Introducing the Les Paul Studio 50’s Tribute – Limited Run from Gibson USA

[sparky scott 29]

Is the body stained dark on the Cherry Burst? I can't quite make it out from the photo.

No, I don't think so, it looks spray pattern to me, like over spray.. That's just my opinion, as I'm not 100% sure.

[sparky scott 29]

Let's hope they didn't 'relic' the electronics on these guys! Refurbished switches from the flood. Special Limited Edition!

Exactly what I was thinking. Maybe they got very humid or damp? Wires as well possible maybe? :(

[ellis_dee]

eventually...whose hand is that??

[T Bone]

Let's hope they didn't 'relic' the electronics on these guys! Refurbished switches from the flood. Special Limited Edition!

Nah, the switch looks new. But it doesn't really look anything like the ones in the pic a few posts up. And TBH, though I'm not a tech, I am not impressed with the quality of it (judging partially by what I see when I look at it, and partially by trouble several people have reported).

 

And the contact cleaner does not fix it. In fact, now that I've looked at mine, I'm running into the same trouble I've seen elsewhere in the thread. Get to where only the neck pickup volume will work in the center position. And I can see what is causing it, it is the flimsy little contacts on the switch, which if they're "adjusted" just right, everything works as it should. But I've gotten to that point 5 times now, and when I go to screw the switch back in place, it goes back to malfunctioning.

 

Yeah, like I said, not a Tech. And at this point I'm in a position where I suppose I'll just buy a proper switch for it and break out the soldering iron, and replace it myself. In fact, might as well get two, one for Linda Lu.

 

The switch that's in there does not appear to be switchcraft. Looks to be this one, pictured below. ("Shorty Chrome Toggle Switch" from the page linked below)

 

 

When I go to this page I found for switches, I notice the switch that looks like the one below says "For Les Paul and similar applications". Costs half again as much as the other one above. Hey, they had to cut corners somewhere to bring these things in at this price. They used a lower cost product from the looks of it.

 

I'll check my Classic Antique. But I suspect it's switch looks like the one pictured below. If it does, that's what I'll be going with. ("Switchcraft Straight Toggle Switch" from the page linked above).

 

[SunDogAZ]

I have done a lot of guitar electronics repairs and have rewired a few axes and I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in...

 

With regards to a 3-way toggle in the standard 2 pickup, 4 control configuration, you would normally find this to be the case:

 

There are 4 contacts on one side of the toggle switch (on the right, it looks like 2, but there really are 4 contacts), and a shared ground contact on the other side (left side, really thick contact), as seen in the pic that T Bone posted:

 

 

Let's talk about the 4 contacts on the right side. The 2 outside contacts each receive the signal from their respective pickup via a wire coming from the respective volume pot (vol pot is also wired to the corresponding tone pot). One of the outside contacts gets the signal from one pickup, the other outside contact from the other pickup.

 

The 2 middle contacts are bent toward one another until they are touching, or just about touching, and are soldered together; that is why they are "flimsy", so they can be bent. From those two soldered connections, another signal wire would go to the signal contact on the output jack.

 

So, essentially, the signal from one pickup / vol pot / tone pot comes into the toggle on one side, the signal from the other pickup / vol pot / tone pot comes into the toggle on the other side, and the blended signals from both pickups / vol pots / tone pots (when switch in middle position) go thru the 2 middle soldered together contacts and thru a signal wire to the output jack signal contact. Also, when the toggle is in the up or down position, only one signal is allowed to go thru to the output jack.

 

There should also be ground wires (or mesh if braided wire is used) going to the toggle switch ground contact and subsequently going to the ground connection on the output jack. There is a little bit more to the electronics, and it can differ for "non-standard" configurations. But I think this sums up the typical standard configuration as far as the toggle switch is concerned.

 

I hope that I have described this well enough and accurately enough to make sense.

 

SunDogAZ

[SunDogAZ]

Here is a wiring diagram from the guitar electronics website:

 

 

SunDogAZ

[T Bone]

A quick follow up, called my local GC (I actually like these guys, maybe I've just got a good one?). They're checking to see if they have a switch in stock. The one pictured above (bottom) looks much more like the one in my Classic Antique (not the stubbly little switch, but a full length one, seems better for reliability to me). But according ti his book, the part number I gave him is an Epiphone part number. So that may not be the exact switch. Then again, it might.

