The "Better-Than-Gibson" Epiphone Les Paul for $1000 Project

[scud133]

New pickups arrived today:

BG Pups Hand Wound Custom Guitar Pickups by Bryan Gunsher "P.U.F." humbuckers

out with the old:

and in with the new:

I'm a stickler for clips, but it's saturday and i've got more fun stuff to do... so you'll just have to wait a bit

 

[Thundergod]

I beat you to it eons ago... for just 650 bucks...

Behold:

(ok ok Im not going to say it is better than a gibson... because there's nothing better than a gibson ) but it comes close...

She was originally a black epiphone special II, I bought her like 15 years ago... (korean, of the first epi special IIs made...).

She was my first electric... after some years I painted her white and started upgrading stuff

Schaller roller bridge, and schaller fine tunning bridge, schaller straplocks, EMG zakk wylde set (I chose active pickups because of the low quality of the wood), Klusson deluxe tunners, gibson custom pickguard... and of course put the 3 way switch in the "correct gibson les paul" position.

Close to a year ago I refinished her into that burst you see now.

This is her while she was white

and during the extreme makeover

 

[Thundergod]

Now she is not ashamed of being put at the side of "way better" guitars...

DSC01335.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

 

[scud133]

that's impressive --- it's like the ugly duckling turned into a swan, heh

but playing EMG Wylde's into a Vox??? say whaaaaattt???

 

[Thundergod]

I know... thats what I get from most people... but... I like the clean tone of that sucker... really... its the best clean out there IMO... and I like it so much I use a somehow high gain pedal to turn it into a metal beast... I gig with that and you wouldnt believe the sick tones you can get from him...

I havent been using the epi for a couple of months tho... she responds better with amps like soldano and mesa boogie... I have played her through a marshall jcm900 which I recently sold and she is the only guitar that has sounded good in that amp...

 

[Thundergod]

that's impressive --- it's like the ugly duckling turned into a swan, heh

I forgot... thanks for the compliment man... the new finish was done completely by me... (was really scared because this guitar has very high sentmental value...).

So how's your project going? (need more pics... need more pics...need more pics! )

 

[Alligatorbling]

<snip>I beat you to it eons ago... for just 650 bucks...<snip>

650 bucks into a bolt on les paul? arent they only 160 bucks new? why didnt you go with a standard? before you get all huffy, im guessing it was because the guitar holds sentimental value....... so whatever makes you happy, it is indeed your guitar. you did a very nice job on it have you done any other refins? pics?

 

[Thundergod]

650 bucks into a bolt on les paul? arent they only 160 bucks new? why didnt you go with a standard? before you get all huffy, im guessing it was because the guitar holds sentimental value....... so whatever makes you happy, it is indeed your guitar. you did a very nice job on it have you done any other refins? pics?

Well that one was actually 160 bucks, yes! But when I bought her she was my first electric (I didnt know if electrics would grow on me at that time)... then, when I realized I would be playing for my whole life, I bought a couple more guitars (peavey wolfgang EVH custom and Fender showmaster) and kept her for her sentimental value... then I started using her again and did some upgrades, then I started improoving my setup: better amps, bette rguitars, and havent used her much since buying some Gibbies... most of my friends tell me to sell that piece of sh¡t but hey, if I didnt love her, I dont think anyone would give me even the pickups worth.

Regarding your comment, you are damn right... looking back one can think "why didnt he get a standard?" well all mods were done in a 10 year lapse... so I spent 50 bucks now... 5 after... and so on... the most expensive mod was the pickups (around 190 for the set of both pickups and pots caps everything else... including 2 ZW signed picks... yeah, great valuo of course... yeah right...) so I'm guessing 650 was the final investment... maybe a little less.


How is your tonge BTW?

 

[novemberrain]

i guess it's hard to make a special into a near gibson due to the bolted neck.

