Frank Garay Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 A couple years ago I bought a white Epi 345, gold hardware with the Bigsby, You know the one... Plays awesome but couldn't deal with the Bigsby and the electronics we're in my opinion sub-par all the way around. Well, I had also picked up a Gibson ES-335S (solid body made in the 80's) that was refurbished by Blue Frog guitars. Great guitar, but I just couldn't deal with the solid body (I'm a semi hollow kind of guy). But the electronics in it were amazing. SD JB SH4's, American made 500k pots, and a Black Ice overdrive chip. I nick named the 335s Frankenstein because it was brought back from the dead with new parts by Blue Frog. So I decided to use Frankenstein as the organ donor for the Epi with a few other little mods to create The Bride of Frankenstein. Here's what she has now: 1. The tuners were replaced with American Kluson Tuners that have an ivory color to the knobs - chrome. 2. The plastic nut was replaced by an ivory nut. 3. The Bigsby was pulled and replaced by a chrome trapeze tailpiece and a chrome roller bridge. 4. The Tone-o-matic switch was removed and replaced with the Black Ice switch that now has a carbon fiber switch plate. 5. The coils splitting SD pickups have had plain chrome covers added and chrome pup rings. 6. The volume and tone knobs have been replaces with small chrome speed knobs. 7. The stereo option is out with a single input jack which also has a carbon fiber jack plate. 8. The Bride of Frankenstein sticker as added under the tailpiece. Now it plays awesome, looks totally custom and rad as hell, and sounds un-freaking-believable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Interesting Frank and certainly looks nice. Here is my "custom" Epi 345 thread: http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/112501-my-epiphone-es345-special/page__p__1519938__hl__%2Bepiphone+%2Bes345+%2Bspecial__fromsearch__1#entry1519938 Personally, I wouldn't get rid of the Varitone (ever) but of course it is a matter for personal choice., Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Garay Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Sweet! I like the way you went with the gold pup rings! Yeah with the coil splitting I didn't feel I needed the tone switch. Anyway thanks for letting me see your custom 345!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomse Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 To bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 To bad. Care to elaborate a little...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Garay Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 To bad. ?? Why too bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Love the "Bride of Frankenstein" graphic. Nice job. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crust Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Actually, I think it's pretty cool, (unique for sure) I really like those chrome pickup covers too. you did a good job Frank now you need to get an Igor amp to match up with it! Maybe that Peavey in your shop will do!! /Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad1 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Pretty cool! But I would not have removed the Bigsby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Garay Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Actually, I think it's pretty cool, (unique for sure) I really like those chrome pickup covers too. you did a good job Frank now you need to get an Igor amp to match up with it! Maybe that Peavey in your shop will do!! /Ray Haha Ray, actually that's not my shop or my amp. That's Mike Marino's who did the work for me. But I love the idea of the Igor amp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Garay Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Pretty cool! But I would not have removed the Bigsby. I hear ya, but I just can't get behind a Bigsby. I didn't buy the guitar because it has a Bigsby, in fact I knew I'd remove it as soon as I got it. But to each his own man! You're right, with a chrome Bigsby it'd still look killer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starpeve Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 That's just lovely! Right up my alley. Nice work there son. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I hear ya, but I just can't get behind a Bigsby. I didn't buy the guitar because it has a Bigsby, in fact I knew I'd remove it as soon as I got it. But to each his own man! You're right, with a chrome Bigsby it'd still look killer! Hey Frank, My ES-135 came with a similar tail piece, when I installed the bigsby (maybe 6 or 7 years ago now) that axe just took on a whole new tonal character. It sounded good before, but the Bigsby upgrade made a big difference, and the fact that you can add quite bit of expression with them, -- I wasn't sure I'd like them either, but turns out, I dig em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomse Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 ?? Why too bad? OMG. as in that is one bad *** guitar . looks great ................................................................... Bad as in cool you know . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Garay Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 OMG. as in that is one bad *** guitar . looks great ................................................................... Bad as in cool you know . Thanks man!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomse Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Thanks man!! Its nice to see people do there own things to there guitars . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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