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Topic: 49-50 Gibson console |
Lee Gillespie
From:
Cheyenne, Wy. USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2016 5:59 am |
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| After owning this guitar for about 2 years... I was persuaded to put it on the bandstand. Because of its prestine condition I hesitated taking it out. WHAT A SOUND. but. I noticed the top neck does not have the fullness of the bottom neck. Due to age I feel that maybe the pot or cap have deteriated. Any suggestions on changing these components?.Does anyone have a schematic of this guitar? Thanks a million Lee |
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Brad Davis
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2016 7:38 am
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Hi Lee. I bought a 1954 CG earlier in the year and talked a bit about the wiring. See here:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=298548
I also made a sketch of the wiring. I think I got the switch orientation inverted maybe, but its basically correct based on my 1954 wiring:
You can use something like a modern CTS pot. Modern repro gold barrel knobs aren't quite as nice, but I would consider those too if I thought I would have it out on stage a lot.
Also I'm not certain what caps yours will have. You can always just choose orange drops or something else. Mine being a 54 had the Grey Tiger waxed paper in oil caps, and I was able to find modern reproductions here:
https://luxe-radio.com/products/1952-1956-grey-tiger-single-wax-impregnated-02mf-capacitor-black-ink
Hope this helps. I've held off rewiring mine so far but have everything I need should I decide its time. Also with this circuit you may find the individual pickups are stronger when you use the selector switch rather than enabling both at once. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 10 Oct 2016 9:26 am
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My opinion - if you care at all about the value, the vintage guitar market is very fussy about having clean pieces original to the maximum extent possible.
I think an original late-40s to early 50s Console Grande is sufficiently cool and valuable to try to fix it without replacing parts, if possible. I would absolutely not break the wiring at all, much less change the pot if, for example, cleaning the pot would fix it. Or if it can't be fixed without breaking the wiring, sometimes a pot can be pulled apart and fixed. Out of the circuit, caps can be measured by someone with proper equipment.
Of course, sometimes parts are just broken beyond repair. But I would verify that first before just replacing them using the "shotgun" approach.
It could also be something in the pickup. Sometimes magnets can get weak, or perhaps there's a break in the pickup windings. If the sound is real thin, that could be it. When the winding breaks, you still get sound from the inter-winding capacitance, but it only lets high frequencies through. Measure resistance across the pickup with the volume controls turned all the way up - see if the thin pickup reads open and the other pickup reads on the order of 6-10KOhm resistance (not sure exact reading for a CG pickup). That would be an indication that the pickup needs to be repaired/rewound. If so, send it to a good pickup rewinder.
Just a suggestion. Once a guitar is changed, it can't be made "original" again. |
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Lee Gillespie
From:
Cheyenne, Wy. USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2016 10:39 am Cg
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| Thank you Brad and Dave for your comeback. Yes I agree with what you said about orignal piece of equipment. The sin of sins is like refinishing a 1950 Strad. Thanks again Lee |
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Brad Davis
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2016 1:05 pm
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In my case the volume pot was already replaced when I received the guitar. The job was a bit sloppy but functional. I also think the knobs were pried off instead of using a proper knob puller tool, but they didn't suffer too much. Otherwise the guitar and the wiring are all original.
I suspect the old caps have drifted a little, but the guitar sounds great and the pickups are still kicking. I'm reluctant to mess with the circuit, but if anything else fails I think I will try to remove the entire existing circuit intact, sans pickup lead wires, and then rewire it with all new parts using reproductions and shielded wiring to look as original as possible. |
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Tim Whitlock
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 15 Oct 2016 9:54 am
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| Does it really sound like an electrical issue or could the imbalance just be the tunings and associated string gauges? In other words is the fuller sounding neck simply due to heavier strings? |
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