Epiphone Makes Some Kickass Guitars....

**houseofpain** · 05-07-2009, 07:35 PM

Seriously replace all the wiring in the Epi. I've had some friends buy Epi's to a man, they've al said the frets weren't smooth and either sanded them or had them refretted.

**BlimpyCHIMP™** · 05-07-2009, 07:52 PM

I got an Epi SG and it plays okay, but the neck wood is the cheapest.

It's not too firm, and when you bend the chord so does the neck. So I took out the neck screws, taped off the neck pocket with masking tape and epoxied the neck onto the pocket.

While the glue was curing, I clamped it with a C clamp onto some scrap cardboard, so as not to crush a fret and with just enough pressure to hold the joint while I wiggled the neck from side-to-side in order to best align how much balance I wanted to sacrifice from the low E side, to give more room to the high E string side.

Then I let it alone.

After which I drilled five 1/2" holes, one in each neck screw hole plus the middle crappy manufacturing hook-hang hole, then cut dowels to the exact size.. scraped some relief ooze grooves along the sides of the dowels for glue to flow, then filled those holes with epoxy and pushed the epoxy-buttered dowel pieces in.

Sustains pretty good now. I replaced the bridge, it made oscillating noises.

**Diamondjimi** · 05-07-2009, 09:54 PM

Originally posted by GAR

I went thru the Epiphone pickups I snaked out of that 2008 tobacco paul: I stuck them in what I call The Purple One.

The output on the neck was 8.5K, like a Duncan 59.

The bridge was a high 13.8K, about the same as a DiMarzio SD.

I went to take the chrome covers off, and that was my end.. let me tell you something I think I peeled about 2 ounces of wax from each pickup once the cans came off.

These things are soaked dripping with parrafin wax, it was a disgusting ordeal cleaning them up. I will never do that again.

Another thing, the wax is the binding agent holding this shit together! There FUCKED up.

Wow, I thought. Now that I got the cans off 'em they look kinda cool, just plain black. But huups.. I had to go trying to lower the adjustable screws flush like I usually do, and without wax under the coils I suddenly discovered the damn screws have no base guides!

You push on the screws, and the wax is soft enough - you are fucked! YOu'll never ever get them back level with the cover, it is a physical impossibility.

I had to undo the bobbin retainer screws, lift it up, then push each screw back up with a little #0 flatblade screwdriver.

When I get into them again, what I'll have to do before I put the cans back on, is push epoxy thru the polepiece screws and hold in place.. I can't risk playing and chancing to dink the stooped screw back down again, or else have to take the pickup apart one more time.

Well, the first time was the filthiest - getting all the wax off it, that was a bastard ordeal.

They look nice is about it.

Well ,why try and save them.?

Throw 'em in the fuckin garbage and buy some real pickups ,ya cheap bastard!

**jhale667** · 05-08-2009, 03:05 AM

So, the "I quit" thread didn't count for the alias, I see...

**BlimpyCHIMP™** · 05-08-2009, 04:19 PM

Originally posted by Diamondjimi

Well ,why try and save them?

If they sound good enough, why not?

It's an Epi thread and I thought you of all folks would appreciate to know a thing or two about the Epi pickups, since you own an Epi.

You know, you could change up your attitude and go "oh cool, I didn't know" or "I'll look out for that, I threw mine in the garbage so now I know".. instead of communicating what a vast ass you can be.

I can be extremely inane, but you don't see me goin on about how stupid that V is do you? I don't like it and I'm a V affecionado yet still I don't elaborate, since it would be inappropriate.

Try to find something positive to say, or if not, try to be a little more relevant. Even if it's negative.

**Diamondjimi** · 05-09-2009, 01:41 PM

Originally posted by BlimpyGAR™

If they sound good enough, why not?

It's an Epi thread and I thought you of all folks would appreciate to know a thing or two about the Epi pickups, since you own an Epi.

meh, don't care for Epi pickups , in fact I have a couple of them in my tool box to round up stray screws and finish nails....

Originally posted by BlimpyGAR™

You know, you could change up your attitude and go "oh cool, I didn't know" or "I'll look out for that, I threw mine in the garbage so now I know".. instead of communicating what a vast ass you can be.

Or maybe I could simply start a couple of alias's and argue with myself and just troll into oblivion...

Originally posted by BlimpyGAR™

I can be extremely inane, but you don't see me goin on about how stupid that V is do you? I don't like it and I'm a V affecionado yet still I don't elaborate, since it would be inappropriate.

What do you find stupid about it? The finish? The colour? Hey someone's opinion whether I agree or not does'nt effect me..