 

I've found the stubby little switch online a couple of other places. StewMac for one (are they the manufacturer?). Hey, I'm just researching now. For all I know, the switches used are fine (Google toggle switch for Les Paul, you will certainly find the same one among the results). But it still seems substandard to me. The noise isn't dirt, it is the contacts opening and closing. Don't get that on my Classic Antique (or on my Strats for that matter, or many years ago on my Firebird).

 

Don't get me wrong, I am still in love with this Gold Top! The sound is wonderful, I just now want a new (proper) toggle in it as soon as practicable. For now, it's resting in it's Gibson USA hard case (came today via UPS, by way of eBay). And I hope to have her up and singing/screaming before the weekend is out. If not, there'a always the Honeyburst (among others). Life is good .

[Fatnecksrule]

This is directly from the Gibson website:

 

Electronics Potentiometers 2 Volume Controls, 2 Tone Controls

Type 300k Linear Volume, 500k Non-linear Tone

Capacitors 'Orange Drop' Capacitors

Coil Wiring Machine Wound

Toggle Switch Three-way Switchcraft with Creme Plastic Tip

Output Jack Traditional 1/4"

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Studio-50s-Tribute/Details.aspx

 

Gibson...are you familiar with the term "Class Action Lawsuit"?????

[T Bone]

I have done a lot of guitar electronics repairs and have rewired a few axes and I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in...

 

With regards to a 3-way toggle in the standard 2 pickup, 4 control configuration, you would normally find this to be the case:

 

There are 4 contacts on one side of the toggle switch (on the right, it looks like 2, but there really are 4 contacts), and a shared ground contact on the other side (left side, really thick contact), as seen in the pic that T Bone posted:

 

 

Let's talk about the 4 contacts on the right side. The 2 outside contacts each receive the signal from their respective pickup via a wire coming from the respective volume pot (vol pot is also wired to the corresponding tone pot). One side gets the signal from one pickup, the other side from the other pickup.

 

The 2 middle contacts are bent toward one another until they are touching, or just about touching, and are soldered together; that is why they are "flimsy", so they can be bent. From those two soldered connections, another signal wire would go to the signal contact on the output jack.

 

So, essentially, the signal from one pickup / vol pot / tone pot comes into the toggle on one side, the signal from the other pickup / vol pot / tone pot comes into the toggle on the other side, and the blended signals from both pickups / vol pots / tone pots go thru the 2 middle soldered together contacts and thru another wire to the output jack signal contact.

 

There should also be ground wires (or mesh if braided wire is used) going to the toggle switch ground contact and subsequently going to the ground connection on the output jack. There is a little bit more to the electronics, and it can differ for "non-standard" configurations. But I think this sums up the typical standard configuration as far as the toggle switch is concerned.

 

I hope that I have described this well enough and accurately enough to make sense.

 

SunDogAZ

Thanks for the above, it is helpful. I should point out though, that the part causing the trouble is not the terminals where the wire is soldered to the switch, but the contacts in the switch itself. This is what I was describing as flimsy.

 

Looking at the pic again, you notice the outer "horseshoe" shaped part of the switch, there is one on each side. There are also two thin metal pieces in the center of the switch, each being the other side of the circuit (or contact) for one of the pcikups. When the toggle is placed in a setting other than center, the toggle physically pushes the "horseshoe" shaped piece away from one of the center pieces, breaking that circuit (or "shutting off" the signal from one of the pickups). When it returns to center, it lets the horseshoe shaped tab relax and again complete the circuit for that pickup. In the center, both sets of contacts are closing or completing the circuit, which allows the signal from both pickups to be heard.

 

What is going on at least in my case, is that these very short little pieces are not very substantial. This makes them bend very easily, and in turn makes the switch not function correctly. My theory is that these switches, while they work (mostly anyway), are not as substantial and therefore as durable or reliable as the larger (longer) switches, which spread the same amount of movement needed to open and close the circuit over a longer piece of metal. This should translate into a more substantial switch, one that should hold up better, and be less "finicky" than the shorty (which is what I think is causing the noise). Again, I'm not a Tech (and I'll pay someone qualified to install it, I've just been quoted $20 for the work, well worth it). And the switch will be a Gibson packaged switch made by Switchcraft (yep, paying for that too, about $25). Bottom line, a reliable switch and no more noise. And back in business tomorrow afternoon. We'll see....

[SunDogAZ]

A quick follow up, called my local GC (I actually like these guys, maybe I've just got a good one?). They're checking to see if they have a switch in stock. The one pictured above (bottom) looks much more like the one in my Classic Antique (not the stubbly little switch, but a full length one, seems better for reliability to me). But according ti his book, the part number I gave him is an Epiphone part number. So that may not be the exact switch. Then again, it might.

