Solderless Pre-Wired Guitar wiring harness | 50s Les Paul Junior kit | Right handed
Please use the tabs below to read through the information about this Pre-Wired harness kit. From a run down of what the kit does, to important fitting information and full specs.
Order times
I usually make harnesses to order, due to the variety of spec options that could be chosen across the whole range. The current turnaround time for a harness orders is around 5-7 working days depending on quantity of orders in at the time and your order will be updated accordingly when it is dispatched. This turnaround time doesn't include the transit time. Thanks for your patience whilst I get your harness made!
Model Description
Although the Les Paul Junior may be humble in it's design, it is certainly a tonal monster! I wanted to be respectful of the traditional aspects of the guitar that so many people love, bringing the best out of the iconic Gibson design. After offering a variety of specs over the years, I've now settled on 50s style wiring as standard, with high quality components and a few spec choices which I hope to help the install process that little bit easier.
This is a further revision of my popular trusty LPjunior harness with the addition of LPjr without the need to touch a soldering iron(providing that you are installing into a Traditional design Gibson Les Paul Junior). Which has a couple of benefits, perhaps if you're not particularly comfortable with soldering yet or maybe you plan on regularly swapping pickups, which this helps a great deal as it's a few screw connections and it's done.
What does 'Solderless' mean?
It's a fair question to ask/wonder. The kit is of course soldered, my aim with the series was for the specs/components all to match the Signature Series range, and also still be simple to maintain many years to come for any tech out there, not just by me. So you'll find all the same parts, pre-soldered in much the same way as I do with the traditional install Signature Series kits. Definitely do not worry about any loss in quality, any limitations in functionality or tone here, trust me, I am fussy and did a lot of A/B testing and found the Solderless range to sound and work the very same way as a Signature Series kit. So yes, the kits are all pre-soldered, but in terms of the actual installation into a guitar, it is fully solderless for you.
Your pickup wires and any ground wires simply connect into the easy quick connector blocks which I have mounted to the harness (usually secure ontop of pot casings) via a small screwdriver to secure each wire. Viola! This doesn't just benefit those that perhaps don't own soldering equipment or even those that simply hate soldering, it benefits accomplished DIY guitar modders too, as it is great for quick and mess-free pickup swaps too which can be great for experimenting.
How do I connect everything?
The Solderless series follows a simple colour code system to help guide you where to put each pickup & ground wires. On the solderless connector blocks you’ll see points where I have soldered coloured wire/heat shrink to certain connectors, or marked with coloured pen, and others than simply have soldered silver ground wires to them (IE no colour).
Those are as follows -
Off-White wire connector - For your neck pickup HOT wire
Bare silver wire connectors (no colour) - For any ground wire
Your guitar/pickup ground wires can be attached to any of the bare silver wire connector (no colour) solderless connector lugs. There is also an additional solderless connector attached on the bridge tone pot on the Strat kit. This is extra in case your Strat has any additional ground wires from the cavity shielding or bridge/spring claw for example. There is also a 'wiring diagram' so to speak for the kit, linked below or via the dedicated Solderless page HERE which can be great as a handy visual reference too.
What types of pickup wires will fit into the connector blocks?
The RS Pro connector blocks will fit ANY pickup wire type, so if you have traditional single coils with cloth covered push-back style individual hot/ground wires, simply push back the cloth covering to expose around 5/6mm of central core wire and insert it into the connector. Tighten up, and push the cloth covering back down.
If you have thinner, plastic insulated/coated wires, you will need some wire strippers so you can trim back the coating to expose around 5mm of central core wire. Very often these plastic coated wires are stranded wire, so if this is the same for yours, then simply twist the wire so it forms a nice tight portion, then insert that into the relevant connector block and tighten.