That V is one of the best sounding and fastest playing V's I've owned.(and I've owned a few over the years) Makes no dif to me that it's worth less than a thousand bucks. I've played a '59 Gibson V that was worth over 125k and it was a lame duck. I'd take this v any day....

Originally posted by BlimpyGAR™

Try to find something positive to say, or if not, try to be a little more relevant. Even if it's negative.

How Savicki of you...

**BlimpyCHIMP™** · 05-09-2009, 03:38 PM

If for no other reason, Epi pickups make good hole fillers.

Maybe you find a Kramer or Charvel for $100 that someone installed EMG or Duncan or even DiMarzios in.

You buy it, wipe it off, remove the stickers and flip it with the Epi pickups in it and keep the EMG's.

That's what I'd do, turn the stuff around into something else. In other words, this is why your toolbox is worth $50 and mine is worth $2000 because I took the initiative you didn't.

therefore - the Epi pickups are overlooked riches because you can't sell a guitar without its' pickups. Just throwin ideas out there based on experience.

FTR: what I don't like about the Epi V's is weight, neckshape, frets, bodyshape, headstock shape and the electronics.. or else I'd have one. Like all Epi reinterpretations, there's always something off-dimensioned about them compared to the Gibson version and I'd rather either save my money and buy the right thing, or get an Ibanez one from the 70's which in some respects were better than most Gibson V's but that's hindsight.. Gibson Vs of the last 3 years have been exceptional.

You might prefer the $300 one to the $1300 one, I don't, that's just preference. What I don't like about Epi's have little to do with playability and everything to do with preference or I'd own more Epi's.

**ELVIS** · 05-09-2009, 11:38 PM

I only bought an Epiphone because it's the Iommi model, lefty, and one of the first ones, and the early ones were supposedly built to Iommi's specs as he was actually involved in designing them. But the later ones are junk. I even spotted an Iommi model from a distance at a music store, got over to it and it wasn't even 24 fret! I saw one like that on ebay as well...

I've replaced the pickups in all but one of my Agile guitars and cleaned off the super thick wax that filled the entire covers, but they always had correct adjustment screws threaded into the base. They actually look well made. But if I repair a guitar for somebody, I have them if I need 'em. I installed some like that for $20 each and did some other repairs to this guy's Les Paul copy and he was really happy with it, so...

The humbuckers in my first Agile, a white Explorer copy (which Gibson supposedly threatened them over) sounded really good. I even recorded with that guitar until this chick broke the headstock off. I glued it back but never got around to finishing it...yet...

**BlimpyCHIMP™** · 05-10-2009, 12:40 AM

When I glue a busted headstock, I plan it out for days ahead, line up my choice from a box of clamps, tape off the break right up to the line, slice the break with an xacto blade full of "xxxx" marks to get a good glue bite, then brush in Titebond2 and bang those clamps on real quick before it dries - then pray it doesn't move.

I also double and triple band masking tape pads over the clamp jaws to prevent dents or impressions.. which are inevitable but I find this helps reduce clamping damage.

I use pieces of Home Depot paint sticks between the jaws and the headstock where I can, too.

Then after a full day or two of drying, I take the clamps off and razor the glue bead off as close to the lacquer finish and when I can get it to barely a hairline crack and then razor-blend the crack with the finish.. it's an AWESOME feeling!

**BlimpyCHIMP™** · 05-10-2009, 12:43 AM

Ive not always had that kind of success - I had a low-serial BC Rich with a busted neck, went to throw glue in and before I could clamp it the phone rang and .. well, I basically destroyed it by letting it sit.

My learning's come at a price! You don't fool around once glue's in that crack.. you clamp right away or you'll be blending and sanding unhappy the whole time youre doing it.. I have been there.

**ELVIS** · 05-10-2009, 12:47 AM

I glued it months ago using original Titebond. I don't know about Titebond 2 but the original doesn't dry fast...

I did one before that and used super glue and that worked good but it's kind of messy when you clamp it and try to remove the super glue that comes out. Water on a rag works if you have them handy before you start...

**BlimpyCHIMP™** · 05-10-2009, 12:53 AM

Both the yellow glues wipe up with water, supposedly achieve 90 percent bond in the first 20 minutes.

I could tell you unbelievable stories about clamping neck thru blanks for a major plant that, being rushed to do glueups, we'd go down the line straight off the jointer and clamp headstocks and neckthru's we'd take off the clamps after 15 minutes in some cases with the heads and blocks almost separating after clamp release.. yet by the time you'd load em on the pinrouter a few hours later you'd expect the headcaps woudl be flying off and the neckthrus would be falling apart - they didn't.

Maybe one in a thousand. And with that in mind, I still don't chance it. I clamp and let set for a full day at least.

**Diamondjimi** · 05-10-2009, 01:17 AM