Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

[Freeman]

I am considering getting a Torres Engineering Jimmy Page wiring kit for my PRS Tremonti SE, which is a single cut like a Less Paul with the same 2 tone and 2 volume pots and one three-way switch like a Les Paul. I have a Sh-4 in the bridge and a Sh-2 in the neck. I have read several threads from the archives that discuss various wiring diagrams for "Jimmy Page" wiring. The Torres kit comes with the pots wired together and, reportedly, all I have to do is wire the pickups to the pots.

Has anyone used the Torres kit?
How may connections will I have to solder?
How do you like the Torres system compared with other "Jimmy Page" wiring layouts?
How much more difficult would it be for me to get the parts and do my own wiring?

 

[MartinSixStringCustoms]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

I am considering getting a Torresen engineering Jimmy Page wiring kit for my PRS Tremonti SE, which is a single cut like a Less Paul with the same 2 tone and 2 volume pots and one three-way switch like a Les Paul. I have a Sh-4 in the bridge and a Sh-2 in the neck. I have read several threads from the archives that discuss various wiring diagrams for "Jimmy Page" wiring. The Torrensen kit comes with the pots wired together and, reportedly, all I have to do is wire the pickups to the pots.

Has anyone used the Torresen kit?
How may connections will I have to solder?
How do you like the Torresen system compared with other "Jimmy Page" wiring layouts?
How much more difficult would it be for me to get the parts and do my own wiring?

Never heard of them so I can't comment on the quality of parts used, but I'm in the process of putting some kits together for my store, one of which is a Jimmy Page Kit with either Orange Drops or Hovlands. I should have the parts next week.

 

[MartinSixStringCustoms]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

Wait...Do you mean Torres Engineering? If so, check and see what kinds of electronics they are using. That kit looks uber expensive.

 

[Freeman]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

Never heard of them so I can't comment on the quality of parts used, but I'm in the process of putting some kits together for my store, one of which is a Jimmy Page Kit with either Orange Drops or Hovlands. I should have the parts next week.

So, tell me about your Jimmy Page kit.

 

[DracoAran]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

Stay away from Torres and co.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

Wait...Do you mean Torres Engineering? If so, check and see what kinds of electronics they are using. That kit looks uber expensive.

Everything from Torres is astoundingly expensive.

...and let me know when you get those done. I keep heming and hawing on my own project because I'm really not in the mindset to pooch some caps and pots.

 

[Freeman]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

Stay away from Torres and co.

Ok. What do you know that I do not know about Torres and co?

 

[MartinSixStringCustoms]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

My Jimmy Page wiring kit will have the following:

(4) Push Pull Pots, (1) Switchcraft 3 Way Toggle, (1) Switchcraft 1/4" Jack, Wire and your choice of (2) Orange Drop or (2) Hovland Capacitors.

They will NOT come pre-wired. I don't have the time and I really don't see the point when you still have to have the skill to wire the pickups to the pots anyway.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

They will NOT come pre-wired. I don't have the time and I really don't see the point when you still have to have the skill to wire the pickups to the pots anyway.

...because I barely have the skills to wire the pickups to the pots to begin with!

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

I use this wiring - it does steal some MOjo from your pups - too many signal paths and crap - BUT

it made my LP the most usable guitar. I did country, hard rock, ALMOST R&B gigs (when it was all I had on me, but a strat is better lol)

It is very complicated, and every non-PRO makes a MESS of the wiring. I had mine done pro and it looks SOOOO CLEAN. Any good tech could put this wiring together esp with a schematic. You will regret messing with this if you aren't great at wiring stuff up

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

They overcharge something awful and the parts are hit and miss. $140 for $70 worth of push/pull pots....hmmmm what a bargin!

 

[Freeman]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

My Jimmy Page wiring kit will have the following:

(4) Push Pull Pots, (1) Switchcraft 3 Way Toggle, (1) Switchcraft 1/4" Jack, Wire and your choice of (2) Orange Drop or (2) Hovland Capacitors.

They will NOT come pre-wired. I don't have the time and I really don't see the point when you still have to have the skill to wire the pickups to the pots anyway.

So, when will your kits be available?
How much will you charge?
What size and make of pots and switches will it have?
(I probably do not need the longer shaft pots that are needed for an LP)
What wiring diagram(s) will you recommend?
How will the choice of Orange Drop or Holand change the sound?
How about selling both and letting the user try both?

Dan

 

[MartinSixStringCustoms]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

So, when will your kits be available?
How much will you charge?
What size and make of pots and switches will it have?
(I probably do not need the longer shaft pots that are needed for an LP)
What wiring diagram(s) will you recommend?
How will the choice of Orange Drop or Holand change the sound?
How about selling both and letting the user try both?

