Standard Les Paul wiring question please...

[backlineguy]

Hello again from Old Hickory, TN,

This is perhaps a dumb question, so apologies in advance. I don't know why I'm having a brain fog on this, but I'm wanting to find a wiring diagram for 'standard' Les Paul wiring. In my experience, with the switch in the middle position on a Les Paul, turning the volume down all the way on either pickup will shut both pick ups off...I have a Les Paul that apparently is not wired this way, and I'd like to change it 'back', if that makes any sense...
Question; is this diagram for 2 HUM, 2 VOL, 2 TONE, 1 Toggle the correct diagram for this set up?
I'm swapping the original 'buckers for a pair of Whole Lotta HB'ers, and I want to do it right!

Thanks again!

Backlineguy

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Its because the two volumes in parallel create a sort-of short to ground, mitigated by turning the volumes UP, so there are many more ohms between the pots and ground than there are between the pots and the switch / output jack.

There's a fix out there that involves reversing the wiring connections on the volume pots. No idea how, or even IF it works though. I've got a 2015 SG, and a DIY HH Strat that do exactly the same thing, but I'm leaving the SG 100% original unless or until it needs fixing.

 

[beaubrummels]

I believe independent wiring, as described, is when the pickup hot is wired to the center lug on the volume pots. Moving the pickup hots to the outside lug and the output wire to the switch over to the middle wiper lug, should set it back to 'normal' LP wiring.

 

[jeremy]

i believe that is correct

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

I'll give it a go on my HH Strat, which, volume pot wise, is wired like a Les Paul or SG, with the two pots between each pickup and the switch. The single tone is wired after the switch, but that shouldn't affect volume pot functions.

I'll report back.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

So here's what I found (this beats fixing a fridge, my "proper" job for this morning, but don't tell the wife).

I swapped the wires over on my DIY HH Strat, and had my completely standard 2015 SG Standard as well.

Swap the "in" wires from the pickups and their corresponding "out" wires to the switch over on each volume pot. That's all you need to do.

In P-1 bridge, the bridge volume, and the bridge volume alone, works, which is what you'd want and expect.

Same applies for the neck pickup and volume in P-3 for the neck.

The interesting thing is what happens in P-2 (neck plus bridge).

Now either volume pot works as a master volume. You can turn either one up to 10 and you'll get full output. Turn the other one up to 10 and you'll still get the same output. Turn both to zero and you get no output. I have no idea how or why this works, but it does.

This is different to the standard configuration, where, I think (correct me if I'm wrong), where in P-2 you get some ability to blend the volumes.

So it's up to you whether you want a single master volume or some ability to blend the volumes.

Linkey:

Mod Garage: Decouple Your Les Paul’s Volume Controls - Premier Guitar

 

[beaubrummels]

That behavior doesn't sound right for normal Gibson-style two volume controls. None of my Gibsons work that way for sure. Not sure what could be different in an HH strat that would change the behavior to both being a master volume, unless you have the pots wired after the switch?

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Nope, both are between the pickups and the switch.

NOTE that behavior is AFTER I made the mod. Before the mod they behaved just like my SG, which AFAIK is just like it left the factory.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

I found my boo-boo.

If there's a ground wire between the two volume pot casings, it must be removed.

Now the volume pots act completely independently.

That's the good news.

Now, the tone went flat pretty much as soon as the volumes are rolled back, so I fitted treble bleeds as well, as suggested by the article I posted the link to.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

So each volume pot is grounded only to its corresponding tone pot?
I guess that makes sense for independent wiring.
There still has to be a common ground somewhere, though.

I'm picturing old school LP wiring with one bare wire connecting the casings of all four pots.

Would you need to cut the ground connection between the two tone pots as well?
Or is a connection there okay because it's downstream from the volume pots?

EDIT - Read the article; I see the connection between tone pots has to remain.

 

[backlineguy]

Thanks everyone for the replies...Beau, I think you may be on to something here, but I can't check it at the moment...it'll be after work before I can open it up and investigate, but yours sounds right...I'll follow up after a while. Thanks again for all the support!

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

So each volume pot is grounded only to its corresponding tone pot?
I guess that makes sense for independent wiring.
There still has to be a common ground somewhere, though.

I'm picturing old school LP wiring with one bare wire connecting the casings of all four pots.

Would you need to cut the ground connection between the two tone pots as well?
Or is a connection there okay because it's downstream from the volume pots?

EDIT - Read the article; I see the connection between tone pots has to remain.

All I know is that on my SS Strat I had to remove the direct wire between the two volume pots. Before that either volume would act as a master volume and turning both up to 10 made no difference. Everything else is grounded as it should be, but with the output jack grounded to the TONE pot.

On my SG I didn't find a volume to volume ground jumper at all. Reversing the pickup in and to switch out on both volume pots did have the desired effect, though.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Useful videos on YouTube.

Search for Breja toneworks.

 

[backlineguy]

Thanks again TCW...

 

[GuitarDoc]

The ground wire connecting the backs of the pots shouldn't make the difference you mentioned. There must be something else going on that you aren't aware of.