50's wiring for axis ss?

[bandmaster]

hi all, i have been finding, when i roll off the volume on my axis ss it gets very muddy sounding by the time the volume pot hits 8. (on all pickup settings)
someone suggested to me to alter the wiring to 50's style les paul layout. obviously there is only 1 volume and 1 tone to deal with.
has anyone tried this and is there a wiring diagram for this mod.

 

[LawDaddy]

I wire all my guitars this way, including my EBMMs. It's a very simple and reversible mod. Basically, the tone cap is connected to the wiper (middle lug) of the volume pot, instead of the end lug.

Note that it changes the way the tone and volume pots interact.

The best source for '50s wiring diagrams is here:

Wiring Library - My Les Paul Forums

In the spirit of this site, since this is a non-standard mod, it's probably best to ask any further questions over there.

HTH,

Tim

 

[Spudmurphy]

Interesting that you should mention this - my mate who makes guitars for a living "Dearnaley Guitars" has just built another Les Paul.
He wired it up conventionally and it was just too hot. He then changed it to 50's wiring, changed the caps and it's a lot better.
I won't see him until the weekend so can't get a wiring diagram off him - but I bet there are loads of examples on the 'net.

 

[DrKev]

I'd say just try it! Move that one wire and see how it works. If you're confident with a soldering iron, you have nothing to lose.

Your other option is a treble bleed mod, though it will also affect the taper of the volume pot (which is a good thing if you find the volume drop-off happens too abruptly).

There are plenty of resources online to give you ideas, advice, and component values. Check out some of the pickup manufacturers for starters. And then tell us all about your experience.

http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-guitars/49503-volume-pot-taper-treble-bleed-mod.html

 

[bandmaster]

thanks all. will let you know how i get on.

 

[acwild]

I'd say just try it! Move that one wire and see how it works. If you're confident with a soldering iron, you have nothing to lose.

I'm confident with a soldering iron and will still burn my hands an average of three times. This is a mod that I'm curious about for some of my other guitars so I'm anxious to hear how it turns out.

 

[beej]

Some like the 50s wiring, some like treble bleeds.

I've always been of the mind that the additional treble when you turn up the volume is a good thing. With single coils, I generally set my amp so the guitar sounds is just right with the volume and tone backed off a bit. Turning up for solos then gives some additional brightness which helps cut through. After all, it's handy to have the control at your fingertips rather than having to play with the amp.

 

[bandmaster]

while on the subject of pickups and wiring, i was thinking of changing the pickups for a set of bareknuckle abraxas.
does anyone know what magnet type are in the stock pickups? there dosen't seem to be much info on them.

 

[jamminjim]

while on the subject of pickups and wiring, i was thinking of changing the pickups for a set of bareknuckle abraxas.
does anyone know what magnet type are in the stock pickups? there dosen't seem to be much info on them.

Now there's a good question. I would think they are DiMarzios with Alnico V magnets, but could be wrong.