Push/Pull Pots & Pickup Advice Epiphone Les Paul Custom

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Charvel1975

Charvel1975

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Hello, It's been forever since I posted here but I had some questions and was wanting some advice too on push/pull pots and possibly switching out pickups on my older Korean Epiphone Les Paul Custom. It's all stock except the Seymour Duncan Hot Rodded set that's been in it now for about 5 years, bone nut and I think I had an Orange Drop cap put in a while back too?

I've been in a classic rock/80's metal/modern rock band for a while now and the Epiphone is tuned to standard E, I've been noticing for a while now the JB seems ice picky in the highs, when I solo it just doesn't sound too good and when I switch to clean channels on my Mesa Tremoverb head, no matter if I just use the JB, both pickups or just the Jazz it distorts no matter how I adjust the EQ on the amp. Also, I've been thinking of getting push/pull pots for the bridge and neck pickups to have some versatility especially because some of the songs we do almost requires a single coil sound like "Run To You" by Bryan Adams. Are CTS long shaft push/pull pots the way to go and should I maybe get them for the tone pots for the push/pulls and regular CTS long shaft pots for the 2 volumes? I think my Epiphone would be the long shaft because of how thick it is? I've also though about swapping out the JB in the bridge and maybe picking up a SD 59/Custom Hybrid? Now the Epiphone weighs a TON!! and I'm wondering if because it's a BEEFY sounding guitar that's why the pickups may be too hot of output or what? What do you guys think?
 
You better check the shaft length on you pots before ordering. I thought they were long but I'm reading some Epiphones have short and others have long. What I do is install a P/P on only one tone and wire both pickups coil taps to it. That way you can split both pickups at the same time. CTS is the way to go. You're better off buying a pre-wired harness that you can drop right in. You pay a little extra for it but it definately makes life easy.

Something like this. It doesn't have the coil tap but you get the idea.

http://www.hyperiontone.com/deluxe-les- ... ong-shaft/
 
I've got a Duncan Distortion in my old Epiphone LP, I like it.
 
Cts or bourns push pull pots are good. I go with 500k audio taper and like to make the tones the push pull to do the series/parallel or coil split.
 
I read I think it was on SD's website that some people use a 250K volume pot for the JB in the bridge to tame the high end/ice pickiness?
 
Only 2 songs (Cold Hard *****-Jet and The Hunt-Lynrd Skynrd) that I'm rolling back on the volume control for the JB in the bridge and it's all muffled and weird sounding.
I definitely notice on Run To You-Bryan Adams, because I use the JB with the clean channel of my Mesa and chorus, it just doesn't sound right. Hence why I was looking into getting push/pull pots.
 
Charvel1975":18xuvwr0 said:
Only 2 songs (Cold Hard *****-Jet and The Hunt-Lynrd Skynrd) that I'm rolling back on the volume control for the JB in the bridge and it's all muffled and weird sounding.
I definitely notice on Run To You-Bryan Adams, because I use the JB with the clean channel of my Mesa and chorus, it just doesn't sound right. Hence why I was looking into getting push/pull pots.
Click to expand...
Try 50's wiring
 
Charvel1975":1m79sonl said:
Hello, It's been forever since I posted here but I had some questions and was wanting some advice too on push/pull pots and possibly switching out pickups on my older Korean Epiphone Les Paul Custom. It's all stock except the Seymour Duncan Hot Rodded set that's been in it now for about 5 years, bone nut and I think I had an Orange Drop cap put in a while back too?

I've been in a classic rock/80's metal/modern rock band for a while now and the Epiphone is tuned to standard E, I've been noticing for a while now the JB seems ice picky in the highs, when I solo it just doesn't sound too good and when I switch to clean channels on my Mesa Tremoverb head, no matter if I just use the JB, both pickups or just the Jazz it distorts no matter how I adjust the EQ on the amp. Also, I've been thinking of getting push/pull pots for the bridge and neck pickups to have some versatility especially because some of the songs we do almost requires a single coil sound like "Run To You" by Bryan Adams. Are CTS long shaft push/pull pots the way to go and should I maybe get them for the tone pots for the push/pulls and regular CTS long shaft pots for the 2 volumes? I think my Epiphone would be the long shaft because of how thick it is? I've also though about swapping out the JB in the bridge and maybe picking up a SD 59/Custom Hybrid? Now the Epiphone weighs a TON!! and I'm wondering if because it's a BEEFY sounding guitar that's why the pickups may be too hot of output or what? What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

Are the push/pull pots installed in the tone pot position? I'm think I'm going to go with these:

2 of the CTS Push-pull Pots, SPST Short Shaft 500K push/pull Volume pots

http://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_E...Pots_SPST.html

and 2 CTS - 500K tone pots

http://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_E...trol_Pots.html

Also the 3 way toggle switch and output jack are the stock Epiphone ones, should I leave those alone for right now?
 
Yes they go in the tone position. No need to change the switch and jack.
 
Charvel1975":2nqkf3f7 said:
Charvel1975":2nqkf3f7 said:
Hello, It's been forever since I posted here but I had some questions and was wanting some advice too on push/pull pots and possibly switching out pickups on my older Korean Epiphone Les Paul Custom. It's all stock except the Seymour Duncan Hot Rodded set that's been in it now for about 5 years, bone nut and I think I had an Orange Drop cap put in a while back too?

I've been in a classic rock/80's metal/modern rock band for a while now and the Epiphone is tuned to standard E, I've been noticing for a while now the JB seems ice picky in the highs, when I solo it just doesn't sound too good and when I switch to clean channels on my Mesa Tremoverb head, no matter if I just use the JB, both pickups or just the Jazz it distorts no matter how I adjust the EQ on the amp. Also, I've been thinking of getting push/pull pots for the bridge and neck pickups to have some versatility especially because some of the songs we do almost requires a single coil sound like "Run To You" by Bryan Adams. Are CTS long shaft push/pull pots the way to go and should I maybe get them for the tone pots for the push/pulls and regular CTS long shaft pots for the 2 volumes? I think my Epiphone would be the long shaft because of how thick it is? I've also though about swapping out the JB in the bridge and maybe picking up a SD 59/Custom Hybrid? Now the Epiphone weighs a TON!! and I'm wondering if because it's a BEEFY sounding guitar that's why the pickups may be too hot of output or what? What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

Are the push/pull pots installed in the tone pot position? I'm think I'm going to go with these:

2 of the CTS Push-pull Pots, SPST Short Shaft 500K push/pull Volume pots

http://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_E...Pots_SPST.html

and 2 CTS - 500K tone pots

http://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_E...trol_Pots.html

Also the 3 way toggle switch and output jack are the stock Epiphone ones, should I leave those alone for right now?
Click to expand...

I like to put the push pulls on the tone knobs as I usually have to adjust them slightly when pulling up. If you go with the spot push pulls you can only coil split, it eliminates being able to switch the push pulls to series/ parallel. Parallel or coil split will make the sound brighter with less output. Before you do anything, I would tweak the height of the pickups.
 
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