 

I've found the stubby little switch online a couple of other places. StewMac for one (are they the manufacturer?). Hey, I'm just researching now. For all I know, the switches used are fine (Google toggle switch for Les Paul, you will certainly find the same one among the results). But it still seems substandard to me. The noise isn't dirt, it is the contacts opening and closing. Don't get that on my Classic Antique (or on my Strats for that matter, or many years ago on my Firebird).

 

Don't get me wrong, I am still in love with this Gold Top! The sound is wonderful, I just now want a new (proper) toggle in it as soon as practicable. For now, it's resting in it's Gibson USA hard case (came today via UPS, by way of eBay). And I hope to have her up and singing/screaming before the weekend is out. If not, there'a always the Honeyburst (among others). Life is good .

 

 

Being that P-90s are known for being noisy, I wonder if that is related to the switch also being noisy? I've never had a P-90 equipped axe...

 

SunDogAZ

[SunDogAZ]

Good luck T Bone. Yeah, I see what you mean now. Sounds like the switch is bad. Switchcrafts should not cost any more than $5-8, and $25 total to have it swapped sounds pretty fair.

 

SunDogAZ

[T Bone]

This is directly from the Gibson website:

 

Electronics Potentiometers 2 Volume Controls, 2 Tone Controls

Type 300k Linear Volume, 500k Non-linear Tone

Capacitors 'Orange Drop' Capacitors

Coil Wiring Machine Wound

Toggle Switch Three-way Switchcraft with Creme Plastic Tip

Output Jack Traditional 1/4"

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Studio-50s-Tribute/Details.aspx

 

Gibson...are you familiar with the term "Class Action Lawsuit"?????

Hold up there, before you go calling for lawyers. It could also be that I am incorrect (internet stuff is often not worth more than you're paying for it). I am not 100% certain this is not manufactured by Switchcraft. I AM 100% certain it is not what is in my other (higher end) Les Paul, and also 100% certain it is not the quality part I want in my guitar. If it is Switchcraft (I am of the impression it is not, but I have been known to err...), then it is most certainly not the best one they offer (wouldn't expect that in a "value" or budget guitar, would you?

 

I want to reiterate that Gibson is providing an EXCEPTIONAL value with this guitar, I am completely convinced of that. And they've made a HUGE effort to get things up and running again after the flood, and get these rolling to us. I don't fault them for using a manufactured switch that they had the right to expect to be functional. Perhaps they will be for most. I do think they'll end up replacing some (probably do on every line of guitars they produce, no matter what switch is in them). And in my case, it was noisy but working properly until I decided to see if I could fix the noise with contact cleaner. I should have just left it to the Pro's to begin with, and been done with it.

 

For those who are having issues (noise, etc.) with the switch, I suggest you contact Gibson Customer Service and inquire about an authorized Gibson Repair Center near you. Chances are they'll take care of the ones that have issues. And chances are many won't have any issue at all. Got to go, back tomorrow!

[T Bone]

Being that P-90s are known for being noisy, I wonder if that is related to the switch also being noisy? I've never had a P-90 equipped axe...

 

SunDogAZ

Different noise, this is switch noise, not hum. My Firebird III ('67) had no noise in the switch with 3 P90's.

 

Good luck T Bone. Yeah, I see what you mean now. Sounds like the switch is bad. Switchcrafts should not cost any more than $5-8, and $25 total to have it swapped sounds pretty fair.

 

SunDogAZ

Thanks. It's a bit more $ than that, the switch is about $25 (I'm sure I could get it cheaper, but it's in stock locally, what's that worth?). And labor quoted as $20. Yeah, 10 minutes work (maybe 20), but I've charged people more for less. And if he's as good as I hear he is (Gibson Certified I am told also) it'll be worth it. Plus, it's at GC, and I have a $50 credit there from a promotion a couple months back....

 

Again, anyone having issues, I strongly suggest (unless experienced and competent at this AND willing to take on the responsibility), just leave it to the professionals!

