Volume controls on epi Les Paul?

One controls the bridge pickup, the other controls the neck pickup. With both pickups selected, you still have the two seperate volume controls for each.

BTW, welcome to GN! 8)

Dan

One controls the bridge pickup, the other controls the neck pickup. With both pickups selected, you still have the two seperate volume controls for each.

BTW, welcome to GN! 8)

Dan

Dan, thanks for the fast response!

I understand that, or at least thats how I thought it should work. But what I'm saying is, lets say both controls are set at zero, should you be able to turn the bottom control (only) up and it work? Mine doesn't, I have to turn them both up or I get no sound from the amp at all. Hope I did better this time. lol

With Les Pauls running the pickup selecter in the middle, if you turn one volume knob all the way down you have no sound. I think they wire it this way so that you only have to turn off one knob to silence your guitar when both pickups are selected. I have several Les Paul and Les Paul styled instruments and all of them with 2 volume controlls work this way. I think I only need to turn mine to 1 or 2 though to get the sound going.

There's a simple way to alter the wiring to stop that happening though, I've seen it in various guitar mag articles over the years.

Edit: as luck would have it... http://guitarelectronics.com/product/WDUHH3T2202 :wink:

what tr said. same thing on a gibson lp.

With Les Pauls running the pickup selecter in the middle, if you turn one volume knob all the way down you have no sound. I think they wire it this way so that you only have to turn off one knob to silence your guitar when both pickups are selected. I have several Les Paul and Les Paul styled instruments and all of them with 2 volume controlls work this way. I think I only need to turn mine to 1 or 2 though to get the sound going.

Thanks, appreciate the info! Now that I understand the reason it won't bug me. I wouldn't have done anything about it anyway, I was just curious. It took me a month to find out it was even doing this so I'm sure I wouldn't have worried too much if that was the way it should work. :lol:

Thanks again everyone!

With Les Pauls running the pickup selecter in the middle, if you turn one volume knob all the way down you have no sound. I think they wire it this way so that you only have to turn off one knob to silence your guitar when both pickups are selected. I have several Les Paul and Les Paul styled instruments and all of them with 2 volume controlls work this way. I think I only need to turn mine to 1 or 2 though to get the sound going.

Exactly. That's how mine works too...

Thanks, appreciate the info! Now that I understand the reason it won't bug me. I wouldn't have done anything about it anyway, I was just curious. It took me a month to find out it was even doing this so I'm sure I wouldn't have worried too much if that was the way it should work. :lol:

Thanks again everyone!

Hi Kraco,

TRGuitar explained perfectly how the LPs works. Play with the four pots (volume and tone) and the selector and you'll find a lot of different sounds!

By the way, welcome to GN! :wink:

Thanks, appreciate the info! Now that I understand the reason it won't bug me. I wouldn't have done anything about it anyway, I was just curious. It took me a month to find out it was even doing this so I'm sure I wouldn't have worried too much if that was the way it should work. :lol:

Thanks again everyone!

Hi Kraco,

TRGuitar explained perfectly how the LPs works. Play with the four pots (volume and tone) and the selector and you'll find a lot of different sounds!

By the way, welcome to GN! :wink:
Thanks Numo and I appreciate the welcome! Yep, he did a fine job and I think he deserves a raise! :lol:

With Les Pauls running the pickup selecter in the middle, if you turn one volume knob all the way down you have no sound. I think they wire it this way so that you only have to turn off one knob to silence your guitar when both pickups are selected. I have several Les Paul and Les Paul styled instruments and all of them with 2 volume controlls work this way. I think I only need to turn mine to 1 or 2 though to get the sound going.

You have a choice with the simple, passive wiring scheme used in the LP: Pick best tonal control in all positions or pick completely independent volume control in middle position...

The production wiring scheme very likely was chosen to avoid excessive roll off of the high frequencies as the volume is turned down. The center switch position volume control interaction is a side-effect of that choice. If rewired the alternative way shown in Misanthrope's link, the tone suffers at low numbers on the volume control, and this is going to be more noticeable when the pups are used individually. If this tone roll-off effect didn't occur in the alternative wiring scheme, I suspect Gibby would have changed to that wiring many years ago.

Ahh, thanks for that Gnease - I'd always wondered why they wouldn't have done it that way.

Why would you want to turn one pickup completely off in the middle position anyways? Thats what the toggle switch is for. :? Wired the alternative way, there is no need for a toggle switch at all. Just turn up the pickup you want to use.

Gnease,
I always wondered why it worked like that. Makes sense, but I still make use of it as a one knob master volume off / on switch. :wink: