07 Epi Standard Plus Top - Wiring

[JDouglas]

I decided to try my hand at rewiring my Epi while adding new pickups. Here is what I added...

Seymour Duncan JB & Jazz Hotted Rodded Humbuckers
CTS Pots - Left Handed 500K
All Parts Vitamin Q Cap - .022 for neck and bridge
Vintage cloth wiring for the ground wires that run from Pot to Pot
Vintage shielded wiring from the switch to the input jack and from the switch to the Volume Pots

I have included before and after picks...

 

[JDouglas]

I should have said that I am a lefty and this is a lefty guitar wired with modern style wiring. I searched for a diagram for a lefty but was never satisfied so I drew out my own. Many posts on this subject post incorrect wiring for a lefty and show mirror images of right handed wiring.

There were a couple snags along the way...

The pots don't fit through the holes in the guitar so I taped sand paper to a drill bit and sanded the holes by hand to make them larger. It only took about 30 seconds for each hole. The plastic cover for the switch had the same treatment.

For some reason the Jazz's pickup wires were almost to short. It was just long enough to reach but it made the job very difficult. The Jazz goes in the neck right?

I had a hard time getting the sotter to stick to the shielding. I finally switched to a stronger iron and it was much easier.

I had read somewhere that the knobs wouldn't fit but they do.

After getting it all done I was worried that the wire from the switch to the jack would move around and ground things out. I fixed this by unsoldering the jack and sliding shrink tubing over the wire and reconnection it.

I can honestly say that this is a huge improvement in sound and tone. I think it originally had right handed pots that were wired lefty. That made the knobs work like on/off switches. Now the pots slowly change the tone and volume! I love it!

I want to let all the lefties know that the pots can be purchased from Hoagland Brothers.

 

[JDouglas]

Here is a look at the switch...

 

[leftyguitarman]

Nice work! I just did this with my lefty LP too. Added in some Gibson humbuckers. The wiring looks a lot different than mine. I wired mine up with 50's style wiring and I couldn't get it to work. I had a buddy take a look at it and he fixed it up and got it working right. The only thing I didn't do was put left handed pots in. I used regular right handed ones because they feel more correct. I have right handed pots on all of my guitars

How does it sound now? A lot better than before?

Oh, and the part about it maybe originally having right handed pots, I don't think that's right. But I know what you mean about them not working right. The stock electronics just plain suck. The pots are just crap. And the Epiphone stuff is metric, so that's why your CTS pots didn't fit right. Congrats on getting it working though!

 

[LEFTY LES]

Cool another Lefty!! Im with you guitarman, I did my Lester up 50's style as well.

 

[-=[Shifty]=-]

Nice job, man!

Can someone please enlighten me? How exactly should a lefty wiring differ from a righty wiring, other than just mirror it?

 

[BlessedSuicide]

Looks Good! Nice Job!!

 

[leftyguitarman]

Nice job, man!

Can someone please enlighten me? How exactly should a lefty wiring differ from a righty wiring, other than just mirror it?

I was wondering the same. When I wired my LP up, I just mirrored the right handed diagram and it didn't work so... I dunno, there must be a difference somewhere.

 

[-=[Shifty]=-]

The only thing I can think of is that when you wire a lefty guitar and use standard pots the contacts are upside down, so you'd have to switch those.

 

[JDouglas]

Everything on the middle lugs stay the same for lefty wiring but it is the outer lugs that get flipped. If you mirror the image you have to have lefty pots. If you have righty pots then wire it like a righty.

 

[JDouglas]

Here is a righty diagram...

 

[JDouglas]

Here is a mirror image of the same diagram...

This is how a lefty would wire it if they used left handed pots.

If you were using right handed pots then you would switch the wires around on the outside of the pots.

 

[JDouglas]

Here is a pic of the diagram I made for left handed wiring with left handed pots It is the same as a mirror image of the right handed wiring.

 

[Slackerprince]

Let us know how you like those Duncans. I have that set in a Schecter, and they get great reviews, but I find them kind of mediocre. I have a set of DiMarzio 36th. Anniversary PAF's in an Ibanez, and they are incredible!!! They are based on Larry DiMarzio's '59 Les Paul, and they sound beautiful.
I plan on putting some Gibson '57 Classics and Plus in my Epi Les Paul.
Didn't mean to highjack the wiring post, but wondering how you like your Duncans. Nice work in there!!

Slackerprince

 

[JDouglas]

Well to be honest I am a beginner and haven't heard a lot of different pups. I can say that the duncans with the new electronics are a huge improvement over the factory electronics and pups. They have a lot more growl and more clarity. The jazz gives great warm sound with the tone rolled back.