Need help wiring a Les Paul

Third Eye Visions

Third Eye Visions

New member
Can someone post a photo of their Les Paul's wiring? I've printed out a few wiring diagrams, but none of them are working. Last night I looked at my friend's stock Standard and his caps were in a different position.

I need to know the right way to Wire a LP! Please help.
 
Re: Need help wiring a Les Paul

Well, it depends on if you want two master volumes (with the switch in the middle position, either volume works as a master volume) or two independent volumes (with switch in the center position, each volume works independantly).

Two master volumes:
http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/product/WDUHH3T2201

Two independent volumes:
http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/product/WDUHH3T2202

Either one will work. Some Les Pauls came with two masters, some with two independent, depending on the year.
 
Re: Need help wiring a Les Paul

Also, don't worry too much about the position of the caps. A tone control is simply a cap and a pot in series. It doesn't matter which comes first, and which comes second. Some manufacturers, use one way, some the other.
 
Re: Need help wiring a Les Paul

On my friend's Les Paul he has his caps soldered to a post then to the ground. That's how mine was when I got it.
 
Re: Need help wiring a Les Paul

Third Eye Visions said:
On my friend's Les Paul he has his caps soldered to a post then to the ground. That's how mine was when I got it.
Click to expand...

On my Peavey's, the cap acts as the connection between the volume and tone pots, with the tone pot soldered to ground.

Electrically, its identical.
 
Re: Need help wiring a Les Paul

Maybe I'm an idiot but I have to ask.

If the hot wire get's connected to the volume pot, where does the other wiring go? I keep seeing instructions that say "solder and shield". Is the hot wire the only one that get's connected to the pots?

Also. Should the negative wires get placed in the ground loop or by themselves? I must be doing something wrong because all I am getting is humming and noise. No music!

Why are these schematics so different?

stockgibson.gif


wdu_hh3t22_02
 
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Re: Need help wiring a Les Paul

If you have a four-conductor pickup (5 wires - red, black, green, white, bare), you solder the black wire to the lug of the volume pot, the green and bare wires to the case of the volume pot, and you solder the red and white wires together and tape them off. That's for standard humbucker wiring with no coil split, phase reversal etc.

If you have a single-conductor pickup (cloth covered central wire with braided metal sheath), you solder the central wire to the lug of the volume pot and you solder the outer metal braiding to the case of the volume pot.

If the guitar has no metal base plate in the control cavity (i.e. the pots are mounted direct to the wood) you need grounding wires connecting all the pot cases together, plus the neck volume pot grounded to the wire that comes into the cavity from the bridge. If the guitar has the pots mounted on the metal plate, then the inter-pot grounding wires are not needed and you just ground the neck volume to the wire that comes from the bridge.

Sorry, I don't have a photo, but there must be some out there. Have you tried searching on the Les Paul Forum?
 
Re: Need help wiring a Les Paul

My statement about four-conductor pickups refers specifically to Seymour Duncans. Other makers may use different colour codes.
 
Re: Need help wiring a Les Paul

If you look closely at those two diagrams, you'll see that they are electrically identical. The only difference, as I mentioned earlier, is that the first one goes pot/cap, and the second one goes cap/pot. Since a pickup generates an AC signal, thats the same thing.
 
Re: Need help wiring a Les Paul

Simon_F said:
If you have a four-conductor pickup (5 wires - red, black, green, white, bare), you solder the black wire to the lug of the volume pot, the green and bare wires to the case of the volume pot, and you solder the red and white wires together and tape them off. That's for standard humbucker wiring with no coil split, phase reversal etc.

If you have a single-conductor pickup (cloth covered central wire with braided metal sheath), you solder the central wire to the lug of the volume pot and you solder the outer metal braiding to the case of the volume pot.

If the guitar has no metal base plate in the control cavity (i.e. the pots are mounted direct to the wood) you need grounding wires connecting all the pot cases together, plus the neck volume pot grounded to the wire that comes into the cavity from the bridge. If the guitar has the pots mounted on the metal plate, then the inter-pot grounding wires are not needed and you just ground the neck volume to the wire that comes from the bridge.

Sorry, I don't have a photo, but there must be some out there. Have you tried searching on the Les Paul Forum?
Click to expand...



Thank you man. After reading forever I think I've finally figured it all out. I will let you know how it goes. I plan to rewire everything again and sield using aluminum foil.

Atleast now I have a much better understanding of pickup wiring.
 
Re: Need help wiring a Les Paul

Third Eye Visions said:
Thanks for all the help. Finally got it all hooked up with new pots and caps and it sounds ****ING AWESOME!!!!
Click to expand...

Great. Glad we could help.
 
Re: Need help wiring a Les Paul

Third Eye Visions said:
Thanks for all the help. Finally got it all hooked up with new pots and caps and it sounds ****ING AWESOME!!!!
Click to expand...
:) :cool3:

Les Pauls ROCK! :fing2:
 
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