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LP Novice question


J.4knee

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I am a pretty inexperienced when it comes to Gibson products and I have a potentially odd question. Since I bought my LP TP II I have pretty much kept volume and tone controls sex at max as I adjusted from the feel of my Fenders to my LP. Any way I just started playing around trying to get feel for how the controls affect the tone of the guitar. So far I am just digging this thing more and more. I have noticed one thing that seems odd to me. When I switch to the neck PUP the PUP switch is in the Rhythm or up position but the bottom set of controls are in play and vice versa for the lead or down position and bridge PUP the upper set of controls are used. This just seems backward to me. Are all LP set up this way

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I am a pretty inexperienced when it comes to Gibson products and I have a potentially odd question. Since I bought my LP TP II I have pretty much kept volume and tone controls sex at max as I adjusted from the feel of my Fenders to my LP. Any way I just started playing around trying to get feel for how the controls affect the tone of the guitar. So far I am just digging this thing more and more. I have noticed one thing that seems odd to me. When I switch to the neck PUP the PUP switch is in the Rhythm or up position but the bottom set of controls are in play and vice versa for the lead or down position and bridge PUP the upper set of controls are used. This just seems backward to me. Are all LP set up this way

Yes, and SG's too.

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Guest Farnsbarns

It should be the other way around. Could your switch be upside down? Is the sound brightest with the switch down? Is should be, and the bottom set.of controls (as seen by the player) should be in affect.

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I'm slightly confused by this one, too. It sounds like there might be an issue somewhere in that; if you've got the p/u switch in up or down position - only the controls for the selected pickup should be active.

 

If you're in the middle, both controls are in effect, but you are subject to the pickup coupling issue where rolling off all of one volume will silence the guitar (I've got a wiring scheme to counter that...).

 

Maybe take it to a tech and show them; see if they think there is a problem?

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To me it sounds like he is saying that he turns the lower volume/tone knob for the bridge pick up but the neck pick up is affected with the switch being in the rhythm/neck position....that is wrong..

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As farns mentions, your switch could be just miss aligned. they get lose and they will turn in the cavity if you try to tighten the thumb screw without holding the switch in place.

 

 

Turn the bottom volume controls all the way to ZERO, and push the switch down to "Lead" you should hear nothing,

 

 

Do the same with the top volume control with the switch in "Rythm". you should hear nothing.

 

if this is the symptom, than that is your problem.

 

Take off the round cavity cover, turn your switch 180 degrees and tighten it while holding it in place.

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As farns mentions, your switch could be just miss aligned. they get lose and they will turn in the cavity if you try to tighten the thumb screw without holding the switch in place.

 

 

Turn the bottom volume controls all the way to ZERO, and push the switch down to "Lead" you should hear nothing,

 

 

Do the same with the top volume control with the switch in "Rythm". you should hear nothing.

 

if this is the symptom, than that is your problem.

 

Take off the round cavity cover, turn your switch 180 degrees and tighten it while holding it in place.

Will do thanks

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for clarity, when you refer to the control knobs as upper and bottom, are you meaning in relation to the pick up switch positions (i.e bottom is referring to the 2 knobs closest to the floor when looking down at the guitar whilst playing it - in the same way that the word treble is closest to the floor on the selector switch) ... or in relation to the pickups (ie bottom is referring to the 2 knobs closest to the floor looking at it sitting on a guitar stand - like the bridge pickup)?

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When looking down at the guitar with it slung, in my case when the pup switch is set to rhythm it is in the up position and the controls that are in play are the lowest at the bottom set of controls. IOW they are the opposite of the way the switch indicates. Switch up (Rhythm) = Bottom Controls. Switch down (Lead) = upper set of controls.

 

I am going to open the cover and try to rotate the switch to match the controls.

 

 

The PUP in use is obvious the Lead should be the bridge and Rhythm should be the neck.

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Guest Farnsbarns

When looking down at the guitar with it slung, in my case when the pup switch is set to rhythm it is in the up position and the controls that are in play are the lowest at the bottom set of controls. IOW they are the opposite of the way the switch indicates. Switch up (Rhythm) = Bottom Controls. Switch down (Lead) = upper set of controls.

 

I am going to open the cover and try to rotate the switch to match the controls.

 

 

The PUP in use is obvious the Lead should be the bridge and Rhythm should be the neck.

 

Hang on. You're saying that when the switch is at the rhythm setting the lower set of controls are in use but the neck pup is selected? In that case your guitar is wired incorrectly.

 

If you are just assuming the the neck pup is active on the grounds it should be then the switch is probably just upside down.

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I had a local shop tech ask me if I wanted the controls wired this way. I declined.

 

His claim is that this is becoming more common as players are more likely to adjust the volume when they're playing on the bridge pup.

This makes the bridge controls the easiest to get to.

 

I had never heard this before, and I've haven't heard it again since then.

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I had a local shop tech ask me if I wanted the controls wired this way. I declined.

 

His claim is that this is becoming more common as players are more likely to adjust the volume when they're playing on the bridge pup.

This makes the bridge controls the easiest to get to.

 

I had never heard this before, and I've haven't heard it again since then.

 

ah I see..

 

it does make ergonomic tho sense doesn't it..

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Guest Farnsbarns

ah I see..

 

it does make ergonomic tho sense doesn't it..

 

Only with the assumption that people are more likely to adjust the volume on the bridge pup. I can't speak for anyone else but it isn't true in my case.

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Only if the assumption that people are more likely to adjust the volume on the bridge pup. I can't speak for anyone else but it isn't true in my case.

 

 

Well, I usually keep that back to about 5... even if using the middle position. Then I have some room when I hit the bridge pup to for solos.

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Only if the assumption that people are more likely to adjust the volume on the bridge pup. I can't speak for anyone else but it isn't true in my case.

 

Same here! I actually use the neck pup for many leads and fills and am more prone to "tweak" that pup that the bridge!

 

Just for the sake of saying- It was the same when I exclusively owned / played Fender (Strat and Teles). I (personal opinion here) often found the bridge pup of less use on Fenders, but am discovering that on my LP, the bridge pup is VERY useful and versatile!

 

Still, (again My Opinion only) I wish there was a way the vol/tone controls could be rigged to be a little easier access. Like all new things...I'm getting used to it!

 

Ref. the OP original post- I remember reading on here, possibly in the archives somewhere, where some LPs apparently got wired this way from the factory (?) Seems odd but stuff does happen..

 

Brian

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It should be the other way around. Could your switch be upside down? Is the sound brightest with the switch down? Is should be, and the bottom set.of controls (as seen by the player) should be in affect.

Oops, what he says, was just playing a LP and realized yours is backwards.

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Guest Farnsbarns

Did a bit more investigating. The Rhythm/Treble is reversed.

 

Not entirely clear. You mean that when set to rhythm you're getting the bridge pup and v.v.?

 

If so, loosen switch, rotate 180deg and retighten.

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