How the Electronics Work on your Gibson Guitar

Your Gibson Electric Guitar is capable of producing a variety of sounds by manipulating the controls.

Tone Controls

The tone controls on all models are "treble cut" controls. This means that as you turn the knob counterclockwise you reduce the treble output of that pickup and produce a darker tone. Turning the knob fully clockwise will produce the brightest sound. T his means that the pickups full range of harmonic frequencies are being passed on to the amplifier.

Selector Switch

The selector switch permits you to turn pickups on and off. In the middle position both pickups are turned on. When the switch is "up" the neck (or Rhythm) pickup only is turned on. When the switch is "down" the bridge (or Treble) pickup is turned on.

Coil Tap Switch (certain models)

Certain models are equipped with a coil tap switch. This allows a double-coil (humbucker) pickup to give you the sound of a single-coil pickup.

When the switch is "up" you have the traditional humbucker sound. When the switch is "down" it produces the brighter sound that you expect from a single coil pickup. Some volume loss is experienced in the single-coil mode.

The Varitone Control (certain models)

This control works through a reduction of the fundamental harmonic frequencies. The higher the setting, the greater the loss of "low" frequencies. Positions 3 and 4 produce a sound similar to a single-coil pickup. The exact frequency "cuts" are listed below:

Position 1--> no cut 

Position 2--> -5db at 1950hz 

Position 3--> -12db at 1 100hz 

Position 4--> -16db at 620hz 

Position 5--> -18.5db at 360hz 

Position 6--> -21db at 1 20hz