Taming an Expwess...

[Paul-in-KC]

If your Les Paul guitar is a Gibson USA and not Gibson custom shop your pots won't fit. Historic pots are short shaft and all USA use long shaft pots. That a is a great reason to buy Heritage instead of Gibson!

OUCH! it's a 2009 Standard - so, not Custom Shop.

I do like your reasoning for buying a historic reissue, but I doubt the wife will have the same appreciation for such genius.

[sliberty]

Whenever I replace pots, I use regular CTS pots from AllParts. I know that the "Super Pots" from RS are popular, but I am cheap. Always had great results. Don't forget to use 50's wiring scheme (unless you never turn your volume down).

[Paul-in-KC]

Whenever I replace pots, I use regular CTS pots from AllParts. I know that the "Super Pots" from RS are popular, but I am cheap. Always had great results. Don't forget to use 50's wiring scheme (unless you never turn your volume down).

Thanks sliberty,

I do have pseudo-vintage setup that I can drop in. Complete with early wiring scheme and nice Jensen PIO caps. That rig has long-shaft CTS 500XL pots (so they are modern - and don't have the "magic" taper).

It works okay, but has no better taper (actually a little worse) than the stock PCB setup.

Again - many thanks to all for taking the time to post.

-Paul

[Reeltarded]

There was a video I am sure of a guy showing how he made crappy pots into great ones by trace scraping. No luck on google. I tryed retaper first, and a bunch of French googledegook showed up. heh..

No, oui. Whatever.

[Paul-in-KC]

Okay, here are a few things I have learned...

1) The heritage spec (short shaft) pots will fit at least some non-Custom Shop guitars.

There is no length to spare, and I installed them without the star washers, but they can be installed. At least on my 2009 Standard.

2) The taper on those really are DIFFERENT - and indeed do add a great deal of low volume control. Which is ideal for an Express.

3) I was playing w/out my Z-Air-Break and that seems to clean things up and improve the "clean-ish" range A LOT.

This even works reasonably well with the stock control section installed in the 2009. So, I really happy with that.

That's with 5751's in V1 and V2 and a 12AT7 in the PI.

I'm still going play with a switchable split-plate-load to see if I can get a second "personality" that will work well through the air-break at/around bedroom level.

Again, many thanks to all.

-Paul