What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

dvanburen

dvanburen

New member
Just wanted to see what guys or gals are doing on Les pauls as far as upgrades go from stock. I'm curious to hear the ones that have noticeable tone differences.

Ive got a LP standard. havent done anything but swap pickups, but i did just order the rs guitarworks wiring upgrade. havent gotten it in yet but i will this weekend. What are some of the things you guys are doing to better your tone out of the guitar? just curious
 
Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

I am dangerously close to swapping out my ’57 Classic Plus bridge for a 498T "Hot Alnico" Bridge Pickup in my Les Paul Traditional. I have one in my SG and absolutely love it.
 
Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

Securb said:
I am dangerously close to swapping out my ’57 Classic Plus bridge for a 498T "Hot Alnico" Bridge Pickup in my Les Paul Traditional. I have one in my SG and absolutely love it.
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I've heard '57's sound much better in SG's. I do not like them in LP's. They're too warm and the high-end is dull. PU's sound very different one guitar to the next, especially when you go from an ultra-thin body and long-neck double cutaway, to a thick body and short-neck single cutaway. For what '57's cost (which is ridiculous), there's much better PU's, like Fralins. Seth's cost less and blow away '57's on every level.
 
Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

As far as hardware, I top-wrap so locking tailpiece studs were worth it for me. IDK if you buy into the aluminum bridge upgrades but people claim they hear a difference. I haven't tried so I wouldn't know.

IMO you don't really need locking tuners for the fixed bridge.

I also roughed up the finish on the neck with steel wool so it isn't as glossy/grabby as it was before.
 
Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

My LP's are Epi's. I've upgraded PU's in them: Seth, A2P, Brobucker, UO C5, Fralin, Burstbucker, 36th Ann PAF, Smits, & Parsons Street. Also use some hybrid HB's I've made, which have A2's or UOA5's in them (both bridge and neck hybrids).

They all have an alternative wiring of some sort: Jimmy Page System, spin-a split, or Artie's coil swap mod. They have either a neck hybrid, or an alternative wiring that gives unbalanced coils in the neck. I love LP's, but want a sharp high-end on their neck HB's that only unbalanced coils can give. I don't like warm/muffled/boomy neck PU's in anything, and LP's are especially prone to it. I've tried PG's and '57's, ended up selling my sets of both. Their necks are too warm and I couldn't get the tones dialed-in even with magnet swaps. There's better PU's out there, and especially now that I'm making hybrids, I don't have to settle for PU's that only sound 'okay'. At this point, any additional LP's I get will have hybrids in them.

I also have a couple LP's with P-90's, and in them I have a push-pull to link the PU's in series, for a volume boost for solos.

I warm LP's bridge PU's with either 250K pots or a 470K resistor. Most of them with neck HB's (as opposed to neck P-90's) have one or two 1-meg pots (the other neck pots being 500K). The wiring, toggle, and jack are kept stock unless faulty.

For me, this is how to get an LP sounding it's best. High quality PAF's or hybrids made from high quality PAF's, spin-a-split on the neck with bright pots, and warm pots/resistor on the bridge. Taken me years to fine-tune the formula, but I've finally got it.
 
Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

Well pickup changes go without saying.

I generally only get those that have ABR-1s in the first place so I usually don't have to mess with the bridge. I might try a light tailpiece but it didn't stick on any so far.

A fret level is often in order. I think a LP should have low action. Fenders are allowed to fight back. LPs - not so much.

Might upgrade the plastic to Gibson historic plastic if Sweetwater has it cheap with free shipping.
 
Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

#1: switch to 1 meg pots (make them yourself or buy pre-made from Torres), '50's wiring, and lower value capacitors
#2: get rid of the cheap, loose-fitting Nashville bridge and put on a Faber ABR-1 (the kind with the posts that you have to tap in - unlike the stock inserts that will fall out if you turn the guitar upside down with the bridge off)
#3: fret dressing - level the frets, crown them, round over the fret ends, then polish them
#4: new nut, or modify the stock nut to be better
#5 (solely cosmetic): add Gibson Historic thumb cutters
#6 (also solely cosmetic): add tuners without those stupid greenish or yellowish buttons - the neutral, milky, swirly type look so much better

Pickups are some of the last things you have to worry about with a new Les Paul, IMHO. The stock Gibson ones are actually pretty good as stock, and with magnet swaps, they can be fine tuned cheaply.
 
Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

ItsaBass;3532459Pickups are some of the last things you have to worry about with a new Les Paul said:
So, on your list of upgrades you put different-colored tuner knobs ahead of pickups? Not the advice we usually see here. The 498T/490R set can definitely be improved with different magnets (warmer mags in the bridge, brighter in the neck), but I've lost all faith in '57's. They're just not in the same league as Seth's.
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Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

Honestly, my first reactions were either "replace them with SuperStrats" and "a Floyd Rose".

Barring the above two, and besides the obvious (i.e. pickups) then I guess I'd add a couple of push/pulls to split the pickups individually and add the treble bleed mod to the output, it helps with rolling the volume down to clean up the gain while still retaining a good sound.

Have mostly avoided tailpiece TOMs so can't comment on that. Higher ratio tuners would also be nice but not really a must-have. Have never felt the need to replace the nut on any guitar so can't comment on that either :)
 
Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

First off, those silly ol skool frets had to go, and go they did. I was fortunate enough to have a master luthier install big azz frest on my Les Paul. About the only otther thing I done was get a Tim Shaw pickup for the bridge position, and the only other thing I want to do is get a Callaham Cold Rolled Steel bridge.
 
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Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

blueman335 said:
Sure, but not if he's out of his teens.
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tumblr_inline_mm1xeaA1Yo1qz4rgp.gif
 
Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

I have a LP custom and Ive left it all stock. I can live with it the way it is and I just don't really feel like spending the money to upgrade it at the moment. BUT, once I get the urge, the first things to do are:

-New Pickups
-Tusq XL nut
-500k volume pots

But, like I said, I just play it the way it is now and live with it.
 
Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

blueman335 said:
My LP's are Epi's. I've upgraded PU's in them: Seth, A2P, Brobucker, UO C5, Fralin, Burstbucker, 36th Ann PAF, Smits, & Parsons Street. Also use some hybrid HB's I've made, which have A2's or UOA5's in them (both bridge and neck hybrids).
Click to expand...
Have you posted a family pic?
 
Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

I cut the necks off, and then bolt them on. chisel out a route for a floyd, put in some wild colored Dimarzios....

Seriously, my Trad pro got straplocks and a set of pearly gates. My "2008" model got straplocks and will get a new set of pups and redone wiring as it has the circuit board in it now. (it came with tone pros bridge and locking keys)
 
Re: What upgrades are you guys doing on Les pauls?

Interesting thread so far.

My Les Paul is an 05 Custom Shop 1958 reissue. I have replaced the stock BB1/BB2 pickups with a set of Antiquities and 2 years ago I worn the nut out so bad I had to replace it but I was happy with the stock nut until it died. When I replaced it I went with a bone nut. That is all I have done to the guitar to date other than just play it.

That said I went with a CS reissue because I knew if I went with a Standard, regular Custom, Trad Pro, etc I'd end up changing a lot.

To me a good LP (really any Gibson solid body with humbucking pickups) needs 500k pots, good quality .05 caps, an ABR-1 bridge, an aluminum tailpiece and if possible a long neck tenon.

After that it's all about what pickups work well for you but IMHO any LP, SG, 335, etc can benefit from the things I listed above.

This is all just my opinion, YMMV. Good luck and have fun!
 
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