Ciff notes version of vintage mods for LP historic 101

[Jimmi]

Just picked up my first historic and want to upgrade the electronics. read about a half a dozen threads..some with people disagreeing so looking for a consensus.

Pots: It is an early G0 but does have cts pots switched out by the prior owner.
Caps: Know it needs bees (not original on the GOs of this year) but not sure if I "have" to get vintage and if I do how long do the leads need to be as most seem to have at least one short one.
PUs: heard several suggestions but want a broader perspective. Heard Wallace and Skatterbrane were good....feedback?
Bridge/tailpiece: this is not the section but don't want to do a seperate thread..????

Suggestions on vendors are also needed. Thanks for your input!!

 

[Dougie]

Bridge/tailpiece recommendations:
(This was in another thread but I am posting it so the links and photos in it can be used)

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/custom-shop/237708-problems-replacing-bridge-posts.html#post4734016

Skatterbranes would be an excellent choice!

Edit: MSSC harness would be fine. For the Faber stuff, just disregard the iNsert posts, they replace a Nashville and all you would need is the abrl and lock it onto your existing posts.

 

[Jimmi]

Thanks for the input. Looking at MSSC's pre wired set up...looks just as easy and cheap to just buy the whole thing together from them...agree?

 

[SLewis]

Thanks for the input. Looking at MSSC's pre wired set up...looks just as easy and cheap to just buy the whole thing together from them...agree?

I just put in a MSSC pre-wired harness into my guitar and the quality was excellent. The taper on the pots is really great. I didn't run into any problems at all with the installation.

.

 

[Jimmi]

I just put in a MSSC pre-wired harness into my guitar and the quality was excellent. The taper on the pots is really great. I didn't run into any problems at all with the installation.

.

Did you notice a difference?

So far no feedback on pickups. Someone suggested Wallace pickups but they appear to be out of production. What else besides dropping 4k on PAFs?

 

[MATTM]

Did you notice a difference?

So far no feedback on pickups. Someone suggested Wallace pickups but they appear to be out of production. What else besides dropping 4k on PAFs?

There are lots of great winders here on the forum. I can't say specifically what I would personally use because we are vendors for this particular brand, but if you were to go to our webstore, you'll pick them out quickly

 

[SLewis]

Electric City RD-59 pickups.

A few guys on here say they're some of the best PAF reproductions you can buy. I haven't personally tried them though.

.

 

[Jimmi]

There are lots of great winders here on the forum. I can't say specifically what I would personally use because we are vendors for this particular brand, but if you were to go to our webstore, you'll pick them out quickly

PM sent

 

[Jimmi]

Electric City RD-59 pickups.

A few guys on here say they're some of the best PAF reproductions you can buy. I haven't personally tried them though.

.

Will look into them.....would like to talk to someone who has had both.

 

[MATTM]

Electric City RD-59 pickups.

A few guys on here say they're some of the best PAF reproductions you can buy. I haven't personally tried them though.

.

Indeed! The price point is extremely attractive as well. Great PAF clones don't need to cost $500+ dollars!

 

[Brad737]

.Jimmi,

I'm certainly a tinkerer and enjoy doing reversible upgrades on my instruments. I wholeheartedly agree with upgrading the stock pots and caps, as well as other bits of hardware. Lots of folks like to swap parts to look more like a vintage guitar, and I give 'em props. Some of the reissues out there look simply amazing. Personally, I don't care about looks so much, as tone and performance. Case in point, I went with locking Tone Pros tuners...simply because they work well.

As for pots and caps, the stock units are trash. My stock controls were 300k On/Off switches, even though they were labeled 500k. I've been pleased with RS pots, but lots of guys like MSSC and Jonesy from here at the Forum. I'm sure they're great, I just haven't used them yet.

I've become a huge convert for the "Mapleflame Mod". Unlike a lot of folks, I didn't really notice a big difference in the actual tone. But I did notice a drastic increase in the sustain of the guitar. I'm now convinced you gotta get those bridgeposts down into the mahogany. I used 2-inch SS screws, screwed down 1.5" into the mahogany. If you don't like it, it's 100% reversible. Lots of guys mentioned increased brightness with SS posts, so I added a set of nickel-plated brass thumbwheels...like Gibson used in the old days.

Your Historic should have come with an aluminum tailpiece. If it doesn't have one, GET ONE!

I know a lot of guys replace the stock nut with a bone nut. I went with Tusq because I've used them before, and really like them a lot. Like I said, not true vintage, but works well and sounds great.

Another popular mod is replacing the tailpiece studs and bushings. I decided not to replace the bushings, for fear of damaging the finish. The studs from the 50s were nickel-plated steel, but Gibson has switched to nickel-plated brass. I think most people will agree that the steel units sound a lot better.

As for pickups, there are a million different pickups out there, and the choice of really good sounding pickups is staggering. In the R7 I have listed for sale (I really want to keep it..I'm trying to sell something else instead...), I kept the stock 57 Classics in there because they sound great IN THAT GUITAR. I put a set of Duncan Bonamassas in my 59RI because I didn't care for the pickups in that guitar (BBPros). If you have a particular tone in your head that you're trying to chase, let us know what that is, and we can try to give you some more specific recommendations.

BTW, what guitar did you get?

Good luck!