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2001 '57 Goldtop - modify or not?

gavindale

Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2001
Messages
446
Hi everybody!

I own a 2001 '57 Goldtop that is 100% original. I also own a 2003 '57 Black Beauty. Years ago I pulled the pickups out of the BB and installed some Timbuckers. It was a necessity due to the guitar being ice-pick bright and I needed to make a change. The Tim's are working well and it has become a very resonant guitar.

I just won a set of pickups from "Lust Pickups", their "Custard Pie" model. :dude: (THANK YOU VERY MUCH GENTLEMEN FROM LUST! :salude )

My Goldtop is a wonderful guitar but sometimes I wonder if maybe it is being muffled a bit with the '57 Classics and with the new set coming in I am curious what they might reveal.

My question regards "Originality". We all know that vintage guitars are worth much more then those that have had solder joints touched. I know that this guitar is worth more then I paid for it new, I got a very good deal, and wonder what your opinions are whether or not to leave it stock or rip out the guts for new PU's, pots, caps. Of course saving the old goes without question. I'm 53. Who knows. I could kick tomorrow and would never care. Or as I get older I might need to sell it in order to …I don't know…eat? :hee

I could change out the Tim's and move them to a Les Paul LTD or just drop the new ones into the LTD.

OK, let me have it. Ive got thick skin. :##

Thank you!
 

Kris Ford

New member
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Messages
4,003
I would most definitely shitcan the stock garbage pots first, and install 4 tightly spec'd CTS 500K audio taper pots...(with caps of choice) the stock ones are sloppy spec'd..not matched and loose toleranced..they are awful IMO..the '57 Classic will be able to breathe better, and will have more shimmer, presence and sparkle..and you will have usuable controls....also, makes no sense to install new pickups just to run 'em through the same crap pots...
Pot upgrades are the best and biggest bang for the buck and most drastic (for the better) tonal improvement you can do. You'd be surprised.:salude
 

Ryan Givhan

New member
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
3,220
put in new pots caps and pups. you're welcome!





there are way too many reissues for them to be worth huge money ever. so i say make them sound and play as good as possible while you have them.
 

WC58

New member
Joined
Feb 14, 2014
Messages
25
I would most definitely shitcan the stock garbage pots first, and install 4 tightly spec'd CTS 500K audio taper pots...(with caps of choice) the stock ones are sloppy spec'd..not matched and loose toleranced..they are awful IMO..the '57 Classic will be able to breathe better, and will have more shimmer, presence and sparkle..and you will have usuable controls....also, makes no sense to install new pickups just to run 'em through the same crap pots...
Pot upgrades are the best and biggest bang for the buck and most drastic (for the better) tonal improvement you can do. You'd be surprised.:salude

+1 pots/caps first...Ive owned quite a few '01/'02 R7's and R8's that had Classic 57's. When I changed over to pre-wired RS kits, the sound/tone was night and day.
 

Stoj

Active member
Joined
Oct 6, 2006
Messages
3,514
put in new pots caps and pups. you're welcome!


there are way too many reissues for them to be worth huge money ever. so i say make them sound and play as good as possible while you have them.

I totally agree with Ryan, with over 2000 Historics being produced a year, I can't see the prices of these being viewed as collector items. My 2C :salude
 

TM1

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
How are those Lust Pickups? They just seemed to appear out of nowhere..
 

gavindale

Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2001
Messages
446
TM1 - I hope that they arrive today or tomorrow. I know that they are on the way. I will give a review in "Tone Zone" after I get a chance to work 'em a little.

To everybody else who are suggesting it's OK to make a change - THANK YOU for opening up the slush inside of my head. :##

All of the points that you made seem very valid. Anybody want to play devils advocate? :worm

It seems like the soldering iron will get warmed up and changes will be made. One thing that does seem uniform in your replies is to change the pots and caps (These PU even come with a new set of high quality caps. Nice touch.) but none of you suggested to pull the '57 Classics. Why?

Thanks again!
 
Last edited:

callaway_1

New member
Joined
Dec 22, 2005
Messages
460
because the pots are a known commodity. As are the 57 classics. They are not a bad pickup by any means.

The lusts are relatively new and unheard of.
 

DoctorMO

New member
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
597
Your Pickups are really good now ?? any up grade from pickups. I agree pots and cap. Now if your guitar was later and had Burst Buckers I would definately swap them out
 

MS 57

New member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
643
I planed the fretboard and put new frets on my ´57 Strat - need I say more :eek:la

Enjoy your guitar - I think Gibson made some great ones at that period !! :dude:
 

Kris Ford

New member
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Messages
4,003
Your Pickups are really good now ?? any up grade from pickups. I agree pots and cap. Now if your guitar was later and had Burst Buckers I would definately swap them out
I have a unpotted Burstbucker 2 in my '65 SG..going into the 1965 CTS 500Ks, sounds damn amazing and it will stay in that SG forever..

I think that the variances in the opinions on the Burstbuckers are due to the wildly swinging tolerances in stock pots, which can read as low as 350K (or lower!:rolleyes ) at 20% tolerance, or as high as 650K+. This tolerance is simply too broad..so those that have "screechy, ice picky" Burstbuckers most likely have higher value pots, and those that have "muffled, muddy" ones are probably lower value..it has been in my case anyways..those who redo the pots to values much closer to 500K seem to view the Burstbucker in a whole new way..

A pickup combo that really benefits from a pot change is the much maladied 490R/T..which are usually coupled to 300K pots, which can be as low as 240K at 20% tolerance! This value is totally unacceptable for a humbucker! Even the max toleranced value, which is 360K, is too low..so the switch to 500K, (plus or minus 10-15K TOPS) can really make a difference for the better..in fact, the 490 combo is hard to discern from a '57 Classic set..

P90's are the other ones that get "stuck" with 300K..the '50's to the early '70's P90s pots were 500K, and they WILL sound better going through a higher value than 300K..usually, everyone's main complaint with new Gibson p90s are they are muddy and dark..well, they're gonna be, being choked out by 300K pots..

I'm a firm believer in pots first, and have always been happy with stock Gibson pickups..the only time I will change one is to put a much hotter one in it's place..
 
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