Wiring a little funny on an Epiphone LP

[jayjacque]

So I just picked up this cheaper Epiphone LP with swapped out pickups already in, GFS Memphis filtitrons in place of stock. And that's pretty much why I bought it, that and the lighter weight and short scale. Anyways I played it for a few months at church and am pretty happy with the sound.

Then I started thinking how much the bridge and neck pickups sounded so similar, not only in sound but in volume, and thought I should maybe raise the bridge pickup so I could kick in a strong lead when needed. When I did that I was pretty shocked to discover the bridge P-U adjustment was for the rhythm side of the knob switch rather than lead.

So I'm not a wiring guy, but my son-in-law will do it for me. Before we open it up, what are we probably looking for? Did the previous D-I-Y'er just get the wires backwards somehow from the knob switch, or does it sound like the bridge P-U is where the neck P-U should be and vice-versa?

 

[Tone_Terrific]

Not quite clear.
Is the pup switch working neck/both/bridge or are the pots just reversed from the usual locations? That may have been set to someone's personal preference.

 

[B. Howard]

Loosen the nut on top of the switch and rotate 180 degrees, problem solved.

 

[NoahL]

Your description is confusing. Is there no change in sound at all between the two pickups? If so, maybe the switch wiring is bad and you're only getting one pickup no matter which of the positions you're in. Does the middle position sound different? In the middle position, do both volume controls work?

 

[jayjacque]

Hey thanks Mr. Howard. I'll try that. That's probably it!

Yeah it's all a little funny. If either one of the volumes are turned down it turns both pickups volume off; otherwise the volume knob for rhythm seems to be controlling the bridge pickup and lead volume knob controlling the neck pickup. I had an LP before and don't remember all volume disappearing if just one of the volume knobs are turned down. But even if that stays that way it wouldn't bother me so much.

 

[Tone_Terrific]

I had an LP before and don't remember all volume disappearing if just one of the volume knobs are turned down. .

Normal with both pups on.

 

[Kyle B]

1) Rotate the switch 180 as mentioned. That problem solved

2) There are a couple different wiring schemes used on LP's. One of them does what you describe -- Either volume pot kills the other pickup in the middle position. (i.e. it's not "broke") If it bothers you, can rewire it to decouple the pots http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/stockgibson.gif