Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

[Young Angus]

So i got that JB off ebay and i want to put it in my les paul and figure i should be able to do it by myself, but ive never actually done it before.

So do i just take all the strings off and put the same coloured wires in the same places as the current pickup, or will that stuff the setup of the guitar and will the intonation and neck tensions go out with having all the strings off?

Cheers

 

[TENAX]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

actually, same questions i have i haven't checked yet to see what the colours are on my current pups or pots but from what i read, they won't necessarily match

 

[mnbaseball91]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

Right, different companies use different colors. For standard LP wiring, the black wire (lead) will go to the potentiometer, the green and bare will go to ground, and the red and white get taped off.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

You don't have to take the strings off if you don't want to. Sometimes I don't. Just loosen them a lot and then capo the first fret to keep them from unraveling off the tuning pegs. As long as their is clearance to remove the pickup from the cavity without the legs hitting the finish. Note: The bridge pickup needs to be taken out to replace the neck pickup so the neck wires can be run to the control cavity. They go through the bridge cavity to get there. If you need to change the strings anyway, then take them completely off.

Also, like mr baseball said, black to the pot (hot lead, lug 3), green and bare to ground (back of pot) and red and white soldered and taped together.

 

[TENAX]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

riddle me this...i have a les paul knockoff with 2 volumes, 2 tones, 2 humbuckers..so i was looking for a standard schematic representing this combo without a split..is that not possible or not advised as i don't see a schematic that represents this..only this one with a split:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/2hum_2vol_2tone_3way-w-spl.html

i'm assuming when the term split coil is used it represents splitting the coils within one humbucker..or does it mean splitting one humbucker from the other in a 2 humbucker system and would then be the "standard" configuration?

thank you

 

[ErikH]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

riddle me this...i have a les paul knockoff with 2 volumes, 2 tones, 2 humbuckers..so i was looking for a standard schematic representing this combo without a split..is that not possible or not advised as i don't see a schematic that represents this..only this one with a split:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/2hum_2vol_2tone_3way-w-spl.html

i'm assuming when the term split coil is used it represents splitting the coils within one humbucker..or does it mean splitting one humbucker from the other in a 2 humbucker system and would then be the "standard" configuration?

thank you

All the split switch does is split the coils of the bridge humbucker on that diagram putting it in single-coil mode. Eliminate that switch and you have the standard LP-type configuration.

 

[TENAX]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

thanks ERIK..so if i understand you correctly, just tape off the red and white together on the bridge pickup like the diagram shows to do for the neck pickup if i want the standard configuration.

tanks!

 

[ErikH]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

thanks ERIK..so if i understand you correctly, just tape off the red and white together on the bridge pickup like the diagram shows to do for the neck pickup if i want the standard configuration.

tanks!

Yeppers, that is correct. I solder them lightly too.

 

[TENAX]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

very good..thank you!

 

[chill]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

...and don't forget to floss! It's easier to pull leads through the body than to push them through the body. Tie some floss to the existing pup lead before you remove it from the body. Then tie the same piece of floss to the lead for the new pup and pull it through to the control cavity.

 

[TENAX]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

excellent advice guys..thank you sorry to the original poster by the way..hope you don't feel i hijacked your thread

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

So i got that JB off ebay and i want to put it in my les paul and figure i should be able to do it by myself, but ive never actually done it before.

So do i just take all the strings off and put the same coloured wires in the same places as the current pickup, or will that stuff the setup of the guitar and will the intonation and neck tensions go out with having all the strings off?

Cheers

Don't worry about taking the strings off, guitars aren't that sensitive and once it's back up to tension it'll all be fine again.

