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LP STD Upgrade


nmorales30

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Hi, I have an LP STD, I want to upgrade It, so I bought this:

1.- Gibson Tailpiece TP-6.

2.- Graph Tech ResoMax NV2 Auto Lock Bridge 6mm.

3.- Graph Tech Nut TUSQ XL 1/4" Epiphone Slotted Nut.

 

has anyone of you used any of these items in yours guitars?

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I have a Epiphone Gothic Les Paul Studio which I bought over a week ago at Guitar Center and I haven't seen any need to do any mods to it. I've been playing for 40 years ( I'm 53 ) and I'm 100% happy with it just the way that it is. I do have 2 Fender Strats, one of which is MIM that I did have to do some mods to though . I installed some Graph-Tech bridge saddles on it along with Fender Locking tuners.

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I bought a Gibson ES-347 with a TP6 new in 1981, kept it for about a month, and traded it in on a Les Paul Heritage 80 Elite. I wound up putting a TP6 on the Les Paul and played it that way for quite a few years. It was convenient to fine-tune with my picking hand at the tailpiece, but by the time I got rid of the guitar in 2001 (it weighed a ton, and I got to where my back couldn't take it any more), I'd replaced the TP6 with a stopbar like the original. It seemed like I got a little more sustain with the stopbar.

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Just make sure the 'imperial' Gibson parts will fit your 'metric' Epi [confused]

This comes up every so often.

Good a time as any to get everyone current on the subject.

 

Epiphone does make TP-6 tailpieces for Epiphones. They put them on the B.B. King Lucille and maybe one or two others.

Sometimes you can find them used on Ebay. They do say Epiphone on the back.

Other than that, yes, you need to do some slight easy mods if you want to use a Gibson TP-6.

 

Some like them, others not.

Mine:

 

bluelpnew.jpg

 

 

Others have told me that they had little or no trouble doing a drop in with a TP-6.

I wasn't that lucky.

 

My Epi studs were slightly larger than the Gibson's that came with it. (now mind...the center to center on the studs was the same)

 

1000823v.jpg

 

Any way, I figured I could either:

 

A. Change the bushing and the stud to the Gibson....(Trouble was the bushings required different size holes.)

..........You can't just change studs alone. The threads are not metric on the Gibson.........

B. File the inside of the slots of the TP-6.........(I have a problem modding a one buck tailpiece when a stud cost five cents.}

C. Turn the shaft of the Epi stud down. (actually, I just bought another set of metric studs)

 

Gibson on the left....Epi on the right.

 

1000827b.jpg

 

I'm sure it would be better if I had a machine shop around. Oh well.

Disclaimer: It's not the right way, It's just my way.

 

I don't have a lathe so, for small parts I sometimes use my drill.

First I taped the threads. About 8 or 10 wraps. (Easy fit in a 3/8" chuck drill...9.5mm)

 

1000828e.jpg

 

Then I hand tightened it into the chuck and took a file to it:

 

1000830r.jpg

 

This is what I ended up with:

 

1000833v.jpg

 

Not really all that big a deal.

 

Moving on:

 

I put either bone or Graphtech nuts on all my guitars. Never had a problem with them.

 

As to the ResoMax NV2...

 

The ground line for all the Epi LPs I have ever worked on go to the bridge stud bushing to ground the strings. (on Gibson LPs it goes to the tailpiece stud bushing)

I do not know for sure but.... As I believe that the "string saver saddles" are made of the same material as the Tusq nuts,

they are likely non-conductive.

 

If this is the case then your strings may not be grounded. This may be a problem if it gives you an undesired buzzing through your amp.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Willy

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Thanks Willy, better explained impossible [thumbup] , I'm still waiting for the parts to be delivered (I have to wait about 2 weeks more), I'll tell you if I have to make any modification to the studs.

 

Another upgrade I want to do is change the pickups, but I have to wait until next year, since I can only buy online $400 a year...

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  • 3 weeks later...

 

Epiphone does make TP-6 tailpieces for Epiphones. They put them on the B.B. King Lucille and maybe one or two others.

 

Mine:

 

bluelpnew.jpg

 

 

 

Willy

 

[drool]

 

Wow, Willy, that is an amazing Paul.

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