Questions about LP controls

[hlarry14]

This has probably been covered to death, but a search on the forum didn’t turn up any answers that helped me understand this.

 

I have a completely stock 2007 Les Paul standard. If either PU is selected, the volume and tone controls for that individual PU work exactly as I would expect them to. With both PU’s selected (switch in the center position) I would expect the controls to be independent – that is, the neck PU volume control would vary the level of the neck PU exactly as is does when only the neck PU is selected, and have no effect on the bridge PU. Instead, when both PU’s are selected, EITHER volume control seems to act as a master volume control – when either ONE is turned all the way down, BOTH pickups are turned all the way down (and the taper is pretty much unusable – almost no change through about 95% of the range, then a very steep decline in volume – this taper behavior is only when both PU’s are selected – again, if either PU is selected alone, it’s respective control works as expected with a usable taper.)

 

So… my questions are: Is this normal?

 

If it is, why would this be preferable to having the controls for each PU independent?

[tazzboy]

You might want to consider changing the wiring to from Modern Wiring to 50's Wiring. Also remember Gibson uses 300K volume pot and 500K Tone Pots so you might want consider changing those as well.

[deepblue]

This has probably been covered to death' date=' but a search on the forum didn’t turn up any answers that helped me understand this.

 

I have a completely stock 2007 Les Paul standard. If either PU is selected, the volume and tone controls for that individual PU work exactly as I would expect them to. With both PU’s selected (switch in the center position) I would expect the controls to be independent – that is, the neck PU volume control would vary the level of the neck PU exactly as is does when only the neck PU is selected, and have no effect on the bridge PU. Instead, when both PU’s are selected, EITHER volume control seems to act as a master volume control – when either ONE is turned all the way down, BOTH pickups are turned all the way down (and the taper is pretty much unusable – almost no change through about 95% of the range, then a very steep decline in volume – this taper behavior is only when both PU’s are selected – again, if either PU is selected alone, it’s respective control works as expected with a usable taper.)

 

So… my questions are: Is this normal?

 

If it is, why would this be preferable to having the controls for each PU independent?

[/quote']

 

Is it by chance a historic standard?....its no secret the pots were crap on the '07's

[hlarry14]

Is it by chance a historic standard?....its no secret the pots were crap on the '07's

 

No, not historic, just a "standard" standard.

[L5Larry]

Short of giving an intermediate electronics class here on the web, let me just say that this is normal operation of the way LP's, and most dual pickup guitars, are wired. There is nothing wrong with your guitar, or any of it's electronic components.

 

To understand a technical explanation you would need to have a good working knowlege of how potentiometers work, series versus parallel circuit wiring, and the electronic/mathmatical theory known as Ohm's Law.

 

Here's a link to a similar inquiry, the question looks different, but it's really the same as what you are asking:

http://forums.gibson.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=34041

 

My explanation in post #7 is about as simple as it can be explained, disregard posts #2,4,5,6,11.

[jamman]

More info on this guitar would be helpful. Did you get or buy it new? would be my first question. How long have you had the guitar ? Did the guitar alway function this way , or is it something that has started to happened in the recent past ? Or did you just notice this now? It does sound like a pot problem to me . no pun intended . lol !!! No it doesn't sound normal . maybe a wiring problem. we need more info.

[BigKahune]

... this is normal operation of the way LP's' date=' and most dual pickup guitars, are wired. There is nothing wrong with your guitar, or any of it's electronic components. ...[/quote']

 

+1

 

Yes, this has come up before. And, it is the normal operation of the original wiring setup.

 

In order to separate the controls, you would need a three-way switch made for two separate circuits and two output jacks, one for each pup circuit. You could mod that in, or just learn how to use the original setup.

[Franzi]

If it is, why would this be preferable to having the controls for each PU independent?

 

The good thing is that you are always able to mute the volume on your guitar with one single action.

[CaptainNemo68]

I tried to post a simple diagram, but it didn't come out well:-({|=

[deepblue]

If it is' date=' why would this be preferable to having the controls for each PU independent?

[/quote']

 

The good thing is that you are always able to mute the volume on your guitar with one single action.

 

Yes, I have been using it as a kill switch for years.

[hlarry14]

Short of giving an intermediate electronics class here on the web' date=' let me just say that this is normal operation of the way LP's, and most dual pickup guitars, are wired. There is nothing wrong with your guitar, or any of it's electronic components.

 

To understand a technical explanation you would need to have a good working knowlege of how potentiometers work, series versus parallel circuit wiring, and the electronic/mathmatical theory known as Ohm's Law.

 

Here's a link to a similar inquiry, the question looks different, but it's really the same as what you are asking:

http://forums.gibson.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=34041

 

My explanation in post #7 is about as simple as it can be explained, disregard posts #2,4,5,6,11.[/quote']

 

Thanks - that explains it well. I understand it now.

 

More info on this guitar would be helpful. Did you get or buy it new? would be my first question. How long have you had the guitar ? Did the guitar alway function this way ' date=' or is it something that has started to happened in the recent past ? Or did you just notice this now? It does sound like a pot problem to me . no pun intended . lol !!! No it doesn't sound normal . maybe a wiring problem. we need more info.[/quote']

 

I bought the guitar new from an authorized Gibson dealer in 2007. It has always functioned this way, and I see from L5Larry's expaination that it is normal. I noticed it when I got the guitar, and it's one of those things that just bugged me - I thought it was probably normal, but it just seemed counterintuitive to me.

 

Thanks for the responses.