Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

[Hsv]

Hi all

Just wanted some advice, a decently priced Gibson St. 2012 has popped up in a local shop and im tempted to buy it.

Its had some mods (locking jack connector) with the most interesting being the removal of the coil tap pots. The pickups I have been told are the original pickups. So I can't put the two together, why even bother replacing the pots, and why.

It has a PCB in there, and I'm not familiar with it at all, not sure how easy it would be to change from coil tap to standard pots should i want to go back.

Does this sound at all wrong to anyone, and even if so, should it stop me buying it?

 

[BenPerkins]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

Replace the pots. There's videos on YouTube or you can have a guitar tech do it


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[BenPerkins]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

Or you can tell me where it's located and I'll buy it. [emoji6]


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[Hsv]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

Replace the pots. There's videos on YouTube or you can have a guitar tech do it


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Thanks for the quick relpy!

Had a very quick look on youtube, couldn't find a video but ill do some more digging when i get back tonight.

Or you can tell me where it's located and I'll buy it. [emoji6]


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Oh jeez, I suddenly forgot where it was :33::wink: ##

Also, the neck is slightly worn down at 2nd and 3rd (guy must have really dug into those chords). Something STILL tempting me to buy it, as long as these pots are easily replaceable but would be good to hear from a few more too

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

I also have a 2012 STD. Which also has the pcb. It came Standard with coil taps on the tone controls.
Just theis past Saturday I dropped it off to have some pickups installed and decided to have the pcb taken out and Standard pots put it with the tone pots being push/pull for coil split...total cost $85

 

[blueman335]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

So two pots are removed or replaced? You can easily put in new pots yourself, no skilled labor involved to do it. Those weren't 'coil tap' pots (as those mean an extra wire was added to the middle of the coil); Gibson uses push-pull coil split/coil cut pots. I'm not a big fan of those, as you get either two coils or one coil, but nothing in between. The best humbucker sounds on a neck PU are with one coil at full strength and the other at partial strength, which is easily done with a normal pot. Instead of wiring it as tone control, move a couple wires to different lugs and it becomes a 2nd volume control, but for one coil only, which is called spin-a-split. Then you can adjust EQ and volume on the fly with it.

 

[vanilla gorilla]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

Hi all

Just wanted some advice, a decently priced Gibson St. 2012 has popped up in a local shop and im tempted to buy it.

Its had some mods (locking jack connector) with the most interesting being the removal of the coil tap pots. The pickups I have been told are the original pickups. So I can't put the two together, why even bother replacing the pots, and why.

It has a PCB in there, and I'm not familiar with it at all, not sure how easy it would be to change from coil tap to standard pots should i want to go back.

Does this sound at all wrong to anyone, and even if so, should it stop me buying it?

If its a good price and feels/plays good get it, pots are easy enough to change out!

 

[Gtrjunior]

Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding...
It has the pcb board but somebody has replaced 2 pots in the board? I was under the impression that the pots were mounted in the board and not replaceable as independent pots?
Am I wrong about that?
I never really inspected mine to any great degree.

 

[Hsv]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

So two pots are removed or replaced? You can easily put in new pots yourself, no skilled labor involved to do it. Those weren't 'coil tap' pots (as those mean an extra wire was added to the middle of the coil); Gibson uses push-pull coil split/coil cut pots. I'm not a big fan of those, as you get either two coils or one coil, but nothing in between. The best humbucker sounds on a neck PU are with one coil at full strength and the other at partial strength, which is easily done with a normal pot. Instead of wiring it as tone control, move a couple wires to different lugs and it becomes a 2nd volume control, but for one coil only, which is called spin-a-split. Then you can adjust EQ and volume on the fly with it.

This is interesting information, thank you for correcting me!

I would probably still like to get this back to standard, i'm perfectly capable with a soldering iron however this PCB is definitely something that i've never dealt with. I was also under the impression that as its PCB mounted that its not so easy to swap them out, but it maybe seems i am wrong.

