How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul - Page 2

snaredrum · 06-25-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splattle101

There are many examples of neck pickup solos. Have a listen to Shine On You Crazy Diamond. I don't care what kind of guitar it was played on, it had a healthy dose of neck pickup involved.

...any number of Cream songs...

...Blackmore with Purple (yes, it was a strat, but still neck a lot of the time)

...what about the intro to Since I've Been Lovin You? And most of the verses...

...what about Gary Moore and Still Got the Blues?!!??!! I mean, really. Neck pickup for rhythm only? I don't think so...

[EDIT]Sorry if this post seems a bit negative or garoul...garrou...gar...argumentative. I just got back from the pub...watching hot young girls bending over and groaning...

[END EDIT]

[EDIT 2]That'd be the TENNIS, you depraved sods!! Whatever did you think I meant??!![END EDIT 2]

lol

what time is it? drinkin late, youth!

Jonno_aus · 06-25-2009, 06:51 PM

Man, I'm loving this. I'm using the neck pickup now for all my solo's. Who would've thought!

I'm liking the extra creamy, thicker tone I get on the solo's. Then use the bridge for the rhythm adjusting the tone so it isnt so brittle. Dunno why but I seem to like a trebley kinda rhythm.

Good stuff.

mattymel · 06-25-2009, 07:35 PM

Splattle's original post is right on the money big +1!

MrRhoads · 06-27-2009, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splattle101

You're right, you do have to be quick with your right hand. But you'd be amazed how proficient you become. Have a look at this vid:

YouTube - BB King / Gary Moore - The Thrill is Gone

In this one, Garry Moore's right hand returns to his controls after every lick, as if by reflex. He's riding his volumes all the way home.

Good luck with it, man.

cheers,
Splat

If i´m not mistaken Gary Moore has that famous Peter Green out of phase setup on that guitar making that nasal sound

Thanks for a great thread

I use my volume and tone knobs a "little" but never thought to use them this much

Pressing "PRINT" and heading for the amp and guitar

Fuelish · 06-28-2009, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pink_Floyd

I always thought that people tended to use the neck for Rhythm and the bridge for lead? Obviously it is not a hard and fast rule.

I hate the bridge tone on my LP .... I tend to use neck or both, maybe use bridge for rhythm (with the volume and tone knob backed off....) The other 2 positions (middle and neck) sound so sweet, the bridge is just ugly, to me. But I do enjoy spinning the knobs and experimenting - switching from the stock knobs to speeders helps on-the-fly-adjustments, as it can be done with a brush of the finger - the oem Epi knobs seemed to require deliberate grabbing with 2 fingers, at least on mine .... too much like work

severalwills1 · 06-29-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splattle101

There are many examples of neck pickup solos.

This is extremely obvious but

has alot of neck position solos

ozone · 07-01-2009, 10:30 AM

EEF13 · 07-01-2009, 12:24 PM

this is great

klextacy · 10-05-2009, 04:25 PM

Great thread, guys! I'm a habitual tone/volume fiddler.. it's crucial to obtaining great varied tones on a Les Paul.

And a big +1 to using the neck pup for leads. Listen to John Norum and John Sykes as well. They get some AWESOME smooth lead tones using the neck pickups.

latomas · 10-05-2009, 11:07 PM

Definately something I would have never thought about, good stuff.

epilespaul2000 · 10-06-2009, 02:18 PM

This should be stickied.

ElhazGuy · 10-06-2009, 04:46 PM

Wow, man!
Thank you for your tips and for the amazing video.

5F6-A · 10-06-2009, 05:02 PM

great thread

axepilot · 10-07-2009, 08:18 AM

Excellent post, Splattle!

axepilot · 10-07-2009, 05:55 PM

Splattle,

My Germino Club 40 broke me of being lazy on the guitar's volumes and tones. The amp's sound is a direct result of them, and I'm all over them. I have not tried your method of EQ'ing the amp with the neck pickup before. I tried it last night and was amazed. I can ride the tone clean or with a little hair with the neck pup's volume knob, flip to the bridge and be just screaming........or stay on the neck, run up the volume and let the rig sing.

