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Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 10:09 am
by Maggieo
Larry Mal wrote:
Fri May 10, 2019 10:08 am
Nice guitar- it'll have the thick neck profile that my guitar has.

As far as your second question, fuck coil splitting. Splitting a humbucker never sounds like a real single coil, it just sounds lame. If you aren't playing out and don't need a single guitar that can kind of imitate better single coil instruments, then who cares.

Looks like a great guitar! Now is the time that I tell you to look into a Faber Tone-Lock kit, best $100 you can spend on it.
Antiquities and Emerson it is!!

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 10:24 am
by marqueemoon
I agree with Larry on fuck coil splitting. Not in a Les Paul anyway.

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 12:06 pm
by Bert Camenbert
I have an old The Paul that presently has coils splits and I never, ever use them. So yeah, fuck coil splitting. I had to try it before concluding that it's a useless option.

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 1:08 pm
by øøøøøøø
Another vote for fuck coil splitting. It's useless in every scenario I've ever tried, save one--

positions 2 and 4 on an Ibanez JEM are sort of awesome (that's humbucker split plus middle single coil). But even that doesn't sound like 2 and 4 on a strat... sort of its own deal.

But on a LP... yeah, fuck coil splitting in every circumstance.

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 2:49 pm
by Maggieo
øøøøøøø wrote:
Fri May 10, 2019 1:08 pm
Another vote for fuck coil splitting. It's useless in every scenario I've ever tried, save one--

positions 2 and 4 on an Ibanez JEM are sort of awesome (that's humbucker split plus middle single coil). But even that doesn't sound like 2 and 4 on a strat... sort of its own deal.

But on a LP... yeah, fuck coil splitting in every circumstance.
Coil splitting is like run-flat tires. Shitty at what tires are supposed to de, good at what they aren't.

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 3:36 pm
by Larry Mal
Since we are killing time waiting for Maggie's guitar to show up, I'll also take a moment to say fuck coil tapping, which is another lame concept in which some of a coil is shunted off leaving less winds to actually pick up sound.

Or at least my only experience with it has been totally underwhelming, I have a Gibson Firebird with three P90s that can all be coil tapped, in an effort to make it sound more like a Strat, I guess.

It sounds nothing like a Strat, it sounds terrible that way. It's otherwise a great guitar.

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 5:08 am
by øøøøøøø
Yeah. All of these things are a bit like taking a well-engineered six speed transmission and removing the top two gears because you want a four speed

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 7:03 am
by Maggieo
So, I got a set of Antiquties and I've got an Emerson wiring harness here waiting. This baby is going to be awesome.

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 7:49 am
by Larry Mal
I know it doesn't seem like a major upgrade compared to new pickups and such, but I really want to recommend the locking Faber ABR-1 bridge. Get the "iNsert" kit and lock the bridge to that. You'll see- it's a huge upgrade, even if it doesn't seem like it.

Also, since you are basically gutting the guitar, you will probably find that you don't have a lick of shielding under the hood there. Gibson used to be pretty good about that but they've gotten worse and worse over the years as they've cut corners. As long as you are pulling all the stuff out, take some time and line everything with copper shielding foil (including the switch cavity and the backplate).

The best way to treat noise is to not have it in the first place and all.

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 7:51 am
by Maggieo
Noted.

The foil I can do, the bridge will have to wait. $$$$$.

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 7:56 am
by Larry Mal
I seem to be reading that the foil provides better protection than does the shielding paint, by the way.

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Tue May 14, 2019 12:45 pm
by Maggieo
I guess this is now an NGD thread (again), but I'm going to give the LP Studio its own thread after I do some work on it; which will be an Emerson wiring harness, Duncan Antiquities pickups, a pickguard, a new switch, and lining the cavities with foil. I might put the Studio's electronics in my Tokai Love Rock, since it's got mini pots.

So, here's the studio, right out of the box!

Image

Great neck, just under 9lbs., roasted Maple fingerboard (reminds me of the feel of Ebony, but looks like Rosewood).

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Tue May 14, 2019 12:48 pm
by Larry Mal
Oh, that's great! Looks super sharp. I have the roasted maple on a Firebird of mine, and mine is nowhere near that dark and looks kind of light. Yours looks better, and you are correct, it's basically like ebony in feel. A great fingerboard material (I'm not particular, though).

Good job- can't wait to see how it progresses from here!

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Tue May 14, 2019 12:52 pm
by Larry Mal
Incidentally , there are products like this that I would use if I was going to be shielding a guitar from scratch:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Les-Paul-Switc ... 3130!US!-1

And Les Pauls back in the Norlin years were super shielded with things like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/gibson-les-pau ... SwzCNcuolQ

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-Gibson-Wi ... SweIZc06Oz

But really, the copper tape should be just fine. Pay some extra attention to the slop with your bridge and the posts as you pull that off and consider a... say it with me...

Re: I Suddenly Think I Need A Les Paul. Talk Me Out Of It.

Posted: Tue May 14, 2019 12:59 pm
by Maggieo
Larry Mal wrote:
Tue May 14, 2019 12:52 pm
Incidentally , there are products like this that I would use if I was going to be shielding a guitar from scratch:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Les-Paul-Switc ... 3130!US!-1

And Les Pauls back in the Norlin years were super shielded with things like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/gibson-les-pau ... SwzCNcuolQ

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-Gibson-Wi ... SweIZc06Oz

But really, the copper tape should be just fine. Pay some extra attention to the slop with your bridge and the posts as you pull that off and consider a... say it with me...
Larry, I'm out of money right now. :wtf: :fp: And you'll see why in a day or two. :ph34r: