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Les Paul toggle switch wire

Gadge

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
Messages
43
I read an excellent detailed article on how to convert your guitar to a 59 style wiring and pickups (Seymour Duncan antiquity) but one thing that isnt mentioned is the toggle switch wire, I notice the original 59 had the same thick wore as the pickup wire but mine has very thin (higher resistance - darker tone) wire.

I wanted to ask if anyone has bothered to change this wire and if they notice any improvement or if you have any tips/diagrams that can help me on my way to modding the switch.
 

El Gringo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
I read an excellent detailed article on how to convert your guitar to a 59 style wiring and pickups (Seymour Duncan antiquity) but one thing that isnt mentioned is the toggle switch wire, I notice the original 59 had the same thick wore as the pickup wire but mine has very thin (higher resistance - darker tone) wire.

I wanted to ask if anyone has bothered to change this wire and if they notice any improvement or if you have any tips/diagrams that can help me on my way to modding the switch.

I have swapped out the wiring harness on a # of my Les Paul's with a tremendous improvement in tone along with the addition of ThroBak MXV-SLE-101 Plus pickups with A5 magnets . The wiring harness is also from ThroBak and has 500K pots and Paper in oil Bumble Bee Caps . Check them out @ www.throbak.com . I can't recommend them enough !
 

El Gringo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
I have swapped out the wiring harness on a # of my Les Paul's with a tremendous improvement in tone along with the addition of ThroBak MXV-SLE-101 Plus pickups with A5 magnets . The wiring harness is also from ThroBak and has 500K pots and Paper in oil Bumble Bee Caps . Check them out @ www.throbak.com . I can't recommend them enough !

Also I should add that I have never felt the need to change the wire from the pickup selector toggle switch .
 

Gadge

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
Messages
43
Thanks for the info. Since making this thread ive replaced all the wiring with braided wiring like the original Les Pauls had and changed the Neck pot to 500k, the Bridge sounds way too bright and actually hurts my ears with a 500k pot.

Id like to say the guitar sounds better with braided wire from the toggle switch, it seems like the strings are more sensitive to my ears, I also removed the large plate in the pot cavity and wired it exactly like the 59 and that has certainly made it sound better without a doubt, its very easy to make harmonics now even on the neck position, that wasnt possible before I did all this
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Also I should add that I have never felt the need to change the wire from the pickup selector toggle switch .

wow photobucket really sucks balls
 
Last edited:

PaulD

Active member
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
673
Id like to say the guitar sounds better with braided wire from the toggle switch, it seems like the strings are more sensitive to my ears, I also removed the large plate in the pot cavity and wired it exactly like the 59 and that has certainly made it sound better without a doubt, its very easy to make harmonics now even on the neck position, that wasnt possible before I did all this

Changing the wire from the switch will have zero effect on the sound, any difference in resistance between the original switch wire and the replacement braided wire will be miniscule (a few micro-ohms at the most) and of no consequence whatsoever, also with respect, looking at your pictures, the quality of the solder joints in the re-wired cavity will be likely to have added much more resistance to the overall circuit than any changes to the wire gauge might have reduced it by. Removing the metal plate will also have no effect on the sound, any changes that you are hearing will be due to other factors such as different value pots and / or caps.
 

Gadge

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
Messages
43
Changing the wire from the switch will have zero effect on the sound, any difference in resistance between the original switch wire and the replacement braided wire will be miniscule (a few micro-ohms at the most) and of no consequence whatsoever, also with respect, looking at your pictures, the quality of the solder joints in the re-wired cavity will be likely to have added much more resistance to the overall circuit than any changes to the wire gauge might have reduced it by. Removing the metal plate will also have no effect on the sound, any changes that you are hearing will be due to other factors such as different value pots and / or caps.

The reason I changed the toggle wire is when I bought the guitar the very thin black earth wire was broken so its another step back in quality from Gibson. As for the solder joints on the pickup wires its because im trying different pickups and have more on the way so its a quick solder job just to compare pickups, it will be cleaned up when I settle on a set.
I removed the metal plate because its much easier to change out the pots without it, again its another step backwards for Gibson, they should keep things simple and reliable like the vintage setup.

Also wiring the pots the 50's way is definitely sounding better, it was the main reason I am able to harmonic the neck pickup and the pups sounds more sensitive overall. The only thing ive noticed is when I flip the neck magnet im not getting the phase effect, its very flat sounding, its the same on different pickups ive tried and I dont know why.
 

TM1

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
Wow, you have to disable AD Blocker to see the photos. What's the use in having it if I have to turn it off to view photos?
 

Arnold M.

Active member
Joined
Mar 29, 2018
Messages
296
Wow, you have to disable AD Blocker to see the photos. What's the use in having it if I have to turn it off to view photos?

I just do without the photos ... almost every website now asks to turn off ad-blocker .. pass ...I don't like ad's
 

Gadge

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
Messages
43
Wow, you have to disable AD Blocker to see the photos. What's the use in having it if I have to turn it off to view photos?
Thats strange, my ad blocker shows me these pictures and all pictures at forums, maybe you have an old version. Im using the latest ad block plus.
 
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