Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Friday & NGD- LP Tribute Plus!!


Manfred33

Recommended Posts

Ok, so i was bad and bought a new Epi Les Paul Tribute Plus this week. I have an 2006 LP Custom, but it was already quite a bit beat up when I got it, although it still sounds good, just not great. SO, I settled on the Tribute, for the carved maple top and the Gibson pups. Had thought about the Anniversary, but was not crazy about the finishes and I always wanted a Cherry Sunburst LP, hence the Tribute. Anyways, it came today (instead of Monday!!) and it is gorgeous of course. Ordered from Sweetwater, because I have been very impressed with their service as well as how they pack their guitars for shipping. This was no different of course. Only problem is, and this is rather surprising, the neck pup is loose. I know Sweetwater gives their guitars a once-over by a tech before they ship them out, so very surprised by this. Considering how they pack them (and it came in an Epi hard-shell case too) I find it hard to believe it came loose during shipping. Box was not damaged in any way.... So, do I need to tighten something? Remove the pup and check anything underneath it? My technical knowledge is elementary at best when it comes to repairs/adjustments, etc so, what's the best way to proceed?

 

Thanks in advance!!

 

20151127_112204.jpg

 

Yeah

20151127_112212.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know Sweetwater gives their guitars a once-over by a tech before they ship them out, so very surprised by this

 

I know that they claim to have a '50 point' inspection system in place, but while I used to get very good deals from them, the last two arrived looking decidedly uninspected. I think their quality control has slipped. The last two I got from them had immediately obvious flaws. I figure they no longer give the same attention to mid priced merchandise as they do the high end stuff.

 

I also used to get the best price from them hands down. Nowadays I have found other smaller retailers who are offering lower prices by at times by several hundred dollars as well performing complete set ups.

 

That's a real nice looking guitar you have. It looks like the bottom screw (the treble side) may be needing a bit of tightening. Try taking a small Phillips head screw driver to that middle screw on the mounting ring. That may be all that it needs. If the pickup itself does not rise and lower on that side you may have an issue that needs to be dealt with by a pro, or just send it back if you can.

 

Let us know how the adjustment goes, and...

 

Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congrats on your buy - looks nice, just like mine featuring this colour, too. [love]

 

To me it also looks as if the treble-sided mounting screw of the neck pickup - the middle one as mentioned by fromnabulax before - needs a few turns clockwise. I don't know exactly how much space is left under the pickup, but I hope the screw isn't off completely, and the spring is still there.

 

Once I had to solve a similar problem with a brand-new MIM Telecaster.

 

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys, she is a beaut....

 

I know that they claim to have a '50 point' inspection system in place, but while I used to get very good deals from them, the last two arrived looking decidedly uninspected. I think their quality control has slipped. The last two I got from them had immediately obvious flaws. I figure they no longer give the same attention to mid priced merchandise as they do the high end stuff.

 

Well, the last guitar I bought from them was a Squier Classic Vibe Tele Custom and that sucker was perfect. Not one single issue that I could find. Now the Epi was a more expensive model too, so I had an even higher expectation for nothing to be amiss....

 

I also used to get the best price from them hands down. Nowadays I have found other smaller retailers who are offering lower prices by at times by several hundred dollars as well performing complete set ups.

 

I did check around to make sure I wasn't paying more for this guitar then I had to. All the other usual suspects had the same price. I also have a Sweetwater account, so I was able to take advantage of the 0% interest for 36 months deal that they are currently running... which is nice.

 

It looks like the bottom screw (the treble side) may be needing a bit of tightening. Try taking a small Phillips head screw driver to that middle screw on the mounting ring. That may be all that it needs. If the pickup itself does not rise and lower on that side you may have an issue that needs to be dealt with by a pro, or just send it back if you can.

 

 

Ok, so I tried adjusting that screw and, although it raised and lowered the pup as I believe it is supposed to, it did not solve the issue. I maybe should have been a little clearer on the problem... The pup is loose in the sense that it wobbles back and forth in the mounting ring, i.e. towards and away from the neck. If I push down on it in the very middle of the pup where the height adjustment screws are, it does not budge. The bridge pup is solid; no movement whatsoever....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, so i lied. I just tried the bridge pup again and it does pivot in the same fashion as the neck pup, but not nearly as easily. IOW, it is much tighter, so I don't know where that is adjusted... I just checked the pups on my SG and they pivot the same way, but again, they are much tighter and don't move nearly as much.... The neck pup on the Tribute just seems to move way to easily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...

 

Ok, so I tried adjusting that screw and, although it raised and lowered the pup as I believe it is supposed to, it did not solve the issue. I maybe should have been a little clearer on the problem... The pup is loose in the sense that it wobbles back and forth in the mounting ring, i.e. towards and away from the neck. If I push down on it in the very middle of the pup where the height adjustment screws are, it does not budge. The bridge pup is solid; no movement whatsoever....

