brundoggie Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 I'm planning on buying an Epiphone Dot to modify soon and what I vision is to put two P-94's in it and add a frequensator. I'd also probably swap out the standard knobs for some gibson top hat's, but that doesnt affect the sound. So I'm asking that if anyone has done something similar or has any advice for me, I'd love to hear about it. This will be my first time modifying a guitar so I'm excited but also cautious. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromnabulax Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Thanks to a heads up here I recently bought a Nick Valensi Riviera which is similar to a ES335, and it came stock with P94s as well as a Frequensator. I love it a lot. The guitar has sustain out the wazoo and the P94s give it a nice expressive and warm tone. If I had a Dot, I would certainly consider the same modifications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve112 Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 I'm planning on buying an Epiphone Dot to modify soon and what I vision is to put two P-94's in it and add a frequensator. I'd also probably swap out the standard knobs for some gibson top hat's, but that doesnt affect the sound. So I'm asking that if anyone has done something similar or has any advice for me, I'd love to hear about it. This will be my first time modifying a guitar so I'm excited but also cautious. Thanks! Be forewarned brundoggie, when you play your new Dot, you may enjoy it so much you'll have a hard time modding it. [flapper] Seriously, your pup and tailpiece mods are all about tone, sustain and playability and sound very musical. How is the tone of the P94s vs P90s? (I've only played P90s never P94s). Maybe fromnabulax could chime in on that? Regardless, I'll bet the P94s just sing in their own right! My only question is the mounting of the frequensator. Will there be any interference issue with the location of the original stopbar tailpiece? I guess I'm wondering if you're pulling the studs or the actual mechanics of how you would do this? Anyway, it's a very interesting project, so please let us know how it's progressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Upgraded my Dot a few years ago. New SD Classic p/u's, CTS switches, pots, et al, new wiring, etc. Then I added the Bigsby. This is a keeper. No matter what you do, Dot's are great mod platforms. I feel I've got a 335 without the bling and nitro finish. I've got a lot of guitars, but this is probably #2 behind my Casino, or Wildkat, or LP, or...??? Well, you know, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromnabulax Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 How is the tone of the P94s vs P90s? (I've only played P90s never P94s). Maybe fromnabulax could chime in on that? I have to say that my very favorite single pick ups are the P90 dogeared variety. They have an inherent warmth that I've not found in any other pickup. Keep in mind though that I am basing this on a sound with no effects or overdrive or distortion other than A teensy bit of reverb from the amp. Next up are the P94s. I first got them a few years back on a special Memphis run of the Gibson ES175. The neck pick up is has a warmth and clarity of tone as smooth as butter. I fell so deeply in love with their special warmth and clarity that I recently replaced the coil splitting pickups in a recent Epiphone Les Paul Florentine PRO with P 94s and it is now my primary guitar for gigging, plus of course there is the added benefit of no additional routing required to install them. I do love the extra crazy resonance I get out of a Frequensator tailpiece as well. If I still played distorted guitar it would probably bug me having all those extra vibrating undertones that you get with those, but with no distortion I love the extra bass response I get with the tailpiece. When I heard about the Valensi Riviera with P94s I knew it would at least be worth a try. As with the fully hollow ES175 as well as heavily chambered Les Paul Florentine, the P94 pickups offer a very warm and round tone that sounds just great for Jazz, Blues and Lounge styles. They work for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundoggie Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 Be forewarned brundoggie, when you play your new Dot, you may enjoy it so much you'll have a hard time modding it. [flapper] Seriously, your pup and tailpiece mods are all about tone, sustain and playability and sound very musical. How is the tone of the P94s vs P90s? (I've only played P90s never P94s). Maybe fromnabulax could chime in on that? Regardless, I'll bet the P94s just sing in their own right! My only question is the mounting of the frequensator. Will there be any interference issue with the location of the original stopbar tailpiece? I guess I'm wondering if you're pulling the studs or the actual mechanics of how you would do this? Anyway, it's a very interesting project, so please let us know how it's progressing. I too thought