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This is the #1 ask question I receive. Does my Gibson or other brand guitar need Long or Short shaft pots. Here is the latest list that I have. I still recommend to pull out a pot and measure the bushing to make sure. Measure only the threaded part of the shaft. Long = 3/4 inch / Short = 3/8 inch. REMEMBER measure only the threaded part of the shaft and not the entire length including tip.
Long Shaft
Note: Long shaft pots will fit all Les Paul's and others. Add extra nut / washer for proper height above the top. If not sure drop me an email thru the CONTACT US tab. Gary
3 Comments
1. Replace the tone cap (most commonly a .022uf or .047uf) with a .1uf cap. Preferably a Paper-In-Oil (PIO) capacitor. This single modification will take some of the brightness out and warm up Your Tone. There is a reason Eric Johnson uses this cap value.
2. Stratocasters have a tremolo cavity on the back side. Covered with a plastic cover with 6 screws. Remove the cover…. And experience a big difference in Your Tone and Overall Sound. 3. Remove all paint from any location that is not seen. Under the bridge, inside the pickup cavity, under the pick guard. These 3 locations are easy to get too. This will allow your guitar body the breath. You will love the change in tone! 4. Replace your pots and wiring with good quality components. Cloth wiring is best. These are simple and inexpensive mods that are easy to do and will make a difference that you will hear. Each will have a distinctive change in your guitars tone. Have some fun …. and give it a try. Enjoy your New Tone! Cheers! Gary Standerfer Tone Man Guitar What's So Great About 50s Vintage Guitar Wiring?
Let’s first go back to the 50s and even 60’s. Think about the sound or “Tone” that came out of that era. So many great recordings that we strive today to just get somewhere close to that sound. They did not have the sophisticated recording equipment we have today. Many of those sounds came from Les Paul’s and other Gibson made guitars. The 59 Les Paul was Magic! The difference is in the electronics. Many things effect the tone including the material the guitar is made of, the amp, electronics and even your own playing style. But if you are looking for an easy economically way to get “That 50's Tone”. Upgrade your wiring back to the 50’s vintage style. There is nothing special or difficult about this wiring. It simply connects the tone pot to the output of the volume pot (middle lug) instead of the input lug. Putting the tone adjustment after the volume. This is the way Gibson wired up their electric guitars in the late 1950s. Les Paul, SG and ES-335. It’s hard to describe but one of the best descriptions I have heard is “The Tone Just Gets In Your Face”. Notes open up after you play them. It’s stronger, tighter and adds clarity especially to the neck pick up. Will definitely improve the Muddy Neck sound. By rolling back your guitar volume some you can clean up an overdriven amp. One of my own favorite things is the elimination of much of the treble loss when you roll the volume down. Both volume and tone controls are very responsive and smoother. Now the above has all been about the way the components are wired up. What about the electronics. You don’t have to change any components to achieve the 50s vintage wiring but If you really want to bring your guitar Back to Life here are a few suggestions that want break the bank.
Hope this helps some of you out there that are considering a modification to your guitar. Tone is very much subjective and a matter of taste. I personally like the 50’s style and have modified all my guitars. Give it a try and have some fun. Good luck with your search for That Magic Tone! Cheers! Gary Standerfer Tone Man Guitar Yes It Is! No matter what Strat style guitar you have. From a basic Squire to an upper end Fender they all use basic inexpensive components. Nothing against the manufacture. They build a Great Guitar that still can be improved. Upgrading your Strat can be as simple as changing out a tone cap or a full re wire job with all new pickups. No matter how small of a change. You will hear a difference! Tone Caps: This can be one of the best changes you can make. Normally the caps that come in your guitar are not the best. A capacitor is like a filter: They let the highest frequencies pass, but resist lower frequencies. The two most common upgrade caps are Orange Drops and Paper-In-Oil (PIO). I prefer the characteristics of the KY Series Vintage PIO caps. These caps will give you a very warm vintage tone. Plus they get better with time. Most common is a .047uf. Other options would be a .033uf or a .022uf. My personal favorite is a .1uf. It’s great for a good jazz / blues warm tone when you roll off the tone control. Same cap found in a Eric Johnson Stratocaster. A good rule to remember is the higher the cap value the more high frequencies are rolled off with the tone control. A warmer, darker tone. Let your own ear decide what cap