50's wiring for LP
- Thread starter Nico 666
- Start date
Thames
Great White Malice
Re: 50's wiring for LP
You only have to move the wire going to the tone pot to the middle lug (on the volume pot). Sometimes, this wire is a cap. Simple.
http://www.jonhadden.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pages/50wiring.html
The highs are less affected with you roll down the vol
You only have to move the wire going to the tone pot to the middle lug (on the volume pot). Sometimes, this wire is a cap. Simple.
http://www.jonhadden.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pages/50wiring.html
The highs are less affected with you roll down the vol
Re: 50's wiring for LP
The gist is this, the tone pot connects (whether it's the cap or a wire doesn't matter;some are wired with the cap first, then the tone pot ... and others are reversed) to the lug on the volume pot that is NOT the same one that the pickup(s) are connected to. It reduces treble loss when the volume knob is turned down. Some '50's Les Pauls were wired this way, but were later changed ... hence the name.
Nico 666 said:
The gist is this, the tone pot connects (whether it's the cap or a wire doesn't matter;some are wired with the cap first, then the tone pot ... and others are reversed) to the lug on the volume pot that is NOT the same one that the pickup(s) are connected to. It reduces treble loss when the volume knob is turned down. Some '50's Les Pauls were wired this way, but were later changed ... hence the name.
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: 50's wiring for LP
I like the 50's mod because it helps maintain highs and clarity when the volume control is turned down...I hate woofy, muddy tone, especially from a neck humbucker. But I now use a NO LOAD tone pot on all of guitars and that works well too.
Hamer guitars are ALL wired with the equivalent of the 50's mod in place. Basically a master tone control connected to the output jack.
Same effect as the 50's mod.
Lew
I like the 50's mod because it helps maintain highs and clarity when the volume control is turned down...I hate woofy, muddy tone, especially from a neck humbucker. But I now use a NO LOAD tone pot on all of guitars and that works well too.
Hamer guitars are ALL wired with the equivalent of the 50's mod in place. Basically a master tone control connected to the output jack.
Same effect as the 50's mod.
Lew
papersoul
New member
Re: 50's wiring for LP
I dug this up because I like using my volume knob to roll back to get cleaner or more classic rock tones but I hate how things get muddy at times and llose clarity. For example, I was playing some Alice in Chains then rolled back the volume knob to about 6 tp play some old Van Halen but it was too muddy. Will the 50s mod make a difference? Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It looks like the cap has to move to the outer lug on the tone and to the center lug on the volume, plus apparently there is no change while all controls are on ten. That is good because I was afraid I may end up with a brighter overall tone.
I wonder why RS Guitar Works uses such fancy wiring when this 50s wiring accomplishes so much.
I dug this up because I like using my volume knob to roll back to get cleaner or more classic rock tones but I hate how things get muddy at times and llose clarity. For example, I was playing some Alice in Chains then rolled back the volume knob to about 6 tp play some old Van Halen but it was too muddy. Will the 50s mod make a difference? Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It looks like the cap has to move to the outer lug on the tone and to the center lug on the volume, plus apparently there is no change while all controls are on ten. That is good because I was afraid I may end up with a brighter overall tone.
I wonder why RS Guitar Works uses such fancy wiring when this 50s wiring accomplishes so much.
Last edited:
dr.barlo
New member
Re: 50's wiring for LP
It works. It's very simple but it delivers.
All my guitars, my strats and my tele, two historic LPs of mine, my Melody Maker, are all wired with the 50's scheme.
I dunno why it's not standard. I really don't.
BTW I recommend using audio pots, because with linears in order to hear the big difference, you have to do adjustments quite low on the volume pot. With audios starting from 6, you'd have a wide spectrum going from clean to sort of stepping on a boost pedal. But almost all Gibsons come with linears.
B
It works. It's very simple but it delivers.
All my guitars, my strats and my tele, two historic LPs of mine, my Melody Maker, are all wired with the 50's scheme.
I dunno why it's not standard. I really don't.
BTW I recommend using audio pots, because with linears in order to hear the big difference, you have to do adjustments quite low on the volume pot. With audios starting from 6, you'd have a wide spectrum going from clean to sort of stepping on a boost pedal. But almost all Gibsons come with linears.
B
dr.barlo
New member
Re: 50's wiring for LP
http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127388
I dug up this thread for you in the LP forum about the 50's wiring. Hope you like it, because I think there is a lot of info in it.
B
http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127388
I dug up this thread for you in the LP forum about the 50's wiring. Hope you like it, because I think there is a lot of info in it.
B
Re: 50's wiring for LP
50's wiring makes tone pot dependent on vol pot - if you have one handy check this (listen to highs/treble while changing vol): start with vol 10 tone 0 play some , now set vol 7 tone 0 play some, then set vol 3 tone 0 an play some again.
Actually with 50's wiring tone pot becomes ineffective once you go below ~5 on vol pot. Since most people don't use tone pots at all and don't set volumes below 5 and since most of guitarists are "soldering-ly challenge-d" they'd rather make tone pot ineffective then solder some kind of treble bleed. Furthermore, that way is "vintage correct", right ?
I prefer modern wiring with treble bleed - I just let the tone pot be tone pot and the treble bleed do err ...yes, treble bleed. YMMV.
50's wiring makes tone pot dependent on vol pot - if you have one handy check this (listen to highs/treble while changing vol): start with vol 10 tone 0 play some , now set vol 7 tone 0 play some, then set vol 3 tone 0 an play some again.
Actually with 50's wiring tone pot becomes ineffective once you go below ~5 on vol pot. Since most people don't use tone pots at all and don't set volumes below 5 and since most of guitarists are "soldering-ly challenge-d" they'd rather make tone pot ineffective then solder some kind of treble bleed. Furthermore, that way is "vintage correct", right ?
I prefer modern wiring with treble bleed - I just let the tone pot be tone pot and the treble bleed do err ...yes, treble bleed. YMMV.
Last edited:
papersoul
New member
Re: 50's wiring for LP
I just did it today and love it! All I did was move the cap to the new lugs and it works great! Now, I can roll the volume down to 6-7 for a more classic rock tone and retain all the nice cut I had before. It just seems like I have more tonal optionns now. If I want it darker like before I just roll back the tone a bit. Before I would roll back the volume and things would get too wooly and muddy.....not good for my chord work.
I heard of guys using resistors to retain lows but I don't see the need!
I just did it today and love it! All I did was move the cap to the new lugs and it works great! Now, I can roll the volume down to 6-7 for a more classic rock tone and retain all the nice cut I had before. It just seems like I have more tonal optionns now. If I want it darker like before I just roll back the tone a bit. Before I would roll back the volume and things would get too wooly and muddy.....not good for my chord work.
I heard of guys using resistors to retain lows but I don't see the need!
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