Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

papersoul

papersoul

New member
:blackeye: Well, a guy on another forum brought up an interesting point that he has never been able to get screaming harmonics from a Les Paul Standard. I have been struggling with my LP with stock BB Pros in a number of ways. I can't get the biting and percussive lead attack I get from the C-5 in my Dean, plus the lack of good pinch harmonics with the BB Pros. Everything else....clean, rythm is great. Is this the natural character of LP Standards?

Thanks guys.
:blackeye:
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

i think it has a lot more to do with the stock pickups in there
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

I'd remove the covers and then adjust the polepieces almost flat with the top of the bobbins but adjusted in an arch to match the arch of the fingerboard. Then adjust the pickups close to the strings for a little extra sizzle. Also adjust the stop tailpiece CORRECTLY. That means the strings should not touch the back edge of the tuneomatic bridge. First adjust you string ht. and intonation, then adjust your tailpiece so there is just a sliver of light between the underside of the strings and the back edge of the tunomatic bridge. You want to screw the tailpiece down as far as possible to get as steep a string angle as possible behind the bridge but without going so far that the strings touch the back edge of the bridge. Also, replace your stock "pot metal" tailpiece with an aluminum one...they sound better. Gibson used aluminum until 1962 then switched to pot metal...a zinc alloy that doesn't sound quite as good as aluminum and which is another reason Les Pauls from the 50's sound better than most reissue Les Pauls. Lew
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

papersoul said:
:blackeye: Well, a guy on another forum brought up an interesting point that he has never been able to get screaming harmonics from a Les Paul Standard.
:blackeye:
Click to expand...

It's a common problem with a Les Paul. Just ask Billy Gibbons! :smack:
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

i think it has more to do with the pickups....
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

I think I remember suggesting to throw a C-5 into that guitar about 18 times.
Sell those Burp Buckers on Ebay.
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

ex-250 said:
i think it has a lot more to do with the stock pickups in there
Click to expand...
Yep, those pups are loose and extra bassy to my ears. Whip in something with more midrange bite and you'll have that monster screaming in no time! :headbang:
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

I also saw that post and to be honest it struck me a little odd. I love Harmonics and Pinch Harmonics. The Les Paul with any of the hot duncan PUPS can do this for days. IMO There is no better guitar for them than an LP....

SBS
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

I use (and love) BB pros in my '03 standard and have no problems with either form of harmonic. I have found that different amps are much easier to pull them off with. For example; on my DSL I have to be careful or I get unintentional harmonics while on my flextone I really have to make an effort to get them. As others have said, maybe a pup change will help out. I've seen you post quit a few times and you never seem 100% happy with the BBs so I would sell them and get something else. The custom custom is what I would go for. Killer pup. I would probably keep the BB in the neck but thats just me.

J
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

Lewguitar said:
I'd remove the covers and then adjust the polepieces almost flat with the top of the bobbins but adjusted in an arch to match the arch of the fingerboard. Then adjust the pickups close to the strings for a little extra sizzle. Also adjust the stop tailpiece CORRECTLY. That means the strings should not touch the back edge of the tuneomatic bridge. First adjust you string ht. and intonation, then adjust your tailpiece so there is just a sliver of light between the underside of the strings and the back edge of the tunomatic bridge. You want to screw the tailpiece down as far as possible to get as steep a string angle as possible behind the bridge but without going so far that the strings touch the back edge of the bridge. Also, replace your stock "pot metal" tailpiece with an aluminum one...they sound better. Gibson used aluminum until 1962 then switched to pot metal...a zinc alloy that doesn't sound quite as good as aluminum and which is another reason Les Pauls from the 50's sound better than most reissue Les Pauls. Lew
Click to expand...

Very cool advice, Lew. You made me stop and think about how my G400 and Les Paul are set up and will take a quick look here very shortly to see if I need any adjustments.
Thanks for the tips!

-Bob
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

What I was referring to about harmonics is that it seems easier with an ebony fingerboard or even maple.

Also, Lew......how important is to have an aluminum bridge and to have the strings not touching the bridge edge?

Thanks!
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

Another thing you can do to improve the overall tone of the guitar (in addition to the tailpiece) is to get rid of that Nashville POS and put an ABR-1 bridge on there. After hearing about a huge tone improvement for quite a while now, I bit the bullet last time I was at Solidbody and bought a set of Kenny's conversion studs. I changed the strings on my LP Standard and installed the ABR-1 in place of the Nashville.

In short Kenny was right. It sounded like my 4x12 had been covered with a blanket before and I'd just removed it. Clarity and resonance was improved dramatically and this is with the heavy tail piece installed (my aluminum bar should arrive soon).
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

JfromHouston said:
I use (and love) BB pros in my '03 standard and have no problems with either form of harmonic. I have found that different amps are much easier to pull them off with. For example; on my DSL I have to be careful or I get unintentional harmonics while on my flextone I really have to make an effort to get them. As others have said, maybe a pup change will help out. I've seen you post quit a few times and you never seem 100% happy with the BBs so I would sell them and get something else. The custom custom is what I would go for. Killer pup. I would probably keep the BB in the neck but thats just me.

J
Click to expand...

Is your '03 one of those LP Plaintops with the Brazilian Fingerboard and the a2 Burstbuckers? My buddy Rondo has one...to me, it sounds closer to a real 50's Burst than any new Les Paul I've ever played. (Yes...I have owned some real late 50's Bursts...tho my '00 LP Historic with a2 Holmes Humbuckers is the Les Paul I own these days.) The featherweight aluminum talipiece on those helps too...Gibson has NOT used the correct tailpiece since 1962 when they went from alyuminum to ZINC ALLOY which makes the tailpiece weigh three times as much or more than it did on the 50's Les Pauls! It does make a diff. Lew
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

Lew,

No, mine has a regular (if there is such a thing) rosewood fretboard. I bought it as an '03 standard with a AA top. I think it is the same as their '04 offering.

As for that tail piece, I am having the peice installed as well as the RS kit. Here is what the RS kit is (from the RS site): http://www.rsguitarworks.net/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=31

Its been all the rage over on the LPF so I figured why not give it a try. I should have it tomorrow. Those hovland caps are monstrous, I dont see how he is going to fit all that in the cavity and still have access to solder it up. Full review to come...
 
Re: Good harmonics from a Les Paul Standard??

JfromHouston said:
Lew,

No, mine has a regular (if there is such a thing) rosewood fretboard. I bought it as an '03 standard with a AA top. I think it is the same as their '04 offering.

As for that tail piece, I am having the peice installed as well as the RS kit. Here is what the RS kit is (from the RS site): http://www.rsguitarworks.net/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=31

Its been all the rage over on the LPF so I figured why not give it a try. I should have it tomorrow. Those hovland caps are monstrous, I dont see how he is going to fit all that in the cavity and still have access to solder it up. Full review to come...
Click to expand...

I doubt the Hovland caps will make as much diff as the aluminum tailpiece...but I have put them in a few of my guitars anyway. I don't hear much diff between those and an Orange Drop. I have a guitar with both caps attached to a push/pull switch so I can switch between them and the diff is very, VERY minor. Lew
 
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