[jacknikkels]

Here's a sobering thought: What if the Sam Ash Tributes are counterfeit? Now, before you fall off your stool let's have a look at what's been going on with this guitar. First, who do you think buys more guitars from Gibson than anyone else on the planet. I think the initials MF/GC would bubble up to the top of the list, correct? I called my GC guy once again today and he basically said the Tributes will be coming in on September 30. This has been stated before so I wasn't surprised. But, he also made the statement that no one buys more guitars than GC and that if anyone got them first it would be GC. This seems to me a reasonable (business-wise) arrangement. Why would Gibson risk damaging its relationship with GC to sell a few low-end Pauls to a competitor early? I mean, we know that people have dumped their GC orders to buy from Sam Ash. Why would Gibson risk having GC losing business to a competitor by shipping a few guitars out early to Sam Ash? Frankly, if I was a CEO at Gibson the person who made this decision to ship to Sam Ash would be back on the string winder (if in fact Gibson actually shipped the guitars). Maybe a bit of scandal will smoke out what's going on with the production of this guitar. And I have to say that this switch problem is troubling. Who puts out a guitar for $1000 that isn't professional quality? Who would get away with that? I mean, even the low-end MIM Strats are used professionally and I doubt they have switch problems right out of the box. So, the defective switch thing adds to the mystery, a mystery Gibson could clear up with a simple statement. If I had a Sam Ash Tribute I'd be checking with Gibson right now on whether they actually made it.

[Fatnecksrule]

T-Bone...I was half-joking about a lawsuit, but really, Gibson takes great pride in producing quality instruments, and that's why we pay top-dollar for them. Granted this run of LP's is a huge bargain, but don't advertise specific name high quality parts if you are not going to use them. And the minute you stop using them, change your website fer chrissake!

Hold up there, before you go calling for lawyers. It could also be that I am incorrect (internet stuff is often not worth more than you're paying for it). I am not 100% certain this is not manufactured by Switchcraft. I AM 100% certain it is not what is in my other (higher end) Les Paul, and also 100% certain it is not the quality part I want in my guitar. If it is Switchcraft (I am of the impression it is not, but I have been known to err...), than it is most certainly not the best one they offer (wouldn't expect that in a "value" or budget guitar, would you?

 

I want to reiterate that Gibson is providing and EXCEPTIONAL value with this guitar, I am completely convinced of that. And they've made a HUGE effort to get things up and running again after the flood, and get these rolling to us. I don't fault them for using a manufactured switch that they had the right to expect to be functional. Perhaps they will be for most. I do think they'll end up replacing some (probably do on every line of guitars they produce, no matter what switch is in them). And in my case, it was noisy but working properly until I decided to see if I could fix the noise with contact cleaner. I should have just left it to the Pro's to begin with, and been done with it.

 

FOr those who are having issues (noise, etc.) with the switch, I suggest you contact Gibson Customer Service and inquire about an authorized Gibson Repair Center near you. Chances are they'll take care of the ones that have issues. And chances are many won't have any issue at all. Got to go, back tomorrow!

[Joe823]

You're taking the piss, right? If you've actually seen and played one of these then you wouldn't be making such a (frankly, lame) statement. These came in Gibson boxes with Gibson return addresses and invoices. I know because I saw them!!

 

And if you haven't, then it's clearly sour grapes because these are all 100% legit. You really, I mean REALLY think the entire nationwide chain of Sam Ash stores got taken? Seriously???!!!

 

And by the way I have both pre-flood and post-flood, and my switches are A-OK. The issues that others are having could have been caused in shipping.

 

Oh, and I know of a few mom & pops that got these in this week. Are those counterfeit too? What about the ones at Wildwood??

 

Bottom line...SORRY GC!!!!!

 

Here's a sobering thought: What if the Sam Ash Tributes are counterfeit? Now, before you fall off your stool let's have a look at what's been going on with this guitar. First, who do you think buys more guitars from Gibson than anyone else on the planet. I think the initials MF/GC would bubble up to the top of the list, correct? I called my GC guy once again today and he basically said the Tributes will be coming in on September 30. This has been stated before so I wasn't surprised. But, he also made the statement that no one buys more guitars than GC and that if anyone got them first it would be GC. This seems to me a reasonable (business-wise) arrangement. Why would Gibson risk damaging its relationship with GC to sell a few low-end Pauls to a competitor early? I mean, we know that people have dumped their GC orders to buy from Sam Ash. Why would Gibson risk having GC losing business to a competitor by shipping a few guitars out early to Sam Ash? Frankly, if I was a CEO at Gibson the person who made this decision to ship to Sam Ash would be back on the string winder (if in fact Gibson actually shipped the guitars). Maybe a bit of scandal will smoke out what's going on with the production of this guitar. And I have to say that this switch problem is troubling. Who puts out a guitar for $1000 that isn't professional quality? Who would get away with that? I mean, even the low-end MIM Strats are used professionally and I doubt they have switch problems right out of the box. So, the defective switch thing adds to the mystery, a mystery Gibson could clear up with a simple statement. If I had a Sam Ash Tribute I'd be checking with Gibson right now on whether they actually made it.

