Les Paul Custom 3 pickup middle position

[Gretev1]

Why do people dislike the middle toggle switch position on a 3 pickup Les Paul Custom. Anyone out there love the middle position tone or am I the only one? I have seen many reviews of vintage Les Paul Customs and the reviewers often skip over this pickup option and ignore it. Oddly the out of phase tones of Bursts like Peter Green/Kirk Hammett "Greeny" are adored by all. To my ears the tones are very similar.
Can anyone clear up my confusion? Any other lovers out there of the middle position on an LP Custom 3 pickup?

 

[zacknorton]

if you swap out the toggle for a freeway 6 way toggle.... then that middle pickup by itself is pure gold!

 

[Varitone]

I have no experience with them, but this Les Paul Artisan sounds really nice and Strat-like in the middle switch position.

EDIT - I just realized we're in the Vintage forum, so I'm not sure if that Artisan I linked to has the same wiring set up as a <= 1960 Custom.

 

[bursty]

I have owned a few 3 pup customs but all were MIJ. My favorite was a 1982 Greco. The middle pup position in that guitar was just magical sounding; very Jimmy Page sounding is all I can describe it as. The guitar also had a really nice FAT neck to boot. Hard to beat a 3 pup custom IMO. There is nothing else out there that sounds like them.



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[CptZar]

Because 50s customs have the bridge and center pup selected out of phase in the middle position, which sounds really strange. It helps to flip the magnet of the center pup. But you will have to open solder joints for that. Later 3 pup customs are wired different. The Frampton custom is a converted dual P90 50s, with its own wiring. So are the reissues.

 

[Gretev1]

Because 50s customs have the bridge and center pup selected out of phase in the middle position, which sounds really strange. It helps to flip the magnet of the center pup. But you will have to open solder joints for that. Later 3 pup customs are wired different. The Frampton custom is a converted dual P90 50s, with its own wiring. So are the reissues.

Very interesting information. I own a 2010 1957 Les Paul Custom and I like the tone of the middle position. I have since had this LP Custom modified with a push pull knob. Are you saying that the middle position tone on this 2010 reissue would be less ice picky than an original 1957?

 

[CptZar]

Very interesting information. I own a 2010 1957 Les Paul Custom and I like the tone of the middle position. I have since had this LP Custom modified with a push pull knob. Are you saying that the middle position tone on this 2010 reissue would be less ice picky than an original 1957?

Yes. The wiring was modified for reissues in the 70s, as the 50s wiring sounds really awkward. It was a Jazz guitar then. Nobody expected Jimmy Page to play one.

Still 50s customs, all mahogany with 3 HBs, are some of the best guitars Gibson every build.

 

[Gretev1]

Yes. The wiring was modified for reissues in the 70s, as the 50s wiring sounds really awkward. It was a Jazz guitar then. Nobody expected Jimmy Page to play one.

Still 50s customs, all mahogany with 3 HBs, are some of the best guitars Gibson every build.

I have only ever held one but never played one.

Yes. The wiring was modified for reissues in the 70s, as the 50s wiring sounds really awkward. It was a Jazz guitar then. Nobody expected Jimmy Page to play one.

Still 50s customs, all mahogany with 3 HBs, are some of the best guitars Gibson every build.

Absolutely agree. Stunning instruments.

 

[Hackubus]

I've wired my 3HB LPC & Firebird VII with Frampton style wiring, which puts the N & B on one pair of controls, and then the middle gets the other set of controls.
Using this, not only do I get the 'normal' B+M, I also can get N+M, B+N, and the middle all by itself.

To the best of my knowledge, "Normal" 3 Pup wiring schemes are wired 'modern' style. I found this to be very muddy when you turned the guitar down using gain.
(I'm using Marshalls, so I'm never playing these clean. It's always dirty to slightly not as dirty. )
Full up volume didn't sound all that great (to me) in the middle position wired normally.

The Frampton wiring cleans up much more nicely, allows the almost Fendery funk sound of the N+M & B+M to shine.

 

[Gretev1]

I've wired my 3HB LPC & Firebird VII with Frampton style wiring, which puts the N & B on one pair of controls, and then the middle gets the other set of controls.
Using this, not only do I get the 'normal' B+M, I also can get N+M, B+N, and the middle all by itself.

To the best of my knowledge, "Normal" 3 Pup wiring schemes are wired 'modern' style. I found this to be very muddy when you turned the guitar down using gain.
(I'm using Marshalls, so I'm never playing these clean. It's always dirty to slightly not as dirty. )
Full up volume didn't sound all that great (to me) in the middle position wired normally.

The Frampton wiring cleans up much more nicely, allows the almost Fendery funk sound of the N+M & B+M to shine.

I own a 57 Reissue Les Paul Custom from 2010 and also had the wiring modified with a push pull knob on the volume control of the neck pickup. When pushed in the guitar essentially functions like a standard Les Paul: neck /neck+bridge/bridge. When pulled out I can get neck+middle/ middle by itself/middle+bridge.

 

[gary buff]

On the '59 that I had the middle setting was real thin and ice-picky, sounded awful. I just used the other two settings as they sounded great.

 

[MattD1960]

I love the Middle position on a 3pup custom, i have a 2019 reissue and the middle is probably the position i use most with that guitar, Its what sets it apart from the others in the rack that weird quacky middle sounds awesome to me

 

[charliechitlins]

I wired my Firebird III so it gets all 7 possible combinatios with the stock 3-way switch and only 3 of the 4 pots.
I love it.