This thread and your method has to be the single best method I've picked up since I've been on MLP. You rock!

Liam · 10-07-2009, 07:34 PM

I reckon this post has changed enough lives that it really ought to be sticky. Who's going to persuade the moderators?

Liam

Splattle101 · 10-07-2009, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by axepilot

Splattle,

My Germino Club 40 broke me of being lazy on the guitar's volumes and tones. The amp's sound is a direct result of them, and I'm all over them. I have not tried your method of EQ'ing the amp with the neck pickup before. I tried it last night and was amazed. I can ride the tone clean or with a little hair with the neck pup's volume knob, flip to the bridge and be just screaming........or stay on the neck, run up the volume and let the rig sing.

That sounds like it!

Quote:

This thread and your method has to be the single best method I've picked up since I've been on MLP. You rock!

Thanks, mate. Glad it's of some use out there.

Cyanide · 10-07-2009, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snaredrum

i was watching freebird the movie, and i'm sure gary rossington switched to neck for some solos. sounded ace

I know for a fact that warren Haynes uses the middle or neck pickup for most every solo he does with Gov't Mule or the Allmans

PINKBITS · 10-07-2009, 07:48 PM

I do 90% of solo's on the neck pickup. Love it

axepilot · 10-07-2009, 08:05 PM

I also do my fair share of leads with the neck pickup.................but I've never EQ'ed the amp to the neck pickup as a baseline EQ before.

With my Germino, it works like a charm.

White · 10-08-2009, 03:34 AM

I've used these volume/tone methods a while ago, whether I played at home or on stage with my band. It really worked. I especially loved to play with the guitars volume knobs, to dial in the gain/tone I needed. To my opinion, the higher the output of the pickups, the more variation in tone you can get (with your volume knobs). The pickups need to clean up well too. From raw old school classic rock tones to high gain territory with one volume knob. It's no secret, it's just how it works.

Anyway, since I'm playing rock based stuff these days I prefer a simple booster for leads instead of using the volume knobs. This has also changed the way I think about pickups, caps and pots. I care a lot less for upgrading those things, since I don't need the pickups to clean up well.

If you play blues you just can't live without the volume/(tone) knobs.

Bluesyzep · 10-08-2009, 09:17 PM

Thought I would give this a try but when you say "set the neck for a good soloing tone" do you mean it should sound like the bridge or did I miss the point. Truth is amp setting are still quite a mystery to me but set my Marshall tube for clean w. gain 8, treble 7, middle 5 and bass 3. Still have a little necky sound to it. Am I on the right track or am I way off?

skateboardtomygrave · 10-08-2009, 10:17 PM

I'm so glad I read this post!!! Sticky this for sure. It's been mentioned a few times in the reply's that people just look at the tone knobs to cut feedback and treble, and I'm guilty of that as well. Hell, I usually keep the volume knobs all the way up until I step away for a minute, than one gets turned all the way down to cut feed back on the amp. Not any more good sir. By the way, I'll be forwarding this to one of my good les paul junkies who for some reason hasn't found this forum...

Splattle101 · 10-09-2009, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluesyzep

Thought I would give this a try but when you say "set the neck for a good soloing tone" do you mean it should sound like the bridge

No.

Quote:

or did I miss the point.

Yes.

Quote:

Truth is amp setting are still quite a mystery to me but set my Marshall tube for clean w. gain 8, treble 7, middle 5 and bass 3. Still have a little necky sound to it. Am I on the right track or am I way off?

What I meant by 'good soloing tone' is that it has enough treble and high mids to be heard through the mix. Like the sound Gary Moore uses for Still Got the Blues. The beginning and a fair bit of the solo are neck pickup sounds. So what I am getting at is that your neck pup is darker than the bridge. The sound you get with the bridge vol and tone at 10 is the brightest sound you can extract from your guitar. If you EQ your amp so the brightest possible sound you can get sounds balanced, the neck pup will be muddy. This is problem a lot of people complain about, which is why I wrote this.

With the tone control you can cut the treble. But you can't add it if it's not already there. So...