[Blackflag]

This thread is starting to turn to ****. Can somebody post some back pictures to get it back on track?

[sparky scott 29]

Seriously though, Don't you think that someone at Gibson would know what's going on?? Somebody there would be in the know and investigate Ash, if indeed they were fakes. Gibson KNOWS how many were sent out, and where they went.....

[jacknikkels]

You're taking the piss, right? If you've actually seen and played one of these then you wouldn't be making such a (frankly, lame) statement. These came in Gibson boxes with Gibson return addresses and invoices. I know because I saw them!!

 

And if you haven't, then it's clearly sour grapes because these are all 100% legit. You really, I mean REALLY think the entire nationwide chain of Sam Ash stores got taken? Seriously???!!!

 

And by the way I have both pre-flood and post-flood, and my switches are A-OK. The issues that others are having could have been caused in shipping.

 

Oh, and I know of a few mom & pops that got these in this week. Are those counterfeit too?

 

Bottom line...SORRY GC!!!!!

Noted. I agree that's it's farfetched but why would Gibson do this, send a handful of these instruments out to brick and mortar before sending them to those who ordered them. Hey, it's a little piece of the big guitar pie for Gibson but if I was an exec at GC I'd call The Big Gib and ask about it. Sour grapes? I get mine on September 30. This is not a break-me deal. I can go without it. But Gibson's business twist on this now that they are being produced is lousy. What do think would happen to Apple if they offered a limited edition iPod, you order one and told you have to wait for two months and one month later Best Buy is selling and you find out about in a forum? Two out of about five Tributes that were bought by forum members are defective. That's not sour grapes. That's a problem with quality control whether it's lousy shipping or whatever.

[Joe823]

Why Gibson did what it did is one thing. I can't answer that and frankly don't care. I was basically at the front of the MF line and decided to ditch that for Plan B rather than huff and puff about it and try to concoct a theory as to why why why.

 

Whether all of these Sam Ash and M&P Tributes are legitimate Gibson guitars is another thing. That I have no doubt about.

 

And as to the 2/5 theory, some of these were taken off the Sam Ash floor and sent to forum members. Anyone could have gone into that Sam Ash and sat on the switch before it got sent off.

 

Yeah, far-fetched isn't it?

[jacknikkels]

Why Gibson did what it did is one thing. I can't answer that and frankly don't care. I was basically at the front of the MF line and decided to ditch that for Plan B rather than huff and puff about it and try to concoct a theory as to why why why.

 

Whether all of these Sam Ash and M&P Tributes are legitimate Gibson guitars is another thing. That I have no doubt about.

 

And as to the 2/5 theory, some of these were taken off the Sam Ash floor and sent to forum members. Anyone could have gone into that Sam Ash and sat on the switch before it got sent off.

 

Yeah, far-fetched isn't it?

No further word from me on this.

[Joe823]

Yeah, I suppose. Have you posted pictures/vids or your guitars?

 

Only the pre-flood cherry burst which I had on ebay. Nope on the GT.

 

Won't see me do a video either because it would inevitably end up on every known guitar forum for ******bag Yngwie fanboys to rip apart, just like it happened to that poor guy at H-C.

[sparky scott 29]

Hey guys, my mac and pic. thing is driving me insane.

Every time I try to attach file, it always says file to big? Just for 1 pic.? Some how I managed to do it 1 time, nothing since. I guess I was very lucky cuz now I can't di it again??

[jacknikkels]

Only the pre-flood cherry burst which I had on ebay. Nope on the GT.

 

Won't see me do a video either because it would inevitably end up on every known guitar forum for ******bag Yngwie fanboys to rip apart, just like it happened to that poor guy at H-C.

Forget about the style critics. They aren't important. We're looking for examples, like the bluesy tone demo that was put up a while back.

[jacknikkels]

Hey guys, my mac and pic. thing is driving me insane.

Every time I try to attach file, it always says file to big? Just for 1 pic.? Some how I managed to do it 1 time, nothing since. I guess I was very lucky cuz now I can't di it again??

What Mac OS do you have? This should not be a problem. I don't know why it automatically loads as a thumbnail but I just noticed that there is a 500K global upload quota and a max single file size of 269.13K. You will see that next to the Attach This File box.