Les Paul Make-Over. HELP!

[benbenben]

hey guys,
ive got my epi for a while now and im saving up to give him a lil makeover. I've decided with the 59n and the c5b. However i know all the electric stuff thats in my paul isnt top notch either, e.g. tone knob sizzles sumtyms when i turn it. What sorta pots do i want and wahts with the 250K and 500K on the push pots. Can both the pickups i want b spliited?. I also wanna change the tuner machineheads. Any suggestions for sum good ones, i dont mind spending the money. Mine now are loose and not very good.
thanks heeps
ben

 

[rinse_master]

Re: Les Paul Make-Over. HELP!

I would say:

500k pots
New switch
New jack
Grovers rotomatic tuners (can't go wrong with grovers on a LP)

if you really want to go to town you could get a lightweight tailpiece too...

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Les Paul Make-Over. HELP!

Get a set of CTS 500k pots (two of them push/pull if you want to split), a pair of .022 Orange Drop caps, a Switchcraft switch & jack, and Gotoh, Grover, or Schaller Tuners.

Some light fretwork (polishing & leveling) on Epi's isn't out of the question either.

Add the pickups and the lightweight tailpiece like rinse mentioned, and you'll have a killer sounding, and playing axe. :burnout:

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Les Paul Make-Over. HELP!

Get a set of CTS 500k pots (two of them push/pull if you want to split), a pair of .022 Orange Drop caps, a Switchcraft switch & jack, and Gotoh, Grover, or Schaller Tuners.

Some light fretwork (polishing & leveling) on Epi's isn't out of the question either.

Add the pickups and the lightweight tailpiece like rinse mentioned, and you'll have a killer sounding, and playing axe. :burnout:

Benji definitely hit the nail on the head. The 500k CTS pots with orange drop will be a great upgrade, the switchcraft stuff will be great as well. The switch even more so than the jack.

Tuners, its all up to you, Schaller, Grover, Planet Waves. I'm enchanted with the new planet waves tuner that ar self cutting/locking. The new steinberger style that stew mac offers have a 40 to 1 ratio which would give you unparalleled tuning stability.

The tonepros setup with an aluminum tailpiece would also be top notch. I have one and think it's great.

Luke

 

[papersoul]

Re: Les Paul Make-Over. HELP!

Be careful before you go too nuts. I was one who immediately switched to 500k CTS pots and went back to stock because I found the stock tone warmer and creamier. The 500ks added too much bite and I couldn't dial it out. Make sure you are keeping the pickups before you start messing with pots/caps. Who knows though....you may prefer the 500k volume pots. I know a guy who measured the pots in his 2004 stock LP Standard and they were all 500k. Interesting!

Anyway, I prefer the heavier tailpiece as well for my tones. I like a thick and tight tone. The aluminum tail is nice and adds a vintage and open flare to the tone but I preferred the tighter/thicker modern tone. Make certain what you want before ya start swapping around everything.

 

[El Dangeroso]

Re: Les Paul Make-Over. HELP!

i did an epi lp make over a couple months ago. i did a jb/full shred-n combo with independent coil splitting. (bridge tone only splits bridge pup, neck tone only splits neck pup) i got 500k audio taper pots put in as well. i am quite pleased with the outcome. but i still don't know about the full shred-n. it seems a bit TOO soft on the lows. (even though thats why i got it in the first place.) i might want to pop a PAF joe in there and test that out.

 

[benbenben]

Re: Les Paul Make-Over. HELP!

Get a set of CTS 500k pots (two of them push/pull if you want to split), a pair of .022 Orange Drop caps, a Switchcraft switch & jack, and Gotoh, Grover, or Schaller Tuners.

Some light fretwork (polishing & leveling) on Epi's isn't out of the question either.

Add the pickups and the lightweight tailpiece like rinse mentioned, and you'll have a killer sounding, and playing axe. :burnout:

umm what are orange drop caps? in terms of the tuners, what are like moderately priced ones, not too cheap butnto too expensive. what do the different sorts of bridges do, as in how do they affect tone etc.?

 

[callous_frigid_chill]

Re: Les Paul Make-Over. HELP!

Grover 12:1s are pretty good, and are moderately priced.

 

[benbenben]

Re: Les Paul Make-Over. HELP!

cuz i wanna do it like over time, is there anything prefernece in which i should get first and stuff?. like maybe pickups then tuners then pots?. or any order that wont affect the pricing and stuff too much?!.

 

[Breogan]

Re: Les Paul Make-Over. HELP!

Grover 12:1s are pretty good, and are moderately priced.

I would choose a tuner of a 1:14 ratio at minimun. I think 1:12 work best if you have fine tunnig knobs, otherwise the rotation ratio it is too coarse for my tastes. 1:14 it is perfect and the price difference it isn't that much...

 

[benbenben]

Re: Les Paul Make-Over. HELP!

ok does this sound right?
-seymour duncan ’59 neck humbucker
-seymour duncan custom 5 bridge humbucker
-grover rotomatic tuners
-2 x CTS 500K Long Audio Pot (is the the right pot?)
-2 x 500K Long Shaft Push/Pull Pot (is the the right pot)
-2 x .022 Orange Drop caps (what do the caps do by the way?)
-switchcraft switch and jack (is it the ones taht lews guitars provide?)

 

[papersoul]

Re: Les Paul Make-Over. HELP!

I would use 300k pots in the bridge volume slot as it will be warmer, thicker, and creamier.