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Epi Les Paul Florentine Pro Project


fromnabulax

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I've posted before about how much I love this 2014 Les Paul Florentine Pro. I love its feel, its weight, its tone and playability. The only thing I didn't love were the coil splitting pickups. I loved the single coil tone, because I love single coil pickups. I also like using a Bigsby, so that too needed inclusion.

 

What I don't like are permanent alterations that would affect the overall integrity of the guitar, and so here is the result.

 

sATJOmq.jpg

 

In order to avoid the need for drilling or shimming, I went with true Gibson P94. I have a 2013 Memphis ES175 with factory installed P94s and knowing how well they sound they seemed to be the natural choice. I am not disappointed. They sound great in this guitar.

 

TlF5mct.jpg

 

For the tremolo, I first tried a Bigsby with a Vibramate. Before buying one I tried a set I have installed on my Gibson Les Paul '50's tribute, but alas, while the unit was a perfect fit on the Gibby, the tail of the Bigsby B7 was far too long on the Florentine. I then considered a B5 but figured it would ride too high and I wouldn't be able to get my case closed.

 

The most important part of the project for me had to be no holes or permanent alterations to the guitar.

 

Searching for options, I considered a Stetsbar, but after taxes and shipping it would have come close to $300.00 for me here in New York state, and after sinking all that dough into the pups, I didn't want to spend more in the upgrading than the original price of the guitar.

 

I had read about the Les Trem II by Duesenberg but was unable to find an American vendor for the item. After doing some web searching I learned that the guy who was manufacturing them had died and that his heirs no longer had any desire to continue their manufacture.

 

I did find that there were still a couple of retailers in Europe who still had a few in stock. With shipping the unit came to just over $100.00 US, which was easily doable.

 

Once I took delivery, it was only a matter of twenty minutes total to remove the old strings tailpiece and bolts and install the Les Trem II, adjust the arm length and tension, string the guitar up and I was ready to go.

 

The next part was the pickup install.

 

7xqU2sH.jpg

 

Rather than deal with the circuit board already in place, we rewired the pickups the old fashioned way,as seen in the picture above. The stock tone caps are left in place as they were fine, but the push-pull volume pots have been replaced with Alpha 500k pots.

 

Now I plug this baby in and it sounds so smooth and dreamy that I don't want to put it down!

 

I got a pretty good deal on the guitar and case when I bought it, the P94s set me back about $250.00 US, plus another $110.00US and the guitar sounds better than any other semi hollow in that price range. Far better.

 

The last touch will be a truss rod cover with my own name etched in it to really mark this cutie as my own.

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Great work, Fromnabulax!

 

I have that very same guitar and so far mine has remained completely stock ... but this post is inspirational. I have P94 pickups in a Gibson ES-195 and they are extraordinary. I bet they sound amazing in the Florentine!

 

Enjoy your unique guitar, man ... you had a vision and saw it through to completion!

 

Jim

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