 

[Alligatorbling]

<snip>How is your tonge BTW?<snip>

never better lol! we had Chinese last night, the sesame chicken never tasted so good!

 

[savage118]

They certainly have for the Big 3 Autoworkers, locally we have a manufacturer of transfer cases for one of the big three, "Parts workers" (thats someone who puts part A on Part B over and over and over..) are pulling down about 125K, including overtime. Do the line workers get paid so well because they are "skilled workers"? Hell no, its because their union has negotiated a big fat contract for them - but there is NO accountability. In my opinion you could use that 125K to pay 3 workers, demand Quality AND Accountability and still be paying a decent wage. The only way to do that and not break your contract with the Union workers is to move production out of the country, seems like a "no brainer" to me.

Ok, pull the most extreme example out of the air. My point being, 97% (geuss) of American's wages have not kept up with inflation. Most Americans take pride in the work they do, and work to the best of their ability. Most products actually made here, from usa materials are IMO of equal or better quality than a product made any place overseas. IMO "Made in America" does mean something. Not all americans are fat slobs making 125k, just like not all mexicans live 4 families to a home, or all chinese people wear pointy hats and glasses.And your "no brainer" is whats killing Americas economy, nice job.

 

[scud133]

So here were are, after the pickups are installed.

Here's the post with the "before" clips

Once again these were recorded in my world-famous, sate-of-the-art bedroom closet. Although this time I used a different amp, which is noticeably darker. Not a fair comparison?? Oh well, sorry bout that

Guitar --> Blackheart 5w amp --> SM57 (reverb/delay added in post)

Neck (After)
Neck Clean
Neck Dirty

Bridge (After)
Bridge Clean
Bridge Dirty (w/tubescreamer)

 

[surfer777]

The neck when its dirty has such a good blues tone, that sounds awesome!

 

[scud133]

The neck when its dirty has such a good blues tone, that sounds awesome!

so only one person listened, huh

 

[Extremerocker827]

I listened! That neck dirty tone is amazing...cant wait to get my Epi...that clip kinda reminded me of little wing. probably cuz of the relxed feel...great playing

 

[scud133]

I listened! That neck dirty tone is amazing...cant wait to get my Epi...that clip kinda reminded me of little wing. probably cuz of the relxed feel...great playing

well since two ppl have commented about this, i thought i'd elaborate.

LP set to neck, tone and volume on full. Blackheart amp with volume just above halfway, tone set to: Bass 2, Mid 3, Treble 6. Mic was about 1.5ft back from the grille, pointing halfway between the center and edge of the speaker.

Added a touch of delay and reverb using the built in plugins in Ableton Live.

And that's that.

 

[notoperational]

Once I get my wiring done, I am gonna do the ultimate budget Les Paul thread.

Only, its gonna be on a $200 second-hand made-in-Korea Custom.


Whatchu guys think!? Should I do it?

 

[River]

Once I get my wiring done, I am gonna do the ultimate budget Les Paul thread.

Only, its gonna be on a $200 second-hand made-in-Korea Custom.


Whatchu guys think!? Should I do it?

Absolutely you should! Long as it ain't a counterfeit!

 

[notoperational]

Absolutely you should! Long as it ain't a counterfeit!

Oh hell no!

Some may consider it a "counterfeit Gibson" being as the old owner of the guitar painted a nasty looking Gibson logo on the headstock though hahaha.

I think the thread will be interesting to read because my guitar has some issues that you could potentially run into with buying second hand, like RETARDED past owners, breaking stuff from using it live situations, etc.

I think I'm gonna start it tonight actually... I just know that whenever I start messing with stuff pretty hardcore, I'm gonna try and document the whole process of everything we do.

 

[armann]

Wow this was some read.

This Gibson VS Epi is in my opinion silly.

I own a Epi Les Paul Custom and a Gibson Les Paul Custom.

You really can't compare the two in my mind.

But it's a cool project and I hope your happy with it.