How to Replace Humbucker Pickups on Your Les Paul Guitar
When you're ready to upgrade your Les Paul's sound or simply want to change the magnetic quality of your current pickups, replacing humbuckers is a popular choice. This guide will walk you through the steps to replace your Les Paul's humbucker pickups, ensuring you achieve the best performance and tone.
Identifying Your Pickups
Literally, the vast majority of Les Paul guitars come equipped with humbucking pickups. Unlike single coils, which have their pole pieces evenly spaced, humbuckers usually have the pole piece screws closer to one side, indicating the presence of two coils mounted side by side. The screws on one coil will appear offset from the other, making it easy to distinguish them.
Unsoldering and Removing Old Pickups
If you decide to replace your pickups, the first step is to unsolder the old pickup leads from your control pots and carefully remove the old pickups. This process may vary depending on the type of pickups you have (if they are also humbuckers or single-coils), so proceed with care:
Follow the wires to their connections, draw a diagram, and label the wire colors. Be meticulous in keeping track of all connections and wire colors.
Unsolder the connections using a soldering iron, and carefully remove the braids and wires. Make sure to desolder anything terminal connections you may have.
Unscrew and remove the pickup bezels through the screw holes located on the body or plastic frame. Again, be very careful not to damage the wires that are still connected inside the body.
Disassemble the control cavity by removing the screws and the plastic cover. This will give you access to the pickup wires inside.
Unsolder the wires connected to the pickups from the electronic components. Once this is done, remove the old pickups entirely, making sure to handle them gently.
Installing the New Humbucker Pickups
Once you've prepared the cavity for the new pickups and know the wire harness layout, it's time to install the new pickups:
Carefully place the new pickups into the cavity. Ensure that the pickguard and cover are in place and work well with your new pickups.
Thread the wiring through the access hole, making sure all connections are secure.
Reconnect the wires to the electronic components, following the schematic or instructions provided by the manufacturer. Ensure that all connections are securely soldered and that your new wiring diagram matches the original or desired setup.
Reseat the pickup bezels and control cavity cover. Double-check that everything is secure and in place.
Your arrangement may have a different number of pots and type of switch, but the general process remains the same. If you’re unsure about your wiring or the layout, you can find many wiring diagrams online to match your specific potentiometer and switch setup.
Remember that attention to detail is key when replacing humbucking pickups on your Les Paul. Proper installation will result in better tone and performance, enhancing your overall playing experience.