I'm pretty new to guitar, but I used to play bass, so I know about how they work tech-wise (I'm also into that stuff, so I take time to learn about it). Anyways... I was looking at some gibson les pauls the other day, and i noticed the rythm/lead switch on them... what the heck does that do? I assume that it alters your sound some how, but how? and what is the difference between the two?? I don't really want to take one down at the shop, cause they are all in the range of several thousand dollars, and I also hate to loudly annouce to the whole store how bad i am at guitar. yeah... anyone?
I'm pretty new to guitar, but I used to play bass, so I know about how they work tech-wise (I'm also into that stuff, so I take time to learn about it). Anyways... I was looking at some Gibson les Paul's the other day, and i noticed the rhythm/lead switch on them... what the heck does that do? I assume that it alters your sound some how, but how? and what is the difference between the two?? I don't really want to take one down at the shop, cause they are all in the range of several thousand dollars, and I also hate to loudly annouce to the whole store how bad i am at guitar. yeah... anyone?
There are two pickups on the Les Paul, one at the neck and one at the bridge. The one at the neck is more bass and the one at the bridge is more treble. The switch setting lets you choose both together in the middle setting or one or the other with the other two settings. Lead is just the bridge pickup and rhythm is the neck pickup.
Personally I think they should have been labeled treble and bass
OH!! duh... why didnt i think of that. I guess it never crossed my mind that it would be a pickup selector, what with the strange labeling. and it's in kind of a weird postion compared to most guitars.
OH!! duh... why didn't i think of that. I guess it never crossed my mind that it would be a pickup selector, what with the strange labeling. and it's in kind of a weird position compared to most guitars.
I didn't comment on the position but I have hit it a few times by accident so it does take a little getting use to if it is one of the models with the switch at the bottom.
I have a Yamaha SG2000 (very similar to a Les Paul). The pickup combination is the same with one exception - I have coil tapped pickups. The tone nobs push in to go change the pickup from a humbucking style to a single coil style (like on a strat). I highly recommend it if you like the tone and feel of a heavy guitar with humbuckers. You'll get a much wider range of tonal possibilities. My guitar will go from a clean trebly classic strat sound to total hardcore crunch.
Another thing to consider is set neck versus through the body. A Les Paul has a set neck (the neck is glued to the joint in the body). My Yamaha has a through the body neck (neck is one piece of wood and the sides of the body are glued to it). The advantage of the through the body style is that the nut and bridge are on the same piece of wood with no joints therefore giving maximum sustain. I hit a chord and it rings forever.
Thought I'd throw out a helpful tip. Good luck.
