bebop80 Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Hello to all Gibson owners! I need your professional help and knowledge :-) I own 2 LP Standard, one '96 and I bought a new one 2018. There is a huge difference in sound (I did the mistake to buy it online thinking It would have sounded like the old one but..no!). I did until now big changes (at a big cost) as I like the 2018 so much I'd like to make it sound very similar to the '96 but it is getting a hell as the sound is still very bright. These are the mods I did (trying copying what's on the '96) 1 swap pickups from BB PRO to 490T 498R 2 removed the controller pcb and made a brand new modern wiring (like on the '96) with 300K volume pots and 500K tone pots and black bee caps Still too BRIGHT! The pickups swap made the sound a bit better but the new wiring didn't make any difference. What do you suggest? Next steps I wish to try: 1 change the stoptail (the actual is lightweight one) with a havier one (schaller) 2 change the 300k volume pots with a 250k 3 Do I need to change also the tone pots? WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST ME? Thank you in advance guys for you help, I wish I can be happy with this guitar I really love but...I really hate it! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 (edited) The Burstbucker Pros are pretty bright, but so are the 490T/498R pickups. In general the Les Paul can be super bright if the Tone control is cranked up—that is after all what she was made for. Turn down Tone a few notches. I would have left the hardware as is. Alternatively, go 57Classics, Custombuckers, P90s or the Strat route? Edited May 1, 2019 by Leonard McCoy 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bebop80 Posted May 1, 2019 Author Share Posted May 1, 2019 The Burstbucker Pros are pretty bright, but so are the 490T/498R pickups. In general the Les Paul can be super bright if the Tone control is cranked up—that is after all what she was made for. Turn down Tone a few notches. I would have left the hardware as is. Alternatively, go 57Classics, Custombuckers, P90s or the Strat route? Thank you for the advice, yes bb pro too bright. I did change the hardware/electronics as suggested from a very busy lithier (at the end I did it by myself as he was too busy!) I choose those pickups because they were on the other LP STD i have, I thought they would have sounded equal :-( and well I'll think about the pickups you suggested, very good advice. and Strat, I went for the lp after 20 years strats :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bebop80 Posted May 1, 2019 Author Share Posted May 1, 2019 The tone knob. Your welcome. Sorry, do you suggest me then to swap also the tone caps? 300k or 250k? Thank you in advance man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NighthawkChris Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Hello to all Gibson owners! I need your professional help and knowledge :-) I own 2 LP Standard, one '96 and I bought a new one 2018. There is a huge difference in sound (I did the mistake to buy it online thinking It would have sounded like the old one but..no!). I did until now big changes (at a big cost) as I like the 2018 so much I'd like to make it sound very similar to the '96 but it is getting a hell as the sound is still very bright. These are the mods I did (trying copying what's on the '96) 1 swap pickups from BB PRO to 490T 498R 2 removed the controller pcb and made a brand new modern wiring (like on the '96) with 300K volume pots and 500K tone pots and black bee caps Still too BRIGHT! The pickups swap made the sound a bit better but the new wiring didn't make any difference. What do you suggest? Next steps I wish to try: 1 change the stoptail (the actual is lightweight one) with a havier one (schaller) 2 change the 300k volume pots with a 250k 3 Do I need to change also the tone pots? WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST ME? Thank you in advance guys for you help, I wish I can be happy with this guitar I really love but...I really hate it! :-) So first mistake is buying a guitar assuming you know what it sounds and plays like. It happens, don't make this mistake again if you don't have any sort of return/trial window to take advantage of when dealing with an unknown guitar. And don't assume in the future. You are determined to make this guitar sound like something it isn't this all sounds like. And you mention that you like it a lot... What is it about it you like a lot that has you hell-bent on ripping it up at any expense to make it sound like a 1996 LP Standard? Why not buy another LP from that era? I'm sure you can sell your 2018 LP for at least the cost of a 1990s LP Standard... I bought my 1994 LP Standard in excellent for less than $2k. I know you could sell a 2018 LP Standard for at or near this price. Perhaps even a trade might work... Overall, there is more to a guitar's sound than the electronics and such. A lot of it has to do with the way it is constructed, woods used, etc. This is why you play before you pay - or as I said, have a window to return if it doesn't fit the bill. If you are planning on keeping this 2018 LP Standard, then good luck trying to make it sound like something different than what it is. You are just going to have to compensate with tone on your guitar and/or amp until you have the tone you find that is acceptable. And just to clear