switched on and its EQ is switched off. If you’re using the Breakout Box, the
Acoustic
jack
carries this signal.
5. Rotate the MCK to the
G
position to select the “Twang” tone. The Display Matrix alternates
between showing a white
T
(for “Twang”) and a
blue
B
(for the
blue
tuning bank, preset B).
6. Push down fully on the MCK to store the sound and start playing.
About Les Paul Mode
In addition to the Chameleon Tone possibilities, there is also a mode that causes Dark Fire's pickups
to work like a Les Paul: The Burstbucker's coils are wired in series and humbucking, while the P90H
uses the north coil only.
As this is such a common mode that guitarists may want to access at any time, it can be selected
while you're in any Bank and is not part of the Chameleon Tone selection process.
1. Pull the MCK out.
2. Rotate the MCK to the
Rotating Arrow
symbol.
3. Press momentarily on the MCK's Display Matrix.
4. The display will spell out
L-E-S-P-A-U-L
.
5. Press the MCK in to resume playing, or choose other MCK functions.
Note:
One of the Chameleon Tones is called Gibson Classic, but this isn't quite the same as the Les
Paul mode. With Gibson Classic, the P90H neck pickup is wired as a single coil pickup but EQ is
enabled for both the magnetic pickups and the Piezo. With Les Paul mode, although the P90H neck
pickup is also wired as a single coil pickup, the EQ and Piezo default to being off.
About the Wiring in Les Paul Controls
The volume controls in a classic Les Paul interact with each other when the pickup toggle is in the
middle position (i.e., selecting both pickups). Due to this interaction, if
either
the neck or bridge
volume control is at “0” (all the way down), the signal is grounded and you will not hear any output—
regardless of the other control's setting.
If you want to change the mix of the magnetic pickups with the pickup toggle in the middle position,
start with both magnetic pickup volume controls on “5” (up halfway), then adjust to taste.
Other Factors Affecting Chameleon Tone
There are very significant differences in each Dark Fire Chameleon Tone setting. The tones were
worked on for some time in studio settings to match vintage guitars.
However, note that a guitar's tone results from a combination of factors. For example, putting a single
coil in a guitar does not necessarily make it sound like the classic guitars that use single coil pickups.
The four main factors influencing tone are:
Gibson Dark Fire 4.0 manual, page 17