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btoth76

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I think the A85U is the same as the Gibson one ?? I get plenty of gain from the garphic equaliser so that's not a problem. Just concerned that even with the controls set flat the box is colouring the sound from the guitar before hitting the (valve) amp.

 

And another thing.................when using the internal transformer to output Hi Z, both the treble and bass controls act as volume controls. Either is capable of reducing the volume to almost zero. This does not happen in Low Z mode. Does this happen with the real Gibson ones ??

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I never got the same response from the internal t/f as from the Shure/Gibson external. It also depends on the length of your lead.

 

The tone and decade controls are practically useless unless the the proper lead is used.

 

IMHO the internal T/F was an emergency measure - the original Personal, Professional, L5s etc did not have the internal t/f.

 

Speaks for itself.

 

DG

 

P.S. I have always said: to hear it at its best: plug into a mixer / multi track etc on Lo Imp setting and listen through good ear-phones. Then try to get that sound through an amp.

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This:

 

 

Use a VERY short patch lead from the T/F into the Amp.

 

DG

 

I find this to be very true also. It kind of makes you wonder why Gibson supplied a chord with these guitars, that had such a long lead between the transformer and the amp.. [confused]

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I find this to be very true also. It kind of makes you wonder why Gibson supplied a chord with these guitars, that had such a long lead between the transformer and the amp.. [confused]

Hi Grog,

 

What are you basing that on?

 

I have only ever seen one original Gibson lead/transformer - they were not supplied with Recording models and are rare. The one I saw had a short t/f to amp lead but I do not know if that part was original.

 

The t/f with Gibson on it is likely to be original but the other two leads could have been replaced?

 

Logically, the lead from t/f to amp should be as short as possible and the guitar to t/f could be as long as you want it to be.

 

Have you got a t/f to amp lead that you know to be 100% guaranteed original Gibson?

 

BTW I downloaded Billy Butler "Don't Be That Way" today to get a clean copy of one of my favourite albums. Billy was a Lo Imp L5s user and the album reflects the sounds which I associate with the Lo Imp guitars. Highly recommended!

 

DG

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Hi Dave,

 

I do have a totally original Gibson Les Paul Transformer chord, I just got it with the Les Paul Personal. I've been watching for one for years. A repaired one popped up on eBay within the last six months, I think it went for about $175.00. Mine has the original molded plugs on each end, I'm hesitant on using it much, I don't want to cause a short. The chord is old & fragile. The amp end of the chord is close to six feet, the guitar end is about ten feet long.

 

DSC08224_zps163d3f27.jpg

DSC08225_zps3983629d.jpg

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Hi Grog,

 

There is a video of Jan Akkerman using his before he modified it with the t/f resting on the top of the amp.

 

From memory it does not look like that and the one I saw also did not look like that but I am not sure how original that was. Given that Gibson took a bold step In adopting Les' ideas with the guitar it seems strange that they would put out a totally unsuitable lead.

 

DG

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This:

 

http://www.canford.co.uk/Products/1000160/20-099_SHURE-A95U-IMPEDANCE-CONVERTER-Low-to-high-impedance-adaptor

 

is a much better option.

 

Use a VERY short patch lead from the T/F into the Amp.

 

DG

 

Hello Dave!

 

I see that there are slight differences in the specs (24db boost vs. 28db boost) between the A85F and A95U. Do You think it makes such a huge difference, or is there something else You have based Your statement on, that I am unaware of?

 

Your support is, - as always - much appreciated!

 

Thank You in advance... Bence

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Bence,

 

No, I merely meant that the A95U is much more practical (with a SHORT cord to the amp) and less prone to being damaged when accidentally pulled? Just as the guitar end is much better if changed to a 90 degree plug to prevent the damage to the Control Plate that you often see.

 

If you take the A95U apart it is possible to change that to a higher output. I found that beneficial because it stayed within the limits of being CLEAN whilst giving a higher output.

 

DG

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Grog,

 

That is remarkable given what we have both (independently) found:

 

That the shorter the lead to amp the better.

 

Has anyone tried what I suggested yet?

 

Plug the LPR into a Mixer/Multi Track with a NORMAL Guitar Cord on Lo Imp Setting and listen to the changes of the various controls - Bass, Treble and Decade - under headphones.

 

DG

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I might try switching the adapter from the Shure A59U, and use the short lead with the Gibson transformer, I would think they should be interchangable. It might give me a bit more volume........... I won't get a chance until tomorrow night.

