Share This Thread My First Les Paul... Cinda Private (4808) Equipment Forum 9/6/2009 7:43:27 AM · 32 Views [Respond to this Message] I bought my first Les Paul yesterday. (Not the off brands that I've bought before, but a real one...) Actually it's an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus. Nice deep cherry color, flame maple top... and a HUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM I bought it from a local music store that is notorious for swapping pickups out of guitars and other nefarious tactics. But, they threw in an Epi Hardshell Case, so it was $299 for the guitar... I'm not sure if the pickups are not grounded or the jack. I wish I knew how to do the repair!!!

Responses

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 8:42:40 AM Edd Robins (5758) wrote: $299 sounds like a good price for the git, 'specially with a hardshell case. MF has 'em advertised at $549. You must have the Wine Red model...cool enough!! Nice score...except for the hum which'll probly be easy and cheap to fix. When ya say the store is notorious for swappin' out p'ups, do ya mean they take good p'ups out of a gittar and put crappy ones in their place? Can't really see them going to the trouble of swapping out Epi p'ups. I got 2 Epi's, a '56 re-issue Goldtop and a Dot. I swapped the p'ups out soon after I bought the gits, but it was a change for the better in both cases. Checkin' out the problem and fixing it may not be that difficult most likely, but if ya don't know how I'm thinkin' it's not gonna cost ya that much to get a tech to do it. Good luck with it, m'friend. Edd

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 9:05:05 AM Cinda Private (4808) wrote: They would swap the pups out of a 1987 Hondo II and put them in a Epi Paul... Then swap the pups out of an Epi Paul and put them in a Gibson Les Paul. Then put the pups from the Gibson Les Paul on Ebay.

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 9:26:27 AM Edd Robins (5758) wrote: Hey, maybe that's where the p'ups for my Dot came from, lol. If they're authorized dealers, they'll be gettin' an attitude adjustment soon enoough. That's not only lowlife and poor business, but it may be illegal. Is it a new gittar, or used? Well, since ya got such a good price on the LP a p'up swap and new jack (better get a switch, too)wouldn't hurt ya a bit... Later, m'friend, Edd

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 9:56:08 AM Cinda Private (4808) wrote: The use to be an authorized Gibson, Fender, Peavey dealer... then Guitar Center and other chains came to town. Then they became a Dean dealer. Now? It's guitar show shopping and trades mostly.

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 10:10:22 AM Edd Robins (5758) wrote: We have a couple of local music stores, but so far there's no GC's or the likes. One of them, Avalon Music, just had a Grand Opening for their new store...twice the size of the old one. A good place to do business, they've taken good care of me for years. I'd ask how the LP plays, but because of the hum ya probly haven't been playing it a lot??

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 10:15:48 AM Cinda Private (4808) wrote: It plays like a dream actually. I played it in the store and thought it was the cable. Turns out it was the guitar... :-( The thing that I don't understand about LPs is how the neck can feel so different on that same basic guitar. It took me a while to find one that had a neck that fit my hands just right. I don't know about the overall tone with my amp etc. but I like the way it sounds acoustically.

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 10:25:34 AM Edd Robins (5758) wrote: If ya got a good handling git with a HS case for $300, it's still a good deal even with the hum IMO. Can't help thinkin' it'll be an inexpensive fix. Yeah, I tried 3 Dots before I found the one that felt best to me. And it was the neck that sold me on it. Wanted a 'burst, but ended up with Cherry Red. My cuz is the gittar tech at the store, he sets 'em up pretty good for me and the set-up is free for all customers.

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 3:44:15 PM Randy Hano (6662) wrote: It took me 3 serious years to find a decent LP. Even the Gibson all have different feels to the neck. I don't why or how but if you find one that works, it gold! Now to duplicate that will take time also. As for your hum, it may just a simple grounding issue on the guitar. Does it happen on both pickups? Are your pickups P90 single coil types or humbuckers? You may need to take it to someone if you don't know how to troubleshoot it. But what it worth, you did well. Like mentioned before you can change the pickups. That too will be another fun decision as tone and sound are so personal to everyone. Good Luck and Have fun playing your new axe.

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 7:25:15 PM Cinda Private (4808) wrote: I have a guitar with P90s... this is not a P90 Hum. These are the Epi LP pups. I took out the pups to look at them (pups is such a silly word) the neck says "Dot Neck/Bridge LP Neck" and the bridge says "LP Bridge"... so the pups weren't swapped. I'm trying to read wiring diagrams now... FRUSTRATING. I'm so lost!!!

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 7:44:24 PM Cinda Private (4808) wrote: I figured out what's going on! When I took off the strings and the bridge fell off the hum stopped! There's a problem with the bridge ground. Any hints or tips from the experts?

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 11:18:42 PM Randy Hano (6662) wrote: 1) Check you pickup color codes. Normally one is black and the other white. Sometimes it might be just black and the sheild on the outside. The shielded contact should always be the ground contact. 2) Normally there is a ground wire that connects from pot ground (control knobs) going to the either the bridge or tailpiece. Make sure that contact is in tact. 3) Check the cord jack and look for corrosion. You mentioned that they do putz with the guitars. I would potentially replace the jack with a good switchcraft 1/4" jack socket. Most cheaper made guitar use crappy connections. Those are the only three items I can think of being blindfolded.

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/7/2009 11:34:09 AM David Mackie (10592) wrote: Just fyi, the leads to Epi pickups (at least the ones that came out of my early issue DOT) have hot center wire, insulation, stranded (not braided) copper shield, and outer insulation. It would certainly seem to be a grounding issue, but I can't remember what condition would cause the hum to stop with the strings removed. I've dealt with it before, but it's been ages and ages ago. (30 years since I had that particular guitar)

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... Resolved!!! 9/7/2009 3:25:08 PM Cinda Private (4808) wrote: It turns out that the input jack was wired backwards! I took it in and it was fixed in no time at all... Now... to play!

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... Resolved!!! 9/8/2009 1:27:59 AM Randy Hano (6662) wrote: Have fun with the new guitar Cinda! What a minute I can hear you playing from miles away - I think.

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... Resolved!!! 9/8/2009 4:21:46 AM Randy Combs (4944) wrote: I called it! Glad you git it solved.

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... Resolved!!! 9/8/2009 11:29:12 AM Cinda Private (4808) wrote: I wish I could have fixed it myself.... They did a good job of rewiring it tho... took about half an hour our to properly de-solder, then re-apply. Looked VERY good. Who would have thought it was something that simple? Oh... Randy ;-)

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... Resolved!!! 9/8/2009 2:07:32 PM Ken Richardson (6286) wrote: The switches and jacks are often problem areas. Cinda - there are books out there on simple guitar repairs - why not buy or borrow a book and learn a bit about it? Even if you don't start fixing your gear, you will be able to ask good questions when you hire someone to fix things.

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... Resolved!!! 9/8/2009 9:30:44 PM Chris Pinto (22326) wrote: HEY! WE NEED PICTURES OF THIS NEW AXE!!!! ;) Chris

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... Resolved!!! 9/8/2009 4:35:09 PM David Mackie (10592) wrote: Yeah, that was it. ;-)

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 11:46:09 AM David Mackie (10592) wrote: If the pups actually came out of a cheap Asian guitar from back then, they may actually be single coils in a humbucker shell. Besides that, there are lots of things it could be, with varying costs of fixing. For that price though, you should be able to get it sounding just fine and still have an overall bargain.

• Respond to this Re: My First Les Paul... 9/6/2009 12:31:33 PM Randy Combs (4944) wrote: Definitely a bad ground. Either the jack wires are crossed, or they did not ground the pickups to the pots.

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