Why change it? To make pickup swapping faster and solderless. Who asked for this? I asked for this. I think there should be a standard pickup plug implemented in guitars years ago.
you probably dont care at all but does someone know a tool to log back into an instagram account? I was stupid forgot my login password. I appreciate any tricks you can offer me!
@Arian Genesis I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site on google and Im trying it out atm. Seems to take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Just replaced mine with a modern kit from RS Guitarworks, the difference was night and day. If someone tries to tell you it doesn't matter, ask them what kit they got to replace it. A kit is only as good as its components, and RS really gives you the best stuff.
I'm just gonna take my PCB out, put it in a bag and wire my guitar up properly. I've had my guitar for a year and never once have I used a coil split or out of phase when I've been playing at home or out and about. I'm not real fussed on all the tonepros hardware on there either. The guitars were great originally, like 50's or 60's, that's also what most people I know desire, so why all the changes? It's not for our benefit. I have to spend money on my guitar to get it back to a reasonable standard. (pun intended)
I own a 2015 Les Paul Junior. I've been using it in my videos and for studio recordings and I've come to this conclusion. The guitars with the PCB boards and robot tuners are not inherently bad instruments. The appointments chosen by Gibson (at the time) were the biggest issue. My dang robot tuners are a pain in the rear, the PCB board makes upgrading to a different pickup next to impossible. Forget about trying different wiring schemes for your axe. So I've made the decision to upgrade the guitar by installing old and reliable technologies. I'm getting a custom P90 made, going to install an Emerson Custom wiring harness, and I'm going to remove the R2-D2 tuners and put some good old Grovers. The neck feels great to me, the guitar looks awesome and it has resonance and sustain for days. The foundation is great, all it needs is the tied and true technologies of old. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
I've recently purchased a 2018 Les Paul Standard HP with the PCB fitted and I have zero complaints. I bought a Gibson for it's inherent tone and have no plans to 'change pups or tweak the electrics in any way. Having said that I appreciate the trip switches giving me a means to tailor my guitar to my own tastes )e.g. Coil split or Tap etc.). If a single pot failed they can be desoldered from the PCB and replaced in the same way as with PTP wiring. However, I doubt I'll be needing to do this any time soon (if ever..). I do agree with your idea of a more modular plug & play system though - that would provide ultimate flexibility.
Yes. For factory ease of production - and this causes the player / purchaser to be essentially completely prevented from modifying the guitar electronics. Pots are not available and can not be customer replacec or changed without a major problem causing a cascade of other following problems, leading to the absolute need to replace 'all' of the control electronics, including impossible pickups and unavailable replacement aftermarket pickups with this weird solderless connection block. Only Gibson would abuse the customer in this way. This pcb junk only makes life hard for the traditional Gibson owner. No one wants to hassle with the pcb electronics. It is extremely difficult and expensive to modify these pcb based guitars. I have not talked to a guitar tech that has replaced a pot on even 1 of these pcb guitars. I replaced the entire electronic system on my Gibson tribute. It was very expensive and 1 problem led to another. It was very time consuming and frustrating work. The guitar should have been thrown in the trash. All kinds of problems with the conversion job. Even the pickups had to be replaced. I dare you to try replacing even 1 pot. Try it ... I dare you to replace even 1 of the pickups with your favorite aftermarket pickup. Try to swap the aftermarket pickup into the pcb system. Find out how extremely difficult and impossible this simple pickup swap is. Gibson has a history of pulling tricks like this against their customers. Customers remember these tricks that make the Gibson guitar purchaser deeply regret buying another Gibson and finding out that it is impossible to work on and modify. Very few players have been successful when tryying to modify tbese pcb guitars, without undue hardship. The average player would not know where or how to begin working on these guitars electronics. These are 'oddball' guitars that are designed to make life as we knew it impossible. I highly recommend throwing your pcb Gibson in the trash before wasting time, money, frustration, and disappointment on Gibson. Gibson corp is very selfish and obviously does not care about how crazy and counterproductive their pcb strategy actually is. Those that like pcb Gibsons are welcome to them. Plenty of players would be happy to give you their pcb Gibsons free. They can't stand them and would rather be rid of them, actually wishing that they had already thrown them away. I'd rather have a cheap Jackson super strat. Or a great Agile LP.
Thanks Tony good work as always. I tend to agree with you. The fact that Gibson changed something that has worked well for decades for something they wanted doesn't always sit well with customers. The RoboTuner fiasco is one of those things and what a fiasco that was. I am not a tweaker I tend to leave my guitars stock and have only made a few changes. I bought I believe a 2011 Gibson Les Paul studio and I didn't like the muddy tone of the bridge pickup so I decided to do a pickup swap. My guy that does repairs for me was surprised by the PCB board and said it made the swap harder than what it needed to be. He also found out that it was wired wrong in the first place which he said probably contributed to the muddy sounding bridge pickup. After the pickup swap it sounded better but I never really bonded with it and I sold it in favor of a PRS guitar which IMHO is a better option. Thanks for your video and effort. If I owned a Gibson and was really going to keep it long term I would rip out the PCB board throw it in the trash and have it rewired the old way.
I’m lefty. Just bought an SG, and it has a board, but even worse, the knobs roll off backwards. Yeah, don’t like the boards. Gonna swap it out for actual pots that actually roll off the right way. Wish me luck.
I ripped the pcb out of one of my Les Paul and put it 50's wiring in and it made a huge difference. I have another Les Paul that still has a pcb in it to compare to and the difference is very noticeable . I can't wait to switch out the pcb board of this Les Paul now too.
@@MrSage22 It's hard to describe.The sound is more forceful but at the same volume, has a distinct character. But it is hard to describe sounds. Also it drives effects in a deeper richer way. You have to hear it. I a/b my less Pauls to make sure it wasn't in my head. Also there is reasons why an old Les Paul sounds different, wiring, I believe is one. Not just the pick- ups.
Pot upgrades alone will cause differences, unless you swapped out the pcb with the exact same pots that are in the pcb, theres gonna be some minor differences. The way current/electricity works is the exact same from direct wiring to pcb. Sound is subjective so i'm sure there was a difference, but if you replaced the pcb with higher quality pots, thats the difference more than likely. 50's to modern wiring itself is another subjective aspect.
I like the PCB board that came in my 2017 LP Standard because I was able to quickly remove it, the burst bucker pros & bag them for the case. Hi Tony. :)
I have a 2018 HP and the biggest problem is not the PCB board it’s the fact that the pick up legs bend in instead of out and the pick up cavities are routed for these strange rare inward leg pick ups and I hate the pick ups that are in my guitar but I’m stuck with them.