I just can't understand why they were changed out and the pickups kept the same.

FYI it was all of the pots that are now no longer push / pull. From my understanding, they should all have been push / pull?

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

Is it possible that the pcb was taken from another guitar that didn't have any push/pull features?

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

I find it hard to believe that someone actually removed two pots from the PCB board and left the PCB board in the guitar. Sounds to me like it never had Push/pull.

 

[Hsv]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

So I just got a call from the retailer, saying they have made a mistake. It was produced in 2012 but it is a 2008 production unit. So I can probably assume its one of the last running 2008 models before the 2012 ones came out and that's why it doesn't have the push / pulls!

Saying all this, do you guys still think it's worth the buy? It's £1200 with the hardcase... now with all this info, it's in original condition.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

2008 is chambered rather than the more modern weight relief.
I would look to the regular price of the standard now and see what it is compared to that.....then maybe look at s/h prices to see where they are - as even if the guitar is new (you haven't said) you will immediately drop to that value once it goes out of the store (regardless of the newness of the guitar itself).

Lastly, go in and play it. There are plenty of clips of chambered guitars played next to solid ones where the chambered sounds better - this might be the case, but you will only know this on having it in your hands.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

2008 is chambered rather than the more modern weight relief.
I would look to the regular price of the standard now and see what it is compared to that.....then maybe look at s/h prices to see where they are - as even if the guitar is new (you haven't said) you will immediately drop to that value once it goes out of the store (regardless of the newness of the guitar itself).

Lastly, go in and play it. There are plenty of clips of chambered guitars played next to solid ones where the chambered sounds better - this might be the case, but you will only know this on having it in your hands.

That last paragraph is very true. A friend of mine has a fully chambered Les Paul and you'd never know by its tone. As full and fat as any LP you've ever heard.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

So I just got a call from the retailer, saying they have made a mistake. It was produced in 2012 but it is a 2008 production unit. So I can probably assume its one of the last running 2008 models before the 2012 ones came out and that's why it doesn't have the push / pulls!

Saying all this, do you guys still think it's worth the buy? It's £1200 with the hardcase... now with all this info, it's in original condition.

£1200 for a 9-year old stock guitar with PCB wiring? I'd pass. Unless perhaps it's got some incredible AAAA top and ultra rare color. Then I'd get it, gut it, and put quality wiring and electronics in there.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

I've owned a bunch of Les Pauls, and the thing I've learned is to install a Pearly Gates or Seth Lover neck, then whatever SD bridge pickup you like.

With strats, install the Surfer Custom set, and you're done with the perfect LP and strat.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

I am with basically everyone here...it is just a pot replacement (or an electronics update) if you love the guitar. Replacing ALL of the pots, caps, etc is still not that expensive, so go for it if you dig it (and can trust the provenance of the guitar).

 

[Hsv]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

£1200 for a 9-year old stock guitar with PCB wiring? I'd pass. Unless perhaps it's got some incredible AAAA top and ultra rare color. Then I'd get it, gut it, and put quality wiring and electronics in there.

It's actually a 2008 model guitar, built in 2012. I do understand what you are saying though. It doesnt have anything 'incredible' in regards to colour and tops, but then it wouldn't be £1200 i suppose.

I was on the verge of buying the thing online, and then I received an email from them saying that a 2nd hand 2013 model has just come in for £250 more. Now i'm back to square one, is £250 worth the coil taps and a slightly newer guitar? From a quick search it looks as though if i were to replace the pickups and the pots it would cost more than £250 anyway!

I really do appreciate all your advice, for moving to Gibson for the first time after playing strats my whole life, I'm not too sure where to start in this price range, although I do know I want a LP Standard.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

The 2013 will have some different features for the electronics, different weight relief, different neck profile.

Like before, the only way you'll know you like this is by trying.

 

[evan47]

Re: Gibson Standard 2012 2nd hand but with no coil tap? Should I buy it?

I would not buy a used gibson unless I had 100% proof that it was genuine, I wouldnt want to end up with a chibson!