EQ your amp so it's as bright as you need it to be on the neck pup. Then your bridge will seem too bright and harsh, but you can tame that with the tone control for the bridge. That's what I meant when I said you can cut the treble, but you can't add it if it's not there.

So in its simplest terms, EQ your amp bright enough for your neck to sound good, then turn down the tone on your bridge. The rest will follow from there.

korus · 10-09-2009, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splattle101

No.Yes.

What I meant by 'good soloing tone' is that it has enough treble and high mids to be heard through the mix. Like the sound Gary Moore uses for Still Got the Blues. The beginning and a fair bit of the solo are neck pickup sounds. So what I am getting at is that your neck pup is darker than the bridge. The sound you get with the bridge vol and tone at 10 is the brightest sound you can extract from your guitar. If you EQ your amp so the brightest possible sound you can get sounds balanced, the neck pup will be muddy. This is problem a lot of people complain about, which is why I wrote this.

With the tone control you can cut the treble. But you can't add it if it's not already there. So...

EQ your amp so it's as bright as you need it to be on the neck pup. Then your bridge will seem too bright and harsh, but you can tame that with the tone control for the bridge. That's what I meant when I said you can cut the treble, but you can't add it if it's not there.

So in its simplest terms, EQ your amp bright enough for your neck to sound good, then turn down the tone on your bridge. The rest will follow from there.

Anyone seing a great player playing a LP using only bridge pup and not touching pots knows that great player should read your brilliant manual in order to start really using a LP. Even some so called stars do not have a clue either.

+1 for sticky!

Bluesyzep · 10-09-2009, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splattle101

No.Yes.

What I meant by 'good soloing tone' is that it has enough treble and high mids to be heard through the mix. Like the sound Gary Moore uses for Still Got the Blues. The beginning and a fair bit of the solo are neck pickup sounds. So what I am getting at is that your neck pup is darker than the bridge. The sound you get with the bridge vol and tone at 10 is the brightest sound you can extract from your guitar. If you EQ your amp so the brightest possible sound you can get sounds balanced, the neck pup will be muddy. This is problem a lot of people complain about, which is why I wrote this.

With the tone control you can cut the treble. But you can't add it if it's not already there. So...

EQ your amp so it's as bright as you need it to be on the neck pup. Then your bridge will seem too bright and harsh, but you can tame that with the tone control for the bridge. That's what I meant when I said you can cut the treble, but you can't add it if it's not there.

So in its simplest terms, EQ your amp bright enough for your neck to sound good, then turn down the tone on your bridge. The rest will follow from there.

Thank you. Will try it again.

BOBBO · 10-10-2009, 08:34 PM

A very insightful read !!! I give it a 9.6

itchybro · 10-11-2009, 01:29 PM

Page is the reason Grissom added the separate volume controls to the DGT PRS. Here's a fine example of volume controlling.

Fine thread. I've picked up some good stuff to try. (Mostly the "EQ for the neck"!) I've got a rehearsal in a couple hours that I was gonna take the tele to. This should be innaresting.

YouTube - Led Zeppelin Since I've Been Loving You 1973

Bluesyzep · 10-12-2009, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itchybro

Page is the reason Grissom added the separate volume controls to the DGT PRS. Here's a fine example of volume controlling.

Fine thread. I've picked up some good stuff to try. (Mostly the "EQ for the neck"!) I've got a rehearsal in a couple hours that I was gonna take the tele to. This should be innaresting.

YouTube - Led Zeppelin Since I've Been Loving You 1973

Funny you should post that. I've been working on SIBLY (live) for several months. I normally play with the volumes at 10 and tones at 7 switching between pickups. I think the tone was pretty good IMO but playing with Splattle's reccomendations seemed to give my Marshall tube more headroom. I have a lot more amp to work with now. I was trying it out on SIBLY again tonight and spent a whole lot of time fiddling with the volume/tone experimenting. I have to re-learn the way I've been playing. I do think I could benefit from a electronics upgrade. At least the caps.

ElhazGuy · 10-13-2009, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liam

I reckon this post has changed enough lives that it really ought to be sticky. Who's going to persuade the moderators?