The pcb control board was probably another brainchild of Henry J. Like most things he had implemented in recent years, it was put in to lower Labour costs on Gibson's 'cheaper' models thus alleviating the soldering of the pots etc. Of course, in real terms, the stuff they were churning out got way more expensive -and even less desirable. Ugly guitars in weird colours, stupid attachments and gadgetry, cheap parts..That horrible sized Fisher price serial number and 'made in USA in 2014' .. (my cat knows how to read the serial number..).that is making their guitars even easier to clone..it was like the Norlin era had become retro fashionable.. and the quality control....don't get me started.. The pcb board to my ear makes for a more compressed and brittle top end. There is no comparison to the clarity and vibrant colours of the old wiring set up. Henry probably couldn't tell the difference because his guitar playing, (like his sense of self awareness and business acumen at the end) was poor. How good he thought he was- compared to reality were two different locations entirely. All I see is more Gibson 'not quite a standard ' Les Paul models (traditional, classic, 50's reissue, 100 and the prices keep incrementing. Gibson haven't made a decent guitar at the main factory for about 15 years. All the quality was out of Memphis building (the stuff people want). Henry closed it. If you ask me, Gibson getting into trouble was a blessing in disguise. I hear things are much more positive and they are listening to the customers instead of telling us what we want. Hopefully they can go back to the 1990's when you didn't have to pay £4000 for a Les Paul that played correctly
hi tony. are you sure you can not replace the pots? to me they look like traditional pots soldered onto the pcb. also it looks like the pcb is very easy to replace and you still can use all the components. actually i like it, based on the pictures i saw. looked very tidy. but........in general i appreciate your opinion.
BigEdWo The ones I have in mine are not traditional pots. They have a smaller PCB attached to them which is then soldered to the main pcb but with a mini 3 prong pin connection to the side of it. Maybe it can be done but not easily.
I have a Gibson Les Paul standard with this PC board. It’s a 2009 immaculate guitar. i’m finding out from potential buyers that it has a PC board, and they don’t want to touch it. I was unaware of this change just for change sake until I tried to sell the guitar. usually when a manufacturer of anything finds a way to cut corners and save money. They usually market it as “new and improved”.. when buying anything, it’s not the deal you get, it’s the deal you THINK you get...
I've never owned a Gibson Les Paul but i do own an Epiphone Les Paul standard and others and i love upgrading and tweaking and I literally just found out today that Gibson puts these contraptions in their guitars and I was like 🤔. I take it it's kinda like the robot tuners?
You can change any component on a pcb by desoldering the old component and soldering the new one on. The pots have to be the same configuration though. You can't install a mini pot where a full size pot is, or visa-versa. In the "upgrading", it's the same amount of soldering as point to point wiring.
Actually, you're right the pc board of my modern Gibson Les Paul makes a lot of noise! And its irreparable,. Compared to my Gibson trad with the basic soldered wired configuration it doesn't make any noise.
Is something stopping you from desoldering the components and pickup connectors from the print? Those connectors don't look proprietary, and if they were, you could rip them from your previous pickups if the pinouts aren't obscure.
I want to replace the pups in my 2020 or 2021 SG STD with SD pups. The OE pups from Gibson with wire shielding and center hot. I have some of these 5 wire connectors that are supposed to fit from Ebay. I'm having trouble finding descriptions of what the wires do. Basically I need a hot and a ground. for the SG. The other wires are to be cut , tubed and tucked. What do you know about sources for changing brand name pickups in electric guitars. I didn't think to ask about a pcb board before I bought it. Oh, I think either pup makers sell with pigtails installed for name brand guitars or go back to the solder system. Thanks .
The same people who hate it, hate split coils and taps and filters, basically anything post 1960. Personally if it works and sounds the same, plus I get more options, then I will try it! They are easy enough to swap out for those tone deniers.
Being a total beginner at guitar electronics, I found this the hard way when I ordered two gibson humbuckers for my Les Paul classic 2020. I opened the pots cavity hoping it would be a quick swap of the pickups. And the gates of hell opened when I went online to do some research because I couldn't figure things out with the new pickups. Turned out my les paul has 4 conductor pickups with pcb and everything and the pickups i bought are vintage style PAFs with 2 conductor wiring. I've been calling luthiers in my country trying to figure how can make my investment on the new pickups not go to waste. I'm planning to change the whole wiring in my guitar to old style wiring with no bells and whistle. It's really frustrating to source parts from different vendors all over the country. Why Gibson, Why !!
I have a 2011 SG special and was wanting to put a 57 & 57+ in but after finding out it had a pcb in it I was mortified.. it's literally going to cost as much as I paid for it to get the wiring pots ect . good luck with your search for tonal bliss
I bought a Les Paul Classic for the neck profile, headstock and aesthetics (i knew it would sound good). Came with low output pickups, not a big deal, i swap pups all the time. If you're like me and you enjoy a high output 500T or Dirty Fingers in the bridge and you care about tone, you'll inevitably scrap the PCB and get some 500k pots with Orange Drop capacitors and 50's style wiring. The PCB's are garbage.
I have P 90s and that board . Bought my LP Special used and when the volume gets to about 8 it buzzes and the high notes are affected most . I found that if I move away from my gear it stops . Not sure if it's just a shielding issue or that damn board or both .
I bought it used but it's a Gibson Les Paul Special with P 90s I assume it would be but noticed last night when I hold the guitar away from my area here and away from electrical stuff it stopped @@addictedtogear
I purchased a 2020 Gibson Les Paul Studio and I had it for about 15 months before I swapped out the PCB board for a drop-in Mojo Tone solderless harness. I've heard and read the testimonials of how the tone is better without the PCB board, but seriously I can't tell. I wanted 50s wiring and be able to swap pickups without soldering. No remorse here.
I have several buitars with this system including two 2016 standards . I am exactly where your at with it . I dont know if it makes alot of differrence in tone . I have A/B them against hand wired and cant hear much differrence . What i hate is that a pick up swap is a pain in the ass . I like the idea of making it even more modular it makes sense . I have not had issues with it other than I hate the burst bucker pro pick ups ....not a fan of alnico 5 pickups I much prefer alnico 2 but not alot of options as far as a 4 wire conductor set of those go other than gibsons own pick ups and the only ones I care for 57 classics and burstbucker 1 and 2 are not available for this . I will wind up guttin it and goin with 500k cts audio tapers and .022uf orange drops but not because of the board itself just because my options are too limited with this system . Cheers
@@addictedtogear think Seymour Duncan makes a adaptor that works with this system that goes on the pick up leads so you can plug and go but again unless its a four wire conductor its pretty much for nothin if you want to use the push pull features so for me its just easier to gut the guitar and start over there used to be a system that just screws the wires too I forget who makes it though
I have a 2016 Standard & really enjoy the guitar, great fit, finish and plays awesome. Having said that I like the Burst bucker, but if I want to change pickups in the futureI will need to spend more on pots etc., so for that I think Gibson cheaped out and shouldn't have done that.
Massive problem if you’re a left handed player. The control knobs work in the opposite direction which, when you’re paying £2K plus is an epic, epic fail. I have two LP’s which I gig with, and I’m fed up with this so the PCB’s are being replaced tomorrow. Monty’s 50’s wiring looms.
I have a 120th Anniversary 60's Standard with a PCB. I will eventually change to a premium wired harness. It sounds fine until you roll off the volume. You lose highs, clarity, and overall tone quality. Also, the splits and phase don't do it for me. Its just unnecessary.
