software

A couple of weeks ago, I posted my complaint that the BurstBucker Pros on my new Les Paul Standard sounded very muddy to me. Many of you were incredulous, while others agreed. A couple of you asked that I report on any changes I made. I'm glad I went with my gut on this one...

I removed the BB Pros and replaced them with SH-55 Seth Lover humbuckers. Plus, I put in these wiring mods:

- I ordered the Seths with the 4-wire option
- I replaced the 3-way switch with a 2-pole 6 position rotary switch
- I wired the switch for these configurations:
1. Single pup at bridge (the adjustable half of the humbucker)
2. Bridge humbucker
3. quot;Crossquot; humbucker 1 (adjustable at bridge fixed at neck)
4. quot;Crossquot; humbucker 2 (fixed at bridge adjustable at neck)
5. Neck humbucker
6. Single (adjustable) pup at neck

-I wire all humbucker configurations (#2-#5) in parallel instead of the traditional series wiring. This makes the tone much fuller and warmer, effectively killing any trace of muddiness.

My evaluation was with a Fender tube amp.

The results... TONE NIRVANA! I am absolutely in awe of the rich creamy tones now available to me. The 6 position switch gives a nice range of tones from bright and twangy to fat and smooth. The two quot;crossquot; humbucker positions have their own special character that a single pup could never have. And the normal neck and bridge humbucker settings sound much nicer than the BB Pros, thanks to the parallel wiring.

Watch for my BB Pros on Ebay tomorrow...

I welcome any comments, criticism, or questions about this setup.

--Dan--