Gibson rant...

[SFW]

I LOVE Les Pauls. I currently own four of them, and while I do play some other strat style guitars, the Les Paul is always where I feel most comfortable. I do however have a major gripe with Gibson. For the love of God, can they not just install the correct value pots at the factory?!!? It is too much to ask for 500k pots and 50s wiring straight from the factory? I bought a Les Paul Jr last year. The guitar plays great but would not intonate and the factory pickup just didn't sound "right' and was microphonic as all get out. Swapped the wrap tail for a Music City bridge and install a Seymour Duncan Antiquity P90. The guitar intonates and the squealing was gone, but something still just wasn't "right." Checked the pots to find 2 300k pots in the guitar....ugh! Install a Throbak LPJ harness. Bingo!!! Now the guitar sounds like a Les Paul Jr. I wasn't upset about the bridge or the pickup. But the incorrect pot values drive me crazy. Anyway... that's my rant of the day...

 

[GlassSnuff]

Nice set! Like golf clubs.

Traditionally, Gibson has displayed a poor understanding of the role of pot values in the shaping of tone.

 

[RocknRollShakeUp]

Nice set! Like golf clubs.

Traditionally, Gibson has displayed a poor understanding of the role of pot values in the shaping of tone.

Was it cost cutting or an attempt at making the tone “warmer.” Which to me just means that the guitar will sound like a muffled pile of cow pie.
When did Gibson go to the 300k pots anyway? Was it a response to wanting to get “creamier” distorted tones out of bright Marshall amps?
What happened?

 

[RocknRollShakeUp]

I LOVE Les Pauls. I currently own four of them, and while I do play some other strat style guitars, the Les Paul is always where I feel most comfortable. I do however have a major gripe with Gibson. For the love of God, can they not just install the correct value pots at the factory?!!? It is too much to ask for 500k pots and 50s wiring straight from the factory? I bought a Les Paul Jr last year. The guitar plays great but would not intonate and the factory pickup just didn't sound "right' and was microphonic as all get out. Swapped the wrap tail for a Music City bridge and install a Seymour Duncan Antiquity P90. The guitar intonates and the squealing was gone, but something still just wasn't "right." Checked the pots to find 2 300k pots in the guitar....ugh! Install a Throbak LPJ harness. Bingo!!! Now the guitar sounds like a Les Paul Jr. I wasn't upset about the bridge or the pickup. But the incorrect pot values drive me crazy. Anyway... that's my rant of the day...


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What a perfect LesQuad! Are you now considering an R4/R6 and a Special?

 

[Elmore]

I agree. My 1987 standard/prehistoric had 300K pots. I wanted to keep it original, but not at the expense of my sound. 500K CTS and now it sounds much better, more open. On the contrary, my 1970 routed Les Paul Deluxe still has the original wiring harness, and has always sounded very open. I am guessing they are 500K.

 

[jb_abides]

@SFW What year is that Junior?

I am curious as to if USA recently included those 300k: I recall Gibson's Jim DeCola stating 'new' Gibson under JC/Cesar goes with 500k CTS consistently; further, the trend away from 300k and back to 500k might have started Late-2018 -- in the endgame of HJ/ bankruptcy.

So, curious to see if yours is 'recent' and they still wound up in there, and 'why' -- bottom of the barrel trickle, continued inconsistency, or whatever -- and if that's been rectified in the very recent era.

 

[6403TV]

My 2021 Les Paul Special Tribute (humbuckers) came with 500k pots, as confirmed by Gibson customer support. I queued them when I bought it as wanted 500k pots and couldn’t tell what they were by looking at the PCB board, as they are only marked with ‘Gibson’ on the face. Now, need to replace to ‘50s harness… $$$

 

[rockabilly69]

I'm one of the few people that prefers lower value pots. When the internet pretty much said anyone that knows anything about pots recommends 500k for humbuckers, I swapped a lot of my lower resistance pots for 500K. Well in more than one case, I preferred the lower values, as the higher value pots were just too damn bright for my taste, especially in guitars with lower output humbuckers. I also don't subscribe to .022 caps all the time.

I've done a lot of modding over the years, and actually worked as a tech as a side hustle when I first went full time music 25 years ago. And I can say without a doubt, 500K ain't always the magic number for me. Many times I will use 500K volumes with 250K tones. That combo seems to get me a nice overall resistance value. I've also moved away from the two volume - two tone layout in some guitars, and now some of my guitars get two volumes, one bass cut, and one master tone. Why??? Because I like being able to set my neck pickup close to the strings for a thick sound when I need it, but then with the cut I can dial it back a bit when I want that guitar to fit tighter into a mix. And I guarantee if anyone was in the audience no one would say... "Listen to that Les Paul, it doesn't sound right". Every guitar to me is individual, and if takes a lower pot value or a different cap to get it there, well then, that's what I do. And with P90s, 300K pots would be fine with me, once again, depending on the guitar.

 

[SFW]

What a perfect LesQuad! Are you now considering an R4/R6 and a Special?

I think my next Gibson will be an ES-335.

 

[SFW]

@SFW What year is that Junior?

I am curious as to if USA recently included those 300k: I recall Gibson's Jim DeCola stating 'new' Gibson under JC/Cesar goes with 500k CTS consistently; further, the trend away from 300k and back to 500k might have started Late-2018 -- in the endgame of HJ/ bankruptcy.

So, curious to see if yours is 'recent' and they still wound up in there, and 'why' -- bottom of the barrel trickle, continued inconsistency, or whatever -- and if that's been rectified in the very recent era.

My Junior is a 2023.

 

[Cliff Gress]

I think my next Gibson will be an ES-335.

Me too.

 

[corpse]

One of the most unique LP tones is Mick Taylor on get Your Ya Ya's Out. Folks don't discuss it much but to me it was a very choked sound- kinda nasty.
I bought a thoroughly buggered-with '69 GT that had been converted to T Top Pat Sticker HB's. I believe the harness was original.
It nailed the MT sound. Yes I know he was playing 59 & 61 Bursts/ SG. The tone pots in my GT were 250K IIRC and I swapped them for Retrospec 500's- but dialing down the tone would not get me back to the MT sound.
Just another experience.

 

[Bruce R]

My Junior is a 2023.

Custom Shop Junior? It's very nice

 

[SFW]

Double post

 

[SFW]

Custom Shop Junior? It's very nice

Nope. It's just a standard USA production model. I wanted a Jr, and my wallet didn't have Customer Shop money in it. lol!

 

[Bruce R]

I've owned 2 of the USA Juniors, and they are spectacular. Gibson did a good job with their P90s.

Yours has a fantastic sunburst with a great yellow center, like the old ones.

Enjoy!