Liam

I agree entirely, man. But I'm too newbie to try and talk them right into it.

06-25-2009, 06:51 PM	#32 (permalink)
Jonno_aus Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Cairns Posts: 18 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul Man, I'm loving this. I'm using the neck pickup now for all my solo's. Who would've thought! I'm liking the extra creamy, thicker tone I get on the solo's. Then use the bridge for the rhythm adjusting the tone so it isnt so brittle. Dunno why but I seem to like a trebley kinda rhythm. Good stuff.

06-25-2009, 07:35 PM	#33 (permalink)
mattymel Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 271 Thanks: 0 Thanked 8 Times in 3 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul Splattle's original post is right on the money big +1! __________________ '08 Gibson Les Paul 1959 VOS Iced Tea '08 Gibson Les Paul 1954 VOS Goldtop 1963 Epiphone Sorrento 1965 Fender Blackface Deluxe w/ Weber Bluedog Marshall Handwired 1974x w/ 1974cx cab Headstrong Lil' King w/ Weber 10F150T Lollar PUs all around, Fulltone DJV2, Teese Real McCoy Picture Wah, Caitlinbread Silverkiss, Empress Superdelay, Xotic AC Booster, Lovepedal Les Lius, Diamond Compressor http://www.matthewmeldonguitar.com http://www.myspace.com/matthewmeldon

07-01-2009, 10:30 AM	#37 (permalink)
ozone Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Baldwin Park, Ca Posts: 787 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul __________________ 1990 Les Paul Standard 1980 Fender Strat Hard-Tail reissue 2008 Blueridge BR160 1983 Fender Concert II

07-01-2009, 12:24 PM	#38 (permalink)
EEF13 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,330 Thanks: 129 Thanked 128 Times in 52 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul this is great

10-05-2009, 04:25 PM	#39 (permalink)
klextacy Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul Great thread, guys! I'm a habitual tone/volume fiddler.. it's crucial to obtaining great varied tones on a Les Paul. And a big +1 to using the neck pup for leads. Listen to John Norum and John Sykes as well. They get some AWESOME smooth lead tones using the neck pickups.

Today
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10-05-2009, 11:07 PM	#40 (permalink)
latomas Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 49 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul Definately something I would have never thought about, good stuff.

10-06-2009, 04:46 PM	#42 (permalink)
ElhazGuy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Brazil Posts: 143 Thanks: 5 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul Wow, man! Thank you for your tips and for the amazing video. __________________ Please, be patient with a brazilian guy writing in english, but I always try and reflect my honest opinion about the subject.

10-06-2009, 05:02 PM	#43 (permalink)
5F6-A Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Back and forth the UK Posts: 4,112 Thanks: 109 Thanked 159 Times in 38 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul great thread __________________ Saltaire's Vicars "Post Tenebras Lux" ----------------------------

10-07-2009, 08:18 AM	#44 (permalink)
axepilot Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 1,352 Thanks: 14 Thanked 40 Times in 5 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul Excellent post, Splattle! __________________ 1996 Les Paul Studio Gem, 2001 Les Paul Studio Plus, 2002 SG Supreme, 2006 Les Paul Standard LE, 2008 SG Classic, Fender Double Fat Strat, Bluesville "Super" Strat copy, Fender Tele, Ovation 1897 Adamas, Taylor 355CE Germino Club 40, Johnson JM150 Millennium, Johnson JM250 Millennium, Axe FX Standard rack rig, Mesa 4x12 cab (V30's), Highly modded Gibson Titan Medalist

10-07-2009, 05:55 PM	#45 (permalink)
axepilot Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 1,352 Thanks: 14 Thanked 40 Times in 5 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul Splattle, My Germino Club 40 broke me of being lazy on the guitar's volumes and tones. The amp's sound is a direct result of them, and I'm all over them. I have not tried your method of EQ'ing the amp with the neck pickup before. I tried it last night and was amazed. I can ride the tone clean or with a little hair with the neck pup's volume knob, flip to the bridge and be just screaming........or stay on the neck, run up the volume and let the rig sing. This thread and your method has to be the single best method I've picked up since I've been on MLP. You rock! __________________ 1996 Les Paul Studio Gem, 2001 Les Paul Studio Plus, 2002 SG Supreme, 2006 Les Paul Standard LE, 2008 SG Classic, Fender Double Fat Strat, Bluesville "Super" Strat copy, Fender Tele, Ovation 1897 Adamas, Taylor 355CE Germino Club 40, Johnson JM150 Millennium, Johnson JM250 Millennium, Axe FX Standard rack rig, Mesa 4x12 cab (V30's), Highly modded Gibson Titan Medalist

