Can you explain Center Toggle?

[daiku]

Well, here we go with my first dumb question in the forum, and probably not my last

 

I got my Heritage today, and am very excited.

 

This is the first Gibson style guitar for me and the Toggle switch has me somewhat suprised. I get the Bridge Only and Neck only positions, but can you explain the center position? What is the rational behind the wiring of the volume pots and the center position? Is it to insure that both pickups are active in the center position?

 

I notice if I turn down one of the pickups completely, I get no sound, even if the other is maxed. Wouldn't I still be getting sound from the pickup that is on?

 

Just trying to figure it out. I'll post pictures soon, once the weather improves and I can get a nice outdoor shot like the nice ones I see here

 

Clueless on the west coast,

 

 

jim

[Steiner]

Howdy clueless left side - the center position has both pickups on. Try blending the jazzy neck position with the treblely bridge position 'till you find "your sound".

 

When one volume is off it cuts the circuit so no signal passes through, no big deal, the center position is for mixing the two. Should you desire one or the other, just flip the switch!

 

Enjoy!!!

[MuDBoNe]

Hi, for me, the middle position is the real secret for getting great tone. You can add or remove the pickup blending to create a wide variety of sounds. When I got my Heritage H150CM, someone had wired the pickups to be on (in the middle postion) if the other pickup was turned down. The guitar sounded like the treble had been completely removed as soon as you turned down either volume. The way yours is now is very versitile.

Here are 2 pictures from another site I had saved when I fixed mine.

 

 

[GuitArtMan]

The middle position is where the magic is. Use both volumes to blend the two pickups to get a zillion sublte shades of great tone.

[daiku]

The middle position is where the magic is. Use both volumes to blend the two pickups to get a zillion sublte shades of great tone.

 

Thanks, it seems like the pot volume ramps up fairly quickly. I agree that I can see where this will be the sweet spot for tone on the guitar. It will just take some getting use to, since my other electrics have 5 way switches. Just from the hour or so I have played the guitar, the sweet tone, the harmonics, are very well defined, very nice. The neck is a little slim, but I will adjust. I think this will be my favorite, with the Fender Clapton strat second, and the Godin third. I like the neck on the Strat better, but it is what I am the most used to. Maybe that will change.

 

Got to say, the build quality is out of this world! Life is good!

[FredZepp]

You speak the truth about the build quality, daiku... the Kalamazoo mojo.

 

There are variations in the necks , as they are still handmade. It'll grow on you , I'm sure.

Sounds like you're making a happy transition from a Strat...

[bolero]

do the peter green magnet flip and unlock a pandoras box of tone, in the middle pos!!

[GuitArtMan]

Thanks, it seems like the pot volume ramps up fairly quickly. I agree that I can see where this will be the sweet spot for tone on the guitar. It will just take some getting use to, since my other electrics have 5 way switches. Just from the hour or so I have played the guitar, the sweet tone, the harmonics, are very well defined, very nice. The neck is a little slim, but I will adjust. I think this will be my favorite, with the Fender Clapton strat second, and the Godin third. I like the neck on the Strat better, but it is what I am the most used to. Maybe that will change.

 

Got to say, the build quality is out of this world! Life is good!

Try this. Set the switch in the middle position, both volumes full up. Now slowly start to roll one volume down and listen to the change in tone. Now start rolling the second volume down and again listen to the change in tone. Now start subtlety blending them. You'll find many shades of tone in there. I remember jamming with a buddy who played a Les Paul. I'd be digging on his tone, look over and he's in the middle position. A little while later I'd be digging on his tone again (a different tone this time) look over and he's still in the middle position! That's when I started to learn the art of blending the pickups.

[chico]

This is good read, I too am more used to the 5-way Fender switches, and it has taken me a while to get used to the humbucker switch set up. First, I came to like the neck pickup (up) position with high end roll off..jazzy. Recently, as I progressed through my discovery I too found the middle position on the toggle and noticed the abilty to cream it up tone-wise. We're talking about a 2-4 year process here.

 

 

Then I see this post. Wow. cool, I like this group of players and not just for the guitars they play. middle position is what I'll really concentrate on Fri night at the jam..

[H]

Hi,

 

have a read of this: http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/tonefreaks...s-les-paul.html

 

Gbrand LPs and four pot Heritages seem to be wired the same way so the hints and tips and that link should work. They do for my H-535

 

regards,

 

H

[barrymclark]

I second all that has been said.

 

I know little outide of the three-way toggle and, in difference to chico, am not at all accustomed to the 5-way lever switches. I wouldn't know what to do with all those options. haha. Curl up in a ball on the floor probably. haha.

[tbonesullivan]

I have three way toggles on a lot of my guitars. However they have to have two volumes for these to work, so guitars like telecasters and my carvin guitars don't have these options, as they only have one volume and one tone.

 

I've always found that it seems unless the volumes are very close, one pickup really overpowers the other, so I often don't use the center position very much at all except for full power both sides. could just be me though.

[Hfan]

do the peter green magnet flip and unlock a pandoras box of tone, in the middle pos!!

 

Bolero, Could you explain a little about the "magnet flip"? First time I've heard of it.

 

Daiku, No such thing as a dumb question. Welcome to the club. Sometimes I too am more comfortable with my longer scale (Fender etc) guitars. Easier for fat finger tips to function on the upper frets, then again the Heritage/ Gibbon scale is easier for short fingers (I'm doubly afflicted) to stretch an extra fret or two. It's all good.

[FredZepp]

Magnet flip refers to the out-of-phase sound that P Greens LP had. The polarity of the magnet was reversed so when both pickups were used it was out of phase.

You can do an out of phase sound with the wiring also.

 

As to the center position... I use it quite a bit . And when I'm setting up my pickup adjustments, I look not only to how they sound separately , but also how they sound together in this position.

 

 

(That center position sound is important for those Zeppelin tones.. )

[barrymclark]

Sometimes I too am more comfortable with my longer scale (Fender etc) guitars. Easier for fat finger tips to function on the upper frets, then again the Heritage/ Gibbon scale is easier for short fingers (I'm doubly afflicted) to stretch an extra fret or two. It's all good.

Funny enough, I once felt the same way. I have very long, thin fingers. I would play a Gibby or a similarly scaled instrument and it felt like my fingers were all jammed together.

 

Now, I feel right at home on the shorter scale!