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50´s wiring results in nasal Neck pickup tone

Purpendicular

New member
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
5
Hi,


hello to everyone in this forum. This is my first post. I read a lot about the 50´s wiring, but still have a question. I have a 1974 Les Paul Custom in white (the Rhandy Roads les paul). Unfortunately the first owner changed the pots to 1975 300k pots with modern wiring (I know the original wiring was with 300k and modern, too). I measured the pots (Volume both 350k and tone 250k). I think it has a Mallory 150k 0,22 condensator. The sound was good, but the volume pots only worked at 2-3, so no dynamic playing was possible. Between 4-10 nearly nothing happens. Therefore I decided to test 50´s wiring with 500k and hoped to improve the sound.



I tried the 50´s wiring and bought an prewired kit from crazyparts with cts tvt pots (500k) and luxe bumblebees. The new pots are all audio taper. It was a matched set with all 560k.



Here is what´s happened:
1) The sound didn´t really change a lot. With 300k the sound was more punchy in the mids, when playing with gain / Hi-Gain.
2) When playing clean the sound with 500k is a little, little brighter, maybe more open. (It´s not that much as I expected)

3) The greatest improvement ist the volume pot. Now it´s possible to adjust the gain with the volume pot, which is great. But I don´t know why? Is it the wiring or the audio taper pot (I dont know if the original pots were linear).



I´m a little disapointed about the result and thought there will be a greater difference. But now I´m having trouble with my neck pickup. It sounds like a wah that isn´t deactivated... A very nasal tone (even when tone on full). I really don´t like it.


What do you think? Is it because of the 500k pot or could it be the condensator? Should I try an other condensator.


My conclusion (up to now). The 500k pots are not relevant when playing with a lot of gain.

Strange, because a lot of higain players recomend the 500k with 50´s wiring (e.g slash, Oliver Hartmann)


Any suggestions are welcome.

best regards
Michael

Here are some photos
IMG-2720.jpg

original wiring: IMG-2716.jpg

50´s wiring IMG-2719.jpg
 
Last edited:

brandtkronholm

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
2,737
2) When playing clean the sound with 500k is a little, little brighter, maybe more open. (It´s not that much as I expected)

This is pretty much my experience too. I noticed the entire frequency range was expanded, the lows and the highs, just a tiny bit. It's subtle but definitely worth it.
 

Drayve85

Active member
Joined
Jan 30, 2019
Messages
195
Hello, it sucks you’re having trouble with this. This situation would irk me too. The great minds here at the forum should be able to help you, though, hopefully!lol I am not one of those great minds.:spabout But, I have messed around in a few ‘ole gals control cavities.....(if ya know what I mean!Giggitty!) I’m assuming that the pickups are the original T-tops? Maybe you’re just hearing them how they are supposed to sound for the first time in that guitar. I don’t know, but “nasally” doesn’t seem right, but I can’t think of any reason you’d be getting that tone, if everything was “correct”. Did you measure the Luxe’s? Make sure they are 0.022 uf? How does the middle position sound? Maybe try a larger valued capacitor. Something like a 0.033uf, or even 0.047 uf. That would bring in some of the punchiness you’re lacking possibly. You could put the 300k neck pickup volume pot back in. That could fix the neck pup problem.

idk man, that’s all I have right now, but I’ll keep brainstorming on it. If I come up with anything else, I’ll let ya know. If all else fails...trial and error tinkering!lol just nothing that will leave a mark!:hank Good luck, hope that helps, even a little.
 

Drayve85

Active member
Joined
Jan 30, 2019
Messages
195
OH YEAH! Welcome to the forum!! I love your guitar btw. Randy was one of the reasons for my love of customs, and eventually getting one!

-Don
 

guitplayer

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
2,114
Yeah, Id go pickup lead and cap together/ lower tab vol pot... to center tab tone pot.:hank
 

Purpendicular

New member
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
5
Does the condensator affect the sound, when all (tone and Volume) are on 10?

@ Don - Yeah Randy was King, besides of Eddie :(... and yes, there are t-tops
@ guitarplayer... thanks for the suggestion. What´the result of this wiring?
 

Lester

Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2003
Messages
74
How about wiring the neck direct to the output jack to see what it sounds like? Find out if it's the pickup or the electronics. Work from there.
 
Joined
Jan 12, 2003
Messages
600
Very nice guitar .... yeah I remember back when I had a early 2000‘s or late 90s Gibson Les Paul classic with the skinny 60s neck and the body was superheavy even with the Swiss cheese it was like over 10 pounds easily and the 500 T pickup ... I didn’t even realize until later that it actually had 300 K Pots
... so with that experience I was surprised at how bright the guitar was with a Way over wound pickup and 300K pot it was pretty bright. I know there’s a lot of different factors but I mean essentially maybe you’re right when it comes to gain
 
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