If your pickups are vintage/traditional style 2 conductor 'braided' wire, then these will also fit the connector blocks, you just need to prepare them to do so. First step is to push back some of the outer metal braiding. Then using some needle nose pliers or a small screwdriver, separate some of the braiding so you can twist and form a off-shoot of wire. This will be your ground, so with that twist of wire pop that into the connector block and tighten. Then your central core wire is the 'hot' signal wire and goes into the relevant connector block via the same methods as prior, exposing around 5mm of core to ensure a nice firm seat in the connector. For much more detailed information on all of this, please check out the guide HERE
As always, if you have ANY questions or concerns about whether your pickup wires will be suitable, please just drop me a message or call and I'll be happy to help guide. I have tested these connectors with all varieties of pickup wires and they worked great so happily will advise on how to correctly install with you :)
Product Options
Pot specs
The earlier, original Les Paul Juniors were equipped with a 250k tone pot, whereas most reissues, (60s SG juniors onwards too) you will find 500k in both volume and tone. I have struggled to pin down the exact year things switched to 500k for both volume and tone as standard. For example, I've seen '56 examples with 250k tone pots, but likewise other '56 models with original Centralab pots in there with two 500k. It's a tricky one for me to confirm, although I must say that I have been offering this kit as standard with 500k for both volume and tone since 2016 and it has proved incredibly popular. But if you did have a specific vintage spec in mind, recreating a specific instrument, restoring etc, then I offer the option of a 250k tone pot too. To sum things up if you're not sure, 500k will provide a brighter overall response than a 250k, but ultimately you could roll the tone pot back a little to achieve the 250k value too. So if you are worried the pickup may be too dark with 250k, then opt for 500k as you'll still be able to roll the tone back and achieve the same response as the 250k pot anyway. And likewise, if you're worried the 500k will be too bright with your pickup, then you can opt for the 250k tone pot option or roll back the 500k. No right or wrong here really, it's what works for you and your tone preferences.
Fitting information
The Solderless system makes life an awful lot easier if you're perhaps not comfortable using a soldering iron or worried about damaging components etc. So the install in terms of attaching wires is certainly more straight forward and negates the need to solder any connections, but care is still needed to to ensure it all works as it should and stands the test of time. As well of course the physical mounting of the components is the same/similar process as a regular kit install. I have written some handy install guides for the solderless harness kits, and that can be found HERE as well as the 'wiring' diagram' so to speak which can be found HERE. In this section you'll find some important fitting notes that will hopefully help you assess whether the kit is suitable for your exact Les Paul Junior or what is required to allow it to fit correctly.
Can I fit this kit myself?
This ultimately comes down to whether you own the equipment needed to correctly and safely install the kit, or how comfortable you feel working on your own guitar. I do feel that installing a pre-wired guitar harness is do-able for many guitarists but only if the correct tools are used and care is taken to ensure you do not damage the kit, your guitar or yourself! There are detailed installation guides here on my website, as well as simple to follow wiring diagrams all to help make the process as easy as possible and in my experience, these have helped thousands of my customers carry out their own install. But if for any reason you have concerns about fitting the kit yourself which is entirely understandable, then I'm sure you'll agree that it is likely best to have a professional fit the kit and help ensure your purchased kit, and your beloved guitar are both looked after and worked on correctly.
If you are local to me (Stourbridge, West Midlands) I take on guitar work no problem at all so will certainly be able to help install your Signature Series harness.
Will the pots/jack fit my body and jack plate?
The components I use in my Signature Series wiring kits are for the most part, USA imperial specification. If you're fitting this harness to a far east built guitar such as a Epiphone or similar brand, then you may have to widen the holes in the body to accommodate for these imperial measurement pots depending on what pots it originally had. The CTS pots and Pure Tone multi contact jack have a mounting thread shaft diameter of 0.369" / 9.38mm so I recommend for ease of install a body and/or jackplate with 0.394" / 10mm pot/jack mounting holes. If you do need to widen the holes in the body, this can be done and I recommend doing this safely with a step cutter drill bit. But if you are not comfortable with doing so, please approach your local trusted luthier to carry out the task safely to ensure no damage is done to your guitar. I also offer this as a service so do please get in touch and we can organise this additionally.
If you’re buying this kit for a USA made Les Paul Junior then chances are it will be a direct, no modifications install process for you.