I have same issue. I bought LPJ 2014 with board on it. Now I want to install WIZZ PAF pickup...and I have 3 option. First one is to buy orginal jack, which cost a lot, so I gave up on that solution. Second is to cut wire with that jack, connect it with Wizz paf, and then to connect it to board....or third...just to wire wizz pickup traditionally on neck pot... ...Which one would you do?
I would snip off the end of the old pickup with the plug still on it and use that to connect to the new pickups with some shrink tubing you should be good to go.
@@addictedtogear then I might have problem with selling that pickup..:) If i do it, I will cut it few cm from plug, and solder wires from Wizz to gibson wires.. Maybe the best solution is to solder directly on pot on traditional way..
on mine PCB its probably takes less time to swap pot from pcb than to change string.... Legs from pcb are clearly visible..and there I plan to solder wires from pickups..
Wow, I thought the PCB was new for 2018/19 ...when did they stop traditional hand wiring ? I have always fancied a 60's SG Special and Gibson have a kind of SG Special out now (different bevelling ) & while watching a review I discovered the board . I generally don't tinker but I do think it's a good thing to just be able to dive in with a soldering iron if something needs fixing or replacing . Yeah ,they can now have totally unskilled labour wiring Professional electric guitars, I wonder if that means a price drop ? 🤔
Tony, nice video and very controversial. If I would buy one of these, and maybe they are in the 2 to 3 thousands US $, I honestly won't modify anything. I think the board is an advantage in a guitar that got stuck in the past for 60 years and technology is better today. I modify guitars if they are in the less than $1000 and if they sound bad. Well, but this is my opinion, and thanks for the video. Best wishes for you and your family for 2019.
On the one hand, difficult to work on, but... 'Back in the day', Gibson was using 'military grade' pots. They don't exist now. Almost nobody outside the guitar industry uses 'traditional' pots. The very best pots available are nowhere near that standard. If you want that standard of pot - military grade - the only option is to use what the military use - PCBs. I'm not suggesting that's what Gibson has done, but don't be under any illusion that the best pots money can buy are anywhere near what they fitted in the good old days.
So frustrating. I just want to change a pickup..can’t get a Gibson brand pickup with the quick connect attached anywhere. So my only option is to replace the PCB board and buy pickups also.
PCB board is just a convenience for Gibson cost cutter and time saver pumping out new guitars on demand. Handwired the way to go for the consumer better tone all around my opinion and most guitar players are tweaking most of the time, at least the ones I know. Les Paul himself wouldn’t have consented to a PCB board and why should we compromise?
Funny how things have changed with Gibson over the past two years the LP standard is now the vintage Lp with hand wiring and no pc board and the classic has the pc board with push pull pots.
Dude it’s so much more reliable to have pcb - analogy makes no sense - you can take the pcb out and hand wire - no one is stopping you. It it’ll cost you a few bucks in parts - Hand wired does not mean better
I agree hardwired doesn't mean better. That is what I said but PCB is not more convenient either... If you can tell me know I can install a 2 wire pickup using the pcb 4 wire design without mods let me know...Thanks for watching
@@addictedtogear Easy to do. Solder the braid of the pickup to the backside of the volume pot and solder the hot wire to the leg of the pot that goes to the capacitor. I did this so as not to replace it. You're welcome.
I bought this from a Jehova in Kelly I live in New York Batavia. He scribed into the pickup for 90 + 480 that was nice then he put a bone nut instead of filing the nut he filed the neck man I'm trading it for a PRS first generation amp and speaker and I got to give him $600 I guess that's pretty good. I didn't know about the tires like I do now. If I was going to buy a guitar off eBay I want to see inside of it and I want to see from the side the nut
Of course not. Soldering onto a circuit board is just a better way of connecting components. Read a tutorial, have a few practice runs on an old board and hey presto, you've upgraded yourself and hopefully the guitar. All the whining about this is utter nonsense. It would be ridiculous if they weren't using boards at this point in time.
@@simplesimon2960 I respectfully disagree, unnecessarily complex is not "Better" point-to-point wiring is about as simple and reliable as it gets, I like to play around with different pickups and I prefer Seymour Duncan pickups, with this system you pretty much have to use Gibson pickups or splice the f**k out of your wiring which just creates an additional potential fail point. Not to mention the printed circuit boards result in more signal degradation than point to point wiring. So no, more complex isn't automatically Better.
I hate the PCB board. The molex adapter destroys me on shipping, the limited number of pickups that come with the adapter are expensive and there isn't a good used market with them available. The board just makes it's pricier and harder to work with.
Great video. I think you've covered everything. This pcb thing helps gibson, not customers who own the guitar. If you run into problems with them, then gibson profits. Also. you can't mod them and 4 tone pots become invalidated if only 1 goes...thats really bad for us customers!!! A typically gibson dick move to be frank. Something which has been noted by them of late and they finally seem to be listening to their customers (since being under new management I guess) and they are now, probably very reluctantly, making customers wishes a priority...which is exactly the right thing to do, for any brand!
It's awful. I have 4 guitars. All Les Paul's. One's a Gibson. The best electronics, most sensitive volume and tone knobs are on my 03 epi LP standard, made in South Korea. My 2013 Gibson LP, 13 epi LP and 2020 epi have inferior electronics. It's very obvious when plugged in to an amp
Well I don't like it I think it's b******* I did not know when I bought it off eBay. I know it's a Gibson but I could not believe when I opened it up and that damn thing was in there. I don't feel like that will pass the test of time. I don't know how much it cost but I need to have it hardwired someday how much does that cost? The lowest I can do it myself maybe
Any new product comes with a warranty, and in Gibson's case it is 12 months. Using a PC board ensures a speedy and consistent and low labor cost during manufacture and that there are nil wiring fault claims during the warranty period, and I doubt there is much more to the story than that. What a consumer does with the product after the warranty expires is entirely on the consumers shoulders.
Just opened my SG to upgrade pickups. Now I'm watching this video instead. I should be installing my pickups. But I'm not. I suppose I'll be shopping for pots, caps, and wire in a few minutes. Maybe I'll just go watch TV. I don't know. But you know what I won't be doing? I won't be installing my new pickups, that's what I won't be doing. [sigh]
pcbs fail way less often than solder joints. Yes, I know you feel really sad "why can't they just keep doing things the same as they did in 1960?" ...well, it's not 1960, and plenty of used les pauls built the old way.
Hate the PC board. I bought mine used and it has had noisy volume pots since day one and I haven't been able to fix it because of that g-d PC board. At least not without a big headache. Pickups do not come stock with those plugs, never did, never will. Stupid idea. Stupid, stupid, STUPID. I own two Gibsons, but I'm done with Gibson. Tired of having to replace things on Gibsons...this just adds one more piece of garbage you have to replace on a brand new guitar. Along with their garbage tuners, cheap nut, etc. The ENTIRE electronic system has to be replaced on any guitar with a PCB, in my opinion. And as quickly as possible. Before a pot goes noisy. And it will.
