EDS-1275 re-wire?

[NeoConMan]

Talk about blasphemy...

I have a 2006 EDS-1275 double neck from the Custom Shop.

After playing it today, I'm leaning more and more towards doing a total re-wire on it.

 

So I figured I'd float the idea out here for all to see - whatcha think?

 

 

 

 

Here's the deal.

It has the standard Gibson control set up, two volume and two tone with a pickup selector.

The only added item is the second 3-way switch controlling which neck is live - or both.

 

 

The cheapo Epiphone 1275 is wired completely different - and much more user-friendly in my opinion.

4 knobs total, just the same, with one volume/one tone dedicated to each neck.

This way you can set quieter volume and make tone adjustments for the 12, and loud, gnarly settings for the 6.

Simply flicking the 3-way gives you access to either neck, with the controls already set where you want them.

 

Try this on the Gibson, switching necks and making control adjustments lickety-split.....

 

A buddy of mine uses his Epi for gigs, Hotel California, Wanted Dead Or Alive, etc.

He loves my Gibson, but hates the control scheme - part of the reason he didn't spend the $$$$$ on a Gibson.

Used it for one gig a few years ago, loved the way it played/sounded, but couldn't get along with its handicap.

I never really worried about it since I'm not using it for gigs, but I find this issue bothers me more all the time.

It's the ability to swap back on forth between necks that sold the guitar in the first place.

 

 

 

Many of you already know I have an SG 12 string too, so I have that for any lush picking/strumming.

 

 

Like I said, I've just about decided to go ahead and mod the double-neck to make it more versatile/friendly.

 

(Heavy sigh....)

 

Not worried about resale value, the guitar ain't going anywhere anyhow.

For that matter I could just buy an entire new set of pots and switches, and save the originals intact.

Might do that anyway.

 

Money isn't really an issue, I know I'm gonna have a couple hundred bucks in it before I'm done.

 

Anybody else deal with this before?

 

I welcome any ideas, suggestions or input.

[Riffster]

I'd say do it.

 

Get the RSguitarworks super pot for the volumes, might as well do it right.

 

I rewired my Explorer to what I wanted and never regreted it.

 

I posted a link to a CTS comparison thread on Tim's new '68 LP, check it out.

 

Keeping the original pots as crappy as they may be is a good idea too.

[NeoConMan]

Was the Jimmy Page wired the same as my 1275, or was it wired like the Epi?

 

Anybody here know?

 

Dave in Spain?

[Blackie]

No leave it stock..........stock stock stock.........

[NeoConMan]

My plan would likely add a second pickup selector between the neck pickups.

Pulled the cover, would need to remove a tiny bit of wood under there....

[cwness]

Have you been drinking?

 

CW

[duane v]

I say mod it..... I've modded every guitar I've owned except for two...... Guitars are like cars for me

[Hydra26]

Makes sense, except I've become psychotic about wanting to be able to blend my pups with independent vol (and sometimes tone) knobs. Maybe do that but replace the pots with push pulls or concentrics? I dunno. I don't do much with wiring.

[NeoConMan]

Have you been drinking?

Hah!

No, don't drink.

 

Just wanna make it work for me.

 

Push/pull is an idea...

I dunno, if they are any larger it won't work though.

Not much room in that control cavity

[cwness]

Just kidding Neo. The one nice thing about it being your guitar is you

can do anything you want. I personally dont' like the way the LP is

wired and change it so I can control both pups in the center position

of the toggle so I can adjust each pup for a better blend. Go for it.

 

CW

[NeoConMan]

Yep.

If a $150 Korean Danelectro can do it, a Les Paul should be able to....

[mildperv]

Took me a minute, but I see what you're saying. I would rather have the option of being able to fully control each p/u. I don't think there's any tunes out there that need an immediate cut over. If I've got everything sounding the way I like it, I use the combo setting on the first few bars of the STH solo before I go straight bridge, anyway.

 

Here's my baby:

 

[Hydra26]

Yep.

