Help with LP wiring - 2vol 1treble 1bass

[nezek]

Hi,

I've want to wire a 2 pickup les paul with 2 vol(+high-pass), a master tone and a master bass-cut.

I've done some searching and found a G&L schem that shows their 1vol-1treble-1bass wiring, but I can't seem to figure out a way to convert it to a LP-style wiring, somehow I'm lost with what goes where..

I know the Treble/bass-cut pots should come after the selector switch, but I can't figure out how to wire them.

So here's what I have so far - would anyone mind taking a look and telling me if this makes sense ?



** I don't want coil splits or a series/parallel switch.. don't like how they sound.


Thanks!

[newey]

Nezek- Hello and Welcome to G-Nutz2!

Here's a schematic of the G&L control by our member ozboomer. He suggests a 470pf cap for the bass cut rather than 1000pf. He noted that the original version used 22pf for both caps.



Based on what Oz has there, I think you need to move the blue wire on the bass cut pot from the wiper (middle lug) to the CW lug. IOW, the signal from the treble pot goes to the CW lug first, then the cap links to the wiper, then from the wiper to output.

3 other points about your diagram.

First, you have drawn the pickup selector switch as if it is a DPDT switch and you are just using one half of the switch. You have it wired like a Gibson-style 3-way toggle is wired- center lug goes to output.

However, if you have an actual DPDT 3-position switch (Presumably, of the "on-on-on" variety), it won't work like that. In the center position on a regular DPDT, the center position does not connect to both upper and lower lugs, as it does on a Gibson SPDT.

Second, if you are following drawing conventions, pots and switches are shown from the rear, just as if you were wiring them. If so, your Vol pots are wired backwards from the tone pots- either both volume pots will operate "backwards" (i.e., lefty-style), or both the tone pots will do so.

Finally, you have shown treble bleed circuits on the volume controls using 680pf caps and 150K resistors. The resistor values are fine; the caps may be a bit low. JohnH suggests 1000pf (1nf)

Subject to those items, I think your implementation of this will work. Whether it works in a manner satisfactory to you is another question. With two volumes feeding into a single tone pot (here, it's one treble cut and one bass cut, but the principle is the same- it's a single tone circuit), the volume controls will interact when both pickups are selected. And, having 4 pots in circuit at the same time may knock the edge off your tone a bit.

Many people aren't bothered by control interaction. LPs are the same way, and they have their fans. One way around it would be to use double-ganged pots for the tone controls, you would wire one double-gang pot as the treble cut for each pickup individually- each pickup gets its own half- and the same for the bass cut pot. Each pickup thus gets its own circuit. That adds a lot of complexity as well.

[nezek]

Thanks for the comprehensive reply, that really helps.

I'm not sure about the bass-cut values yet.. my experience with a passive bass-cut control comes from a US made Reverend Slingshot so I have no idea how the G&L version is but it should work on the same principle.. I'll just have to experiment with values. Going through the Reverend forums I read that they use 250K or 1M audio pots with a 1000pf cap.

I'll definitely take note of the reversed wiring.. that wasn't intended

Also, my experience with the Reverend (it had 3 p90 pickups, 1vol 1tone 1bass-cut) pretty much got me hooked on having that pot there, it might be even more useful in a LP.

Thinking about what you said about having all that load in the circuit, I might go with the fender no-load pot for the tone control, that one should take itself out of the circuit entirely when it's on 10 if i'm not mistaken.

[newey]

Thinking about what you said about having all that load in the circuit, I might go with the fender no-load pot for the tone control, that one should take itself out of the circuit entirely when it's on 10 if i'm not mistaken.

That would help, yes. Before you go spending $$ for a OEM Fender no-load pot, be aware that it is fairly easy to DIY. JohnH has some instructions to do so around here somewhere. Basically you just disassemble a regular pot and scrape the resistive material off of the end of the track on the CW end. Then reassemble.