Gibson LP selector switch

[SchecMan]

When a Gibson LP Classic's selector switch is in the middle position, both pickups working, how do the volume & tone knobs work? Does each pickup have it's own volume & tone knob or does one volume and tone knob control both pickups? This is a friends guitar and has had no modifications.

Thanks

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Gibson LP selector switch

They mostly control the pickup they are supposed to control but they also interact with each other so if you turn the volume of the neck pickup or bridge pickup all the way to zero you'll shut both pickups off if the switch is in the middle. Lew

 

[SchecMan]

Re: Gibson LP selector switch

I was told when the neck volume is turned up and the bridge volume is turned down to zero he gets sound, and when the bridge volume is turned up and the neck volume is turned down to zero there is no sound.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Gibson LP selector switch

It sounds like one of the volume pots is de-coupled and the other is not. That's explains that behaviour.

When they are both coupled, they behave like Lew described, either one turned down turns down the whole guitar. The hot wire from the pickup is going to the middle lug of the volume pot and the output wire is on the outside lug of the volume pot.

When they are both de-coupled, turning one down while the other is up just shuts off that pickup. The hot wire from the pickup is going to the outside lug of the volume pot and the output wire is going to the middle lug of the volume pot.

It sounds like your friends guitar has one volume with the pickup hot going to the middle lug and the other pickup hot going to the outside lug. This is no big deal really, just a preferance.