Essexboy Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Hey guys, I just picked up a brand new (old stock) Epiphone Les Paul Junior '57 Reissue. It really is a cool guitar but I think it will really 'sing' with a few upgrades. I'm thinking of buying a pre-made wiring harness from eBay. The harness uses CTS pots, repro Bumblebee and switchcraft jack. Would anyone know if CTS pots will fit straight in without having to drill out the existing holes? Also would anyone know what length pot shafts I should use? Are the Epiphone shatfs 'standard' length? Any help or advice would be much appreciated :-) Also considering a TonePros intonatable bridge, Lollar P90 and tusq nut. Thanks Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Kia Ora and congrats with the new guitar. Undoubtly there will be people here who will think you insane to spend more on upgrading parts as the guitar itself. I'm not one of'm. Hey, whatever floats your boat right? I don't think CTS will be a straight fit. Epi uses standard/short shaft pots. Keep in mind the Epiphone uses a metric sized bridge. Let us know how the Lollar works out for you(I like P90s but I'm only familiar with the Gibson and Seymour Duncan variety). A tusq nut would be good idea. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 I have the same guitar sitting here and I'm wondering if it's worth modding and keeping. In stock form it's mediocre at best, but it was cheap so I got what I paid for. At least it has a set neck. Keep us posted on the mods with lots of pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Well having done pretty much the same to the one I had and then selling I will tell you that regardless of what you think it's worth after the mods it's still just a $300 guitar at best! They are OK and fun little guitars but the stock P-100 doesn't sound anything like a REAL P-90 IMHO and the electronics are junk as in most low level Epi's. You can actually intonate the stock tail piece pretty well if you know what you are doing and some of the after market choices like a Badass style don't work particularly well on that guitar. All in all if you are doing the mods for yourself thats one thing,but save the original parts and put it back to stockwhen you sell it(and you probably willIMHO)because you will never get full value for the parts and the guitar on the used market. My $.02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Essexboy Posted September 17, 2008 Author Share Posted September 17, 2008 Thanks for the input guys... food for thought indeed! Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunforhire Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 I'm siting here with the same guitar, i did some research on the net and found out all i wanted to about that stock p100 pickup ad quickly removed it and fitted a Kent Armstrong sky p90 in it, its rated at a nice 8.3 ohmsor however they rate them and it sounds great, I am inbetween peoples opinions on this topic, obviously the guitar is cheap so I'm not gonna drop bundles of cash refitting it with all kinds of goodies when its really just a fun simple guitar to play at home and take on tour when i'm guitar teching for bands. but in saying that here are the mods I have done and am in middle of doing 1- replace pick up with Sky p90 alnico- sweeter bitier sound and growl instantly 2- ordered in an allparts retro oil film capo for the tone pot to try sweeten thast up a little. 3- put it over my Peterson strobe tuner and try best intonate it as i could, most strings in just a little off on bottom E, but am about to change string guage after a show it was borrowed on and re intonate. 4- Replacing The perfectly good and solid Grovers with the old skool 3 on a tree Klusons _ this is purely for nostalgia looks not atcual playability. i just like the real original look of the tuners. 5- My model saddly came with the bridge mounting studs pulling a little out of the body so i am having that looked at buy a luthier or will repair that myself and at the same tiome fit some strap locks.. ( the smallest price to pay for saving your guitar from a big guage or chunk out it when it slips off a strap) 6- I shaved the finish off the back of the neck as i hate the finish on these and the old models had a smoother somewhat easier neck to play so i scraped off the tv yellow of my model then rubbed down with a dark english stain to close up the pores on the wood and it plays lovely. Be warned this mod is a serious one and can wreck your guitar so don't try it. I guess this is somewhat of a 'Relicing' idea too, but it was mostly for feel on my hand. I travel a bit and my personal guitars travel out with alot of the bands i work for, i have a gretch 6118 anniversary and aFender 63 jazzmaster reissue, and a few odds and ends like a Hofner and a custom shop fernades . but this guitar has been up against some real les pauls in my rack on shows and has matched up well for its price.. When i was 15 (20 + years ago) I missed buying a real 1958 les