My Epiphone Les Paul Customisation

[R_Rbnsn]

Hi everyone, first post!

I've just recently bought a second hand Epiphone Les Paul which I've fallen in love with (I've been a strat man for all my guitar playing life until recently) however I'm looking to modify and change parts on it to make it look closer to a vintage LP (as we all do). My first priorities were the knobs and tuners, and today I just took delivery of some FatBoy aged vintage LP knobs which I really like the look of and am excited about fitting.

After carefully prying off the original knobs however it seems they won't fit as the shaft of the pot is too wide to fit into the new knobs. I presume that the pots used in Epi LPs are different to those in Gibson's so before I go placing any orders, could someone please tell me what type of pots I'll be needing to get to fit these knobs?

Thanks,

Ryan

PS. Please find attached "BEFORE" photos of how it is at present. I'll keep updating with new pictures as it progresses.

 

[sammyblp]

congrats on the purchase. where did you buy it from?

 

[Sleator]

Have you thought about dulling the finish?

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/epiphone-les-pauls/17007-dulling-poly-finished-guitars-pic-heavy.html

 

[R_Rbnsn]

congrats on the purchase. where did you buy it from?

Thanks! It was on Gumtree, £200 with hard-case.

 

[TeleDog]

Vintage? I like vintage guitars for their tone, that's what makes them special I would suggest.

Pretty nice Epi you got there though. Enjoy!

 

[sasquatch]

Unless it's just a tight hole that in most cases would be
it may take just a bit of prodding or tapping it lightly with a rubber hammer-
I installed some speed knobs on mine (much like yours by the way) and I just had to carefully tap them on the posts.
Carefully I tell you, because the top is rather thin and can punch through if you decide to start punching at it.

 

[matthornet]

schweet

 

[Mike.B.]

nice

 

[GitFiddle]

Gibson knobs will not fit on Epi pots. Don't try to force them, they will just crack in half. Epiphone uses metric pots in their guitars and Gibson uses non-metric. The shafts of the pots are not the same diameter.

You can either buy knobs especially for Epis or you can replace the pots with standard non-metric type. This will also require reaming out the mount holes just slightly also. If you take that route the consensus is to gradually sand the holes larger to fit rather than using a drill which could chip the finish around the hole. Same situation also applies to the toggle switch.

I bought an 89 MIK Epi new after playing Strats and Teles for 20 years myself. Loved it to death until I just recently got 2 Gibson LPs. That is when I realized the major difference in the quality of the electronics.

My goal is to replace all the electronics in my Epi with standard CTS pots and toggle switch. Still love the neck and feel of it. Just can't get the sound I am getting used to from the two Gibsons. On my Epi the toggle switch is loose and noisy. The top plastic piece broke off the first week I gigged with it. The first night I gigged with it two of the volume knobs spun right off onto the floor and cracked in half. That's one place where they save money is on the electronics and knobs.

Oh yeah, Welcome R Rbnsn! That is a really nice looking guitar btw.

 

[R_Rbnsn]

Thanks for all your replies.

So let me just confirm, if I go down the route of replacing the pots to fit the new knobs I need non-metric, 500k and presumably long shaft?

Axesrus - Guitar Potentiometers, Tone, Volume Knobs, Pots and more

Like the ones here listed as "Long Shaft 3/4" CTS Audio Taper Pots"
£4.90

or the "CTS Audio Taper Pots 450 Series"?
£4.10

Which would I need?

 

[Diocletian]

Axesrus do a complete wiring kit with pots, wiring and caps, specifically for Epiphone Les Pauls, you could get one of those.

I use Axesrus all the time, they're a great wee shop.

 

[GitFiddle]

Sorry I didn't mean to mislead. In my last post I didn't mean to say that you have to get non-metric pots. You can get replacement pots to fit the Epis specifically, but the new knobs you have still will not fit.

For myself I plan to switch all the hardware to non-metric just to be more consistent with my Gibson LPs.

You might want to research a little more. I think Epi LPs may all be short shaft pots.

Here's another thread on the same subject.

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/epiphone-les-pauls/79598-short-long-shaft-pots.html#post1539955