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Will these upgrades to a Epi Lucille improve it?


yoshiii1

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Hello,

 

Will changing out the switches, pots and pick ups in a Epi Lucille make a noticeable sound difference?

 

Depending on what pickups you replace them with, it could make a little or a lot of difference. The switches and pots are unlikely to make much difference in tone; replacing them would be more for functional improvements, for example if you wanted a different taper on the volume or tone pots.

 

My Epiphone Lucille is completely stock, and I've found no need to replace anything on it.

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Depending on what pickups you replace them with, it could make a little or a lot of difference. The switches and pots are unlikely to make much difference in tone; replacing them would be more for functional improvements, for example if you wanted a different taper on the volume or tone pots.

 

My Epiphone Lucille is completely stock, and I've found no need to replace anything on it.

 

I will use mine more for rock than other stuff.

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Before changing anything, I suggest you think carefully about this: do you currently find that there's something missing with that guitar? Is it something specific, or is it more like "I see all these other guys online upgrading their parts so I wanna try that too"?

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I would suggest setting your VariTone to bypass on position "1" and adjust your amp to get the sound you want. The Lucille's Classic Alnico Humbuckers should be able to deliver.

 

Note that the Lucille wiring is a bit more intense than your average guitar with the VariTone providing notch filters, shape shifting and coil tapping.. It could be difficult to wire in new pickups and get it right...

 

BC-6C-2.jpg

 

yoshiii1..... what kind of guitar are you currently playing?

 

 

Edited by mihcmac
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I would suggest setting your VariTone to bypass on position "1" and adjust your amp to get the sound you want. The Lucille's Classic Alnico Humbuckers should be able to deliver.

 

Note that the Lucille wiring is a bit more intense than your average guitar with the VariTone providing notch filters, shape shifting and coil tapping.. It could be difficult to wire in new pickups and get it right...

 

BC-6C-2.jpg

 

yoshiii1..... what kind of guitar are you currently playing?

None, my guitar is overseas. Its a Jazzmaster.

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I would suggest setting your VariTone to bypass on position "1" and adjust your amp to get the sound you want. The Lucille's Classic Alnico Humbuckers should be able to deliver.

 

Note that the Lucille wiring is a bit more intense than your average guitar with the VariTone providing notch filters, shape shifting and coil tapping.. It could be difficult to wire in new pickups and get it right...

 

BC-6C-2.jpg

 

yoshiii1..... what kind of guitar are you currently playing?

 

So the varitone swith coil picks the pickups?

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None, my guitar is overseas. Its a Jazzmaster.

Jazzmaster's are cool...

 

So the varitone swith coil picks the pickups?

The 3 way toggle switch selects the pickups to be used, the VariTone selects what filters will be applied to them. Position 1 on the VariTone is a bypass allowing the natural sound of the pickups.

 

The following quote is from Epiphone BB King Lucille specs..........

 

The VariTone™ uses a six-way rotary switch which engages 5 pre-set notch filters and a bypass. In position 1, the VariTone™ is completely bypassed. As you rotate the rotary switch into positions 2-6, the center frequency of the notch filter shifts from around 1.9kHz down to 130Hz, providing a player with a wide tonal palette unavailable on most other instruments. Positions 2 through 4 offer tonal shaping while still maintaining great clarity. Position 2, (5db at 1960 Hz) is B.B.'s favorite!

 

But keep turning and you'll find Positions 5 and 6 shape-shift the Alnico Classic™ Humbuckers into a single-coil style pickup but without the thin quack usually associated with traditional single coil pickups. Add it all up and between the 6-position VariTone™ circuit and the 3-position toggle switch, you have 18 unique tones available.

Edited by mihcmac
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  • 1 year later...

I changed only the pickups, and soldered them directly to the old cables once I cut the horrible epi wax potted pickups off.

Very simple mod. Insulating tape and 4 solder joints.

I installed entwistle nemesys afg instead (the dearest pickup entwistle makes) the result is superb, and it has become much more than the weedy thin tones I had previously from my bb. Epi.)   Now I think a phase switch is in order for Peter green tones and even more versatility.

Look at the entwistles. I have very many geetars, and these are head and shoulders above any others (and I've tried very many top name humbuckers and single coils. The best at a quarter of the price.

Ritchie

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