Page 128 - Guitar Classics Magazine - The Les Paul Bible 2019

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO VINTAGE LES PAUL TONE

around five, rolling back the tone introduces a mid
scoop that actually enhances clarity. The centre
frequency even appears to change slightly depending
on the volume and tone settings. So, the tone acts as
both a treble roll-off and a rudimentary parametric
equalizer – depending on how the controls are set.
If you listen carefully, you can hear this with
regular 500k pots and 0.022uF caps, but we suspect
an upwards drift in actual cap value might accentuate
the effect.
PICKUPS
This is the big one – and if you get the right type of
pickups in your Les Paul, it can have a very profound
effect. At the very least, your P-90 or PAF replicas
will need to have suitable alnico magnets, steel parts
with low carbon content, plain enamel magnet wire
and no wax potting. In the case of PAF replicas, the
coils will be slightly mismatched.
If you can get those bases covered, you may wish to
research the tones associated with different grades of
alnico and decide whether you want early style P-90s
with A3 or late-50s style with A5. Also research the
range of DC resistance readings of vintage pickups
and consider how that will impact tone.
If you’re ordering from a boutique maker, you
will no doubt be able to discuss your requirements
and allow the experts to guide you. For this feature,
we’re actually more concerned with getting the best
from your pickups rather than identifying the ‘best’
pickups per se.
An old pro-audio old adage says the best
microphone in the world is the one you have.
What it means is that so long as a mic is of a certain
ABOVE Our test set of original 0.036uF in this case. Again, the guitar sounds loud standard, great results can be achieved by applying
1953 Gibson P-90 pickups with this cap and there’s a nice sparkle in the treble. technique and ingenuity.
The downside is a push in the low mids that adds If the sound is too bright, you move the mic to
a touch of muddiness, but it’s a decent-sounding somewhere where the sound is a little darker. If you
capacitor that retains detail. need more treble you can do the opposite, and you
Russian K40n Paper/Oil – these chubby red can balance the low frequency content by altering
caps have been long time TGM favourites and the proximity of the mic to the instrument being
it doesn’t disappoint here. Reading 0.023uF, words recorded. So how does this relate to pickups?
like plummy, rounded, smoky and balanced spring to
mind. With the tone on 10, there’s sparkle aplenty ADJUSTING PAFS
and when you roll back, you get a sax-like honk that Although the scope for adjustment is physically
continues to a smooth jazziness. It may not the best restricted, adjusting pickups is very much akin
choice if you like your Lesters aggressive, but it’s a to placing microphones. This is particularly true
great cap if you prefer a touch of refinement. with microphonic vintage-style pickups such as PAFs
It’s hard to say which capacitor produces the most and P-90s, because they are extremely sensitive to
authentically vintage results – or indeed if that’s the height settings.
most desirable and usable outcome anyway. The There’s no point in throwing in endless sets of
differences don’t really jump out and we find it takes high-quality pickups in an aimless search for a
a period of careful listening and experimentation to specific sound. Unless you take the time to zone in
zone in on what each capacitor does. on the optimum settings for a particular set, you may
Even so, we do have a favourite: the 0.23uF Astron/ never hear the pickups at their best, or discover the
Lafayette – the capacitor that is furthest away from full range of tones and textures they’re capable of.
vintage spec. Loaded in the Collector’s Choice with The only tools needed are your ears and a
a full set of Alpha pots, the volume and tone controls screwdriver. With the pickups set low relative to the
become wildly interactive and when the volume is strings, you get a darker and more mellow tone but

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