The JB will have the same wiring protocol as the Gibson but you cannot assume anything about the magnetic polarity. Hold the JB up to the old pickup face to face (screw poles toward each other)and see if they attract or repel. If they push apart then the polarity is the same as the old pickup and you can go like for like with the wiring. If they stick together you need to do some diagnostic work. Ideally you need a centre-zero meter for this but you can use an ordinary meter, it's just harder. clip the probes of your meter on the black and green wires of the old pickup, black to black and red to green. Tap the pickup gently with a screwdriver and see which way the needle kicks. Go carefully with this as alnico magnets are shock sensitive, you really only need to brush them lightly with something like a 5mm allen key. Solder the red and white of the new pickup together and repeat the test on that. If the needle kicks the same way you are good to go. If it kicks the opposite way you need to reverse the position of black and green wires and there are two ways of doing this, you can either use the black and green wires as the coil bridge and the red and white as the output and earth or you can just reverse the global output and earth. The two are subtly different...

 

[TENAX]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

i note in looking at my current pickups (non SD) that there is a red, a white, black and grey wires so i'm probably going to have to do some playing around

 

[robrhy]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

You don't have to take the strings off if you don't want to. Sometimes I don't. Just loosen them a lot and then capo the first fret to keep them from unraveling off the tuning pegs. As long as their is clearance to remove the pickup from the cavity without the legs hitting the finish. Note: The bridge pickup needs to be taken out to replace the neck pickup so the neck wires can be run to the control cavity. They go through the bridge cavity to get there. If you need to change the strings anyway, then take them completely off.

Also, like mr baseball said, black to the pot (hot lead, lug 3), green and bare to ground (back of pot) and red and white soldered and taped together.

Once i've loosend the strings,i put one of those cork blocks you get for wrapping sanding paper on,between the fret board and the strings with enough tension on them so they sit on the cork block,that stops them flapping about but still gives you clearence to get the pups in and out.

 

[TENAX]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

i note in his video, seymour has the strings right off..good enough for me! seriously though, what i do if i have to remove all strings is loosen the tension on all bit by bit before removing all..then do the reverse when putting them all back on..at least that way the tension is either pretty much on "all" or "off" on all strings at the same time. i find it hard to believe a brief period of uneven tension should cause a neck to warp, but..to be on the safe side with my babies

 

[ErikH]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

i note in his video, seymour has the strings right off..good enough for me! seriously though, what i do if i have to remove all strings is loosen the tension on all bit by bit before removing all..then do the reverse when putting them all back on..at least that way the tension is either pretty much on "all" or "off" on all strings at the same time. i find it hard to believe a brief period of uneven tension should cause a neck to warp, but..to be on the safe side with my babies

The neck won't warp. Bad wood makes a neck warp. Letting it sit in water will make it warp. Not caring for it will make it warp.

Look at it like this, the necks aren't made with strings on them and usually sit on a shelf with lots of other necks before they're even put on a body. 5 minutes isn't going to hurt anything.

robrhy, that's another good method. The key is keeping the tension on the tuners sufficient enough so they don't unravel and your method does that too.

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

The neck won't warp. Bad wood makes a neck warp. Letting it sit in water will make it warp. Not caring for it will make it warp.

Look at it like this, the necks aren't made with strings on them and usually sit on a shelf with lots of other necks before they're even put on a body. 5 minutes isn't going to hurt anything.

You got it E, my man! Some folks are just way too precious about these things...

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

...and don't forget to floss! It's easier to pull leads through the body than to push them through the body. Tie some floss to the existing pup lead before you remove it from the body. Then tie the same piece of floss to the lead for the new pup and pull it through to the control cavity.

What a great tip!

I've changed pups in Les Pauls more times than I can remember and I've never done this, but I can see it would make it much easier to get the wires through to the cavity.

I've never taken the bridge pup out in order to replace the neck pup either (as ErikH suggests), but I've always managed to get the neck pup wire through.

Flossing would make it easier though.

 

[cvansickle]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

In my experience, putting new pickups in a Les Paul has been the easiest.

A Tele bridge pickup has been the most difficult.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Just how easy is it to install a pickup into a les paul?

Yeah, Scott, I see where the floss can be real handy. I've never done it myself and just automatically took the bridge one out to help move the neck wire along. I'll have to add some floss to my tool kit. A guitar with good hygiene, who'da thunk it. Will it clean up my playing too? :laugh2: