Shrill Les Paul with WLH & BB3 in Bridge: Losing Hope...

Re: Shrill Les Paul with WLH & BB3 in Bridge: Losing Hope...

OP here... Let me clarify a few things...FIRST: many thanks for all of the great thoughts and help, fellas... Admittedly, as you'll see below, some of it was a few factors...

1) The LP came with a BB3 and at times I thought it was harsh, so I replaced it with the WLH, which I find harsh also...BUT, with a certain amp I have.
2) I played the LP with a BE100 yesterday and it was much better.
3) I played with the tone knob some more and I DID her a difference; it was much better.
4) AMps and speakers make a difference. I played the LP with my BFG modded Marshall today with my band and it sounded much better.
5) I'm still not a fan of the WLH set in my LP, so I want the Slash Neck and a new Bridge PUP.
6) I did not, nor know how to, wire my pickups, so I took a picture and not sure if anyone can tell if it's MOdern or 50s, but my guess is Modern. I have CTS pots, 500k.

IMG_6131 (2).jpg

Can anyone tell if this is MOdern or 50s?
 
Re: Shrill Les Paul with WLH & BB3 in Bridge: Losing Hope...

Thats 50's. The tone cap is connected to the middle vol pot lug.
 
Re: Shrill Les Paul with WLH & BB3 in Bridge: Losing Hope...

Thats 50's. The tone cap is connected to the middle vol pot lug.

You happen to be correct that this seems to be 50's, but your premise is incorrect. The determination is not which specific physical volume pot lug the tone pot is connected to, but whether that lug is used as the electrical input or output of the vol pot.

If the tone pot is connected to the output of the vol pot it is 50's (in this case the output appears to be the middle lug because the black wire from the pup is connected to the outside lug and there is also a red wire attached to the middle lug which I assume is going to the switch and then to the output jack).

If the tone pot is connected to the input of the vol pot, it is modern. So if in this case, the black wire (from the pup) was connected to the middle lug of the vol pot (with the cap leading to the tone pot), and if the red wire (output to the switch) was connected to the outside lug of the vol pot, you would have modern tone wiring (even though the cap wire to the tone pot is still on the middle lug of the vol pot).

To make it more complicated, the specific vol pot lugs used for input and output determine whether your guitar (with 2 pups) is dependent or independent volumes. If the output is the middle lug (irregardless of tone connection), you will have dependent vol controls. If the output is the outside lug, you will have independent controls.

So, in this case the op's guitar is wired 50's/vintage tone with dependent vol control. Simply by moving the red (output) wire with the cap wire to the outside lug, and moving the black wire (input) to the middle lug, you would still have 50's/vintage tone but with independent vol control.
 
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