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How to guide - How to install a Les Paul full wiring harness harness/loom

How to guide - How to install a Les Paul full wiring harness harness/loom

In the previous posts for this series we've looked at the right tools for the job, selected the right parts, making the harness and making any alterations to the Les Paul to prepare for installing imperial spec parts. So it's about time we got to installing it all right?
If you missed the previous posts they are all linked to on the origin post HERE

 

How to guide - Making your own 50s or modern style harness/loom (pots section)

How to guide - Making your own 50s or modern style harness/loom (pots section)

Let's dive right in, because we have already covered the tools and parts we'll need in the main article HERE.

You may be installing a pre-wired harness, but I thought it would be useful to show how to wire up a Les Paul pot harness from scratch as well. So if you have a pre-wired harness you can skip this stage, but if you're planning a re-wire from scratch please do read on!
How to Guide - Wiring a Les Paul

How to Guide - Wiring a Les Paul

Replacing, or in some cases, upgrading your Les Paul’s wiring may be a matter of necessity if there are niggling faults like noisy pots or a faulty switch perhaps. But you may also have considered replacing it as a way of improving or modifying the guitar to suit your personal tastes too, whether it’s a traditional 50s style re wire or adding push pull pots for coil splitting for further versatility. I have decided to put together this article, with each aspect of a re-wire pieced together as sub-articles, to help point out some details which will hopefully help you in re-wiring your Les Paul, whether that's with individual components, or with a pre-wired harness kit. As there is so much to cover here, I quickly realised that attempting to do this all in one would be too much, so I have decided to have one main article here and link to smaller articles for each task. That way you don’t have to read through every detail if you are only taking on a specific task.
How to Guide - Les Paul Re-Wire Pt.1 Removing cavity covers and original wiring loom

How to Guide - Les Paul Re-Wire Pt.1 Removing cavity covers and original wiring loom

Let's dive right in, because we have already covered the tools we'll need in the main article HERE.

I highly recommend a nice clear workspace, dining table if the family allows, or if you have a dedicated workspace even better. You don't want to be banging elbows in a tight space, or running out of space to put parts. I also recommend having some spare tubs around, these are handy for putting parts in that you need to keep safe such as cavity cover screws or any wiring parts you happen to be re-using. 
Short shaft or long shaft pots for my Les Paul, which will I need?

Short shaft or long shaft pots for my Les Paul, which will I need?

When it comes to Les Paul wiring queries, the question I probably get asked most is, "Will I need long or short shaft pots?". Unfortunately it can sometimes be a long or a short answer too, depending on your variation of Les Paul. Gibson are of course known for lots of transitional changes to specs from the golden era right up to modern day so the info can be a little cloudy as to which you'll actually need, particularly if you're not sure by physically checking them. The reason why some models require long shaft pots and others require 'short' shaft so to speak is down to the maple top or cap used on that model. Some Les Pauls have a carved maple cap which is a thicker and others a flat maple cap which is thinner. ...