Special I vs. Special II for a Budget Guitar

[MrJudd77]

OP did you get your new guitar? If not then I suggest looking at this
Epiphone Slash Les Paul "AFD" Special-II Electric Guitar | SamAsh
Great axe at the price

 

[Ecoaster]

OP did you get your new guitar? If not then I suggest looking at this
Epiphone Slash Les Paul "AFD" Special-II Electric Guitar | SamAsh
Great axe at the price

Yes, I mentioned it above but it was easy to miss among all the other discussion.

I got a Special II in this color scheme for $120 on Black Friday morning. I adjusted the neck and restrung it, and I'm very happy with the guitar. No tuning issues and plays really nice.

 

[johnnymg]

Yes, I mentioned it above but it was easy to miss among all the other discussion.

I got a Special II in this color scheme for $120 on Black Friday morning. I adjusted the neck and restrung it, and I'm very happy with the guitar. No tuning issues and plays really nice.

snip.........

HNGD to you Sir.

What "plays better" about this guitar than the Special I?

cheers
JohnG

 

[Ecoaster]

HNGD to you Sir.

What "plays better" about this guitar than the Special I?

cheers
JohnG

Thanks... Maybe better was too strong of a phrase. Nothing wrong with the Special I really, but I just personally prefer the II. I like the feel of moving up and down the smooth glossy finish neck better than the "worn" finish, if I anchor my right palm a bit I prefer the feel of the tune o matic bar to the wrap around, and (even though it might not actually be true) the neck on the II sure seems a bit thinner to me. I also like the sound of the humbuckers vs. the P-90s for my everyday playing. Maybe I should have just said the II is more fun to play for me.

 

[ScottMarlowe]

Just so you know, the Special I comes in both P-90 and HB forms.

 

[MrJudd77]

Good choice on color. HNGD

 

[Ishmann]

Thank you. Actually not so far from my settings (my bridge pickup is just higher than yours with 2mm). Is the distance measured with the string pressed on the last fret or on released string?

Released string.

 

[pnuggett]

I think the choice mainly comes down to what pickups you want. P90's or Humbuckers.

 

[thecaptain115]

That's usually either something in the threads (saw dust etc) or the stud spacing isn't right and the threads are jamming part way down. If it's the latter take it back and get another.

Finally got around to looking at this. The studs were bottoming out due to excessive glue down in the holes. I simply took a dremel to the studs and everything is perfect

 

[Weldaar]

This one should be here next week sometime. I just liked the color. I have pots and tuners ready if needed.

 

[Ecoaster]

This one should be here next week sometime. I just liked the color. I have pots and tuners ready if needed.

Nice-- I really like that wine color, but it wasn't an option in the black friday deal I was after. I say set it up and play it stock for awhile and see what happens! I'm not having any noticeable problems...

 

[Weldaar]

Arrived today. Not bad for what it's worth. Needs some mods though. Might do a re-fret just for kicks and giggles, swap the pots. I already changed the tuners with some Grovers I had laying around. I really hate these low frets

 

[johnnymg]

Arrived today. Not bad for what it's worth. Needs some mods though. Might do a re-fret just for kicks and giggles, swap the pots. I already changed the tuners with some Grovers I had laying around. I really hate these low frets

If you hate the low frets and are into moding this guitar: Maybe scallop the fretboard. Not much to loose here ...............

 

[Weldaar]

Maybe scallop the fretboard.

Not sure about that though.

Would be a good project to practice some luthier skills. I am just going to play it for a while and see where it goes.

 

[Weldaar]

I'm not having any noticeable problems...

I hear ya. I had some Grovers here so I swapped the tuners out. Actually isn't that bad as far as playing goes. Frets are a bit low from what I am used to, but I am getting used to them. Might replace the pots though.

 

[Weldaar]

CTS pots and a new cap sure made quite the difference. I might even keep these pups for a while.

 

[thecaptain115]

I've been playing my Special I exclusively since Black Friday. Only issue I've had was the wraparound posts bottoming out due to excessive glue. For what it is, it does a good job! No intonation problems and it stays in tune.

 

[ScottMarlowe]

I've been playing my Special I exclusively since Black Friday. Only issue I've had was the wraparound posts bottoming out due to excessive glue. For what it is, it does a good job! No intonation problems and it stays in tune.

Yeah I've been playing mine a bunch too. I got the HB one. I LOVE the rounded baseball bat neck on it. I did have to take a fret end dressing file to it. And it got new humbuckers (Slick old school vintage 9.2k/8k) about a week after I got it. OH MAN! Good pickups really make this a killer guitar. Of course that doubled the price of the guitar! Worth it.

 

[SpareRibs]

[/QUOTE]

Hello,
I have two of the specials like this one. One I bought new and kept it stock, the other one I bought off craigslist that was missing the neck. I installed a Warmoth neck that is shaped like a telecaster neck but has the Gibson scale. In order to keep the intonation correct I had to knock the small piece of wood out between the neck pocket and the cavity. I wound two pickups like the 1959 Melody Maker pickups, 7/8" Gibson part #PU380. I had to fabricate a pick guard to incorporate all of these things. I used Fender Telecaster chrome dome knobs.
I would also like to add I did not have to change the tuning pegs on the stock one. I took off the covers and made sure the small gears were fitting firmly on the shafts. As most of us will recall guitars did not always come with Grover's, nor were they an option until much later.

 

[ScottMarlowe]

Hello,
I have two of the specials like this one. One I bought new and kept it stock, the other one I bought off craigslist that was missing the neck. I installed a Warmoth neck that is shaped like a telecaster neck but has the Gibson scale. In order to keep the intonation correct I had to knock the small piece of wood out between the neck pocket and the cavity. I wound two pickups like the 1959 Melody Maker pickups, 7/8" Gibson part #PU380. I had to fabricate a pick guard to incorporate all of these things. I used Fender Telecaster chrome dome knobs.
I would also like to add I did not have to change the tuning pegs on the stock one. I took off the covers and made sure the small gears were fitting firmly on the shafts. As most of us will recall guitars did not always come with Grover's, nor were they an option until much later.

We need pics of the one you did all that to. Would love to see it.

And yeah it seems the cheap stamped tuners are better now than they used to be. I've worked on some older Epis with them and they were just terrible. The ones on mine work great.