about the holes in the body that the stopbar are going to leave. I've seen many different things that people use including various plugs and even the "Custom Made" plastic piece you see on custom 335's. I was planning on using these chrome button/plugs I found at lowes but I may leave the studs. And about the P90 vs P94 pickups... spec wise I think the P94s are the same pickups as the P90s just in humbucker form. But they've got a much more unique tone to them that I just love. I'm excited for this project and hopefully I can start relatively soon. Thanks for the feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundoggie Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 Upgraded my Dot a few years ago. New SD Classic p/u's, CTS switches, pots, et al, new wiring, etc. Then I added the Bigsby. This is a keeper. No matter what you do, Dot's are great mod platforms. I feel I've got a 335 without the bling and nitro finish. I've got a lot of guitars, but this is probably #2 behind my Casino, or Wildkat, or LP, or...??? Well, you know, That's a great looking guitar! I also have a les paul and I just love it. Gibson/Epiphone makes a fantastic guitar! I would be happy to know what you used on the holes that the stopbar left when you installed the bigsby. What I'm going to use is still in the air and whatever you used looks very nice. I'd love to know! Thanks for the feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundoggie Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 I have to say that my very favorite single pick ups are the P90 dogeared variety. They have an inherent warmth that I've not found in any other pickup. Keep in mind though that I am basing this on a sound with no effects or overdrive or distortion other than A teensy bit of reverb from the amp. Next up are the P94s. I first got them a few years back on a special Memphis run of the Gibson ES175. The neck pick up is has a warmth and clarity of tone as smooth as butter. I fell so deeply in love with their special warmth and clarity that I recently replaced the coil splitting pickups in a recent Epiphone Les Paul Florentine PRO with P 94s and it is now my primary guitar for gigging, plus of course there is the added benefit of no additional routing required to install them. I do love the extra crazy resonance I get out of a Frequensator tailpiece as well. If I still played distorted guitar it would probably bug me having all those extra vibrating undertones that you get with those, but with no distortion I love the extra bass response I get with the tailpiece. When I heard about the Valensi Riviera with P94s I knew it would at least be worth a try. As with the fully hollow ES175 as well as heavily chambered Les Paul Florentine, the P94 pickups offer a very warm and round tone that sounds just great for Jazz, Blues and Lounge styles. They work for me. Yeah if I could get my hands on a Valensi Riviera P94 then there wouldn't be a need for this project. When I planned this project out I was trying to essentially duplicate the Riviera that Nick Valensi uses. It's just a fantastic guitar and I don't think he gets enough credit for putting that axe together. Epiphone needs to produce more of them! Thanks for the comments! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekster52 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 8mm x 1.25 button head machine screws fit the inserts. I used flat black on my Dots, and it is much less conspicuous than the "Custom Made" placard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundoggie Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 8mm x 1.25 button head machine screws fit the inserts. I used flat black on my Dots, and it is much less conspicuous than the "Custom Made" placard. Thanks! I'll definitely give those a shot! I'm not a fan of the "custom made" card at all. Thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 That's a great looking guitar! I also have a les paul and I just love it. Gibson/Epiphone makes a fantastic guitar! I would be happy to know what you used on the holes that the stopbar left when you installed the bigsby. What I'm going to use is still in the air and whatever you used looks very nice. I'd love to know! Thanks for the feedback! Thanks for the compliment. As for the holes from the old stop bar, well, I've been looking. As it is, I've just left the old pieces in place. My luthier says he usually fills the holes with dowels but that sounded way to permanent (even though I have no plans to go back). I've been looking for either rubber caps or metal caps, but baven't round anything yet, and to be honest, the look doesn't really bother me. If I find something, I find it, if not, well, no biggie. Thanks again. I just love this guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Thanks! I'll definitely give those a shot! I'm not a fan of the "custom made" card at all. Thanks for the help! I'm with you on the "Custom Made" thing. Hey Creekster, thx for the info on the button heads, source? