The 50's wiring

[Professor Jones]

I just ordered some CTS pots and Mallory caps for my Edward LP, and I'm starting to think about how I will rewire it. I heard some people raving about the 50's wiring so I made some searches on Google, and surprisingly enough there weren't a lot of informations about it. Even on Seymour Duncan's website, which has a huge collection of wiring diagrams, the 50's wiring was nowhere to be found (here's the LP wiring I found http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/2h_2v_2t_3w.html).

I have some questions :

- What's the exact effect of the 50's wiring ? From what I read, it allows the retaining of the high end frequencies when the volume is rolled back. Is that correct ? Are there other notable effects ?

- If it's so good, then why isn't it used by Gibson ? There is no additional costs since the components used are the same, and the 50's wiring is not more complicated than the standard one (just different).

 

[bruno]

it's not more complicated just different...

The low and high end will be less boomy, frequencies will me more even, the guitar will appear to have a softer tone, more well defined all over the frequency spectrum, I guess a more "vintage" sound is an accurate description, I really liked the change, I did this to my Ls-145s...

there was a great thread at the LPforum about this, with lots of wiring schematic, including the 50's wiring, lots of people change their historics too this wiring too, user Ashbass of the lpforum posted these he deserves credit for it, here go a few of the schematic he posted (grounding connections are not included in the schematics, even though the pots are already marked as grounding points, but it should be done in your guitar already, so no need to worry):

(wiring found on old gibson les pauls)

(50's wiring but with independent volumes - when in middle postion if one volume is fully down the other pickup can still be heard)

(stock wiring both on tokais and gibsons)

and this is a photo of my ls-145s goldtop after the 50's wiring mod done, I kept the orange drops, as I like quite a bit mallory's are also fine (I used those in my homemade tweed deluxe clone):

and here is ashbass's original thread at the lpforum:

wiring thread at the lpforum

enjoy

 

[Professor Jones]

Wow thanks a lot ! Now I have everything I need to re-wire my LP.

Anybody has an answer to my other question ?

- If it's so good, then why isn't it used by Gibson ? There is no additional costs since the components used are the same, and the 50's wiring is not more complicated than the standard one (just different).

 

[bruno]

I can give it a shot at answering that too, even though I first avoided the question, I guess both tokai and gibson give these wirings because the 50's one might not please everyone, lots of us want a vintage type of guitar, but we have to remember a great deal of people use these guitars for types of music that do just fine with other sounds... for example I think it would be cool to see both tokai and gibson using this wiring in higher range model, unfortunetly neither do... perhaps people would complain then?

The standard wire is just different not worse, I prefer the 50's a lot, but there might be people out there who can prefer the "beamier" sound of the standard wiring... unfortunetly it's not possible to please all, so companies tend to stick with a standard I guess.

 

[Professor Jones]

Hmm I think I understand now.

For example, you can really hear a difference between Jimmy Page's sound and Slash's or Perry's sound. Page's sound is more even, less agressive, so I guess he's using 50's wiring ?

This might be a problem for me because I like both sounds lol.

 

[bruno]

I wouldn't say the difference between slash, page and perry comes from the guitar wiring... the difference you're hearing between those guitarists tones, is most likely due to their playing style and the many factors that come into play regarding their gear and the style of music they play...

I guess the only fair way to analize the difference between wirings is if you try them yourself on your own guitar with your own gear... only then can you decide which one fits you better.

So do it, it's simple, it took me a couple os minutes...

And then keep the one which fits your needs

 

[Roe]

to my ears the 50s wiring changes how the volume taper works. with the 50s wiring 8 and 9 on the dial ain't as loud as it is with the modern wiring. the modern wiring seems a bit more even - there isn't such a big difference between the volume at 9 and 10.

but the treble bypass could also affect this.

 

[bruno]

it's not really the taper that is changing, it's the frequencies that are bled... that's why it seems tamer to the ears!

at full volume there are that many diferences!

It's funny however how people tastes are different and this proves the point that lots of people do go for the modern wiring. To my ears however the 50's type of wiring has a more even frequency distribution.

 

[Roe]

I too prefer the 50s wiring. great for gooing from rhythm to lead

 

[bruno]

yes it is roe :wink:

 

[Roe]

yes it me :evil:

 

[bruno]

 

[Roe]

I doubt that I've impressed anybody but bruno

 

[bruno]

yes roe, no doubt, you keep impressing me! :wink: How you manage to do so, I have no clue, it's a gift, is what I think.