something up, I have a LP Custom that has the 498T/490R set and my 90s LP Standard that has the same set. Both sound different to some extent because they are different guitars. All guitars are somewhat unique and there are things about each of them that you just cannot make it do like another. May not always be the case, but I typically trial a guitar, and if I like it, I take it. I don't mess around with changing it all up because the effort isn't worth the time and money most of the time. Nothing better than getting a guitar that you have to do jack squat to it to play it and be happy with it. I wish you best of luck and hope that you start to like your LP for what it is. I'm sure it doesn't sound like crap, but I can buy it that it sounds a bit different than your guitar that was constructed decades before your 2018 LP. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Decrease the pickup heights. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 You are just going to have to compensate with tone on your guitar and/or amp until you have the tone you find that is acceptable. BINGO!! A few adjustments with the knobs and the problem is solved. Adjusting the lows, mids, and hi's make a big difference. Throw in an EQ, even better. This is one reason why I like modeling amps, I have a preset for each style of guitar I own. If I pick up my Strat hit the preset and off I go. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvcrap2000 Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 it's it's a 2018, try adjusting the DIP switches, take the Treble bleed off. also adjust the pickup height as sugested. If it's too high it's more powerful, lowering it gets a more mellow sound. in the Neck if it's high it gets very strong but if you lower it you get a reall good tone. Check several classic LP's and see how their Neck PU are. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bebop80 Posted May 1, 2019 Author Share Posted May 1, 2019 Thank you all, I'll try to work on it adjusting the pickups (i prefer not to mess around with eq as I wish it to play properly without any special external adjustments) And yes, I've been thinking to sell it out, let's see; I love this guitar as it has an amazing colour and finish, I really love it and yes, I should have asked before buying online and I do agree that a guitar should be played before buying it; it was a great price and I really thought that, even if new and not an old one, it should have sounded not 100% like my '96 one but quite similar: actually the gibson sounds as a superstrat with lots of high frequencies :-( Not on this model the DIP switch unfortunately :-( Anyway, thank you all for your help. Always accept new advices! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted May 2, 2019 Share Posted May 2, 2019 (edited) Thank you all, I'll try to work on it adjusting the pickups (i prefer not to mess around with eq as I wish it to play properly without any special external adjustments) you have to accept the fact that every guitar is going to sound different, same pickups or not. no two are going to sound the same. Adjusting the amp to compensate for one guitars sound characteristics verses another is a normal / everyday part of the process. consider strings, which ones are newer, are they the same brand of strings, cuz different strings will also have different tones/sounds.. Lots to consider, remember no two will ever sound the same. Just physics at work man. Definitely lower the pickups. Edited May 2, 2019 by kidblast 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eracer_Team Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 Um. Play it properly? There is a reason for tone controls on the amps. Unless you're playing a Fender Champ or Epiphone Valve Jr. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 Um. Play it properly? There is a reason for tone controls on the amps. Unless you're playing a Fender Champ or Epiphone Valve Jr. I just purchased a Vox Night Train, mostly to play my Strat through. Plugged my Strat in and set up the tone controls just the way I like it, sounds AWESOME! Using the same settings, I plugged in my Lester and wow, what a mess. Sounded like a frog farting through a blow horn. Had to go a total different route with the tone controls. I do realize this was a comparing apples to oranges. Although this example is extreme to the OP situation, it still shows the difference between the two guitars and the need to change the tone settings. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 Sounded like a frog farting through a blow horn. hahaha! Love a good fart joke!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 I just purchased a Vox Night Train, I would use my VOX NightTrain with my VOX AC50 and switch between amps, The NightTrain has this great rock-n-roll tone, but it has been replaced by a Panama Sharman head and two Panama Cabinet w/attenuator. But here's a below image of my old setup. