96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

[jbear]

Hey Folks,
Looking in the back of this LPS...can you help me figure out what's in here.
The PUP's just have the Gibson USA baseplate stamp. I'm figuring that these are the 490/498 set? I don't think these RS caps or the CTS pots are orig. Tell you what...the sound is fantastic. I pulled the same set from a couple of Gibson's, but...I think these are staying put. I haven't really given them a workout, but the clean through the DRRI is not wanting at all.
The hardware is all chrome and the PUP rings and poker chip are cream; I'm pretty sure that's not stock for a Wine Red LPStud., but...maybe I'm wrong on that.
Anyway...thoughts.

 

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

I've never heard of any Studio coming stock with RS caps. On almost every Studio, the stock rings and chip were black on the wine red finish.

 

[trevorus]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

Those electronics are not stock. They reused the plate and put in CTS stuff. Original pots were Gibson branded. They had ceramic disc caps stock as well. I have a 94 or 95 LP Studio, and that's what it had, which has been changed to an RS Guitar Works wiring kit, and a Brobucker bridge, Antiquity neck.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[jbear]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

Those electronics are not stock. They reused the plate and put in CTS stuff. Original pots were Gibson branded. They had ceramic disc caps stock as well. I have a 94 or 95 LP Studio, and that's what it had, which has been changed to an RS Guitar Works wiring kit, and a Brobucker bridge, Antiquity neck.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Well...I guess I got lucky cuz as far as I knew...it was coming stock. I sure sounds pretty amazing. I never cared for the 490/498 in my previous Studio or the SG, but if these are those...they're sweet. I wish Gibson marked their baseplates so I knew for sure. So much stuff was swapped on this thing that they could be 57's.
Thanks folks.

 

[Aceman]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

If it sounds good, it is good. Roll with it. You win.

 

[jbear]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

If it sounds good, it is good. Roll with it. You win.

Yes...you are wise; I believe I will roll with it. Yay! I win! It's a really nice surprise when you open up a guitbox and someone done did somebody rightways.

 

[Bludave]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

I am pretty certain that the Studios came stock with 300k pots. you can check the value but in my Studio it has 500K pots which were changed. After changing the pots it was like someone took a blanket off my amp. The tone was a touch brighter but in a good way & the volume was increased slightly as well. This can be tamed by lowering the pickups.

 

[AlexR]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

I thought the studios had the 490T & R models. It was the standard where you got the 498....or at least in the early 90's I think that was the case.

 

[trevorus]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

I am pretty certain that the Studios came stock with 300k pots. you can check the value but in my Studio it has 500K pots which were changed. After changing the pots it was like someone took a blanket off my amp. The tone was a touch brighter but in a good way & the volume was increased slightly as well. This can be tamed by lowering the pickups.

That's definitely what mine came with, long brass shaft 300k pots branded Gibson on the casing.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[JeffB]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

57s would have a PAF sticker on the baseplate.

500k pots do wonders for all Gibson pups. I really never understood why they went the 300k v route in the first place.

 

[jbear]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

No PAF sticker for sure on these. I usually mess around with PUP swapping just because it's fun and I have some favorites, but this just seems right so I'm leaving it alone...whatever they are. I never changed the ES339 PUP's either...just felt right instantly. I was going to put this set of double-screw 59's in it. They're vintage and amazing and I haven't been able to get a trade for them, so I'm thinking...WTF. Then I played this guitar and...there went that idea. Anyway, sometimes you just get a special guitar that's just the way you like it without doing a thing. This is one of those.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

I thought the studios had the 490T & R models. It was the standard where you got the 498....or at least in the early 90's I think that was the case.

No. I dunno about earlier but by '96 they should be 490/498. That's what's in my '97 Studio Doublecut.

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

IMO the 490's and 498's sound much better (less muddy) with 500k pots, many guys just change out those pickups because they aren't bright enough, without changing out the stock 300k volume pots that Gibson puts in most of the production guitars to 500k's (some people don't even know that Gibson is using 300k linear volume pots in those guitars to begin with). It's at least worth a try with the 490/498 pickups to change to 500k pots before ditching the pickups, you might just like the pickups if you do, and even if you end up changing out the pickups, 500k pots are standard for most humbuckers anyway and will be a good upgrade (although some players do prefer 300k pots with some brighter bridge humbuckers).

Al

 

[jbear]

Re: 96 Les Paul Studio...What's in here?

Okay...whatever these PUP's are...this guitar sounds like a mahogany Tony Bennett! Everything sounds warm and smooth...even bad notes sound good (which works out for me). I'm not gonna go trying to make all of my guitars sound like this one, but...got really, really lucky with this one.