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Epiphone Zephyr Regent - Change pickup to 57 Classic?


BHjazzman

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[biggrin]

 

Welcome to the club, I'll compete with joe cooper now, we have 5 ZepReg owners here. thank heavens.

 

The Mahogany body with the maple neck isn't new, but for a fuller bodied axe like these, yes you will certainly get some different tones out of it.

 

Unlike the 175 with it's maple body and mahogany neck, your ZP will never sound like that, so just a warning, no matter the pup.

 

They weren't designed to compete with those, just an instrument marching in it's own drumbeat. Like em or love em, they are hard to beat.

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[biggrin]

 

Welcome to the club' date=' I'll compete with joe cooper now, we have 5 ZepReg owners here. thank heavens.

 

[b']The Mahogany body with the maple neck [/b]isn't new, but for a fuller bodied axe like these, yes you will certainly get some different tones out of it.

 

Unlike the 175 with it's maple body and mahogany neck, your ZP will never sound like that, so just a warning, no matter the pup.

 

They weren't designed to compete with those, just an instrument marching in it's own drumbeat. Like em or love em, they are hard to beat.

 

 

It's like the anti-175. :- Seriously though - with the zephyr's completely opposite wood and different sound profile, a 57 actually might not be the best choice for these guitars. But I don't really have a sense of what might be a good pickup for the zephyr. Has anyone put in a P90? That would be *very* interesting.

 

 

>> Here's a 175 before they started putting HBs in them, which I think was Herb Ellis' first model until he changed to a HB:

 

es175_52.jpg :drool:

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Good Morning guys, welcome driver8. This question is for Sambooka, about the pots and cap, my ZR volume pot hardly gets any volume until I turn it to around 7 and above. I didn't think much of it when I first got this box, but now it's bothering me. My Ibanez AS50's volume is smooth and has steady increase from 1, but comparing my ZR to it makes me think my ZF has a problem. Since I don't get hardly anything until it hits 7 or above, it's hard to find that sweet spot volume... like it's all or nothing. Which pots and cap do you suggest? I'll change them out when I do the 57.

Other than that, I love my Zephyr Regent. I saw a new 2010 Gibson Es 175 with a single HB in a shop. It looked like a pre 2003 Es 165. Sam, give us a pic of your 165.

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I will get a pic up sometime this week.

My 165 doesnt have any problems with the pots jumping.

I have a 500K in there now. As mentioned you could go lower but I would be worried about that muddying things up.

If I had that problem I would try check the pot on the meter and take notes and make sure it really is a audio taper (if it is stock it probably is). next I would try a decent quality pot (not necessarily a gibson.. CTS and Alpha make usable pots for half the price).

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Here is a pic

 

 

fatnlittle3.jpg

 

Turned out well but in a small room you REALLY have to worry about reflections.

 

Wow, that is really beautiful. I didn't realize how glossy those actually were - the Zephyr finish is actually closer than I thought!

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Wow' date=' that is really beautiful. I didn't realize how glossy those actually were - the Zephyr finish is actually closer than I thought!

[/quote']

Sometimes when the light is right on the 165 you swear it is the thinnest finish they could rub on.. it isnt hazy.. just not shiny either..

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With Sam's 165 you can see some of the design differences of the 165 vs the Zephyr. While the Zephyr Regent captures the flavor of the 165, there is more than just the 2000 dollar difference that sets the 165 apart. First, there's the obvious difference of the materials, maple flame etc., but most obvious to me is the arch of the top itself, the 165's arch extends up into the upper bout, where as the Zephyr's arch stops around the pickup. It is essentially flat in that upper section. I think it is a Peerless thing as I see that same flatness in other guitars made for other brands by Peerless. I haven't seen any Peerless brand guitars up close, but I will check them out too.

While I do love my Zephyr Regent, great affordable jazz box for the money, but mine is getting more costly every time I want to improve it. I see 165's go for 1800 or so, I have nearly 1/2 of that in my ZR. Purchase used 470, pro fret work and setup 200, the 57 I'm getting 120 and 35 install. That's 825 and it still needs pots. It will never be a 165... Oh well.

