'60s Tribute, 3 p90s, Bigsby

[Billy Hell]

Sooooo I recently went to a show and decided I needed a p90 and put one in my LP. That led to the purchase of a '60s Tribute with p90s. I have ordered a B7 Bigsby, locking tuners, roller bridge, etc. I just got off the phone with my guitar tech and we are going to route this Tribute for a 3rd p90. Blaspheme? Maybe, but I think it would be pretty cool and the Tribute is my modder LP.
I have searched and searched for a trick wiring schematic. I want to be able to run all three p90s at once if I want to. Parallel and series, phase reverse would also be nice. I'm just looking for a super trick wiring schematic that will work with my LP controls. Anyone out there have any links/suggestions?

Something like - one master tone and volume, each with push-pull switches for phase shift and series switching, and I would replace the other volume and tone pots with 4-pole 6-throw rotary switches, allowing the standard 3-way toggle to switch between the two rotary switches positions.

[Trow]

I'm sorry I don't have any links but I had to chime in. I think that would be awesome! What color did you order? Show us some pics when your done! Good luck!

[Billy Hell]

I know everyone loves the gold top, and I like it too, but I'm a sucker for red/black/white. So I went with the satin black (very primer black to me). There will be no plastic left on the LP, everything will be satin black or chrome. After I'm done, if I love it, I'll have an 80 year old pinstriper stripe it for me. He has been striping since the late 50's.
So flat black, chrome, Bigsby, 3 chrome p90s and white and red stripes.

[Justin_Case]

I really want a tone report and some pics when done!

[Nay]

GuitarNuts.com - Wiring

Browse around this site. Most of the info relates to strats, but it has the tricks you want detailed and strats are also 3 pickups!

At the end of the day, I think the phase thing and parrallel/series switching is often considered not worth it. He talks indepth anyway on that site.

I would probably use three switches, one for each PU to use whichever. Getting rid of the stock switch.

[Billy Hell]

Maybe I put a 5 way rotary where the 3 way is, or variac or tonestyler in there. I have yet to find a wiring diagram that will work.

[Billy Hell]

With some valuable help from Def Eddie. I'm looking at 3 volumes, 1 master tone and a six way four pole rotary switch here the 3 way goes. I'm wondering if the 6 way will fit in my LP cavity.
Here is a mock up...

[cochrane]

A 6-way will require routing for it at the switch cavity.

What I did with mine:

Neck volume, bridge volume wired as per '50s wiring regular. Selector is as per usual too, neck, bridge, bridge + neck.

Lose the neck tone and make that your middle volume, but make sure to wire it indepedent rather than '50s otherwise you'll kill the entire circuit when you turn it 0. Wire the pot's output to the hot lug of your output jack.

Bridge tone becomes a master tone, also wired to your output jack's hot lug.

What I found was that with all three pups at 10 you get a high-pass type signal (so, radically less bass), but there's a wealth of tonal possibilities before that point. Works an absolute treat.

[Billy Hell]

After measuring it looks like it will fit the hole exactly.

I have more than enough width. The height is right to the top of the cavity cover so if I use a hollowed out cavity cover as a spacer and then put another cavity cover on top I should have room.

[cochrane]

Oh that kind of 6-way, I assumed you meant the switch you'll find of the Page reissue LPC, my bad.

[Billy Hell]

I appreciate the input. For some reason I really like the idea of six positions and that red chicken head.

[Nay]

GuitarNuts.com - Tone Monster

Dunno if you've found this, but that will give you an overview of your phase shifting.

If you want some real trick stuff, chances are your gonna have to do some proper research into how to wire a guitar. Its not overly complex, unless you start to do the mad stuff. Also depends on your desired pot configuration.

Oh and you can also do some "Double Barrel" switching too....
GuitarNuts.com - Double-Barrel Switching(tm) Three-Pickup Wiring

EDIT: Simply you have a master switch, which has in the above example 5 positions. 4 are used for unique combinations (N+B, N+M+B, etc) and then the fith position activates the standard strat switch. With getting your head round it, it could easily be reworked for a LP.

Use the standard switch for N or B, but when its off activate another 5 position switch that chooses N+M, N+B, M, M+B, N+M+B?

[Billy Hell]

Here is something interesting. My p90 chrome covers that I ordered don't fit in the p90 routes on the guitar.

[Billy Hell]

The Tone Monster is very cool but I don't want to drill out the LP.

[Billy Hell]

The odd shaped p90 route has put a hitch in my getalong.

[leftyguitarman]

I can't wait to see pics of this. This is going to be really interesting.

[Billy Hell]

I have some VintageVibe Guitar covers coming. If they fit I'll order 3 and get the guitar routed.

The GreasyGroove covers didn't fit the Gibson p90s or the routes. The Guitarheads p90s also didn't fit the route. Looks like I'm about to start selling some things on ebay!

[MojoMonster]

The best Strat schematic I ever saw was the Michael Richardson mod.
It used a Superswitch and a couple of push/pulls to achieve all sorts of stuff.


A variation on that:


No idea how to translate that into a couple of 6 position rotary switches, but show it to your tech. He may be able to figure it out.
Hope this helps.

[Billy Hell]

Very cool!