The centre to centre measurements between components are -
Centre of neck volume pot and neck tone pot - 63mm
These measurements for my mounting boards/templates were taken from a USA Gibson Les Paul Junior. Yours may vary from these measurements. If it is a minimal difference, then don’t worry. I allow for some ‘wiggle’ room in the wire lengths between components to help the product fit a wide variety of models. If the measurements are drastically different to these, then please get in touch with your centre to centre measurements and I will adjust to suit your instrument more closely.
What control knobs will fit?
The kit uses CTS Split shaft pots which have a adjustable split shaft diameter of 5.95mm w/ 24 splines. You will need control knobs that suit these measurements.
Do not attempt to force fit smaller, metric/import spec control knobs onto the imperial USA spec pots, doing this can damage the pot.
If you do require a US spec control knobs, I do carry a selection of popular options in stock and they can be viewed in the Control Knob category on the store.
Specs/Parts included
- 2x CTS '450' Series +/-10% Tolerance audio taper short shaft pots - 500k split shaft
- 1x .022uF 'Yellow Mustard' type tone capacitor
- 1x Pure Tone multi contact jack socket (nickel finish)
- Gavitt USA made Braided 22AWG wire
- Soldered using R-Tech Premium Lead-Free (Sn95.5Ag3.9Cu0.6) 22swg Solder wire
RoHS Compliant
- RS Pro Solderless connector
RoHS Compliant components are used throughout pre-wired assemblies. All components used in this assembly are being used for their intended purposes stated in the guidelines by their relevant manufacturer. Any use outside of stated or recommended guidelines is entirely up to the customer, but sales support/warranty/refunds are then extinguished. For a run down of the manufacturers and product data sheets you can click HERE
Please note - wiring kit does not include new control knobs/control plate etc but does include the pot/jack mounting nuts and washers and switch mounting screws.
Why these spec parts over others available?
Simply put, component choice has been one of the most important parts of my product development. I have worked on guitars for many years, and built these kits professionally since 2015, and as a result have been able to see and experience working on the majority of components available on the market. In my findings, A/B testing and more, I have found the components I decided on for my Signature Series to be the most reliable, best tolerance and great functioning parts to use to help customers get the most out of their instruments. I use CTS '450' series premium spec pots as they have a tight tolerance, and will consistently provide me with accurate value, as well as very solid build quality. I use trusty 'Mustard' style polyester film 'tone' capacitors as in my opinion they simply can't be beat for great value, solid construction, solid lead-outs, super tight tolerances and reliable tone/function. I would personally much rather use a trusty Mustard for example over something like a paper in oil, as from experience that are so much more reliable to use. This is from carrying out a lot of A/B testing, both tonally, as well as armed with the multi-meter for testing values and actual tolerances, as well as handling them to test construction quality for long lasting reliability in use. I use the brilliant 'Pure Tone' Multi Contact Jack sockets as they are incredibly reliable, due to their additional contact points for both tip and sleeve. I use CRL, Oak and Switchcraft brand switches across the range as these are built very well, with care will last for many years to come and have long since provided me with reliable use professionally. All kits are wired up with quality USA made Gavitt wire, it's great to work with, super consistent gauge and provides me with a very reliable quality item for my kits. I totally understand that with anything guitar, it is subjective, but I have, with an open mind, thoroughly tested a broad variety of components over the years and these have all become the items I trust to use every day.
Harness FAQ's
I've been proudly making, developing and installing my pre-wired guitar harnesses since the beginning of the Home of Tone back in 2015 (time flies when you're having fun right!). Although I feel I do my best in covering as much information as possible across the various product listings, fitting guides, wiring diagrams and more, I thought it might be helpful to put together an FAQ's page that covers some of the general additional questions I get asked. You can view these Harness FAQ's HERE
Do you make custom harnesses?
I'm afraid I do not offer a custom harness service. Only kits developed, tested and listed on my website are the available kits. So no custom schematics etc. If you happen to be local to my office, then I do carry out custom work in house, but in regards to shipped out pre-wired harnesses I do not offer custom kits. I am however happy to use different pot values or cap values within reason if you have a specific requirement that differs to the specs listed above. If this is relevant to yourself then please get in touch to discuss further to ensure the request is possible.