My ZR plays nice, sounds ok, records alright, BUT... Hey, I am really not complaining...

Play on guys!

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well.. the thing is...

The 165 and the ZepReg sound nothing alike acoustically.

 

The 165 is like all 175s... and electric instrument. Pretty underwhelming unplugged unless you happen to be Joe Pass (even then I hear he wasnt very happy about the circumstances or the end result).

 

I play my 165 plugged in (currently to a Traynor YGM4 while fixing my Vibrochamp Reverb)

 

If I want to play unplugged that is where the EmpReg comes in. It is NOT a stellar acoustic but unplugged it stands head and shoulders above the 165 (we are comparing apples and tangerines here to be fair.. )

 

When shopping for the EmpReg I tried a ZepReg and was stunned by the warm dark acoustic tone..

Not as loud as the EmpReg but not far off and spooky good. I only passed because at the time I wanted a more flexible pickup option, 25.5 scale, venetian cutaway, 17in guitar. I was also worried about the Zep Reg being TOO dark, especially when I got the flatwounds on it.

 

Ok.. done blabing.. cut to the chase.

I have put maybe 200$ into my EmpReg. That money is gone. I paid 600$ so I am in 800$. I see them for sale here recently for 550$ week after week on CL.

 

My 165 I paid 1750$ for it and the pickup was already a Classic 57+ so all I put into it was 20$ for the ebony bridge.

I will get every penny of that back if and when i sell it.

 

ZepReg vs 165? Both are great guitars. Very similar on paper, very different tone. IF not for the tone difference the only real difference would be resale value. Unless you are in this for the money.. well resale doesnt mean a whole lot.

 

Cheers

 

Drew

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ZepReg vs 165? Both are great guitars. Very similar on paper' date=' very different tone. IF not for the tone difference the only real difference would be resale value. Unless you are in this for the money.. well resale doesnt mean a whole lot.

[/quote']

 

+1 and great post. As much as I will hate to see it go, I think I've concluded from this thread that I'm going to sell my ZR. I'll probably massively regret it later since they're no longer in production, but I just don't think I'm ever going to be able to get the tone I want out of it.

 

Even though I think these Korean ZRs are higher overall quality than say a chinese guitar like the Joe Pass, I think the JP would be a better modding platform for me rather than wrestling with the ZR and dropping a whole lot of money into it to try to make it sound a way it's never going to sound. The end result would definitely be a really nice guitar, but that wouldn't be any use to me if I never wanted to play it.

 

Do you guys think I'm making a mistake? I mean, I'm definitely not in this for the money, but the value of these isn't suddenly going to shoot up because of their relative scarcity, is it?

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driver8,

You know that the ZR is a cool guitar. I do love it and because it is discontinued from the Epi line up, I think it is special in some way. It's sound is the warm dark sound I was looking for, so I am keeping mine no matter what. While I may look at finding a 165 or 175 in the future, the ZR works for me. Don't think I am complaining, I am not. I was thrilled to find this Zephyr Regent. There are other nice boxes out there, the JP is cool too, a little heavier than the ZR, and that is partly why I wanted the ZR because it is light. But I wouldn't go buy something else that needed to be worked or improved, other than maybe a pickup swap. Also, my ZR is not a gig guitar, it is a recording tool, it will never see the light of day outside the studio. But even if I were to use it on a gig, all the better, it has the sound, and if it were to be dropped or stolen, I'd feel bad, but not as bad as if it were a 165 or 175.

So for the money you have in it, why not keep it and enjoy it. I am... if I sold mine I would regret it...

Thanks.

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That's the thing, BH, I really don't have anything in the ZR. It's still all stock. I'm just questioning whether it would be worth it to me putting a lot of time and money into upgrades to end up with a really nice guitar, but one that I never use.

 

Anyway, I'm still thinking it over. I'm sidelined with a bout of wrist tendinitis now anyway, so I'm not playing much of anything atm (trying not to, at least - keep backsliding). I thought it would be a good time to get a project archtop and work on it while I'm resting the hand. It's always tough selling anything, but if I'm going to end up with a guitar I enjoy more, it might be worth it in the long run.