[Billy Hell]

I may finally have found a luthier in TN that can route the LP. I'm now thinking 3 dogears if I can adjust the height. Got my six way switch in from Stewmac and it totally fits in the 3 way cavity no problem. The threads are short though so my Peso poker chip won't work. I also decided to ebonize the neck. This is my second dye job on a neck and this one was a lot less stressful! Eazypeezy. I also have a new mockup:

[David Mccarroll]

Originally Posted by cochrane

A 6-way will require routing for it at the switch cavity.

What I did with mine:

Neck volume, bridge volume wired as per '50s wiring regular. Selector is as per usual too, neck, bridge, bridge + neck.

Lose the neck tone and make that your middle volume, but make sure to wire it indepedent rather than '50s otherwise you'll kill the entire circuit when you turn it 0. Wire the pot's output to the hot lug of your output jack.

Bridge tone becomes a master tone, also wired to your output jack's hot lug.

What I found was that with all three pups at 10 you get a high-pass type signal (so, radically less bass), but there's a wealth of tonal possibilities before that point. Works an absolute treat.

Basically what he says, but use a push-pull pot for the middle pickup volume so that you can disengage the pickup from the circuit completely.

Phase switching ...... meh, coil tapping, better but you have to order the pickups specially, or do some serious modding to your existing pickups ..... series/parallel switching a'la Fender's "Greasebucket" switching a much more interesting idea, however unless your neck and bridge P90s are RW/RP I'd imaging 2 P90s running in series would produce insane amounts of 60 Hz hum.....

Push/pull pots allow you to do all sorts of interesting switching mods without drilling extra holes in your axe or unduly affecting its stock appearance - great things!

[tolm]

Personally, I'd switch the neck tone control for a Gibson-style 6-way rotary pickup selector, convert the bridge tone to a master tone and replace the normal 3-way with a kill switch.

Spent a good number of years obsessing over a 3xP90 guitar design. Still not 100% I know exactly what to go with ... Been through LP Junior, Firebird and SG ideas ... recently put a mockup together for an SG with HB bridge and P90s in neck and middle which I unexpectedly loved ...

This looks like it's gonna be pretty darn cool, though!

[Billy Hell]

I just got back from Glasers! They said it would be 2 weeks but it was only one day. The only thing left is for my VintageVibe Guitars P90s to show up. I'm going to bolt on the Bigsby and start the wiring this weekend.

Nick from Glasers did the routing:


The LP with the P90 covers slid in. I had to route the existing holes corner radius for the non Gibson P90s to fit:


There is no sign for Glasers but the mailbox gave them away:

[Billy Hell]

Wiring (Les Paul, 3 P90s, 6 way rotary switch from Stewmac, push pull pots:
So Deaf Eddie came through again! I know I like P90s but I have never had 3 to play with before. Deaf Eddie hooked me up again! Here is the schematic:


and here is what it does ala Deaf Eddie:
PULL the bridge volume, and it puts the bridge pup out of phase. This will affect throws 2, 3, & 4, you can make them spikey and/or sweet, but also nasally and thin, DEPENDING on how you balance the volume of the bridge pup with the other volumes. Lots of tonal variations here from working the volume knobs.

PULL the tone control, and it puts the bridge pup in series with the neck pup. This is a "brute force" tone (usually). This will affect throws 1 and 2, and the series combo should be BIG and FAT, and probably a tad louder - some players think they hear a little high-end rolloff, but it's just the bass coming on gangbusters. A side effect of series combos is that the bridge pup will "disappear" from throws 3 and 4, as it is shunted by the presence of the neck pup.

PULL BOTH, and the bridge is in series/out of phase with the neck pup. On almost all the axes I have - single coil or humbucker - throw 1 will be a stinging solo voice, and I like it a lot. Sounds best with some overdrive/crunch. Throw 2 will be a tad mellower, and the other four throws will again be missing the bridge pup.

The red chicken head will point down at the neck pickup. With this wiring here is how that works ala Deaf Eddie:
"the sweep is all on the "neck" side of the arc, with "up" as the neck and go clockwise "down" as the bridge"

[tolm]

Looks good and that is one mental wiring scheme!

Realised my suggestion earlier would result in no volume control for one of the pickups - doh! I'd therefore revise my suggestion to:

Neck Vol -> Neck Vol
Bridge Vol -> Bridge Vol
Bridge Tone -> Middle Vol
Neck Tone -> 6-way pickup selector
3-way Switch -> 3-way tone circuit, a la Gretsch

[Billy Hell]

Here she is all Bigsbyed up with knobs....

[Scott_UK]

I'm looking forward to seeing this project and a report on how it sounds!

Great idea!!

[J-Dizzle]

looks cool

[kezian]

call me crazy, but ive seen some chrome colored vinyl pinstripe tape at autozone that comes in 1/4" and could look really cool around the top edge as a faux binding. consider it. interesting choice on the bigsby arm btw. dont see those ones on lps often, but it looks cool

[Billy Hell]

The Chet bar is there strictly because for me it's superior to the Bigsby arm. I think the Bigsby arm looks cooler but for the the Chet bar transforms the Bigsby into a very usable trem. Without it the original bar always seems to be miles away and the trem action seems sloppy to me. The Chet bar on the other hand (other hand...get it) is always right there in the perfect place and seems to allow much more control over what I can do with it. Anyone need a couple of Bigsby trem arms? I'll sell them cheap!