10-07-2009, 07:34 PM	#46 (permalink)
Liam V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom Posts: 2,855 Thanks: 34 Thanked 24 Times in 9 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul I reckon this post has changed enough lives that it really ought to be sticky. Who's going to persuade the moderators? Liam

10-07-2009, 08:05 PM	#50 (permalink)
axepilot Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 1,352 Thanks: 14 Thanked 40 Times in 5 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul I also do my fair share of leads with the neck pickup.................but I've never EQ'ed the amp to the neck pickup as a baseline EQ before. With my Germino, it works like a charm. __________________ 1996 Les Paul Studio Gem, 2001 Les Paul Studio Plus, 2002 SG Supreme, 2006 Les Paul Standard LE, 2008 SG Classic, Fender Double Fat Strat, Bluesville "Super" Strat copy, Fender Tele, Ovation 1897 Adamas, Taylor 355CE Germino Club 40, Johnson JM150 Millennium, Johnson JM250 Millennium, Axe FX Standard rack rig, Mesa 4x12 cab (V30's), Highly modded Gibson Titan Medalist

10-08-2009, 03:34 AM	#51 (permalink)
White Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 55 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul I've used these volume/tone methods a while ago, whether I played at home or on stage with my band. It really worked. I especially loved to play with the guitars volume knobs, to dial in the gain/tone I needed. To my opinion, the higher the output of the pickups, the more variation in tone you can get (with your volume knobs). The pickups need to clean up well too. From raw old school classic rock tones to high gain territory with one volume knob. It's no secret, it's just how it works. Anyway, since I'm playing rock based stuff these days I prefer a simple booster for leads instead of using the volume knobs. This has also changed the way I think about pickups, caps and pots. I care a lot less for upgrading those things, since I don't need the pickups to clean up well. If you play blues you just can't live without the volume/(tone) knobs.

10-08-2009, 09:17 PM	#52 (permalink)
Bluesyzep Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 197 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 3 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul Thought I would give this a try but when you say "set the neck for a good soloing tone" do you mean it should sound like the bridge or did I miss the point. Truth is amp setting are still quite a mystery to me but set my Marshall tube for clean w. gain 8, treble 7, middle 5 and bass 3. Still have a little necky sound to it. Am I on the right track or am I way off? __________________ Peace, Love, and Led Zeppelin

10-08-2009, 10:17 PM	#53 (permalink)
skateboardtomygrave Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Texas (for now) Posts: 68 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul I'm so glad I read this post!!! Sticky this for sure. It's been mentioned a few times in the reply's that people just look at the tone knobs to cut feedback and treble, and I'm guilty of that as well. Hell, I usually keep the volume knobs all the way up until I step away for a minute, than one gets turned all the way down to cut feed back on the amp. Not any more good sir. By the way, I'll be forwarding this to one of my good les paul junkies who for some reason hasn't found this forum... __________________ -Epiphone Les Paul Standard (Ebony) -Peavey Impact 1 -Ibanez ArtCore AF75TDG Exclusive Candy Apple Red -Ibanez GSR200 bass -Peavey Valve King 112-Love that tube smell! I think I rock pretty good for only playing 6 months....

10-10-2009, 08:34 PM	#57 (permalink)
BOBBO MVP Clown Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: N.J. Posts: 19,477 Thanks: 237 Thanked 463 Times in 90 Posts	Re: How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul A very insightful read !!! I give it a 9.6 __________________ " Over the Pond Guy " PAF Pickups & M69 Rings ... @ OverthePondGuy@aol.com

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