In other words. I am unwilling to educate myself, therefore an entire industry must be stuck with technology that was already outdated when it was implemented in the 50s.
I have nothing against new technology when it is well designed and works properly. I won't trade off flexibility for new technology just for the sake of having something new. When Gibson can make the technology flexible I will be all for it! If you need some modern broken sink plugs let me know. My old ones still work perfectly LOL Thanks for watching
@@addictedtogear I have those clicky sink plugs, also had the same problem, but I fixed it. Unscrew the whole thing, add an extra washer and you'll never have another problem. To be honest, I usually frown when Gibson introduces new stuff, because it's mostly something someone half-assed into production just because they needed a "modern" selling point. Have a look at the 2018/19 boards, they're as simple as can be, offer you all the versatility you'll ever need, stock, but you can easily mod it any way you want, same components, same everything, it's just solderless.
Yes it is a step in the right direction. I just don't think they should insist on putting it on all their guitars. It would be nice to have a choice for those who want it.@@brunogarcia6506
@@addictedtogear As far as I know, they offer traditionally wired models as well. Apart from that, there's about two decades worth of Gibsons to buy (cheaper than the new/moderns) from the used market. Or, just buy a Vintage (brand) or Tokai guitar and have the same, or better quality at a fraction of the price, also, no PCBs in those. 👌
Nine hole weight relief. Les Paul Classic model. Gibson Guitar of the Week in 2007 . . . (Think of something!! 😳☹️😫) The lineup and smashing of the Firebird X? 🤭Moving Mark Agnesi to Nashville only to then put a gun to his head to make him narrate awkward TH-cam legal threats video(s).🤥😒 🤷🏾♂️🖕🏽
As an engineer, I fundamentally disagree with the boomer mentality and logic - "muh PCB bad, I'll rip it and throw 50s wiring". PCBs are significantly more durable and consistent quality wise compared to some human doing wiring by hand. Replacing components is easy, you literally desolder the pot, cap, or whatever the fuck, and solder in a new one on the same pad/pads on the board - it's clean and far more simpler than manaully wiring multiple cables and components. Want to swap out the pickups, but they don't have the funny plug and play connector? Desolder the plug from the PCB and wire the pickups directly to the pads. That's it! Shocking, I know. Admittedly, Gibson and the like save money by putting in a PCB, but you, the customer win too. I don't get why the guitar world is stuck in the 50s.
I agree with you regarding PCB being better in terms of quality control. I just don't like the way Gibson executed the design of the board. It doesn't make it simpler. It could have been great but they messed it up with the clips IMO. Thanks for watching!
This is 'not' better for the average player or modder. Most players are not engineers and can't begin to work on even simple repairs to this ridiculous technology. Notice that aftermarket pickups with these specific connectors are made by no one - no company makes drop in aftermarket pickups for these Gibsons. I personally have 'never' seen even 1 of these type of pots aftermarket. I have not seen even 1 yt on how to replace even 1 of these pots, and, I'm totally 'not' interested. I have not found even 1 guitar tech that is ready to work on my pcb. Parts are not available and they have zero experience working on these guitars, plus none of them are engineers. They are all old school players and enthusiasts. How much would you charge to rebuild the entire electronics system on 1 of these guitars for a disappointed owner? I'm sure that the ordinary labor rate for a qualified technician is very high and that the customer would wait a long time before the job was completed. I think the pcb design is a complicated way to make an expensive guitar most difficult for the purchaser to maintain and work on. A cheap Asian guitar with point to point wiring and standard parts will leave the customer far ahead of these Gibson monstrosities.
I find what they did misleading and deceptive nobody would ever think that was in there why don't they tell you in big letters it has a PC board in the f****** thing oops yeah it bothers me. I bought a 2012 Les Paul Studio 50s gold top and that's what's in the damn thing! Who can't put two wires on you don't have the fancy thing a wire nut LOL I wish you were my neighbor. Then what I jammed it wouldn't bother you as much.
The boards are fine if you're happy. But changing pickups etc is a hassle. There is no disadvantage to PCBs, if you want cheaper Gibsons you have to accept they change. Soldering etc is very labour intensive and costs are passed onto the buyer. Gibson navel gaze at times. Robot tuning systems etc ... Awful. A sales disaster.
You don’t need to modify it. It already has all of the mods already in there with dip switches. And the new models are divided between ones with new tech modern models and ones with old tech traditional models. All of your arguments are nonsensical and have already been addressed. You’re holding a 2016 go get a 2018 or 2019 and then remake this video.
Its B Lo mine does not have any dip switches on it. The new models may have the dip switches but also have other issues that I won’t go into. That’s another video in itself! Thanks for watching!
Not everybody likes technology. AKA all of your hand wired instruments and amps cost a lot more. And guess what people pay... you are not cool you little douche.
I put 500 cts pots, 50's stile wiring and different pups in my 2018 SG Faded, Still sounds like crap,sounded better with the pub board and I have a Epi LP with 50's wiring also, which I will be selling both of them. You can clip the wires and connect the wires no big deal,pc boards are cheap get on eBay they are a dime a dozen.my SG sounds better stock. I have a Professional Standard Tele and Strat far better quality and tone than gibson
Why change it? To make pickup swapping faster and solderless. Who asked for this? I asked for this. I think there should be a standard pickup plug implemented in guitars years ago.
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@Cristiano Romeo instablaster =)
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Just replaced mine with a modern kit from RS Guitarworks, the difference was night and day. If someone tries to tell you it doesn't matter, ask them what kit they got to replace it. A kit is only as good as its components, and RS really gives you the best stuff.
People who hate in the board and the dip switch’s can send theirs to me hell I wouldn’t mind having a few more because they are fantastic.
I'm just gonna take my PCB out, put it in a bag and wire my guitar up properly. I've had my guitar for a year and never once have I used a coil split or out of phase when I've been playing at home or out and about. I'm not real fussed on all the tonepros hardware on there either. The guitars were great originally, like 50's or 60's, that's also what most people I know desire, so why all the changes? It's not for our benefit. I have to spend money on my guitar to get it back to a reasonable standard. (pun intended)
I own a 2015 Les Paul Junior. I've been using it in my videos and for studio recordings and I've come to this conclusion. The guitars with the PCB boards and robot tuners are not inherently bad instruments. The appointments chosen by Gibson (at the time) were the biggest issue. My dang robot tuners are a pain in the rear, the PCB board makes upgrading to a different pickup next to impossible. Forget about trying different wiring schemes for your axe.
So I've made the decision to upgrade the guitar by installing old and reliable technologies. I'm getting a custom P90 made, going to install an Emerson Custom wiring harness, and I'm going to remove the R2-D2 tuners and put some good old Grovers.
The neck feels great to me, the guitar looks awesome and it has resonance and sustain for days. The foundation is great, all it needs is the tied and true technologies of old. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Arksolva Studio I agree. Thanks for watching.
