Nosferatu Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 (edited) . Hello, I have a 2014 Les Paul Classic that I bought brand new when it came out. I was gonna sell it because I don't like how it looks and I've never used the boost switch and never will. However I've decided to keep it and maybe do some custom bits to it to change its look. Firstly I want to remove the interior thing with the boost switch and go with a traditional look (2 volume and 2 tone). Now I have never done any soldering or work on a guitar in my life, I'm a complete and utter noob when it comes to this stuff. I want help with what to get in place of it. Can I buy pre made pot sets that literally all I gotta do it fit in etc. The pickups on this guitar are "Zebra coil 57 classic and Super 57" The back plate has a battery compartment flip out thing so I'm assuming either active pickups or it's fro the boost switch, I don't know, if anyone can tell me if I were to rewire will them pickups still work or do I have to have a battery? Looking for advice and help in what to get and buy. All the interior wiring connection ends look like USB ports or something out of a computer. So would I have to scrap all the wiring aswell? Under nor.al circumstances I'd leave into a shop luthier but because of Covid nowhere is open here and we're on full lockdown. I will add a photo for all to see what's underneath Edited March 5, 2021 by Nosferatu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 Hello and welcome.. Yes you can do this. Its been done before I believe by member Donny.. Hes not around these parts any more but I will see if I can find his thread.. And yes you can buy a wiring harness on ebay like les paul wiring harness | eBay HOWEVER.. One thing I do seem to remember about it was that that the hole where the boost switch is needed widening, For that the best tool is probably a reamer like this 2Pc Taper Reamer Set - Deburring Enlarging Aligning holes in Cast & Sheet Metal 5060028093694 | eBay .. But yes it can be done totally.. You will need to do some soldering though.. Its not that hard really but well worth doing some research on Youtube to get some tips on how its done... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 23 minutes ago, Rabs said: Hello and welcome.. Yes you can do this. Its been done before I believe by member Donny.. Hes not around these parts any more but I will see if I can find his thread.. And yes you can buy a wiring harness on ebay like les paul wiring harness | eBay HOWEVER.. One thing I do seem to remember about it was that that the hole where the boost switch is needed widening, For that the best tool is probably a reamer like this 2Pc Taper Reamer Set - Deburring Enlarging Aligning holes in Cast & Sheet Metal 5060028093694 | eBay .. But yes it can be done totally.. You will need to do some soldering though.. Its not that hard really but well worth doing some research on Youtube to get some tips on how its done... Donny aka Shrek was the LP super fan of all LP super fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nosferatu Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 15 hours ago, Rabs said: Hello and welcome.. Yes you can do this. Its been done before I believe by member Donny.. Hes not around these parts any more but I will see if I can find his thread.. And yes you can buy a wiring harness on ebay like les paul wiring harness | eBay HOWEVER.. One thing I do seem to remember about it was that that the hole where the boost switch is needed widening, For that the best tool is probably a reamer like this 2Pc Taper Reamer Set - Deburring Enlarging Aligning holes in Cast & Sheet Metal 5060028093694 | eBay .. But yes it can be done totally.. You will need to do some soldering though.. Its not that hard really but well worth doing some research on Youtube to get some tips on how its done... Would I need to remove the pickups or can I use those without the battery pack. Was the 9v battery for the boost switch purely or are those pickups active? Thanks for the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 2 hours ago, Nosferatu said: Would I need to remove the pickups or can I use those without the battery pack. Was the 9v battery for the boost switch purely or are those pickups active? Thanks for the help Yeah, I am pretty sure it was just for the boost switch.. Its a very very rare thing that Gibson uses active pickups.. And when they do its usually EMGs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nosferatu Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 Would this work OK with mine then? Its a modern les paul so I'm thinking just easiest quickest option. Solder-less would suit me https://www.ebay.com/itm/283667054279 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 4 minutes ago, Nosferatu said: Would this work OK with mine then? Its a modern les paul so I'm thinking just easiest quickest option. Solder-less would suit me https://www.ebay.com/itm/283667054279 Probably... I have never used a junction box in a guitar like that but yes it should work.. CTS pots, orange drop caps and a switchcraft output jack are all very good. One thing to know is thats a 50s style wiring harness... You also get 60s aka Modern style... The difference is where they wire the tone capacitor between the volume and tone pot.. Got this explanation off the net. The difference between '50s and '60s (sometimes called “modern”) Les Paul wiring is where the tone capacitor comes off of the volume potentiometer. ... Advocates of '50s-style wiring say that it changes the taper of the volume control, has less treble loss as the volume pot is turned down, and overall sounds brighter. As for which is best.. Cant answer that, different people think different things.. I have never bothered re-wiring any of my Gibsons.... So they will all be modern wiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nosferatu Posted March 7, 2021 Author Share Posted March 7, 2021 Thanks all, my search has led me to Obsidian Wire, I'm going to order a harness from them. Solderless kit. This will do me fine. Only thing I gotta do is make the hole the boost switch was in a little larger to fit the pot through. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 Nice.. Good luck with it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king_biscuit Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 (edited) I would leave it alone. I don't like the pcb and push pull stuff either, but you don't have to use it, and I hate modified guitars. Gibson should have never done any of that "high tech" wiring stuff to LPs, though. Edited March 7, 2021 by king_biscuit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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