the 50's Wiring Mod

[tsp17]

Are our Heritages wired this way?

 

http://www.premiergu..._3_Guitars.aspx

[H]

I've owned a full hollow (H-516), solid bodies (H-150/H-170) and a semi-hollow (H-535). All of them have been 'modern' wired.

 

I prefer the sound of vintage/50s wiring with humbuckers but I can't hear a difference with P90s.

[Millennium Maestro]

I sold a few I had altered to 50s wiring

[DetroitBlues]

I was just about to ask about this modification from the Premier Guitar email I recieved this morning. Has anyone put set up one guitar with one wiring then the other? How do they compare?

[Kuz]

All my Heritages came with Modern wiring.

 

I switched ALL my Heritages (except the Jazz Archtops- here the drop in treble when the volume is turn down is actually preferred) to 50s wiring.

 

The switch from Modern to 50s wiring is a MUST in my opinion if you want to "clean up a guitar" from overdrive or to use the volume knob to actually LOWER the volume as this pot was intended. There is no treble loss when turning down the volume knob, only a decrease in volume (isn't that the whole point of a volume knob???).

 

The trade off is that you have to turn the tone knobs about half way (10 down to 5) before you will hear any real change in tone response. I don't typically change the tone of my guitar that much and if I do, I realize I will just have to turn the tone knob more.

 

This mod is VERY easy to do if you ever used a soldering iron before and should be done to your guitars unless the drop in treble response with the volume knob is preferred (ie Jazz).

[tsp17]

very informative Kuz! I've never done any of my own mods before and thought this might be my start, but as a jazz player, i will leave well enough a lone. thanks.

[Kuz]

very informative Kuz! I've never done any of my own mods before and thought this might be my start, but as a jazz player, i will leave well enough a lone. thanks.

 

Asked Vince Lewis at PSP (I think everyone here knows Vince Lewis the jazz player extraordinary and Heritage endorser) if he used 50s wiring or modern wiring and he said modern wiring.

[DetroitBlues]

I think my blues playing requires vintage style.... So what is mine?

 

[Kuz]

Why is this thread in the "amp" section??? Just curious.

[iim7v7im7]

I had a 1950s wiring harness and custom pots, bumble bee caps made by RS Guitarworks and sent to Ren at Heritage to be installed with Lollar Imperials in my H-535. It sounds fabulous!

[Kuz]

I had a 1950s wiring harness and custom pots, bumble bee caps made by RS Guitarworks and sent to Ren at Heritage to be installed with Lollar Imperials in my H-535. It sounds fabulous!

 

Yep, I did the same thing to my 555. The Bumble Bee caps really bring out the upper mids!!! I have Throbaks in mine. I briefly had Lollar Imperials, but for me I needed a set of a little fatter warmer pups. Again for, the Throbaks were perfect.

 

I have had a least 3 sets of Lollar Imperials and next to Throbaks, in my opinion, the Lollars are excellent.

[tsp17]

Why is this thread in the "amp" section??? Just curious.

Wasn't sure where to put it. I figured wiring is kind of like "effects", maybe belongs in Family Tree?

[bolero]

I have had a least 3 sets of Lollar Imperials and next to Throbaks, in my opinion, the Lollars are excellent.

 

hey, I agree with that statement!

 

[Millennium Maestro]

I think my blues playing requires vintage style.... So what is mine?

 

Looks like 2 seymour duncan humbuckers with modern wiring and treble bleeds!

[Kuz]

I think my blues playing requires vintage style.... So what is mine?

 

 

 

It is easy to tell. If you turn the volume down and 1) Most of the volume is gone when turned to 8 or 2) Turn the volume down to 8 and you lost most of your highs then you have modern wiring.

[LK155]

Does anyone have a better schematic or image of the vintage wiring? I'm thinking I might like to make this change to my Mille.

[bolero]

 

I have a higher res image of that I use for reference....can't find it but that is a link off the net

[bolero]

and for reference here is what is normally stock on modern wiring

 

[TalismanRich]

DB, you definitely have a treble bleed circuit on your harness. I did the same thing on my 157 and 535. Here was the thread I did about 3 years ago when I modified my guitars.

 

http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/topic/5115-treble-bleed-on-a-157/

 

That mod will add back a little bit of treble as you roll off the volume. It works very well. I tried the 50s wiring in my 140 and didn't care for it with the stock Schallers. When I put in the Alnico Pros, I went with the standard Seymour Duncan wiring and it seems to work better.

[MuDBoNe]

I switched my 150 to the 50's wiring. I am very pleased with the result. I am using Duncan Antiquities and the overall change is very apparent.

It has brought the tone closer to what I am looking for.

It is great to have these forums for this kinda stuff

[Spectrum13]

I asked Ren this question...

 

With Heritage style when the toggle is in middle position if you turn off the volume on one pickup you turn the guitar off. Gibson style will not turn the guitar off.

 

So is Heriage style 50's of Modern?

[H]

I asked Ren this question...

 

With Heritage style when the toggle is in middle position if you turn off the volume on one pickup you turn the guitar off. Gibson style will not turn the guitar off.

A correctly wired Gibson will do as the Heritage does. I've had a few Gibsons and can verify this first-hand.

 

All the double pickup Heritages I've had have been modern wired. I've never had a brand new one though...

[Kuz]

50s wiring is the way to go. The knobs are much more suited for finer adjustments. I really don't understand why all solid & semi-hollows aren't wired this way.

[bolero]

50s wiring is the way to go. The knobs are much more suited for finer adjustments. I really don't understand why all solid & semi-hollows aren't wired this way.

 

yup, I totally agree!!

[kidsmoke]

so if one is ordering humbuckers and intends to use this wiring....are you ordering 2 wire or 4 wire humbuckers