When you carefully try putting fingernails under the screw head and pulling out, on bass and treble side, do you feel about the same spring forces?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you carefully try putting a fingernail under the screw head and pulling it, on bass and treble side, do you feel about the same spring forces?

 

Hmmmm, i would say they are pretty close, however the one side does feel tighter than the other, meaning, takes more force to pull up on. I take it the bass side is the low E string, i.e. the 6th string and the treble is the high E string.... I think the treble side is stiffer than the bass side....

 

Also, on a side note, I was checking out the serial number website and my serial number shows that it is a 2003 Fuji-gen guitar, which I am sure is wrong.... The serial number starts with an F, so I am confused about the origins of it. I know it is made in China, but seems like the serial number should reflect the correct origin of the guitar....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...

Also, on a side note, I was checking out the serial number website and my serial number shows that it is a 2003 Fuji-gen guitar, which I am sure is wrong.... The serial number starts with an F, so I am confused about the origins of it. I know it is made in China, but seems like the serial number should reflect the correct origin of the guitar....

For the serial number see here: http://epiphonewiki.com/index.php/Epiphone_Serial_Number_Decoding#FACTORY_LETTER_CODES

and there: http://epiphonewiki.com/index.php/Epiphone_Serial_Number_Decoding#F-Serial_used_on_LP_Std.2759.2F.2760_models_and_Tribute.2FPlus_models

 

For the pickup problem, I think I'll grab my Epi Tribute Plus LP and look what I may find out...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the serial number see here: http://epiphonewiki....RY_LETTER_CODES

and there: http://epiphonewiki....e.2FPlus_models

 

For the pickup problem, I think I'll grab my Epi Tribute Plus LP and look what I may find out...

 

Thanks for the wiki links, much better explanation....

 

Eager to find out what you discover on yours....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmmm, i would say they are pretty close, however the one side does feel tighter than the other, meaning, takes more force to pull up on. I take it the bass side is the low E string, i.e. the 6th string and the treble is the high E string.... I think the treble side is stiffer than the bass side....

 

Also, on a side note, I was checking out the serial number website and my serial number shows that it is a 2003 Fuji-gen guitar, which I am sure is wrong.... The serial number starts with an F, so I am confused about the origins of it. I know it is made in China, but seems like the serial number should reflect the correct origin of the guitar....

 

Manfred,

 

The rocking back and forth is normal.

 

Where you are way down yonder in the Keys, you ought to have several well qualified techs available fairly close. Drop in and tell a trustworthy tech, or even a knowlegable pal and show them the pickup. Somebody ought to be able to very quickly tell you if there is something actually wrong, though it still sounds like a simple adjustment is in order, and if a guy takes care of it on the spot, buy a few sets of strings to say thanks.

 

On another point, the automated guitar dater site is notoriously wrong in several places, and in my experience, especially with Epiphones.

 

And as to the price thing. Yes, all those online retailers do in fact post the same prices. They have to by contract with the manufacturers and their suppliers. Thing is, competition is so fierce in the instrument world that most of them are willing to negotiate for a cash sale. If you're buying on time, as you have here, you're usually out of luck. For a cash sale though I find that it is usually very easy to negotiate as much as a 15% discount off of published discount prices, and sometimes even more. Thing is, if one guy doesn't want to negotiate, move on to the next, but be prepared to buy on the spot.

 

Yes, Sweetwater, Sam Ash, Zzounds and AMS do offer very nice credit terms, but those are credit terms. In the retail instrument game cash money still speaks very loudly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh my God - I'm so sorry for my ignorance [blush] All of my humbuckers are mounted with two screws each - some Fenders and Ibanezes use three which basically is the better solution - and they all wobble when pressing down on along one of the longer edges. Some get caught by the cavity routings, others don't. It seems to be absolutely normal since only two screws are holding them.

 

My first guitar featuring humbuckers dates back from 1980, and I either never got into trying this out, or I just didn't care since they work flawlessly. [rolleyes]

 

Could it be you mean this, or do the humbuckers wiggle just from gravity or inertia when you move the guitar?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Manfred,

 

The rocking back and forth is normal.

 

Where you are way down yonder in the Keys, you ought to have several well qualified techs available fairly close. Drop in and tell a trustworthy tech, or even a knowlegable pal and show them the pickup. Somebody ought to be able to very quickly tell you if there is something actually wrong, though it still sounds like a simple adjustment is in order, and if a guy takes care of it on the spot, buy a few sets of strings to say thanks.

 

On another point, the automated guitar dater site is notoriously wrong in several places, and in my experience, especially with Epiphones.

