Blackouts Modular Preamp in 2014 Gibson Les Paul Classic with 15DB Turbo

[2manygadgets]

Hi Folks,

First time posting here. I'm having a heck of a time with this. I recently bought a Blackouts Modular Preamp kit for my 2014 Gibson Les Paul Classic. It's got these pickups in it today - Neck Position '57 Classic Zebra Coil (Alnico #2); Bridge Position '57 Classic Zebra Coil (Alnico #2).

These LP's are slightly different than the standard LP wiring because they have only 1 master tone and two volume controls. I'm using this as my base for wiring up my LP - http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=BMP_2H_2V_1T_3W but I'm not getting any sound out of the neck pickup and all three pots are acting totally strange. I turn them down and they all seem to turn the volume down... My question is how the wiring of the LP's 3-way switch is compared to what's shown in the SD schematic. Mine looks different from what is shown in the SD schematic.



I think my 3-way looks like this one at the top of the pic from STEWMAC -

Anyone have any idea how bad I've messed this up? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Blackouts Modular Preamp in 2014 Gibson Les Paul Classic with 15DB Turbo

the green wire goes to earth, right? that part you soldered it on seems to me to be the output of the jack. You have to swap the green wire with the black in the middle.

rule of thumb: the thickest lug on a 3 way switch is always ground/earth.

 

[allstarrme]

Re: Blackouts Modular Preamp in 2014 Gibson Les Paul Classic with 15DB Turbo

what value pots do you have in there with the BMP?

Are all 4 wires from the pickup going into the BMP or only 2? I can't tell in your pics.

 

[2manygadgets]

Re: Blackouts Modular Preamp in 2014 Gibson Les Paul Classic with 15DB Turbo

Soooooo, I switched out the black and the green and that was good, I started to get sound but it still wasn't right. I inverted the white and red coming from the 3-way and bingo! everything works perfectly now. @allstarme - I'm using the pots that come with the BMP. There were four of them in there (including the BMP I mean). Yes, all four of the wires and the ground from the pups are wired into the BMP.

Thanks for the help!

 

[2manygadgets]

Re: Blackouts Modular Preamp in 2014 Gibson Les Paul Classic with 15DB Turbo

Ok, I have another question now, I've done some Google searches and couldn't find anything on this one. It sounds like I am only using the bridge pickup when the 3-way switch is in the middle and I'm using both pickups when I have the switch in the bridge position. I clearly am using the heck pickup when I have the switch in the neck position. Is this the result of switching the white and red wires? Grrrrrrrr....

 

[orpheo]

Re: Blackouts Modular Preamp in 2014 Gibson Les Paul Classic with 15DB Turbo

Doubt it. Unless there's a connection between the pots or the switch is dodgy. On the side of the switch, there is no way to get both pickups together in the 'down' or 'up' position of the switch and just ONE in the middle. Physically not possible. Switching white and red wire (the wires from the toggle) will simply flip the allocation of the pickup. I.e.: if red is soldered to the bridge volume pot and white to the neck volume pot and you wire the red to the upper lug and white to the lower lug, the lower position of the switch will engage the neck position. Flip red and white, and the lower position of the switch engages the bridge pickup.

 

[2manygadgets]

Re: Blackouts Modular Preamp in 2014 Gibson Les Paul Classic with 15DB Turbo

Thanks for the reply, it's so weird because in the middle position there is not doubt that it's only the bridge. It's trebly and in your face just like it want it. In the down position it adds a little warmth and more bass just as I would expect from the middle position with both pickups engaged. I think I'm going crazy [emoji3].

One thing I will say is that they are totally quiet now just like advertised. When I plug in my Les Paul Standard with a 500T in the bridge there is a huge difference!!!


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