Updating Electronics of my 2000 Std

[TheArchitect]

My 2000 Std has Seth lovers but the rest of the electronics are stock. I an thinking of pulling the plate everything is mounted to and going old school with the guts. That said I need to know a few things.

1) Would I just need standard 500k long shaft pots once the plate is removed?

2) If I leave the plate is it still the same long shat pots?

3) I shield my strat's thoroughly. I am considering doing a shielding job if I have it apart but I am not certain if I would gain much from that.

Once electronics are complete the Seths are going to a PRS and being replace with an SD Antiquity set.

EDIT: Does anyone have a schematic for using a push/pull pot to reverse phase on one pickup?

 

[Don]

You'll need long shaft pots either way. I wouldn't bother adding shielding to a Les Paul unless there's a problem that you're trying to address.

Changing the volume controls to 500k and experimenting with '50s wiring will give you the biggest bang for you buck.

 

[sonar]

I wouldn't bother shielding.

Remember to ground your pots. I used cloth wire.

Do a search and think about different cap values, but try not to obsess over type of caps, as your head will start spinning.

I ended up buying parts from RS (I have a weird pot value on my bridge tone pot). I wired everything myself.

Since you have the guitar apart consider re-wiring the switch harness with shielded wire. I'll have to look, but I think I have a pic of that on my old hard drive.

 

[TheArchitect]

I wouldn't bother shielding.

Remember to ground your pots. I used cloth wire.

Do a search and think about different cap values, but try not to obsess over type of caps, as your head will start spinning.

I ended up buying parts from RS (I have a weird pot value on my bridge tone pot). I wired everything myself.

Since you have the guitar apart consider re-wiring the switch harness with shielded wire. I'll have to look, but I think I have a pic of that on my old hard drive.

I am not the least bit worried about the type of caps. That's an obsession I just don't understand. I want vintage vibe and I think the pickups and circuit will get me were I want to be. I may not even go with 500k pots. Shaving a little top off of the vintage pickup is not necessarily a bad thing when its so bright you will never use that sound anyway. Should be interesting to feel it out

 

[sonar]

I am not the least bit worried about the type of caps. That's an obsession I just don't understand. I want vintage vibe and I think the pickups and circuit will get me were I want to be. I may not even go with 500k pots. Shaving a little top off of the vintage pickup is not necessarily a bad thing when its so bright you will never use that sound anyway. Should be interesting to feel it out

It depends on your needs with pot value. My head still thinks about the way I used to play in band situations so I tend to prefer a little more brightness than a 250k/vintage humbucker can offer.

 

[JohnH]

I had the metal plate in my ’91 studio, and I reckon its actually a good design. I’ve kept it through two versions of rewiring my LP. It adds a good ground plane to reduce interference, and makes a nice solid assembly for the pots. Also, it saves needing to solder to pot cases.
I think further shielding is not needed on an LP, But I think its good to use shielded wire for the runs up and down to the toggle switch, and ground the braid of it. I’ve used either 2 pieces of 2-core mic cable, or 4-core cable to do both the up and the down.
A phase switch is fine if you want one, but you should use 4 conductor pickups, otherwise the pot case ends up hot and you get much more noise. Personally, I don’t like push pull pots on an LP, they are based on 16mm pots and are not as solid as full size ones – but lots of them get put into LP schemes so that may be just me.
John