 

And as to the price thing. Yes, all those online retailers do in fact post the same prices. They have to by contract with the manufacturers and their suppliers. Thing is, competition is so fierce in the instrument world that most of them are willing to negotiate for a cash sale. If you're buying on time, as you have here, you're usually out of luck. For a cash sale though I find that it is usually very easy to negotiate as much as a 15% discount off of published discount prices, and sometimes even more. Thing is, if one guy doesn't want to negotiate, move on to the next, but be prepared to buy on the spot.

 

Yes, Sweetwater, Sam Ash, Zzounds and AMS do offer very nice credit terms, but those are credit terms. In the retail instrument game cash money still speaks very loudly.

 

Thanks fromnabulax... Yeah, I know the rocking is normal, but this pup rocks way to easily, it seems to me anyways. I don't think I have encountered a guitar with a humbucker that moves with so little force. It does not move on it's own of course.

 

Duly noted on the guitar dater site. Knew there had to be something wrong with it the minute it spit out the results for my 2015 made in China Tribute....

 

I'm not sure what you have heard about the Keys, but there are not that many guitar places down here. Anyways, I figured I would be able to figure it out on my own or with help from the board, which is kind of what I was counting on. Didn't want to run to the guitar shop right away anyways.

 

Yeah, I would normally go into a guitar shop to see, play and buy a guitar, but again, those are few and far between on this 3x5 mile island. Selection is pretty scarce as well. And I don't want to drive 3 hours to Miami either... So, I'll deal with the online cost and pay a bit more than if I was dealing in cash....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh my God - I'm so sorry for my ignorance [blush] All of my humbuckers are mounted with two screws each - some Fenders and Ibanezes use three which basically is the better solution - and they all wobble when pressing down on along one of the longer edges. Some get caught by the cavity routings, others don't. It seems to be absolutely normal since only two screws are holding them.

 

My first guitar featuring humbuckers dates back from 1980, and I either never got into trying this out, or I just didn't care since they work flawlessly. [rolleyes]

 

Could it be you mean this, or do the humbuckers wiggle just from gravity or inertia when you move the guitar?

 

No worries capmaster.... Same with all of my humbuckers as well. I don't have any Fenders/Squiers with humbuckers, but I do have two Ibanez basses, both with hbs and they are all mounted with 3, like you say. My one Ibz guitar has DiMarzios, and that only has 2 screws holding them in, but they are solid also, no wobble.

 

I included a gif here of what these pups looks like, both neck and bridge....

 

http://i1189.photobu...126id634338.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On my Epi Tribute LP it's just the other way round, the neck pickup gets caught and the bridge pickup doesn't :)

 

Ah ok.... I did check my LP Custom and, although the humbuckers wobble, they don't fall down.... J.k., they don't wobble like that, but the neck does move more. Herzlichen Dank capmaster!

 

It's ok guys, I think it is probably normal, like you are all saying. Just seemed extreme to me, that's all. Appreciate the help!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah ok.... I did check my LP Custom and, although the humbuckers wobble, they don't fall down.... J.k., they don't wobble like that, but the neck does move more. Herzlichen Dank capmaster!

 

It's ok guys, I think it is probably normal, like you are all saying. Just seemed extreme to me, that's all. Appreciate the help!

 

I am sure it's normal. My Gibson ES-335 does the same thing on the bridge pickup. (Haha my Epiphone does not! ~ $$!!) There are fixes/solutions on the 'net but I have just left mine alone.

 

If I may suggest, play the hell out of the guitar for a month with your strings etc. and let it acclimate to you and your environment. Then I would take it to a good luthier for a through setup. You'll think you hit the jackpot when it's perfect and stable.

 

Good luck with that guitar! Every single Tribute that I tried floored me. I am not a Les Paul guy but damned if I don't have GAS for a Tribute!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sure it's normal. My Gibson ES-335 does the same thing on the bridge pickup. (Haha my Epiphone does not! ~ $!!) There are fixes/solutions on the 'net but I have just left mine alone.

 

If I may suggest, play the hell out of the guitar for a month with your strings etc. and let it acclimate to you and your environment. Then I would take it to a good luthier for a through setup. You'll think you hit the jackpot when it's perfect and stable.

 

Good luck with that guitar! Every single Tribute that I tried floored me. I am not a Les Paul guy but damned if I don't have GAS for a Tribute!

 

Thanks joevacc....good advice. Kind of what I had planned to do anyways. Figures it needs to get broken in a bit before I start getting crazy and having things done to it. Only my second "NEW" guitar I've ever purchased so.... Well, third really, but the first was my Ibanez bass in the 80s so....

 

Glad to hear as well that you are as impressed with the Tribute as you are.... reinforces my decision to buy it. I shall definitely enjoy it! Gotta figure out the whole coil splitting thing too, since I have never played a guitar with that feature.... should be fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...