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 (edited) You got the Vox Fright Train!! That looks like a sweet rig!! I have the original 15 watt model with the Vox 1x12 CAB. I'm really digging this Night Train, the volume control is great. I can play it in my guitar man cave at a decent level without disturbing the rest of the house while maintaining tone the amp has to offer. I'm very happy with my purchase. The wedding of my Strat and the Night Train will be held this Sunday at 6:00 PM. Yes, this is an arranged marriage. Edited May 3, 2019 by Big Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihcmac Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 (edited) Mixing radically different guitars Like a LP Std a Strat or a Junior can cause lots of problems. There is no one magic setting that will make them all sound their best on the same amp. Each of their individual tone signatures is what makes them unique and requires different amp settings. One way of dealing with these is to have separate switchable pre-amps each dialed in for tone and gain/drive... Anyway I am just scratching the surface here, but one additional point is to not be sitting right next to your amp when making adjustments but need to be several feet away to hear what your amp actually sounds like. In addition every room you play in will sound different, like a bed room will not sound anything like a bar... Everything changes... Edited May 3, 2019 by mihcmac 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 Mixing radically different guitars Like a LP Std a Strat or a Junior can cause lots of problems. There is no one magic setting that will make them all sound their best on the same amp. Each of their individual tone signatures is what makes them unique and requires different amp settings. One way of dealing with these is to have separate switchable pre-amps each dialed in for tone and gain/drive... Anyway I am just scratching the surface here, but one additional point is to not be sitting right next to your amp when making adjustments but need to be several feet away to hear what your amp actually sounds like. In addition every room you play in will sound different, like a bed room will not sound anything like a bar... Everything changes... That's my point. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 Which is why I dont use Fender guitars :unsure: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihcmac Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 Which is why I dont use Fender guitars :unsure: Which is why I only use P90's, Les got it right the first time.... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 I bought a 2017 LP Standard with Burstbucker Pros in it and also thought it was a little too bright. I played around with the guitar controls quite a bit and wasn't getting the sound I wanted. Then I just turned the treble down a notch or so on the amp and found the sweet spot. I don't think your pickup swap helped you at all. The 490 and 498 combo is pretty bright as well. If you really can't live with the Burstbuckers I would recommend the '57 classics as a rounder, mellower sounding pickup. Or as others have suggested just sell the 2018 and search for something else. On the other hand what is point of having 2 Les Pauls that sound exactly the same? If your '96 is giving you the only tone you really want - you don't need another LP. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cody78 Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 Are you guys saying if I adjust the tone and vol on my amp and guitar the sound will change? I'm gonna go try it right now and see if it is true. If you are a true rockin' guitar player everything is cranked on 10 and your tinnitus rolls off the trebles naturally for you. 'My guitar is buzzing and my amp is buzzing'...no, it's just the endless ringing in your ears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvcrap2000 Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 You could also get a new harness put in in 50's style along with different caps to get the sound you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cody78 Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 Or single coil 60hz hum. Well yes, it could be that too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 Classic 57's sound darker than Burstbuckers. Maybe give them a try. Burstbuckers are kind of edgy sounding and that makes them brighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihcmac Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 (edited) Modern big fat single coils are not as badly effected by 60 cycle as the original from the 50's many improvements have been made, like better shielding.. Also, if you have 2, you can get hum cancelling by reversing the polarity on one of them so when the selector is in mid position you get less noise.. Similar to what a current Strat does on position 2 and 4.. Also, with traditional wiring, when your tone control is on 10, the capacitor is completely out of the tone circuit and you won't hear any effect until you dial it down a bit. A .022uf is normally the standard starting point, a 047uf would give you more reaction, but you may or may not like it with a humbucking.. Warmer 57 style could definitely fix the overly bright problem, but your preamp should be able to compensate. I had this bright problem with my SG-X and its super hot ceramic, originally intended to be the new surf guitar of the 90's, but proved to be a monster of a completely different order.. I was ultimately able to control it with my AVT at the time, but Marshalls of that era tend to be warm... Modern electronics should be able to deal with it or rock your LP's tone control back to 6 or 7.. Edited May 4, 2019 by mihcmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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