Les Paul help!

pw5470

pw5470

Grandpa Whine
My nephew is staying with us for a few days and brought his sisters LP because the bridge pup isn't working and I said I'd take a look. Their grandpa gave them some of his guitars, like a 74 Tele, early 70's ES-335 and this '69 LP that he had just laying around....lucky kids (they do play them and have some talent). The serial number is worn off but you can make out the imprint and he has it written down in the case.

2.jpg9.jpg7.jpg8.jpg

Anyway, I plugged in the LP, put the toggle switch on treble and nothing. I put the toggle in the middle and rythym positions and you have sound, can hear a little bit of difference when in the middle position vs rythym.

I opened up the back plates and poked around, don't see anything that jumps out at me but I don't have any experience with any Gibson wiring. Everything looks to be connected. Here's some of those pics.

1.jpg6.jpg3.jpg4.jpg5.jpg

Closed it back up and put in the treble position again thought I heard a little something so cranked the amp really loud and voila, we have sound. Sounds really bright but you have to really crank it up to hear anything out the bridge pup. If you notice in the very first pick, someone also installed a tiny toggle switch. It splits the coils on the bridge pickup.

So....any ideas on why the volume isn't working very well? Don't know if it's just a bad pot or something else. I don't want to mess with it as it's not my guitar.
 
That's a good idea! I may break out the soldering iron and mess with it later, or tell her to take to someone where they live. My wife is scared I'll mess it up but I'd love to keep it around a little longer.
 
pw5470 said:
That's a good idea! I may break out the soldering iron and mess with it later, or tell her to take to someone where they live. My wife is scared I'll mess it up but I'd love to keep it around a little longer.
Click to expand...

Just tell everyone it needs a replacement cap, and you can't find the particular one you're looking for. But it's out there somewhere, so it could take months... or longer.
 
Tell em it's hopeless and, in fact, unsafe to play. Ethically, you can't return it.

I'm surprised it has a 50s wiring scheme in it. That's cool.
 
Could just be that the pickup switch is oxidized. Have you tried contact cleaner on the switch? (Careful not to get any on the finish)
 
Prages said:
Could just be that the pickup switch is oxidized. Have you tried contact cleaner on the switch? (Careful not to get any on the finish)
Click to expand...

Hadn't thought of that.... Would it look kind of white? There was a lot of white powdery looking stuff on the toggle switch. I don't have any contact cleaner but can get some tomorrow.
 
pw5470 said:
Hadn't thought of that.... Would it look kind of white? There was a lot of white powdery looking stuff on the toggle switch. I don't have any contact cleaner but can get some tomorrow.
Click to expand...

It could be white. Being a 43 year old guitar, it's likely got 43 years worth of gunk between the toggle connectors.
 
Prages said:
It could be white. Being a 43 year old guitar, it's likely got 43 years worth of gunk between the toggle connectors.
Click to expand...

Probably right...I can keep it for another day or two so I will get some tomorrow, hopefully Lowes or Home Depot will have some.
 
Prages said:
Could just be that the pickup switch is oxidized. Have you tried contact cleaner on the switch? (Careful not to get any on the finish)
Click to expand...

You beat me to it! That's what I'd check first since it is easy to eliminate as the problem or fix. I'd jumper around the switch first.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top