GFS Mean90 pickups in an Epiphone Les Paul

[SpinWheelz]

Hi there. Newbie, so please pardon some rudimentary ignorance of my part. I'm trying to replace my stock humbuckers with a pair of GFS Mean90 pickups in my Epiphone Les Paul. I've read a bunch of threads here and I've tried to download wiring schematics from places like Seymour Duncan and other places. But I'm still not 100% certain of which bits I ought to detach and which bits I ought to solder. Maybe this is in part due to different colored wiring, etc. between brands and such. When I opened up the backplate, the spaghetti of wires and pots looked a bit daunting.

Could I please trouble someone for some specific direction on which wires I ought to take off the pot, which ones from the new pickups I should be soldering where?

Thanks a million!

[b-squared]

Welcome to the best guitar forum on the net!

A picture of the pickup leads, as well as a pic of your current electronics cavity would be invaluable.

Close ups are even better. Example:



BB

[SpinWheelz]

Cheers, b-squared. I just took these: the pot chamber (chamberpot?!) and the fresh-off-the-vine Mean90 pickup. Maybe this migh help? (edit: sorry I'm not quite sure how to post them as large as the example above)

[kspeed]

Good choice on the Mean 90's - they're very clear and punchy with very little hum...a bit brighter than regular old P90's, though. I'd take a picture of my setup but I have them in a PRS with only one volume and tone knob.

[overdriver]

Originally Posted by kspeed

Good choice on the Mean 90's - they're very clear and punchy with very little hum...a bit brighter than regular old P90's, though. I'd take a picture of my setup but I have them in a PRS with only one volume and tone knob.

If too bright for ya try 250-300 K pots and .047-.068 cap

[kspeed]

Yea it's got 500k pots just like my LP Special. The woods used in each are identical except the PRS has a maple cap, so I've been considering swapping in some 300k pots once I get unlazy enough to head down to the store.

[overdriver]

Originally Posted by kspeed

Yea it's got 500k pots just like my LP Special. The woods used in each are identical except the PRS has a maple cap, so I've been considering swapping in some 300k pots once I get unlazy enough to head down to the store.

I would think 300K pots may turn up on forum , I hear the new Gibson Trad. comes with them and people are switching to 500K

[SpinWheelz]

Well, thanks all the same, but I think I figured it out. I took note of where each lead connected to each volume pot (there were only two per original pickup). Since the Mean90s came with three leads - one hot (white), and two presumably ground (red and bare) - I connected the white to the post, and the red and bare to the back of the pot.

Put the whole thing back together, fired it up, and it worked! (Priority was to get it to work - finetuning can come later).



The Mean90s are gold, with matching gold pickup rings. I replaced the bridge and tailpiece with new gold pieces, too. It's all a bit bling now (duh). And all the gold doesn't really photograph well, unfortunately.

[jumpinjackf1ash]

How does the mean 90 sound in the neck? I have an epi Les Paul with a GFS Fat Pat in the bridge and a Dimarzio 36th Anniversary in the neck...but kind of want a P-90 for the neck....you recommend it?

[SpinWheelz]

I've not had a ton of playtime with the new setup yet, but it seems quite good. That "brightness" is glaringly apparent, but I've not really put it through the paces yet, I'm afraid. It is drastically different from my Gibson Les Paul Studio with the Burstbuckers, that's for sure.

[kspeed]

I forgot to mention I didn't even connect the bare ground wire on my Mean 90's - the literature said this is only needed in some applications, so I figured I'd tape it off and try it first. Turns out it was fine

Try rolling the volume off from 10 to 8 or so and you'll get a more traditional P90 sound. These pickups are kind of in between true P90 and traditional Fender single coil tone.

[jumpinjackf1ash]

hmm...glaringly apparent doesn't sound too good to me...haha ;]