labeldd Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Hello, I recently bought a Les Paul Custom lite. A great guitar! However, I decided to compare it to my ES 335, which was hotter, louder and punchier than my Les Paul Custom Lite on the bridge pick-up. How is this possible? I thought that the 498T pick-up should be a lot hotter than the Classis 57 that is installed in my ES. It's like the volume pot on my les paul only goes to 7. (It has a coil-split, but that shouldn't affect the output when it is disabled?) I measured the resistance on my pick-up's and they were as they should be: 7,6 for the ES and 13,5 for the Les Paul. (I don't know the value of the pots, but they have the Gibson logo on them) I still enjoy the Les Paul, but I just want to know if this is normal or not. I bought it used, so maybe someone messed up the wiring? I have attached a picture, it looks a bit messy in my eyes. Does anyone else own the Les Paul lite and can compare their cavity to mine? Hope you can help! EDIT: I might add that that almost all the volume change happens from 8 to 10, not like my ES which works evenly from 1 to 10. Is that normal? Cheap pots? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Hello! A mystery to be solved for Mr. Capmaster. Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimi Mac Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Hello, I recently bought a Les Paul Custom lite. A great guitar! However, I decided to compare it to my ES 335, which was hotter, louder and punchier than my Les Paul Custom Lite on the bridge pick-up. How is this possible? I thought that the 498T pick-up should be a lot hotter than the Classis 57 that is installed in my ES. It's like the volume pot on my les paul only goes to 7. (It has a coil-split, but that shouldn't affect the output when it is disabled?) I measured the resistance on my pick-up's and they were as they should be: 7,6 for the ES and 13,5 for the Les Paul. (I don't know the value of the pots, but they have the Gibson logo on them) I still enjoy the Les Paul, but I just want to know if this is normal or not. I bought it used, so maybe someone messed up the wiring? I have attached a picture, it looks a bit messy in my eyes. Does anyone else own the Les Paul lite and can compare their cavity to mine? Hope you can help! EDIT: I might add that that almost all the volume change happens from 8 to 10, not like my ES which works evenly from 1 to 10. Is that normal? Cheap pots? I'm curious too because I'd like one of those Custom Lites myself and want to know all I can about them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LH_ Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Maybe the treble pickup of your ES-335 is closer to the strings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labeldd Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 No, the distance to the strings is more or less the same. The guitar itself is fantastic though, i play it a lot unplugged at night while watching tv and I just can't put it down. It feels and plays great! It sounds good plugged too, I'm just a bit curious if it shouldn't be hotter as I bought it to play more heavy stuff on. Would still highly recommend the guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Hello, I recently bought a Les Paul Custom lite. A great guitar! However, I decided to compare it to my ES 335, which was hotter, louder and punchier than my Les Paul Custom Lite on the bridge pick-up. How is this possible? I thought that the 498T pick-up should be a lot hotter than the Classis 57 that is installed in my ES. It's like the volume pot on my les paul only goes to 7. (It has a coil-split, but that shouldn't affect the output when it is disabled?) I measured the resistance on my pick-up's and they were as they should be: 7,6 for the ES and 13,5 for the Les Paul. (I don't know the value of the pots, but they have the Gibson logo on them) I still enjoy the Les Paul, but I just want to know if this is normal or not. I bought it used, so maybe someone messed up the wiring? I have attached a picture, it looks a bit messy in my eyes. Does anyone else own the Les Paul lite and can compare their cavity to mine? Hope you can help! EDIT: I might add that that almost all the volume change happens from 8 to 10, not like my ES which works evenly from 1 to 10. Is that normal? Cheap pots? Hello! A mystery to be solved for Mr. Capmaster. Cheers... Bence Ahem... I hope I will fulfil Bence's expectations, so I try my best. For the volumes, audio taper volume pots put out 10% of the level at around 7...8 of 10. Linear pots achieve 10% at about 1 of 10. The pickup readings are pretty on where they should be. Besides pickup height, a level difference may depend on string gauge and/or string make, in particular alloys providing different magnetic susceptibility. Wound strings may vary stronger since the alloy's compositions and magnetic properties of the wound wire can vary much more than that of plain ones. When I checked out two Les Paul Custom Lites last year, my impression was that the tone is rather light and airy compared to full-depth Les Paul guitars, but also to my Alex Lifeson Axcess guitar featuring the Axcess-typical ca. 5 mm less body depth. The CLs were putting out less level than I had expected. A bandmate of mine owns an LP Axcess hardtail model. It is weight-relieved, and the CL is weight-relieved, too, as far as I know. My Alex Lifeson has lots of routings for vibrato, circuit and battery, but is not weight relieved other than that. Perhaps the weight relieving of the thinner body contributes to an overall less fat tone, and so lower level. Finally, I don't think it has to do with the repair of yours since the immaculate ones I played also behaved as you described here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labeldd Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 Ok, good to hear that my repair shouldn't affect it too much.The les Pauls is strung with D'Addario 0.10's from the guys who repaired it and my ES-335 is strung with (well used!) GHS custom 0.9's (with extra thick bass strings.) Maybe the alloy is different, or maybe just the thinner body actually matters. (I have always believed that woodtype and bodyshape/thickness didn't matter at all on an electric guitar, but I guess I might just be wrong!) Anyway, I'm actually glad that the guitar is how it should be so that I don't have to start messing with it. As I mentioned, I really love the guitar, I just couldn't get it out of my head that there might be some unfullfillled potential to the pick-up's. Thanks again Capmaster! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Woods, design and construction including sizes and shapes will play a vital role for the tone of hollowbodies, semi-solids and solidbodies. When comparing guitars just varying in fretboard design and timbers, the differences already can be fairly large even in case the body is of same wood, design and weight. One-piece maple necks, maple necks with maple fretboard, rosewood fretboard or ebony fretboard will provide a different tone. Sometimes these properties are really amazing. Three of my guitars use a piezo Floyd Rose system of same make, the Gibson Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess I mentioned in my previous post and two modded MIM Fender Floyd Rose Stratocasters. Therefore in contrary to the magnetic pickups, the piezo tones are comparable. Hereby the difference between the MIM Strat with OPM neck, alder body and maple top and her "sister" featuring reosewood fretboard and an all-alder body is similarly distinctive as that between the latter and the FR AL LP Axcess. I think there is a reason for the big guitar manufacturers for offering many variations of the basically same models although this diversification also has commercial disadvantages. Sometimes deciding which model to go with may be hard, but at least I think everybody might find one's own, very special guitars. I don't know GHS custom strings but to my experience D'Addario strings sound relatively brilliant with a sleek bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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