Please use the tabs below to read through the information about this Pre-Wired harness kit. From a run down of what the kit does, to important fitting information and full specs.
Order times
I usually make harnesses to order, due to the variety of spec options that could be chosen across the whole range. The current turnaround time for a harness orders is around 5-7 working days depending on quantity of orders in at the time and your order will be updated accordingly when it is dispatched. This turnaround time doesn't include the transit time. Thanks for your patience whilst I get your harness made!
Model Description
Although the Les Paul Junior may be humble in it's design, it is certainly a tonal monster! I wanted to be respectful of the traditional aspects of the guitar that so many people love, bringing the best out of the iconic Gibson design. After offering a variety of specs over the years, I've now settled on 50s style wiring as standard, with high quality components and a few spec choices which I hope to help the install process that little bit easier.
This is a further revision of my popular trusty LPjunior harness with the addition of LPjr without the need to touch a soldering iron(providing that you are installing into a Traditional design Gibson Les Paul Junior). Which has a couple of benefits, perhaps if you're not particularly comfortable with soldering yet or maybe you plan on regularly swapping pickups, which this helps a great deal as it's a few screw connections and it's done.
What does 'Solderless' mean?
It's a fair question to ask/wonder. The kit is of course soldered, my aim with the series was for the specs/components all to match the Signature Series range, and also still be simple to maintain many years to come for any tech out there, not just by me. So you'll find all the same parts, pre-soldered in much the same way as I do with the traditional install Signature Series kits. Definitely do not worry about any loss in quality, any limitations in functionality or tone here, trust me, I am fussy and did a lot of A/B testing and found the Solderless range to sound and work the very same way as a Signature Series kit. So yes, the kits are all pre-soldered, but in terms of the actual installation into a guitar, it is fully solderless for you.
Your pickup wires and any ground wires simply connect into the easy quick connector blocks which I have mounted to the harness (usually secure ontop of pot casings) via a small screwdriver to secure each wire. Viola! This doesn't just benefit those that perhaps don't own soldering equipment or even those that simply hate soldering, it benefits accomplished DIY guitar modders too, as it is great for quick and mess-free pickup swaps too which can be great for experimenting.
How do I connect everything?
The Solderless series follows a simple colour code system to help guide you where to put each pickup & ground wires. On the solderless connector blocks you’ll see points where I have soldered coloured wire/heat shrink to certain connectors, or marked with coloured pen, and others than simply have soldered silver ground wires to them (IE no colour).
Those are as follows -
Off-White wire connector - For your neck pickup HOT wire
Bare silver wire connectors (no colour) - For any ground wire
Your guitar/pickup ground wires can be attached to any of the bare silver wire connector (no colour) solderless connector lugs. There is also an additional solderless connector attached on the bridge tone pot on the Strat kit. This is extra in case your Strat has any additional ground wires from the cavity shielding or bridge/spring claw for example. There is also a 'wiring diagram' so to speak for the kit, linked below or via the dedicated Solderless page HERE which can be great as a handy visual reference too.
What types of pickup wires will fit into the connector blocks?
The RS Pro connector blocks will fit ANY pickup wire type, so if you have traditional single coils with cloth covered push-back style individual hot/ground wires, simply push back the cloth covering to expose around 5/6mm of central core wire and insert it into the connector. Tighten up, and push the cloth covering back down.
If you have thinner, plastic insulated/coated wires, you will need some wire strippers so you can trim back the coating to expose around 5mm of central core wire. Very often these plastic coated wires are stranded wire, so if this is the same for yours, then simply twist the wire so it forms a nice tight portion, then insert that into the relevant connector block and tighten.