is best for you. Potentiometers: Almost all Strat's use 250K pots. I recommend to stay with that value. Brand wise I like Bourns. I have found them to be smooth and long lasting. You will need a short shaft pot. Audio or Linear Taper Pots: I recommend Audio Taper pots. Without going into a lot of technical detail about the difference think of it this way. Audio taper are matched with what the human ear hears. Tone is what we hear. Our hearing is not linear. Wiring: The characteristics of your wiring will effect the tone. Although you can leave the factory wiring I do recommend changing it to vintage 22 awg wax cloth push back wire through out. This is what you will find in most vintage 50’s and 60’s made guitars. It does effect the tone and you will hear a difference. Switches: One of the best upgrades is to replace the 5 way with a new Oak Grigsby switch and a new Switchcraft out put jack. Both give you rock solid connections and last much longer. There are other things that effect the tone. Pickups, type of wood the body of the guitar is made of and more. Including your own playing style. I hope this covers the basics to help you with your Tone Improvement. Good luck and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us. Check out our eBay Store for more Guitar Tone Improvement Information. Cheers! Gary Standerfer Tone Man Guitar Can I Improve my Les Paul Tone So you are wondering can I improve my Les Paul Tone. If you are like most you have been filtering through the many articles, comments and opinions found on the internet. What is this 50’s vintage wiring, cloth wiring verses what I have now, what pots to use, long shaft, short shaft and the dozens of different type caps? Yes it can be mine boggling. Hopefully this article will help clear up a few questions and simplify your quest for a better tone. First off understand that the "Best Tone" is subjective. We all have different taste and more important different playing styles. Tone does not just come from the electronics in your guitar. Tone is effected by the different characteristics of the type of wood your unit is made from, the neck, the caps, pots, wiring, pickups, the amp you use and the way you play. You can make your guitar sound better with a few good upgrades. My own preference is the Vintage Sound from the 50’s and 60’s. Upgrading your Les Paul can be as simple as changing out a few tone caps or a full re wire job. No matter how small of a change. You will hear a difference. Tone Caps: This can be one of the best changes you can make. Normally the caps that come in your guitar are not the best. A capacitor is like a filter: They let the highest frequencies pass, but resist lower frequencies. The two most common upgrade caps are Orange Drops and Paper-In-Oil (PIO). I prefer the characteristics of the Vintage PIO caps. These caps will give you a very warm vintage tone. Plus they get better with time. Most common is a .022uf for both the bridge and neck pickup but I like to put a .015uf in the neck pickup. It’s great for a good jazz / blues warm tone out of the neck pick up. A good rule to remember is the higher the cap value the darker the tone. Let your own ear decide what cap, is best for you. Pots: Almost all LP use 500K pots. I recommend to stay with that value. Brand wise I like Bourns. I have found them to be smooth and long lasting. Long or Short Shaft? Depends on your model and year made. Typically Pre 1977 Gibson USA manufactured Les Pauls, All Epiphone LP and other off shore made LP copy's use Short Shaft. 1977 to present USA made Gibson Les Paul's use Long Shaft. Audio or Linear Taper Pots: I recommend Audio Taper pots. Without going into a lot of technical detail about the difference think of it this way. Audio taper are matched with what the human ear hears. Tone is what we hear. Our hearing is not linear. Wiring: The characteristics of your wiring will effect the tone. Use vintage 22 gauge cloth push back wiring. This is what you will find in most vintage 50’s and 60’s made guitars. It does effect the tone and you will hear a difference. If you are replacing your 3-Way switch and I do recommend you to do so,make sure you replace the wiring. Use vintage braided cloth wiring. 50’s wiring: The tone is just better with 50’s wiring. It’s stronger and the notes really reach out and grab you. Plus the loss of treble when turning back the volume is reduced. It's easy to find a 50's Vintage LP Wiring Diagram on the web. Switches: Don’t try to save a few bucks here. The best is Switchcraft 3-Way and Output Jacks. They give a solid connection and last longer. Now if you are trying to save some money or limit the work involved keeping your guitars present switch and jack is OK. Unless they are noisy. The Pots, Caps and wiring are the key to Tone Improvement. I hope this covers the basics to help you with your Tone Improvement. Good luck and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us. Gary Tone Man Guitar |
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