Wiring a Les Paul Traditional Pro

[Armitage]

I've got a sweet Tobacco Burst 2012 Les Paul Traditional Pro... the previous owner pulled out the zebra pickups and switching pots to install some covered pickups.  As it happens, I have a Zebra set of Burst Bucker III and Classic '57 in my pickups box, so I'd like to return it to stock (ish). I've ordered the push/pull pots but can't find a diagram anywhere, I'm not really sure what they do either. Are they true single coils? Inner, outer? Series/parallel or the "tuned single coil" of a more recent Les Paul Standard?

I've written Gibson twice, and never got an answer.

Gibson wire colors of course...

[Armitage]

 

Not my picture/guitar... but identical.

[Jeff R]

I just pulled descriptions of your Gibson replacements (I don't know my Gibson pickups that well) and both are described as vintage two-conductor wiring, so coil taps likely ain't in your options list. In/out phase would be cool to have if you're die-hard to have a little more versatility via clickety pots.

[Armitage]

The ones that came IN a guitar are different then the ones sold individuality. Oddly, the ones sold IN a guitar are four conductor, and the Burstbucker III IS wax potted (usually it is not).

The description on the Gibson web page is vague, and uses the misnomer coil tap...

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Traditional-Pro.aspx

Coil Tapping The bridge and neck pickups can each be split via their own push/pull switch on the volume knob to achieve a single-coil tone. This coil-tapping function allows you to instantly achieve brighter, snappier tones from this humbucker-loaded guitar, to replicate the sounds of other classic guitars equipped with single-coil pickups, and to return to the Les Paul Traditional Pro's thick, warm, powerful, full-humbucking tone at the push of a knob.

[Armitage]

 

It turns out Gibson just shorted out the green and white to ground, making it a real single coil (as opposed to a series/parallel). The inner slug sides.

The DiMarzio pot/switches I have can do series/parallel as well... so that way it will still be humbucking... now to decide which I want...

Anyone used a humbucker as a true single coil? I used to do all kinds of crazy switches in the late '70s, but now I just don't care so much... I just wanted to return it to stock, but series/parallel use to be the way to go...

[velorush]

I have two guitars with push-pull switches. 

The Kiz Senior has Rio pickups (the lower-powered Buffalo / Genuine Texas set) and the push-pull does a coil split (by sending one coil to ground, as described above).  The Gibson (Howard Roberts) has Lollar Imperials and push pulls to move each pickup between series and parallel.  Which is better?  IMO, it depends entirely on the pickups, guitar and what you're after.  The Rios actually sound convincingly enough like a single coil, though since half of a humbucker is weaker than an actual single coil and they don't have magnetic pole pieces like say, Rio's Muy Grande (which is two actual single coils in one pickup), they aren't and don't get you there completely - for me, close enough in that guitar.  The sustainblock bridge really brings a lot of snappiness, so that helps the single coil masquerade.

The Lollars in parallel do not to me sound like single coils whatsoever.  They do sound like a thinner, lower output humbucker.  It is a useful sound (and the pickup remains hum-bucking), and really cool if you're going for, say, cool MOTOWN sounds and such, so great in that guitar. 

Of course you know enough about the wiring to know that a single DPDT switch can get you coil split for both pickups in one switch (e.g., the Tone control in the Senior, so I was able to retain the superior sweep of the stock Hamer volume controls), the series-parallel switching requires both sides of the switch, so one push-pull for each pickup (both Tone controls on the Gibson).

[Armitage]

 

Ha... I have to start paying more attention what's kicking around here. My Les Paul Standard (2013?) has push pull pots, and an aluminum tailpiece.

Ha, who knew?