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driver8,

Good morning to you and to all the guys. I get it, but when I bought mine I was not looking for a project at all. I wanted a box that would be light and sound warm. It does even with no pickup or pot changes. Of course, at an affordable price. But I found that it needed a little work, frets, etc. I thought it would benefit from a pup change, and it will. I also did not want to spend anything on it, but since I am doing the things I've done and a little more, I find the ZR has many features that are mixed up yet shared with it's Gibson cousins, aside from the not made in USA side of it, but it is still a playable guitar that I enjoy.

 

It really is it's own animal and I do enjoy it for it's own sake. I would not however go buy a JP and hope to make it more than it is, you might find yourself in the same position of putting more into it and having it still be what it is, a copy of a Gibson. So my mind tells me, if I want a Gibson 175 or 165 or L5 or L4, that's what I should buy up front. Even if I do go get one of those, I will still keep my ZR because it is unique.

 

After all, do we ever have enough guitars? No. Do we ever have enough time to play them? No. Is there ever enough money? No. But we are working on it.

 

Play On!

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+1 and great post. As much as I will hate to see it go' date=' I think I've concluded from this thread that I'm going to sell my ZR. I'll probably massively regret it later since they're no longer in production, but I just don't think I'm ever going to be able to get the tone I want out of it.

 

Even though I think these Korean ZRs are higher overall quality than say a chinese guitar like the Joe Pass, I think the JP would be a better modding platform for me rather than wrestling with the ZR and dropping a whole lot of money into it to try to make it sound a way it's never going to sound. The end result would definitely be a really nice guitar, but that wouldn't be any use to me if I never wanted to play it.

 

Do you guys think I'm making a mistake? I mean, I'm definitely not in this for the money, but the value of these isn't suddenly going to shoot up because of their relative scarcity, is it? [/quote']

 

 

D8---

 

If your hand is laid up, and your looking for an archtop project, then keep it. Your really not going to get a significantly better archtop to project with for that money.

 

A higher gain pup, with more "electric" strings will brighten up the guitar. It won't necessarely make it the tone monster that your looking for perhaps.

 

The only other alternative I can think of at the moment would be a straight up trade for an ES-175 Reissue.

 

Unfortunately, you haven't given us very much info on yourself, such as where your from...

 

 

 

If it were me, and money was not such a big hurdle, I would keep it. Eventually they will go up in value, mostly because of the odd mix of contruction materials.

 

Compared to the Emperor Regent I just got, they are night and day, and having that difference at my fingertips is a very nice option.

 

 

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

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Thanks for the comments smips65 and BH. I hadn't realized Epiphone had changed the 175 RI factory to Indonesia, where, from the accounts I've been reading, the quality of those seems to have gone up. So a 175 is a distinct possibility I hadn't considered. If I can get a similar quality Epi guitar but closer to the sound I want, I don't really see any reason not to do it.

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  • 1 month later...

Hey Guys,

Quick update. I just received my Polytone Mega Brute FOB after 10 weeks, April 15 to July 1. I could have bought any number of them or Mini Brute examples while I was waiting for my Factory Order. But I wanted to be covered by a factory warranty so I ordered direct from Polytone and waited for this new example. In fact I may be the first to receive the new 2010 model, they only produced 45 in this production run as I was told by the factory rep that delivered it to me. Slightly restyled with a straight front edge instead of the angled front edge from the older model. Construction is solid with a lightened bottom and sides, looks like the same cabinet wood as in their Mighty Brute. Light as a feather, beautiful sound, sonic circuit, and 120 Watts RMS through an 8 inch speaker, but it sounds much bigger than it's size might imply. I've put it on my Avitar.

Anyway, I am still going for the "57 Classic change, but this little amp makes my Zephyr Regent sing as is. Great combination. Great size. Beautiful warm jazz tones all around.

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  • 2 years later...

Anything new in the world of Zephyr Regents ? I'm always interested since I've owned one for several years (made in 1998 ) but there seems to be little talk about them since they were discontinued.

