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1995 Les Paul Standard Wiring

jtwoods4

New member
Joined
Apr 16, 2018
Messages
25
I just picked up 1995 Les Paul standard. Please take a look at this picture and explain this wiring to me. I'm not familiar with the very small white blue and red wires. I've also never seen the junction that's located in the middle between all the pots that is wired to the input jack. Why is it like this?

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Last edited:

oldog

Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2003
Messages
201
It looks to me like they are the wires from the switch Red and White are "hot" blue is "common" running to ground through the pot to the metal plate. The center connection is most likely tying the input jack to ground.
 

jtwoods4

New member
Joined
Apr 16, 2018
Messages
25
It looks to me like they are the wires from the switch Red and White are "hot" blue is "common" running to ground through the pot to the metal plate. The center connection is most likely tying the input jack to ground.

this is strange I've never seen it like this before and why is there a metal plate everything is mounted to?

My other guitars are custom shop historic reissues and they are definitely not like this.
 

oldog

Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2003
Messages
201
I think because it is easier and more efficient to put most of the control wiring together outside the guitar and then install it and complete a few connections. Just the fact that the plate makes most of the ground connections simplifies assembly. It also shields the control wiring a little. If you replace pots on that guitar you will need long shaft pots if you keep the plate.
 

PaulD

Active member
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
673
This is how the Les Paul Standards (and many other models) from that era were made. The pots are mounted on the metal plate which acts as a ground plane and provides a degree of electromagnetic shielding whilst also simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs as the assembly can be pre-assembled and simply bolted into the guitar during production. On later models the metal plate was replaced with a printed circuit board presumably reducing costs even further. The Custom Shop and Historic models do not use this method, they retain the traditional method of construction with the pots mounted directly to the guitar body.
 

El Gringo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
So if you choose to remove the shielding plate short shaft pots would work ? Because I was always under the impression that only long shaft pots would work on a Gibson USA Les Paul ?
 
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