I've recently purchased a 2018 Les Paul Standard HP with the PCB fitted and I have zero complaints. I bought a Gibson for it's inherent tone and have no plans to 'change pups or tweak the electrics in any way. Having said that I appreciate the trip switches giving me a means to tailor my guitar to my own tastes )e.g. Coil split or Tap etc.).
If a single pot failed they can be desoldered from the PCB and replaced in the same way as with PTP wiring. However, I doubt I'll be needing to do this any time soon (if ever..).
I do agree with your idea of a more modular plug & play system though - that would provide ultimate flexibility.
PC board is only to make manufacturing faster and cheaper, nothing more.
Exactly
Yes. For factory ease of production - and this causes the player / purchaser to be essentially completely prevented from modifying the guitar electronics. Pots are not available and can not be customer replacec or changed without a major problem causing a cascade of other following problems, leading to the absolute need to replace 'all' of the control electronics, including impossible pickups and unavailable replacement aftermarket pickups with this weird solderless connection block.
Only Gibson would abuse the customer in this way. This pcb junk only makes life hard for the traditional Gibson owner. No one wants to hassle with the pcb electronics.
It is extremely difficult and expensive to modify these pcb based guitars. I have not talked to a guitar tech that has replaced a pot on even 1 of these pcb guitars.
I replaced the entire electronic system on my Gibson tribute. It was very expensive and 1 problem led to another. It was very time consuming and frustrating work.
The guitar should have been thrown in the trash. All kinds of problems with the conversion job. Even the pickups had to be replaced.
I dare you to try replacing even 1 pot. Try it ... I dare you to replace even 1 of the pickups with your favorite aftermarket pickup. Try to swap the aftermarket pickup into the pcb system. Find out how extremely difficult and impossible this simple pickup swap is.
Gibson has a history of pulling tricks like this against their customers. Customers remember these tricks that make the Gibson guitar purchaser deeply regret buying another Gibson and finding out that it is impossible to work on and modify.
Very few players have been successful when tryying to modify tbese pcb guitars, without undue hardship. The average player would not know where or how to begin working on these guitars electronics. These are 'oddball' guitars that are designed to make life as we knew it impossible.
I highly recommend throwing your pcb Gibson in the trash before wasting time, money, frustration, and disappointment on Gibson.
Gibson corp is very selfish and obviously does not care about how crazy and counterproductive their pcb strategy actually is.
Those that like pcb Gibsons are welcome to them. Plenty of players would be happy to give you their pcb Gibsons free. They can't stand them and would rather be rid of them, actually wishing that they had already thrown them away.
I'd rather have a cheap Jackson super strat. Or a great Agile LP.
Thanks Tony good work as always. I tend to agree with you. The fact that Gibson changed something that has worked well for decades for something they wanted doesn't always sit well with customers. The RoboTuner fiasco is one of those things and what a fiasco that was. I am not a tweaker I tend to leave my guitars stock and have only made a few changes. I bought I believe a 2011 Gibson Les Paul studio and I didn't like the muddy tone of the bridge pickup so I decided to do a pickup swap. My guy that does repairs for me was surprised by the PCB board and said it made the swap harder than what it needed to be. He also found out that it was wired wrong in the first place which he said probably contributed to the muddy sounding bridge pickup. After the pickup swap it sounded better but I never really bonded with it and I sold it in favor of a PRS guitar which IMHO is a better option. Thanks for your video and effort. If I owned a Gibson and was really going to keep it long term I would rip out the PCB board throw it in the trash and have it rewired the old way.
I’m lefty. Just bought an SG, and it has a board, but even worse, the knobs roll off backwards. Yeah, don’t like the boards. Gonna swap it out for actual pots that actually roll off the right way. Wish me luck.
Looks like Emeril has branched out into guitar maintenance…BAM!!!
😂😂😂
I ripped the pcb out of one of my Les Paul and put it 50's wiring in and it made a huge difference. I have another Les Paul that still has a pcb in it to compare to and the difference is very noticeable . I can't wait to switch out the pcb board of this Les Paul now too.
Noticeable how?
@@MrSage22 It's hard to describe.The sound is more forceful but at the same volume, has a distinct character. But it is hard to describe sounds. Also it drives effects in a deeper richer way. You have to hear it. I a/b my less Pauls to make sure it wasn't in my head. Also there is reasons why an old Les Paul sounds different, wiring, I believe is one. Not just the pick- ups.
Pot upgrades alone will cause differences, unless you swapped out the pcb with the exact same pots that are in the pcb, theres gonna be some minor differences. The way current/electricity works is the exact same from direct wiring to pcb. Sound is subjective so i'm sure there was a difference, but if you replaced the pcb with higher quality pots, thats the difference more than likely. 50's to modern wiring itself is another subjective aspect.
I like the PCB board that came in my 2017 LP Standard because I was able to quickly remove it, the burst bucker pros & bag them for the case. Hi Tony. :)
I have a 2018 HP and the biggest problem is not the PCB board it’s the fact that the pick up legs bend in instead of out and the pick up cavities are routed for these strange rare inward leg pick ups and I hate the pick ups that are in my guitar but I’m stuck with them.
The pcb control board was probably another brainchild of Henry J. Like most things he had implemented in recent years, it was put in to lower Labour costs on Gibson's 'cheaper' models thus alleviating the soldering of the pots etc. Of course, in real terms, the stuff they were churning out got way more expensive -and even less desirable.
Ugly guitars in weird colours, stupid attachments and gadgetry, cheap parts..That horrible sized Fisher price serial number and 'made in USA in 2014' .. (my cat knows how to read the serial number..).that is making their guitars even easier to clone..it was like the Norlin era had become retro fashionable.. and the quality control....don't get me started..
The pcb board to my ear makes for a more compressed and brittle top end.
There is no comparison to the clarity and vibrant colours of the old wiring set up.
Henry probably couldn't tell the difference because his guitar playing, (like his sense of self awareness and business acumen at the end) was poor. How good he thought he was- compared to reality were two different locations entirely.
All I see is more Gibson 'not quite a standard ' Les Paul models (traditional, classic, 50's reissue, 100 and the prices keep incrementing. Gibson haven't made a decent guitar at the main factory for about 15 years.
All the quality was out of Memphis building (the stuff people want).
Henry closed it.
If you ask me, Gibson getting into trouble was a blessing in disguise.
I hear things are much more positive and they are listening to the customers instead of telling us what we want.
Hopefully they can go back to the 1990's when you didn't have to pay £4000 for a Les Paul that played correctly
My biggest dislike is how many people lost their jobs at Gibson by going pc boards.
hi tony. are you sure you can not replace the pots? to me they look like traditional pots soldered onto the pcb.
also it looks like the pcb is very easy to replace and you still can use all the components.
actually i like it, based on the pictures i saw. looked very tidy.
but........in general i appreciate your opinion.
BigEdWo The ones I have in mine are not traditional pots. They have a smaller PCB attached to them which is then soldered to the main pcb but with a mini 3 prong pin connection to the side of it. Maybe it can be done but not easily.