 

P.S. I have a Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ1A. I believe it has the same wire lead & molded plug as the Gibson Transformer chord. They might have been produced by Switchcraft at the time.

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I tried the different chords, in different combinations, even tried one of my 1/4" male to 1/4" female transformer adapters. Not much difference. The only noticeable difference in output surprisingly, was that the original Gibson chord had less hum, go figure! I'm getting a better unbalance mic cable in a few days, that may make an improvement for the Shure adapter.

Here is a scan of the Shure info about changing the wiring between the yellow & orange wires...........

 

ShureInfo_zpse0d010ea.jpg

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I tried the different chords, in different combinations, even tried one of my 1/4" male to 1/4" female transformer adapters. Not much difference. The only noticeable difference in output surprisingly, was that the original Gibson chord had less hum, go figure! I'm getting a better unbalance mic cable in a few days, that may make an improvement for the Shure adapter.

Here is a scan of the Shure info about changing the wiring between the yellow & orange wires...........

 

...

 

Hello George!

 

I have custom-ordered a cable like that. Pin 1 and 3 joined. Mono jack at guitar end, unbalanced XLR M at other.

 

Cheers... Bence

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Hi Bence,

 

My second one came over the weekend, the 1/4 jack was smashed when the original one arrived. Everything is working great & about as hum free as possible. A good cable makes a difference! My other cable is a cheaper one. It still baffles me that the old Gibson chord worked so well, it looks even cheaper yet...........

 

George

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Hello George!

 

People underestimate the importance of cables. So did I, until we started to rebuild old tube amps with my Father. Everything got changed inside the amp, but it still hummed. It turned out to be the cable was microphonic. Since then, I only use good quality oxzgen-free cords.

 

Cheers... Bence

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  • 4 months later...

After a long delay, I decided to buy a few things to test out the elusive mic jack on the Les Paul Personal...

 

LPPStuff_zpsfa786080.jpg

 

The "Y" chord worked well, with the exception of a lot of hum due to it being a cheap chord. I'll have to try to find a higher quality cable. The stereo to mono adapter also worked well with no hum. It utilized the Shure impedance adapter for both the mic and the guitar. The only drawback was, when you turned down the volume on the mic, with the control on the guitar, it also lowered the output of the guitar. The mic also picked up a lot of extra noise, the guitar strap rubbed against it. Also, it reduced the quality of the sound of the guitar due to it picking up vibration. I imagine Lester sat with his guitar, so the strap wouldn't be an issue, and turned the volume down when he was playing. This was a $25.00 mic and again, you get what you pay for. I just bought it because I had to try this odd feature out.

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The new adapter came, ($34.00 vs $5.99), & didn't make much difference. It seems that using two different amps with the same guitar is the issue. Switching to different amps & making sure the ground lifts were set the same, seemed to help more than anything else. Also, using an unbalanced setup is never going to be as quiet as a balanced setup I would assume. I'm going to keep an eye out for a "period correct" mic & gooseneck, but for now, everything is working.

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Hello George!

 

These are not the easiest instruments to deal with, but the tone quality pays off.

 

I've noticed something weird too. When I connect the Recording via low-Z output, - using the Shure transformer - sometimes I hear slight pinging noises from the amp. However, I use it mostly in the high-Z mode. The huge array of tonal variations alone makes this guitar very exciting to play. :)

 

Cheers... Bence

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  • 2 weeks later...

If somebody can ,please closely look photos of my "Gibson Les Paul Recording" guitar and tell me age and year when was manufactured?, Thanks a lot ..http://forum.gibson.com/uploads/post-60470-083921100%201386219308_thumb.jpghttp://forum.gibson.com/uploads/post-60470-086359400%201386219338_thumb.jpghttp://forum.gibson.com/uploads/post-60470-054538300%201386219373_thumb.jpghttp://forum.gibson.com/uploads/post-60470-073933200%201386219388_thumb.jpghttp://forum.gibson.com/uploads/post-60470-040313500%201386219429_thumb.jpghttp://forum.gibson.com/uploads/post-60470-069958400%201386219449_thumb.jpghttp://forum.gibson.com/uploads/post-60470-008541500%201386219490_thumb.jpg

post-60470-083921100 1386219308_thumb.jpg

post-60470-086359400 1386219338_thumb.jpg

post-60470-054538300 1386219373_thumb.jpg

post-60470-073933200 1386219388_thumb.jpg

post-60470-040313500 1386219429_thumb.jpg

post-60470-069958400 1386219449_thumb.jpg

post-60470-008541500 1386219490_thumb.jpg

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