If a $150 Korean Danelectro can do it' date=' a Les Paul should be able to....[/quote']

 

Yeah, unfortunately, even a Chinese Dano set me back $350 last year. The Korean ones, well, let's just say the owner's have collectoritis and tend to value them a little higher than I think is reasonable.

 

So I got a Chinese 59 DC, took a can of brasso and attacked it in an attempt to de-relic the finish. Not perfect but looks much better ot me now. A uniform coat of matte does not equal relicing in my eyes.

[NeoConMan]

I would rather have the option of being able to fully control each p/u.

I don't think there's any tunes out there that need an immediate cut over.

That's the thing.

I don't NEED individual control over each pickup myself.

Always on the bridge on the six.

Same for the twelve so far, I rarely use both pickups.

Maybe I would later on, don't know how much it would hurt things without separate tone/volume.

 

 

 

My luthier knows all the old Led Zep stuff inside out.

I was picking his brain today.

I finally left the guitar with him, told him to play it and think about it.

 

One thing I had thought of;

Between the bridges, remove the neck selector and replace it with two micro switches.

One above the other, to control pickup position independently for each neck.

Move the neck selector down where the single pickup selector is now on the lower bout.

 

He HATES the idea of adding mini switches for pickup controls, and we don't know if push/pull tones will fit.

He's gonna mess around with it, think it over.

I have about three separate plans of action on the table, none of them final.

 

 

 

As far as the immediate cut-over, if you do Hotel California with only two guitars...

 

What year is your EDS?

That finish hasn't been available for quite some time.

[mildperv]

It's a '78. I waited forever for a '78/'79 series with an ABR to come availalbe.

 

[mildperv]

You should consider just getting aftermarket pickguard and switches and do what you want with those. Keep the stock guards on the shelf.

[NeoConMan]

Oh yeah, the stock guards won't get altered in any way.

New blanks are maybe $40 for both, drill 'em as I need to.

[NeoConMan]

EDS-1275 wiring mod - UPDATE:

 

Decided to add another pickup selector between the neck pickups, and simply wire it like the Epiphoney.

One master volume/tone for each neck with a dedicated pickup selector for each.

 

Stacked "concentric" pots like the Danelectro won't work - pot shaft is too short for the wood penetration.

CTS pot shafts are only long enough to extend through a pickguard.

 

Mini switches are out, simply because of all the additional wiring involved in the narrow body rout.

That, and they're butt-ugly.

 

Talked extensively to RS Guitarworks, AllParts, and Guitar Electronics.

Rob at GE knows more about double necks than anybody I ever met.

Talked about Rush's Alex Lifeson's EDS-1275 and the way he swapped around his controls.

Don Felder of the Eagles had two separate outputs on his.

Looked at more options than I ever dreamed possible.

Decided to go with the advice my guitar guy Mike Patruno gave me to start with.

 

He's looking now for the pickguard blank, proper braided wire and such, and ordering the new selector.

He's determined to make the control cavity look as good as possible, at least on par with Gibson's work.

Knowing at some point that the back cover may get pulled off by somebody else, he wants it to look well-done.

 

Kinda nice I don't have to worry about that myself, Mike's a bit anal that way.

No hurry to get it back, I told him to take his time and git 'er done whenever he can.

That, and I live 75 miles away...

[guitarmandp]

The thing I hate about the EDS-1275's is the pickup selector switch location. I've selected the wrong switch before and it's irritating.

 

I have a Guild doubleneck and I like how the pickup selector switch is different than the neck selector switch

 

here is my Guild doubleneck

 

 

I like how the toggle switches are different.

 

If I were going to mod an EDS-1275 I'd get rid of the Nashville TOM bridges and replace them with those Fishman ABR-1 Powerbridge w/Piezo Saddles on both the 6 and 12 string necks.

[NeoConMan]

Yeah, that is pretty cool.

What year is it? - mid 90s?

 

 

As far as the Fishman ABR-1 Powerbridge w/Piezo Saddles, I'm kind of an acoustic purist.

I really don't like the way most acoustic guitars sound plugged in, let alone a solid electric.

 

The only time I ever plugged in any of my acoustics was to tune them.