Alex Lifeson Les Paul Wiring Help

[strat714]

Deadringer, when the battery is low the piezo squeels and creates sonic mayhem. It does this even when the push/ pull off is engaged. The magnetic pickups don't work with the battery removed. This is why I want to totally disable the piezo. Can I just desolder the "life-sound" output jack??? Thanks.

 

[deadringer]

Deadringer, when the battery is low the piezo squeels and creates sonic mayhem. It does this even when the push/ pull off is engaged. The magnetic pickups don't work with the battery removed. This is why I want to totally disable the piezo. Can I just desolder the "life-sound" output jack??? Thanks.

If you're dead-set on eliminating the Piezo, then unsolder the red or black wire from the push/pull pot it is connected to. Leave the life-o-sound jack alone. I've never heard of the problem you're having. Might be another issue entirely. Best to take it to a luthier or tech and have them check it out. You might have an issue with the Piezo itself. I would double check all of the solder connections for the Piezo and make sure they are solid. Could be a cold solder somewhere as well.

 

[strat714]

Thank you sir. I will hunt around and see if I can find anything. If not, I will disconnect as you suggested. Thanks for all that you do here. This place rocks!

 

[deadringer]

I'm not 100% sure that will solve your problem though strat714. There is a mod to completely separate the Piezo from the magnetic pickups and have it run only to the life-o-sound jack, but I'm not sure how to exactly do that. It's called the McDLT mod.

This might help:
Lifeson Access McDLT Mod - Gibson Guitar Board

Here's a shot of someone's modded McDLT Lifeson:

Here's how it is currently setup. Not exactly, but close:

"Dual jacks, with blended signal available when a mono plug is inserted in the Stereo Switched Jack only. When a mono 1/4" plug is inserted in the second jack (also a Stereo Switched Jack), mag is on the first and acoustic is on the second. This has the quirk that when you plug into the second jack only, you get nothing because the Acousti-phonic only powers up when there's a plug in the first (stereo switched) jack."

This is straight from graphtech and it is a diagram for sending the piezo signal to one output jack only and the magnetic pickups to its own output jack (true bypass):

"Mags go straight out to one 1/4" jack (true bypass) and acoustic goes to another 1/4" jack, the Stereo Switched Jack that comes with the Acousti-phonic. The Acousti-phonic is held in mono mode by grounding the ring contact permanently, but the only signal going into it is acoustic, so that's all that appears on the Tip. There is no Blend mode in this configuration."

All of this info. can be found here on graphtech's website at the bottom under "Dual Jacks":
http://www.graphtech.com/cwd.html

 

[strat714]

I uninstalled all the electronics in my Lifeson and put in new CTS pots, Sprague caps and a switchcraft switch and it sounds awesome. The piezo just wasn't worth it. The wiring was suspect at best. The woodwork is stellar, but the guts...not so much!

 

[Custom53]

Does anyone have a wiring diagram for a Standard Les Paul Axcess..?

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[deadringer]

Does anyone have a wiring diagram for a Standard Les Paul Axcess..?

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No but I have a diagram for the stock Lifeson wiring: