CCJ and Pearly Gates Plus middle position sux

[Iam74Gibson]

Hey all, I have a 74 Les Paul Custom. I have a CCJ ( Custom Custom SH-11 by MJ) in the bridge and a pearly gates plus (yes a plus) in the neck... I took the PG+ out of a Lone Star Strat I had and replaced it with a 59/hybrid (long story, but the Strat sounds great) ... so first, is this the right setup given the 2 Les Paul pickups? The CCJ in the Bridge and the PG+ in the neck? when I am playing from either the bridge or the neck they sound fine separately, but anything in the middle position seems to suck... is this not a good combo of PU's?

I am playing through my Blackstar ID60 which has about a bazillion sounds, and I have tried all kinds of combinations from super clean to OD2...

could it have anything to do with the wiring?

I was thinking about just swapping them to see how they sound, but have read the CCJ is intended to be a bridge pickup (the PG+ was the strats bridge PU, but I have hear the standard perly gates are fine in the neck)

Any advice is appreciated

PJ

 

[blueman335]

Re: CCJ and Pearly Gates Plus middle position sux

Custom Customs aren't a first choice for an LP; what I've seen from members is that they often feel it's too warm in the typical fat mahogany guitar (but would work better in a bright LP or a Strat). PU's can sound very different in different woods and guitar designs (which is one reason sound clips are of little value, as the guitar and amp in the clip are probably different than what you have). A PG+ is hotter than some players would use in the neck slot. Not that either choice is wrong, it's up to you to decide. But since you're using those PU's in places that they aren't normally, I can't say I'm shocked that that you don't like them on together. If you want to keep them where they are, I'd first of all I'd make sure there are two 500K's on the neck PU, if that's not the case, it's probably worthwhile to make it so.

Then I'd wire the volume pots for independent volume control (just swap a couple wires to different lugs), so you can blend both PU's in any increment you want, which gives you a much better chance of them giving tones you like.

 

[Iam74Gibson]

Re: CCJ and Pearly Gates Plus middle position sux

Hey all, I have a 74 Les Paul Custom. I have a CCJ ( Custom Custom SH-11 by MJ) in the bridge and a pearly gates plus (yes a plus) in the neck... I took the PG+ out of a Lone Star Strat I had and replaced it with a 59/hybrid (long story, but the Strat sounds great) ... so first, is this the right setup given the 2 Les Paul pickups? The CCJ in the Bridge and the PG+ in the neck? when I am playing from either the bridge or the neck they sound fine separately, but anything in the middle position seems to suck... is this not a good combo of PU's?

I am playing through my Blackstar ID60 which has about a bazillion sounds, and I have tried all kinds of combinations from super clean to OD2...

could it have anything to do with the wiring?

I was thinking about just swapping them to see how they sound, but have read the CCJ is intended to be a bridge pickup (the PG+ was the strats bridge PU, but I have hear the standard perly gates are fine in the neck)

Any advice is appreciated

PJ

Ok , newb mistake I suppose.... I took the pickups out to make sure they were what I thought and in the position I thought... they were...CCJ in the bridge, PG+ in the neck... but here is the thing, I had taken the guitar to a FAMOUS luthier in Houston (yes I survived the flood) to get it set up about 4 years ago... he set it up with the covered pickup pole positions (sounds like NASCAR) facing rear.... I assumed he knew what he was doing so I left it that way.... when I put them back, I had noticed is some pictures and youtube videos that the neck position poles were facing toward the fretboard... so I put it back that way..... WOW , what a difference!! I can actually hear the 2 pickups when combined in the middle position! I think they were stepping on each other before...

I won't mention the guys name, but he is very well known... so I am very surprised, maybe the way he set it is not always wrong, but it made a difference on my guitar... that's my story and I am sticking to it!! (admit nothing

l8r guys,
PJ

 

[Mincer]

Re: CCJ and Pearly Gates Plus middle position sux

So it is working just fine now? It is an unusual combo for an LP, but I bet it sounds good.

 

[AlexR]

Re: CCJ and Pearly Gates Plus middle position sux

The pickup turn you did will not have made any audible difference....the two coils are wound the same. Maybe you have changed the height in the process......which will have made a difference. Secondly if the screws are either hugely wound out (or in) then that could alter things.

As to the flip.....it matters not how famous the luthier is. You can install pickups any direction you like. Gibson humbuckers were originally designed with no screws and it was only the final roll-out where they wanted to have a similar look to the p90 where it got screws on one coil.....and it was a tossup as to what directions that the screws sat in. So random chance does for convention.
The old PAF's however can often sound different with alignment - they have somewhat random coil winding. The Peter Green Les Paul is one where the neck has a coil rewound this wind difference and therefore the physical orientation (as well as the electrical orientation) did matter. Duncans don't have that discrepancy.

 

[gregory]

Re: CCJ and Pearly Gates Plus middle position sux

Is it possible that the PG+ is out of phase (being that it was made for a Fender and all)?

 

[chadd]

Re: CCJ and Pearly Gates Plus middle position sux

I loved the custom custom in my les paul and it's not an overly bright one. I have found that putting an A5 based pickup in the neck with an A2 pickup in the bridge often makes it difficult to find amp settings that work well for both.

 

[chewpac]

Re: CCJ and Pearly Gates Plus middle position sux

Is it possible that the PG+ is out of phase (being that it was made for a Fender and all)?

This was my thought, as well. SD and Fender stuff may not be the same phase. Should be a quick wiring swap for one or the other, not both.

For example - on the Duncan, solder the black and bare to ground and green to hot, which should reverse the phase and make a difference in the middle position.