

 

I am new to this forum, but it looks great. I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard. My wife very kindly bought it for a special birthday. It plays perfectly and I love it, but I have just one issue - one I would obviously have queried in the shop had I been the one to buy it: The pickup selection "rhythm" (top one) is brighter than the "treble" (bottom one). Basically they sound like they have been switched. As I say it plays perfectly but I am confused and slightly concerned that the previous owner might have messed with the pickups (there is no obvious sign of this). The shop were it was bought has since closed and I have been meaning to ask this question for ages, but since it sounds so good I have lived with it. I have never played any other Gibson, but I presume this is not normal!

Any help appreciated, thanks - Seamus

Guitar Dater Project tells me:

 

Your guitar was made at the

Nashville Plant, TN, USA

April 20th, 1998

Production Number: 121

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new Les Paul. The forum rule is pics, or it didn't happen, but really, we all just love the guitar porn. Lets see that LP!!

I would open the back covers and trace the wires and see if they were reversed. Also pull the pickups and see what they are. Perhaps they have been swapped out for something other than stock and the neck is something really bright. I would also check out the pickup height. If the bridge pickup is down way low and the neck PU is right up under the strings it could sound brighter/louder than the other PU. Oh, one other thing just occured to me....perhaps the previous owner changed the toggle washer or messed arround with the switch and it simply rotated, so, it is wired corectly, but the switch itself could be upside down. Test this by putting it in the "treble" position and tap the bridge and neck pickups with your pick and see what's doing what.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks everyone. I will get a pic, I promise! Probably a dumb question, but does flicking the switch turn off one of the pickups - cant believe I havent tried this....if so if I am on treble should the bridge pickup or the neck pickup respond if I tap it with a pick?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would guess you are right. Though I cant imagine why anyone would deliberately do this. So maybe a mistake was made during rewiring?

 

Other than that, it’s possible that the switch assembly has rotated 90 degrees as the retaining screw was tightened. It wouldn’t hurt to take a peek under the panel and check.

The screw does up clockwise so the wiring would have moved in the same direction.

 

I suggest tapping the pickups to be to absolutely sure which one is active before you take any action.

Depending on what you find it may be possible to rotate the switch into the correct position if there is enough slack in the wiring?

 

Good luck

 

-evans

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks everyone. I will get a pic, I promise! Probably a dumb question, but does flicking the switch turn off one of the pickups - cant believe I havent tried this....if so if I am on treble should the bridge pickup or the neck pickup respond if I tap it with a pick?

 

 

Yes, only the middle position has both pups active.

 

(sorry guys, I was so slow in my previous answer, you beat me to it)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

put the dials to 10, (reason for this soon)

see picture below,

put the toggle down towards the stings (that's treble/lead).

tap the pickup by the bridge; you'll hear clicking.. that's the Treble pickup.

now flick the switch up, tap the pickup next to the neck, you'll hear clicking, that's the rhythm pickup.

in the middle both are on.. tap eiteher you'll get sound

BUT forewarned, each volume control effects the middle position, if you turn one of the volumes to 0, then you will get 0 sound.

if this is backwards,, just loosen the nut on the top by the switch and spin the toggle switch 180deg and retighten the nut

May15_PG_CLM_Guitar-Shop-101_photo1_WEB.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Farnsbarns

If your pups are potted tapping might not work. If you select rhythm and then run your nail/pick along the 6th string, towards the bridge, to make that awful sawing noise you'll notice that as you pass the neck pup the note stops climbing and starts to fall (or it should). This is because the part of the string behind where you're scraping become active once you've passed the pup. You can do the same with the bridge pup.

 

Now, if it turns out to be wired wrong you should just be able to loosen the switch and rotate it half a turn. If it turns out it's wired right try raising the neck pup or lowering the bridge, or both.

 

Obviously check the tone nobs aren't turned up/down in such a way to cause this. Also be aware that the volume effects the tone so dime everything.

 

Edit: just realised half what I said had already been said by Eracer_Team. Sorry chap, that's what I get for skim reading during a quick break at work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are in the top or bottom select position on the toggle, only that PU should click when you tap it with a coin or metal pick. Middle position both are on.

You have an amazing lady there by the way!

 

Berd.

 

1434638060[/url]' post='1667976']

Thanks everyone. I will get a pic, I promise! Probably a dumb question, but does flicking the switch turn off one of the pickups - cant believe I havent tried this....if so if I am on treble should the bridge pickup or the neck pickup respond if I tap it with a pick?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Turn the selector-switch 'poker-chip' around by 180 degrees and you're good to go.

In addition the writing will be "the right way 'round" for you to read whilst playing...

 

[smile]

 

All kidding aside I remember reading somewhere that at one time Les himself preferred the toggle to go "fore and aft" for neck and bridge.

There's a lot of good sense therein...

 

P.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Turn the selector-switch 'poker-chip' around by 180 degrees and you're good to go.

In addition the writing will be "the right way 'round" for you to read whilst playing...

 

[smile]

 

All kidding aside I remember reading somewhere that at one time Les himself preferred the toggle to go "fore and aft" for neck and bridge.

There's a lot of good sense therein...

 

P.

 

 

 

 

about your 'Newbie' title with 10k+ post...you're either very modest or the site's counter is like an odometer and it's rolled over to it's original setting. [rolleyes]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...