They're still 300K vs. 500K pots, and pots are not expensive anyway. Just replace all of it
I have a Gibson Les Paul standard with this PC board. It’s a 2009 immaculate guitar. i’m finding out from potential buyers that it has a PC board, and they don’t want to touch it. I was unaware of this change just for change sake until I tried to sell the guitar.
usually when a manufacturer of anything finds a way to cut corners and save money. They usually market it as “new and improved”..
when buying anything, it’s not the deal you get, it’s the deal you THINK you get...
You are correct Jody
I've never owned a Gibson Les Paul but i do own an Epiphone Les Paul standard and others and i love upgrading and tweaking and I literally just found out today that Gibson puts these contraptions in their guitars and I was like 🤔. I take it it's kinda like the robot tuners?
You can change any component on a pcb by desoldering the old component and soldering the new one on. The pots have to be the same configuration though. You can't install a mini pot where a full size pot is, or visa-versa. In the "upgrading", it's the same amount of soldering as point to point wiring.
Actually, you're right the pc board of my modern Gibson Les Paul makes a lot of noise! And its irreparable,. Compared to my Gibson trad with the basic soldered wired configuration it doesn't make any noise.
Is something stopping you from desoldering the components and pickup connectors from the print? Those connectors don't look proprietary, and if they were, you could rip them from your previous pickups if the pinouts aren't obscure.
I don't quite understand... If you can solder in new pickups, why can't you solder on a 10¢ standard connector?
I want to replace the pups in my 2020 or 2021 SG STD with SD pups. The OE pups from Gibson with wire shielding and center hot. I have some of these 5 wire connectors that are supposed to fit from Ebay. I'm having trouble finding descriptions of what the wires do. Basically I need a hot and a ground. for the SG. The other wires are to be cut , tubed and tucked. What do you know about sources for changing brand name pickups in electric guitars. I didn't think to ask about a pcb board before I bought it. Oh, I think either pup makers sell with pigtails installed for name brand guitars or go back to the solder system. Thanks .
Can also just solder to pot like normal. Or wire the existing plug to the sd wires
The same people who hate it, hate split coils and taps and filters, basically anything post 1960. Personally if it works and sounds the same, plus I get more options, then I will try it! They are easy enough to swap out for those tone deniers.
Being a total beginner at guitar electronics, I found this the hard way when I ordered two gibson humbuckers for my Les Paul classic 2020. I opened the pots cavity hoping it would be a quick swap of the pickups. And the gates of hell opened when I went online to do some research because I couldn't figure things out with the new pickups. Turned out my les paul has 4 conductor pickups with pcb and everything and the pickups i bought are vintage style PAFs with 2 conductor wiring. I've been calling luthiers in my country trying to figure how can make my investment on the new pickups not go to waste. I'm planning to change the whole wiring in my guitar to old style wiring with no bells and whistle. It's really frustrating to source parts from different vendors all over the country. Why Gibson, Why !!
I have a 2011 SG special and was wanting to put a 57 & 57+ in but after finding out it had a pcb in it I was mortified.. it's literally going to cost as much as I paid for it to get the wiring pots ect . good luck with your search for tonal bliss
I bought a Les Paul Classic for the neck profile, headstock and aesthetics (i knew it would sound good). Came with low output pickups, not a big deal, i swap pups all the time. If you're like me and you enjoy a high output 500T or Dirty Fingers in the bridge and you care about tone, you'll inevitably scrap the PCB and get some 500k pots with Orange Drop capacitors and 50's style wiring. The PCB's are garbage.
Bad i changed With cts pots and Orange drop and 50 wiring and was a big improvement
I have P 90s and that board . Bought my LP Special used and when the volume gets to about 8 it buzzes and the high notes are affected most . I found that if I move away from my gear it stops . Not sure if it's just a shielding issue or that damn board or both .
That sounds more like a feedback issue to me. Are your pickups wax potted?
I bought it used but it's a Gibson Les Paul Special with P 90s I assume it would be but noticed last night when I hold the guitar away from my area here and away from electrical stuff it stopped
@@addictedtogear
I purchased a 2020 Gibson Les Paul Studio and I had it for about 15 months before I swapped out the PCB board for a drop-in Mojo Tone solderless harness. I've heard and read the testimonials of how the tone is better without the PCB board, but seriously I can't tell. I wanted 50s wiring and be able to swap pickups without soldering. No remorse here.
I have several buitars with this system including two 2016 standards . I am exactly where your at with it . I dont know if it makes alot of differrence in tone . I have A/B them against hand wired and cant hear much differrence . What i hate is that a pick up swap is a pain in the ass . I like the idea of making it even more modular it makes sense . I have not had issues with it other than I hate the burst bucker pro pick ups ....not a fan of alnico 5 pickups I much prefer alnico 2 but not alot of options as far as a 4 wire conductor set of those go other than gibsons own pick ups and the only ones I care for 57 classics and burstbucker 1 and 2 are not available for this . I will wind up guttin it and goin with 500k cts audio tapers and .022uf orange drops but not because of the board itself just because my options are too limited with this system . Cheers
Hi Bill, thanks for the information. I prefer options that let me swap out pickups quickly without damaging the pots with excessive heat.
@@addictedtogear think Seymour Duncan makes a adaptor that works with this system that goes on the pick up leads so you can plug and go but again unless its a four wire conductor its pretty much for nothin if you want to use the push pull features so for me its just easier to gut the guitar and start over there used to be a system that just screws the wires too I forget who makes it though
@@billhannum4117 the system you're thinking of is the Seymour Duncan liberator and as far as I know they still make it
I have a 2016 Standard & really enjoy the guitar, great fit, finish and plays awesome. Having said that I like the Burst bucker, but if I want to change pickups in the futureI will need to spend more on pots etc., so for that I think Gibson cheaped out and shouldn't have done that.
You don’t have to change the pots. Just put in the new pickups
Does anyone know what pots to use, to remove the pc board? There are 2 available. A short shaft and a long shaft. Which one??
Short
Please tell me where you purchased those lovely pictures you have on the wall behind you thanks! Also great job on the video! 😊
I bought them online but don’t remember exactly where. If you search google you should find it.
@@addictedtogear thank you! I subscribed and liked! Good job!👍
Massive problem if you’re a left handed player. The control knobs work in the opposite direction which, when you’re paying £2K plus is an epic, epic fail.
I have two LP’s which I gig with, and I’m fed up with this so the PCB’s are being replaced tomorrow.
Monty’s 50’s wiring looms.
I have a 120th Anniversary 60's Standard with a PCB. I will eventually change to a premium wired harness. It sounds fine until you roll off the volume. You lose highs, clarity, and overall tone quality. Also, the splits and phase don't do it for me. Its just unnecessary.
I have same issue. I bought LPJ 2014 with board on it. Now I want to install WIZZ PAF pickup...and I have 3 option. First one is to buy orginal jack, which cost a lot, so I gave up on that solution. Second is to cut wire with that jack, connect it with Wizz paf, and then to connect it to board....or third...just to wire wizz pickup traditionally on neck pot... ...Which one would you do?
