3 pickup LesPaul (pre build question)

[dglady]

Hi All,
I'm planning to build a Warmoth LP carved top and am considering  3 pickups.  I would put a humbuckers at neck and bridge and humbucker sized P90 in the center.  I want to still use the 3 way LP toggle and 2V / 2T setup.  I'm wondering if I could use concentric pots on one of the volume and one of the tone controls to 'blend' in the P90.  So I'm thinking I would have these settings:
with P90 vol at zero--regular 2 pickup les paul.
with P90 vol above zero and 2 HB @ 0 -- P90 alone
with P90 vol above zero and 1 or 2 HB above zero -- P90 blends in with humbuckers.

Does this seem doable?
Would the 3 PU affect being able to get fat LesPaul sound?
Thanks.

 

[tfarny]

Yes we can!. But it's complex, and will be very tight in the body cavity, and that's a lot of pots to keep track of while playing.
You might also consider using a master tone and save the fourth pot for a P90 volume.

 

[Orpheo]

you'd need a stereo pot for that, and its quite complicated, unneccasary complicated, imho.

My suggestion:

for each pickup: concentric pot for volume and tone. so, you've got 3 holes filled, the third, use a 3 way rotary or 3 way toggle (with a 4 way you can do it to, and have a spare position left, I only suggest it, cause I see many 4 ways, and not so many 3 way rotaries). thats a hell of a lot easier and more workable. you can even choose where to put your volume and tone and whatever. the upper parts on the neck/vol neck/tone and bridge/vol can be used as volume for bridge and neck with a neck-tone, and some others for the tone of bridge and vol/tone of the middle. thats what I did, and it works like a charm.

with the rotary you'd be using that to control the middle pickup, and the normal 3 way for neck and bridge. so you'd have with the rotary to the left, regular (only bridge/neck/both), middle position would be like the previous, but with the middle turned on at all times, and the total righty would be only middle.

oh, or a 5 way rotary where you'd have the normal 3 way toggle, and use the last spot for a piezo volume/tone concentric with a small 3 way toggle?

 

[dglady]

Man that sounds complicated.  Orpheo & Tfarny  can you point me to any links for wiring diagrams that would apply?

 

[tfarny]

I don't know, specifically, where you would get the design I mentioned, I'm sure it's out there if you google enough. I would just sit down and try to learn how guitar wiring works, it's pretty simple, then design your own using a Jazz bass and Les Paul as templates.
Study the simple diagrams then move to the more complicated ones at the Seymour Duncan webste, also stew mac has a really nice helpful pdf somewheres on wiring.

 

[Orpheo]

Man that sounds complicated.  Orpheo & Tfarny  can you point me to any links for wiring diagrams that would apply?

its not nearly as complicated as it sounds. the volume/tone combination for THREE pickups with concentric pots works the same, as it would for 2 pickups, but now, you just have the pots stacked, and you copy the schematic a third time over.


from each pot, you just get 1 wire, the 'hot' wire so to say. for the bridge and neck-pickup, you solder that wire to the regular toggle on the upper bout. the output from that goes to the switch you want to use for dialing in and out the middle pickup. its super-easy.

 

[tallman]

I'd just keep it simple and go 3vol/ master tone.  It would make things a lot easier on the fly.

 

[Orpheo]

I'd just keep it simple and go 3vol/ master tone.  It would make things a lot easier on the fly.

the great thing of the wiring I proposed is that it 'looks' and feels almost the same, after all, how much do you need to work with the tone anyway? it is useful though to be able to roll off highs from each pickup individually to get a major tonepallette. it doesn't really make it much more complicated, it only 'looks' complicated, but it really isn't.

 

[OzziePete]

I'd just keep it simple and go 3vol/ master tone.  It would make things a lot easier on the fly.

I've heard that's referred to as the 'Mickey Baker' mod by Gibson. They even had a Custom Shop LP Custom that came out std. with that, and a Bigsby. Apparently there was a Gibson endorsee/player years ago - Mickey Baker - who had the configuration changed around for him in this way.

It's always been a bugbear for me that Gibson would go to all the trouble of building a 3 pickup LP Custom, but only have the 3 way toggle and a restricted volume knob selection. Annoying.  :dontknow:

 

[Orpheo]

I'd just keep it simple and go 3vol/ master tone.  It would make things a lot easier on the fly.

I've heard that's referred to as the 'Micky Baker' mod by Gibson. They even had a Custom Shop LP Custom that came out std. with that, and a Bigsby. Apparently there was a Gibson endorsee/player years ago - Micky Baker - who had the configuration changed around for him in this way.

It's always been a bugbear for me that Gibson would go to all the trouble of building a 3 pickup LP Custom, but only have the 3 way toggle and a restricted volume knob selection. Annoying.  :dontknow:

exactly. Gibson uses pickguards on customs, right? why not do what I did, only a bit more professional: cut a square hole in the p-guard, and put in a 3 way slider switch, with those concentric knobs I talked about. that works!

 

[OzziePete]

One reason they may have not used blade switches on a solid body was the fact that Fender were using the things exclusively!

I think the only Gibson to have a blade/lever switch was the Gibson Switchmaster. A 3 pickup hollow body with 6 knobs IIRC!

 

[OzziePete]

exactly. Gibson uses pickguards on customs, right? why not do what I did, only a bit more professional: cut a square hole in the p-guard, and put in a 3 way slider switch, with those concentric knobs I talked about. that works!

Which guitar did you do that on, Orpheo? I've seen the one with a toggle and 3 way lever switch, but it had no pickguard (?).

 

[Orpheo]

exactly. Gibson uses pickguards on customs, right? why not do what I did, only a bit more professional: cut a square hole in the p-guard, and put in a 3 way slider switch, with those concentric knobs I talked about. that works!

Which guitar did you do that on, Orpheo? I've seen the one with a toggle and 3 way lever switch, but it had no pickguard (?).

my LP custom. but I got bored one day, and ripped out the concentric pots now I have only the 3 way in the pickguard, and a master volume and master tone. the reason I never re-installed the other electrickeries is that I don't like this guitar (anymore). I don't like the tone, I don't like the feel, I only like the looks, but I can't sell her, eventhough I should, but I can't.

 

[dbw]

Are you down to just one Gibson, Orpheo?

 

[Orpheo]

Are you down to just one Gibson, Orpheo?

no, 2. One custom, and one gibson my grandmother gave me, a winered studio. I sold all my guitars, cause I prefer my warmoth les pauls better. the guitars I have left, sound really good, even compared with warmoth haha. the others sound a bit... dusty not alive, like they were just dead.

 

[dglady]

Yikes. This is a can of worms!  I think I'll just start simple with a HxH LesPaul.    Thanks much for your suggstions/replies.

 

[Orpheo]

Yikes. This is a can of worms!  I think I'll just start simple with a HxH LesPaul.    Thanks much for your suggstions/replies.

not really... its really easy you know