Dan

I expect the parts to be here next week. The pots, at least for the initial run, will be Alpha Linear Taper Short Shaft. The Toggle and Jack will be Switchcraft. Our resident wiring expert Artie graciously accepted the job of making up diagrams, so I hope to have those soon as well. The kit will be marked with Hovlands or Orange Drops, but if you personally want both, I'll include both.

The kit with Orange Drops will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $55.00 and with Hovlands $75.00.

 

[Intoxicate]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

The Jimmy Page Wiring is complex. If you never soldered before it would be difficult, but not impossible. Don't see the wiring all together, just pick 1 wire and solder it. If you make small steps it isn't more difficult, than the soldering of a pickup.
I combined the Jimmy Page Wiring with a piezo bridge (changed 1 tone pot to a piezo volume with on off switch so I only have 1 pot for splitting both humbucker but it works well)
Save the money and learn something for life =)

 

[MartinSixStringCustoms]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

The Jimmy Page Wiring is complex. If you never soldered before it would be difficult, but not impossible. Don't see the wiring all together, just pick 1 wire and solder it. If you make small steps it isn't more difficult, than the soldering of a pickup.
I combined the Jimmy Page Wiring with a piezo bridge (changed 1 tone pot to a piezo volume with on off switch so I only have 1 pot for splitting both humbucker but it works well)
Save the money and learn something for life =)

Excellent advice regarding tackling the wiring one step (wire) and a time. Just be patient and you'll be fine.

I'm very lucky in that Artie (the one who's doing the schmetics for all my kits) has a knack of making things look simplfied. He's the best here for sure!

 

[Freeman]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

I expect the parts to be here next week. The pots, at least for the initial run, will be Alpha Linear Taper Short Shaft. The Toggle and Jack will be Switchcraft. Our resident wiring expert Artie graciously accepted the job of making up diagrams, so I hope to have those soon as well. The kit will be marked with Hovlands or Orange Drops, but if you personally want both, I'll include both.

The kit with Orange Drops will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $55.00 and with Hovlands $75.00.

Great! But I still need to know what difference in tone I can expect with the Ornage Drops as compared with the Hovlands. If the Hovlands cost 20 dollars more, what more in terms of tone do they deliver?

The Torres kit that I was looking at did not clarify how the 3-way switch would interact with the 4 pots. How does your design interact with the 3-way switch? Check out the Torres description at http://www.toresengineering.com/noname7.html and telll me please how your design will function differently. It looks like the Torres design will allow all combinations of coil cut, pahse switch, and series to selected and, at the same time, change volune and tone, and the 3-way witch still functions.

Thanks in advance!

Dan

 

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

Stay away from Torres and co.

second

 

[MartinSixStringCustoms]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

Great! But I still need to know what difference in tone I can expect with the Ornage Drops as compared with the Hovlands. If the Hovlands cost 20 dollars more, what more in terms of tone do they deliver?

The Torres kit that I was looking at did not clarify how the 3-way switch would interact with the 4 pots. How does your design interact with the 3-way switch? Check out the Torres description at http://www.toresengineering.com/noname7.html and telll me please how your design will function differently. It looks like the Torres design will allow all combinations of coil cut, pahse switch, and series to selected and, at the same time, change volune and tone, and the 3-way witch still functions.

Thanks in advance!

Dan

Dan,

IMHO, the Hovlands sound better. I find that the tone control is more usable and comes alive with the Hovlands. Its really a matter of taste. Alot of guys don't see the justification in price. Thats not to say the Orange Drop isn't a great cap either. I've used those all well and like them. I just prefer the Hovlands, as do alot of other folks. If you take a look at the Jimmy Page wiring schematic on the SD website, you get an idea of how mine will be wired. Same thing.

 

[Freeman]

Re: Torresen engineering Jimmy Page kit

I expect the parts to be here next week. Our resident wiring expert Artie graciously accepted the job of making up diagrams, so I hope to have those soon as well.
QUOTE]

Torres says "You will still have two volume controls and dtwo tone controls. Both volumes are rewired as independent contnrols - they do not suffer from "gibson disease" (when you turn on down the whole guitar used to go off - this is fixed).

Can you tell me, or can Artie tell us, whether the design(s) for which he is making up diagram(s) will not suffer from "gibson disease"?

Also, I have seen several lists of the various combinations for Jimmy Page wiring that begin to describe the sounds that the various combinations make. Does anyone know of a place on the web that I can listen to the combinations? Or do I need to go to a guitar shop and play a Less Paul that has the wiring, if I can find one.

Thanks!

Dan