I would snip off the end of the old pickup with the plug still on it and use that to connect to the new pickups with some shrink tubing you should be good to go.
@@addictedtogear then I might have problem with selling that pickup..:) If i do it, I will cut it few cm from plug, and solder wires from Wizz to gibson wires.. Maybe the best solution is to solder directly on pot on traditional way..
on mine PCB its probably takes less time to swap pot from pcb than to change string.... Legs from pcb are clearly visible..and there I plan to solder wires from pickups..
the PCB does not sound as Brit as hand wired . Still sounds good .
Wow, I thought the PCB was new for 2018/19 ...when did they stop traditional hand wiring ? I have always fancied a 60's SG Special and Gibson have a kind of SG Special out now (different bevelling ) & while watching a review I discovered the board . I generally don't tinker but I do think it's a good thing to just be able to dive in with a soldering iron if something needs fixing or replacing . Yeah ,they can now have totally unskilled labour wiring Professional electric guitars, I wonder if that means a price drop ? 🤔
I feel the same way about the lack of a CD player in my car.
I have PCB Gibson and want to bypass the tone pots... Can anyone help?
Tony, nice video and very controversial. If I would buy one of these, and maybe they are in the 2 to 3 thousands US $, I honestly won't modify anything. I think the board is an advantage in a guitar that got stuck in the past for 60 years and technology is better today. I modify guitars if they are in the less than $1000 and if they sound bad. Well, but this is my opinion, and thanks for the video. Best wishes for you and your family for 2019.
Tell us why the pcb is better..
On the one hand, difficult to work on, but...
'Back in the day', Gibson was using 'military grade' pots. They don't exist now. Almost nobody outside the guitar industry uses 'traditional' pots. The very best pots available are nowhere near that standard.
If you want that standard of pot - military grade - the only option is to use what the military use - PCBs.
I'm not suggesting that's what Gibson has done, but don't be under any illusion that the best pots money can buy are anywhere near what they fitted in the good old days.
It would be great if they would send their new stuff on the road with pro guys for a year. That would iron out all the problems fast!
So frustrating. I just want to change a pickup..can’t get a Gibson brand pickup with the quick connect attached anywhere. So my only option is to replace the PCB board and buy pickups also.
Exactly…very frustrating!
PCB board is just a convenience for Gibson cost cutter and time saver pumping out new guitars on demand. Handwired the way to go for the consumer better tone all around my opinion and most guitar players are tweaking most of the time, at least the ones I know. Les Paul himself wouldn’t have consented to a PCB board and why should we compromise?
Funny how things have changed with Gibson over the past two years the LP standard is now the vintage Lp with hand wiring and no pc board and the classic has the pc board with push pull pots.
They have to keep thinking up ways to make the old new again!
Why would Gibson fans want to modify their Les Pauls and the rest? You really want a Strat and are too afraid to say it.
Dude it’s so much more reliable to have pcb - analogy makes no sense - you can take the pcb out and hand wire - no one is stopping you. It it’ll cost you a few bucks in parts - Hand wired does not mean better
I agree hardwired doesn't mean better. That is what I said but PCB is not more convenient either... If you can tell me know I can install a 2 wire pickup using the pcb 4 wire design without mods let me know...Thanks for watching
@@addictedtogear Easy to do. Solder the braid of the pickup to the backside of the volume pot and solder the hot wire to the leg of the pot that goes to the capacitor. I did this so as not to replace it. You're welcome.
How could it possibly be more reliable to have a PCB?
I bought this from a Jehova in Kelly I live in New York Batavia. He scribed into the pickup for 90 + 480 that was nice then he put a bone nut instead of filing the nut he filed the neck man I'm trading it for a PRS first generation amp and speaker and I got to give him $600 I guess that's pretty good. I didn't know about the tires like I do now. If I was going to buy a guitar off eBay I want to see inside of it and I want to see from the side the nut
love those paintings on the wall!
Thank you! Cheers!
If 1 pot goes out do you have to swap out the entire board? If so it would be hella expensive to fix one pot?
yes you do unless you can trick wire it somehow.
no you dont..you can change just pot..
Zvonimir Sarcevic anything is possible but looking at how mine is put together it would not be any easy process.
Of course not. Soldering onto a circuit board is just a better way of connecting components. Read a tutorial, have a few practice runs on an old board and hey presto, you've upgraded yourself and hopefully the guitar. All the whining about this is utter nonsense. It would be ridiculous if they weren't using boards at this point in time.
@@simplesimon2960 I respectfully disagree, unnecessarily complex is not "Better" point-to-point wiring is about as simple and reliable as it gets, I like to play around with different pickups and I prefer Seymour Duncan pickups, with this system you pretty much have to use Gibson pickups or splice the f**k out of your wiring which just creates an additional potential fail point. Not to mention the printed circuit boards result in more signal degradation than point to point wiring. So no, more complex isn't automatically Better.
I feel ya bro" ..long live the "Old School"
Planned obsolescence?
All the way bad. Ripping them out is good.
I hate the PCB board. The molex adapter destroys me on shipping, the limited number of pickups that come with the adapter are expensive and there isn't a good used market with them available. The board just makes it's pricier and harder to work with.
When it comes to musical instruments, conservatism rules. Ford should still be making ‘65 Mustangs, along with all their crappy new stuff.
Great video. I think you've covered everything. This pcb thing helps gibson, not customers who own the guitar. If you run into problems with them, then gibson profits. Also. you can't mod them and 4 tone pots become invalidated if only 1 goes...thats really bad for us customers!!! A typically gibson dick move to be frank. Something which has been noted by them of late and they finally seem to be listening to their customers (since being under new management I guess) and they are now, probably very reluctantly, making customers wishes a priority...which is exactly the right thing to do, for any brand!
It's awful. I have 4 guitars. All Les Paul's. One's a Gibson. The best electronics, most sensitive volume and tone knobs are on my 03 epi LP standard, made in South Korea. My 2013 Gibson LP, 13 epi LP and 2020 epi have inferior electronics. It's very obvious when plugged in to an amp
Well I don't like it I think it's b******* I did not know when I bought it off eBay. I know it's a Gibson but I could not believe when I opened it up and that damn thing was in there. I don't feel like that will pass the test of time. I don't know how much it cost but I need to have it hardwired someday how much does that cost? The lowest I can do it myself maybe
Any new product comes with a warranty, and in Gibson's case it is 12 months. Using a PC board ensures a speedy and consistent and low labor cost during manufacture and that there are nil wiring fault claims during the warranty period, and I doubt there is much more to the story than that.
What a consumer does with the product after the warranty expires is entirely on the consumers shoulders.
Never liked gibson guitars and always thought coil splitting was just stupid. Just buy a guitar with humbuckers and one with single coils.
Buy PRS guitars instead.
Just opened my SG to upgrade pickups. Now I'm watching this video instead. I should be installing my pickups. But I'm not. I suppose I'll be shopping for pots, caps, and wire in a few minutes. Maybe I'll just go watch TV. I don't know. But you know what I won't be doing? I won't be installing my new pickups, that's what I won't be doing. [sigh]
Sorry if I messed up your groove!