 

Hello vaxxine,

It's been awhile since I have been on the Forum, so "Hi" to everyone...

My Zephyr Regent is still a great guitar. Mine was made at the Peerless factory in 1999. Just did a session with it Wednesday, I close my eyes and can't tell the difference the ZR and the 175 that the player brought. He liked the set up on my ZR and used it. The ZR gets better with age.

I see a lot of players I play with are playing more modern axes that are a bit thinner ala EPI Joe Pass, Ibanez PM, and so on. Maybe a little easier to handle as the ZR seems bigger than those do. But the ZR has a more old school sound that I like.

 

I see you have a EPI Byrdland. Wider 17 inch body, but thinner... Do you like it... I would.

 

Welcome to the club.

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my 165 sounds nothing like the ZepReg I played.

I am still getting used to it but the 165 is very open bright sounding.

If I hadnt sworn off buying new guitars I would grab one.

Then pick up a ES125 .. then a beater 70s strat..

And a Marshall Class5 would be nice too. maybe an AC4 w/10"...

 

Ok. I will stop now.

Oh my God! Zombie thread!

Year after this post I picked up and ES 125 And a class 5 And an AC 4 with a 10 inch

Passed on the beater Strat because my 76 Ibanez smokes all the ones I've played from the 70s

 

Glad you still love you Zephyr, I remember is being a special guitar when I tried one

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I see you have a EPI Byrdland. Wider 17 inch body, but thinner... Do you like it... I would.

 

Hi BH ( and Sambooka too - fellow Canadian I believe).

 

Regarding the Byrdland : yes, I definitely like the thinner body. Despite being a 17" guitar, the thinner body is much more comfortable for me. It's a very nice guitar. And I like the 23.5" scale too. Being a smaller guy, the guitar is a pretty good fit. As much as I love traditional deep bodied archtops, I find that as I get older that my preference is for shallower bodies.

 

My Zephyr Regent also produces a dark smokey sound like yours. I've been running 12-52 on it but just yesterday I put a set of TI 12-50 on it; quite a difference, and nice too. Owning the ZR has prevented me from going out and spending 4 - 6 times as much as I paid for the ZR on a ES165 or ES175. The ZR is really well built and it has 'the look' and the sound and the feel; it just kills the need to 'upgrade'. And I owned a 70's ES-175 for many years ( a long time ago) so it's not like I don't know the difference. And there is a difference between the ZR and the more expensive Gibson's but it's not a low quality vs high quality difference; they're similar quality but different in sound and perhaps feel.

 

My ZR has an R98xxxxx serial number so it must have been in the first production run from Peerless if Epi first offered these in 1999. And to confirm, the scale length on mine IS 24.75", not 25.5" like the website said for 10 years. The Natural finish ZR's clearly had a mahogany neck; I can't see the neck wood though the black finish on mine so I'm not sure if it's mahogany or maple.

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  • 8 months later...

Another Zephyr Regent owner here.....

Greetings to all. New member but forum reader from time to time for info and opinions.

Just back to playing the past couple of years after a few decades of disinterest, family issues, and life style changes.

My first guitar was a 1965 Gibson ES 335 TDC, bought new in Philly, PA during my navy days........long gone now, along with the 1940's J45 if memory serves.........(deep sigh)

 

I recently picked up a NOS 2007 Epi Zephyr Regent VS. So far love the combination of the deep hollow body and mahogany shell, but the guitar had a few issues so it's at the luthiers now for a full setup and going over.

I was not getting any output until the volume was up to 7 so the usual suspects are the pots, jack or wiring. No joy there. It turns out the pickup itself is bad, so we are going to replace that too.

I've read a lot comments and several are mentioning the 57 Classic pickups but nobody seems to have actually done it....and reported results. We are looking over other pickups too, something a little hotter, as the deep mahogany body, single hum bucker configuration, makes this model different than most others........and I'm really attracted to the tone so far.

If anyone has actually done anything with the pickup change I have not found it.

Anyone have some info to add the this long lived thread?

 

Thanks in advance......I'll get a 'proof of existence' pic posted once I get it back from the shop.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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