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Seeking advice on pots and caps for Epi Les Paul with Pearly Gates

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  • #1

    Seeking advice on pots and caps for Epi Les Paul with Pearly Gates

    I just bought a set of Pearly Gates (neck and bridge) for my Epiphone Les Paul, and when I install them I'm going to replace all the electronics - switch, jack, and the pots and caps. Based on all the information in this forum, I've decided to go with Allparts CTS 500K audio pots and .022 caps. Before I pull out my soldering pen, any advice on changing things up? Any strong opinions on using different caps or pots?

    Thanks for any advice you can give!

    Cheers, G
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Seeking advice on pots and caps for Epi Les Paul with Pearly Gates

    Should be just fine Rock on!
    "It keeps you fit - the alcohol, nasty women, sweat on stage, bad food - it's all very good for you." -Bon Scott

    "Let me put it this way: the 5150 will treat
    you better than any girlfriend, because it screams louder, it's easier to pick up, and it shuts up when you take your plug out." -Rip Glitter

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    • #3
      Re: Seeking advice on pots and caps for Epi Les Paul with Pearly Gates

      You may have to enlarge to holes in the body for CTS pots.
      "Completely Conceded Glowing Expert."
      "And Blueman, I am pretty sure you've pissed off a lot of people."
      "Wait, I know! Blueman and Lew can arm wrestle, and the winner gets to decide if 250K pots sound good or not."

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      • #4
        Re: Seeking advice on pots and caps for Epi Les Paul with Pearly Gates

        I'm doing the exact same mod to my Gibson Les Paul Studio. The Pearly Gates matched set and new pots and caps. I can't wait to hear the difference. My guitar has 490/498 pickups in it now. They aren't awful, they just don't have the Les Paul tone I wanted. Good luck on your project; hopefully we both get the results we set out for.

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        • #5
          Re: Seeking advice on pots and caps for Epi Les Paul with Pearly Gates

          gwarski and mojosman....you are both on the right track. Let us know how things come out when its done.
          "Technique is really the elimination of the unneccessary ... it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to acheive the smooth flow of energy and intent"
          Yehudi Menuhin

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          • #6
            Re: Seeking advice on pots and caps for Epi Les Paul with Pearly Gates

            Many thanks for the replies! I'm very happy I discovered this forum. Clearly there are a lot of people on here who know what they're talking about, and I'm very relieved that I didn't have to go from shop to shop - and perhaps get steered in the wrong direction. To blueman 335, thanks for that. I found a video on YouTube about enlarging the holes. It shows cutting up pieces of sandpaper in 4"x4" squares, rolling them up, putting them in the holes on the body and then rotating. The dude in that video starts with 60 grit and then going to 220 grit when the holes are almost big enough, but I think it's a better idea to start with a grit no coarser than 100 grit. I'll let you know how it turns out.

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            • #7
              Re: Seeking advice on pots and caps for Epi Les Paul with Pearly Gates

              Originally posted by mojosman View Post
              My guitar has 490/498 pickups in it now. They aren't awful, they just don't have the Les Paul tone I wanted.
              The 498T/490R is one of the most bizarre PU pairings there is. Bright, thin bridge, and warm, dark neck; good luck getting an amp EQ setting that works well for both. Swapping magnets can correct this, which is what some of us have done. Then they sound pretty good. But, there's nothing like a good set of PAF's in an LP.
              "Completely Conceded Glowing Expert."
              "And Blueman, I am pretty sure you've pissed off a lot of people."
              "Wait, I know! Blueman and Lew can arm wrestle, and the winner gets to decide if 250K pots sound good or not."

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Seeking advice on pots and caps for Epi Les Paul with Pearly Gates

                Originally posted by blueman335 View Post
                The 498T/490R is one of the most bizarre PU pairings there is. Bright, thin bridge, and warm, dark neck; good luck getting an amp EQ setting that works well for both. Swapping magnets can correct this, which is what some of us have done. Then they sound pretty good. But, there's nothing like a good set of PAF's in an LP.
                +1.

                I couldn't've said it better myself!

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                • #9
                  Re: Seeking advice on pots and caps for Epi Les Paul with Pearly Gates

                  Originally posted by blueman335 View Post
                  The 498T/490R is one of the most bizarre PU pairings there is. Bright, thin bridge, and warm, dark neck; good luck getting an amp EQ setting that works well for both.
                  The one time I got them to sound good was when I played through a Tube Screamer into my Princeton Reverb. I usually don't play with a bunch of gain, but I was curious how these pickups would sound distorted so I cranked up the gain. They actually sounded a lot better with the added gain. But you are correct, not a classic PAF sound.

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