If your pickups are vintage/traditional style 2 conductor 'braided' wire, then these will also fit the connector blocks, you just need to prepare them to do so. First step is to push back some of the outer metal braiding. Then using some needle nose pliers or a small screwdriver, separate some of the braiding so you can twist and form a off-shoot of wire. This will be your ground, so with that twist of wire pop that into the connector block and tighten. Then your central core wire is the 'hot' signal wire and goes into the relevant connector block via the same methods as prior, exposing around 5mm of core to ensure a nice firm seat in the connector. For much more detailed information on all of this, please check out the guide HERE
As always, if you have ANY questions or concerns about whether your pickup wires will be suitable, please just drop me a message or call and I'll be happy to help guide. I have tested these connectors with all varieties of pickup wires and they worked great so happily will advise on how to correctly install with you :)
Product Options
Pot specs
The earlier, original Les Paul Juniors were equipped with a 250k tone pot, whereas most reissues, (60s SG juniors onwards too) you will find 500k in both volume and tone. I have struggled to pin down the exact year things switched to 500k for both volume and tone as standard. For example, I've seen '56 examples with 250k tone pots, but likewise other '56 models with original Centralab pots in there with two 500k. It's a tricky one for me to confirm, although I must say that I have been offering this kit as standard with 500k for both volume and tone since 2016 and it has proved incredibly popular. But if you did have a specific vintage spec in mind, recreating a specific instrument, restoring etc, then I offer the option of a 250k tone pot too. To sum things up if you're not sure, 500k will provide a brighter overall response than a 250k, but ultimately you could roll the tone pot back a little to achieve the 250k value too. So if you are worried the pickup may be too dark with 250k, then opt for 500k as you'll still be able to roll the tone back and achieve the same response as the 250k pot anyway. And likewise, if you're worried the 500k will be too bright with your pickup, then you can opt for the 250k tone pot option or roll back the 500k. No right or wrong here really, it's what works for you and your tone preferences.
Fitting information
The Solderless system makes life an awful lot easier if you're perhaps not comfortable using a soldering iron or worried about damaging components etc. So the install in terms of attaching wires is certainly more straight forward and negates the need to solder any connections, but care is still needed to to ensure it all works as it should and stands the test of time. As well of course the physical mounting of the components is the same/similar process as a regular kit install. I have written some handy install guides for the solderless harness kits, and that can be found HERE as well as the 'wiring' diagram' so to speak which can be found HERE. In this section you'll find some important fitting notes that will hopefully help you assess whether the kit is suitable for your exact Les Paul Junior or what is required to allow it to fit correctly.
Can I fit this kit myself?
This ultimately comes down to whether you own the equipment needed to correctly and safely install the kit, or how comfortable you feel working on your own guitar. I do feel that installing a pre-wired guitar harness is do-able for many guitarists but only if the correct tools are used and care is taken to ensure you do not damage the kit, your guitar or yourself! There are detailed installation guides here on my website, as well as simple to follow wiring diagrams all to help make the process as easy as possible and in my experience, these have helped thousands of my customers carry out their own install. But if for any reason you have concerns about fitting the kit yourself which is entirely understandable, then I'm sure you'll agree that it is likely best to have a professional fit the kit and help ensure your purchased kit, and your beloved guitar are both looked after and worked on correctly.
If you are local to me (Stourbridge, West Midlands) I take on guitar work no problem at all so will certainly be able to help install your Signature Series harness.
Will the pots/jack fit my body and jack plate?
The components I use in my Signature Series wiring kits are for the most part, USA imperial specification. If you're fitting this harness to a far east built guitar such as a Epiphone or similar brand, then you may have to widen the holes in the body to accommodate for these imperial measurement pots depending on what pots it originally had. The CTS pots and Pure Tone multi contact jack have a mounting thread shaft diameter of 0.369" / 9.38mm so I recommend for ease of install a body and/or jackplate with 0.394" / 10mm pot/jack mounting holes. If you do need to widen the holes in the body, this can be done and I recommend doing this safely with a step cutter drill bit. But if you are not comfortable with doing so, please approach your local trusted luthier to carry out the task safely to ensure no damage is done to your guitar. I also offer this as a service so do please get in touch and we can organise this additionally.
If you’re buying this kit for a USA made Les Paul Junior then chances are it will be a direct, no modifications install process for you.