@@addictedtogear not you. Gibson! My SG had a PBC. You’re video is great!
pcbs fail way less often than solder joints. Yes, I know you feel really sad "why can't they just keep doing things the same as they did in 1960?" ...well, it's not 1960, and plenty of used les pauls built the old way.
I prefer the flexibility of being able to do what I want when I want as opposed to keeping it stock so for me it’s not even an option.
Hate the PC board. I bought mine used and it has had noisy volume pots since day one and I haven't been able to fix it because of that g-d PC board. At least not without a big headache. Pickups do not come stock with those plugs, never did, never will. Stupid idea. Stupid, stupid, STUPID.
I own two Gibsons, but I'm done with Gibson. Tired of having to replace things on Gibsons...this just adds one more piece of garbage you have to replace on a brand new guitar. Along with their garbage tuners, cheap nut, etc. The ENTIRE electronic system has to be replaced on any guitar with a PCB, in my opinion. And as quickly as possible. Before a pot goes noisy. And it will.
just a clever marketing ploy in my book ,,cheaper for them .
Cheap. Cheap for Gibson. Extremely difficult for the modder. This type of business modeling at loyal customers is just too much.
Something better that sliced pan? Never…
Definitely not, could be an extra
In other words. I am unwilling to educate myself, therefore an entire industry must be stuck with technology that was already outdated when it was implemented in the 50s.
I have nothing against new technology when it is well designed and works properly. I won't trade off flexibility for new technology just for the sake of having something new. When Gibson can make the technology flexible I will be all for it! If you need some modern broken sink plugs let me know. My old ones still work perfectly LOL Thanks for watching
@@addictedtogear I have those clicky sink plugs, also had the same problem, but I fixed it. Unscrew the whole thing, add an extra washer and you'll never have another problem. To be honest, I usually frown when Gibson introduces new stuff, because it's mostly something someone half-assed into production just because they needed a "modern" selling point. Have a look at the 2018/19 boards, they're as simple as can be, offer you all the versatility you'll ever need, stock, but you can easily mod it any way you want, same components, same everything, it's just solderless.
Yes it is a step in the right direction. I just don't think they should insist on putting it on all their guitars. It would be nice to have a choice for those who want it.@@brunogarcia6506
I have nothing against bord..but Gibson is is selling 0,1$ connector for 30-60$ that I manage to fined....that sucks. But you can bypass it..
@@addictedtogear As far as I know, they offer traditionally wired models as well. Apart from that, there's about two decades worth of Gibsons to buy (cheaper than the new/moderns) from the used market. Or, just buy a Vintage (brand) or Tokai guitar and have the same, or better quality at a fraction of the price, also, no PCBs in those. 👌
Name a new idea that gibson has had that worked out in the last 50 years.....go ahead.
Nine hole weight relief. Les Paul Classic model. Gibson Guitar of the Week in 2007 . . . (Think of something!! 😳☹️😫) The lineup and smashing of the Firebird X? 🤭Moving Mark Agnesi to Nashville only to then put a gun to his head to make him narrate awkward TH-cam legal threats video(s).🤥😒 🤷🏾♂️🖕🏽
As an engineer, I fundamentally disagree with the boomer mentality and logic - "muh PCB bad, I'll rip it and throw 50s wiring".
PCBs are significantly more durable and consistent quality wise compared to some human doing wiring by hand. Replacing components is easy, you literally desolder the pot, cap, or whatever the fuck, and solder in a new one on the same pad/pads on the board - it's clean and far more simpler than manaully wiring multiple cables and components. Want to swap out the pickups, but they don't have the funny plug and play connector? Desolder the plug from the PCB and wire the pickups directly to the pads. That's it! Shocking, I know.
Admittedly, Gibson and the like save money by putting in a PCB, but you, the customer win too. I don't get why the guitar world is stuck in the 50s.
I agree with you regarding PCB being better in terms of quality control. I just don't like the way Gibson executed the design of the board. It doesn't make it simpler. It could have been great but they messed it up with the clips IMO.
Thanks for watching!
This is 'not' better for the average player or modder. Most players are not engineers and can't begin to work on even simple repairs to this ridiculous technology. Notice that aftermarket pickups with these specific connectors are made by no one - no company makes drop in aftermarket pickups for these Gibsons. I personally have 'never' seen even 1 of these type of pots aftermarket. I have not seen even 1 yt on how to replace even 1 of these pots, and, I'm totally 'not' interested. I have not found even 1 guitar tech that is ready to work on my pcb. Parts are not available and they have zero experience working on these guitars, plus none of them are engineers. They are all old school players and enthusiasts. How much would you charge to rebuild the entire electronics system on 1 of these guitars for a disappointed owner? I'm sure that the ordinary labor rate for a qualified technician is very high and that the customer would wait a long time before the job was completed.
I think the pcb design is a complicated way to make an expensive guitar most difficult for the purchaser to maintain and work on. A cheap Asian guitar with point to point wiring and standard parts will leave the customer far ahead of these Gibson monstrosities.
Overengineered crap, least is best when it comes to the guitar and it's wiring
I find what they did misleading and deceptive nobody would ever think that was in there why don't they tell you in big letters it has a PC board in the f****** thing oops yeah it bothers me. I bought a 2012 Les Paul Studio 50s gold top and that's what's in the damn thing! Who can't put two wires on you don't have the fancy thing a wire nut LOL I wish you were my neighbor. Then what I jammed it wouldn't bother you as much.
The boards are fine if you're happy. But changing pickups etc is a hassle.
There is no disadvantage to PCBs, if you want cheaper Gibsons you have to accept they change. Soldering etc is very labour intensive and costs are passed onto the buyer.
Gibson navel gaze at times. Robot tuning systems etc ... Awful. A sales disaster.
Couldn't live without upgrading my pickups or pots...definately, don't need this system
you keep saying "wakeup" you need to wake up dude. it is NOT 1960!!!
I use the KISS method. Keep it simple stupid
You don’t need to modify it. It already has all of the mods already in there with dip switches. And the new models are divided between ones with new tech modern models and ones with old tech traditional models. All of your arguments are nonsensical and have already been addressed. You’re holding a 2016 go get a 2018 or 2019 and then remake this video.
Its B Lo mine does not have any dip switches on it. The new models may have the dip switches but also have other issues that I won’t go into. That’s another video in itself! Thanks for watching!
Not everybody likes technology.
AKA all of your hand wired instruments and amps cost a lot more. And guess what people pay... you are not cool you little douche.
Bad 🙁
I put 500 cts pots, 50's stile wiring and different pups in my 2018 SG Faded, Still sounds like crap,sounded better with the pub board and I have a Epi LP with 50's wiring also, which I will be selling both of them. You can clip the wires and connect the wires no big deal,pc boards are cheap get on eBay they are a dime a dozen.my SG sounds better stock. I have a Professional Standard Tele and Strat far better quality and tone than gibson