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundoggie Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 Thanks for the compliment. As for the holes from the old stop bar, well, I've been looking. As it is, I've just left the old pieces in place. My luthier says he usually fills the holes with dowels but that sounded way to permanent (even though I have no plans to go back). I've been looking for either rubber caps or metal caps, but baven't round anything yet, and to be honest, the look doesn't really bother me. If I find something, I find it, if not, well, no biggie. Thanks again. I just love this guitar. Yeah I wouldn't mind leaving the pieces from the stop bar the way it is, but my ocd might kick in after a while. Thanks for the input! I'll try to keep everyone updated on how the project is going. It will be a while before I start though. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekster52 Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I'm with you on the "Custom Made" thing. Hey Creekster, thx for the info on the button heads, source? I found mine at a good Ace Hardware, one where they sell individual screws, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundoggie Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 I found mine at a good Ace Hardware, one where they sell individual screws, etc. Thanks I'll check out Ace Hardware when it comes time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protogyl Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Hi all I'm new here. Saw this topic while I was searching for Nick Valensi's Riviera. Hence I'm excited to share my precious guitar. The mods done was to copy almost as close as to Nick's Riviera specs but I'm completely satisfied with her now. She was originally an Epiphone Dot made in 2007 from DaeWon(DW) China factory. When I bought her back in 2008 she was a complete stock and was ready to Mod her to these specs but short of fund to do it. Finally had the money to do the mods in one go and now she is with the Gibson P94T on bridge and P94R on neck, CTS 500K tone and volume pots, Switchcraft switch and input jack. Redo the wiring with the Gibson shielded wire. Took me few weeks to get it ready. May I present you my guitar - ENVY Please refer to the links given to view her: https://www.dropbox.com/s/da7x10qrxr8rs7l/NV1.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/8fx7qm3v2178kcf/NV2.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/4a9jcfro8iz6d14/NV3.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/4erzlkin9jg0ybf/NV4.jpg?dl=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 I just happened to pull out my Valensi Riviera this morning, and it's sitting off to the right as we speak. Only change made to it is a black 'e' truss rod cover replacing the white Valensi cover. Everything else about it was good to go right out of the box, imho. As they are similarly wound, the P94s definitely give you that P90 goodness, and combined with the Frequensator, it's a unique set up for sure. Modding a Dot in this direction should prove to be a winner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundoggie Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 Hi all I'm new here. Saw this topic while I was searching for Nick Valensi's Riviera. Hence I'm excited to share my precious guitar. The mods done was to copy almost as close as to Nick's Riviera specs but I'm completely satisfied with her now. She was originally an Epiphone Dot made in 2007 from DaeWon(DW) China factory. When I bought her back in 2008 she was a complete stock and was ready to Mod her to these specs but short of fund to do it. Finally had the money to do the mods in one go and now she is with the Gibson P94T on bridge and P94R on neck, CTS 500K tone and volume pots, Switchcraft switch and input jack. Redo the wiring with the Gibson shielded wire. Took me few weeks to get it ready. May I present you my guitar - ENVY Please refer to the links given to view her: https://www.dropbox.com/s/da7x10qrxr8rs7l/NV1.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/8fx7qm3v2178kcf/NV2.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/4a9jcfro8iz6d14/NV3.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/4erzlkin9jg0ybf/NV4.jpg?dl=0 She's a beauty! Looks a lot like what I'd like to do. Would personally like to add a frequensator as well Thanks for the comment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundoggie Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 I just happened to pull out my Valensi Riviera this morning, and it's sitting off to the right as we speak. Only change made to it is a black 'e' truss rod cover replacing the white Valensi cover. Everything else about it was good to go right out of the box, imho. As they are similarly wound, the P94s definitely give you that P90 goodness, and combined with the Frequensator, it's a unique set up for sure. Modding a Dot in this direction should prove to be a winner! I can't wait to get started on this mod. Thanks for the feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.