The centre to centre measurements between components are -
Centre of neck volume pot and neck tone pot - 63mm
These measurements for my mounting boards/templates were taken from a USA Gibson Les Paul Junior. Yours may vary from these measurements. If it is a minimal difference, then don’t worry. I allow for some ‘wiggle’ room in the wire lengths between components to help the product fit a wide variety of models. If the measurements are drastically different to these, then please get in touch with your centre to centre measurements and I will adjust to suit your instrument more closely.
What control knobs will fit?
The kit uses CTS Split shaft pots which have a adjustable split shaft diameter of 5.95mm w/ 24 splines. You will need control knobs that suit these measurements.
Do not attempt to force fit smaller, metric/import spec control knobs onto the imperial USA spec pots, doing this can damage the pot.
If you do require a US spec control knobs, I do carry a selection of popular options in stock and they can be viewed in the Control Knob category on the store.
Specs/Parts included
- 2x CTS '450' Series +/-10% Tolerance audio taper short shaft pots - 500k split shaft
- 1x .022uF 'Yellow Mustard' type tone capacitor
- 1x Pure Tone multi contact jack socket (nickel finish)
- Gavitt USA made Braided 22AWG wire
- Soldered using R-Tech Premium Lead-Free (Sn95.5Ag3.9Cu0.6) 22swg Solder wire
RoHS Compliant
- RS Pro Solderless connector
RoHS Compliant components are used throughout pre-wired assemblies. All components used in this assembly are being used for their intended purposes stated in the guidelines by their relevant manufacturer. Any use outside of stated or recommended guidelines is entirely up to the customer, but sales support/warranty/refunds are then extinguished. For a run down of the manufacturers and product data sheets you can click HERE
Please note - wiring kit does not include new control knobs/control plate etc but does include the pot/jack mounting nuts and washers and switch mounting screws.
Why these spec parts over others available?
Simply put, component choice has been one of the most important parts of my product development. I have worked on guitars for many years, and built these kits professionally since 2015, and as a result have been able to see and experience working on the majority of components available on the market. In my findings, A/B testing and more, I have found the components I decided on for my Signature Series to be the most reliable, best tolerance and great functioning parts to use to help customers get the most out of their instruments. I use CTS '450' series premium spec pots as they have a tight tolerance, and will consistently provide me with accurate value, as well as very solid build quality. I use trusty 'Mustard' style polyester film 'tone' capacitors as in my opinion they simply can't be beat for great value, solid construction, solid lead-outs, super tight tolerances and reliable tone/function. I would personally much rather use a trusty Mustard for example over something like a paper in oil, as from experience that are so much more reliable to use. This is from carrying out a lot of A/B testing, both tonally, as well as armed with the multi-meter for testing values and actual tolerances, as well as handling them to test construction quality for long lasting reliability in use. I use the brilliant 'Pure Tone' Multi Contact Jack sockets as they are incredibly reliable, due to their additional contact points for both tip and sleeve. I use CRL, Oak and Switchcraft brand switches across the range as these are built very well, with care will last for many years to come and have long since provided me with reliable use professionally. All kits are wired up with quality USA made Gavitt wire, it's great to work with, super consistent gauge and provides me with a very reliable quality item for my kits. I totally understand that with anything guitar, it is subjective, but I have, with an open mind, thoroughly tested a broad variety of components over the years and these have all become the items I trust to use every day.
Harness FAQ's
I've been proudly making, developing and installing my pre-wired guitar harnesses since the beginning of the Home of Tone back in 2015 (time flies when you're having fun right!). Although I feel I do my best in covering as much information as possible across the various product listings, fitting guides, wiring diagrams and more, I thought it might be helpful to put together an FAQ's page that covers some of the general additional questions I get asked. You can view these Harness FAQ's HERE
Do you make custom harnesses?
I'm afraid I do not offer a custom harness service. Only kits developed, tested and listed on my website are the available kits. So no custom schematics etc. If you happen to be local to my office, then I do carry out custom work in house, but in regards to shipped out pre-wired harnesses I do not offer custom kits. I am however happy to use different pot values or cap values within reason if you have a specific requirement that differs to the specs listed above. If this is relevant to yourself then please get in touch to discuss further to ensure the request is possible.