paul junior when i worked in a guitar store here in nz for $1500 from a californian back packer, and have spent my life regretting it.. so this is the closest I think i will ever come, its not original, its not 50+ years old, but its mine and i love it. i love all my guitars and just fiddle abouts and tweek things i personally wanna tweek, end of the day its your baby and if you wanna blow a load of cash on it till its just right, do it!! look at the guitars like the famopus Eddie Van halen guitar, made from a collection of bits the put together, all worth more than the guitar itself. also keep in mind the lest paul junior was cheap when it came out itself, it was $$99.50 and basic, its just cos its so old and rarer now its held in high esteem, it was a entry level guitar back then. so just do what ya wanna do, it might be the one guitar you play till your 100! or it could just be a stepping stone alone your musical journey. but whatever it is make sure its your heart making the decisions and you can't go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest icantbuyafender Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 http://store.guitarfetish.com/chbastinwrbr.html best stoptail/bridge combo ever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunforhire Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 this will no doubt be the next purchase when i get sick of the "close enough" intonation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest icantbuyafender Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 glad i could help. for the money it makes the guitar go from literally crap to cream of the crop ive got one on my frankenpaul Jr (inquire and I'll go into detail) and one on my '50's reissue jr along with klusons (great minds think alike) you may need a slight shim at the butt end of the neck pocket. my cheaper jr did (cause the truss rodd was shot) ... my reissue didnt need any shimming or adjusting to accept the bridge. slipped right on the posts and looks DAMN good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunforhire Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 I'll see if anyone brings them into new zealand now, or just order thru one of my peeps stateside. but it sounds like it could be the go. so whats the frankenpaul jr? sopunds interesting.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest icantbuyafender Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 itsa '99 LP jr (epi) that was cut for a humbucker. I bought it, gutted it, sanded the finish off and refinished it an antique white. I put some GFS chrome keystone tuners and this bridge with an invader humbucker in the bridge with CTS push pull volume pot for a coil tap and a fender TBX tone control with an orange drop capacitor and switchcraft input jack. the TBX cuts bass at 6-10 and cuts bass at 1-4 i can get a modern humbucker and lead tones, then pull up the volume knob switch to kick into a single coil mode. the fender TBX tone control helps the normally muddy single coil mode of an invader sound more authenticly fenderish and the orange drop is just my favorite capacitor type. the GFS tuners are here : http://store.guitarfetish.com/clketuchfi70.html the finish was a long process to get a thin gloss over a solid paint job. Now, 2 yrs of useage after she's aged well and looks road worn thru all the gigs and late night jams and accidental mishaps and dings here and there. the neck is my pride and joy since i sanded it to my liking to be more accomodating to my slender hands and has more of a speedy jackson neck. i left it unfinished and the oils of my hands aged it well over the years. its my main and fave axe even though it is a bastard-ized epi. if i had to make a signature model, this would be it. but maybe with a single coil tex-mex strat pickup at the neck. just maybe. heh this was my first and favorite venture into customizing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunforhire Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 sounds like you ended up with your dream axe, so your a very lucky man..I spend alot of time on tour having to customise or hot rod everyone elses guitars.. and sometimes its not always to my suggestions..haha but its been nice to paly round with this epi, my jazzmaster is still all original and my gretsch is minor tweeked with a pair of leopard surrounds for the Filtertrons and some Grover imperial tuners, for ease of use and look more than integral feel. but this is a fun little hack guitar so its cool to have it just the way i want it to end up. as usual more bands i work with will benefit from it more than i will myself no doubt..haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunforhire Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 sounds like you ended up with your dream axe, so your a very lucky man..I spend alot of time on tour having to customise or hot rod everyone elses guitars.. and sometimes its not always to my suggestions..haha but its been nice to paly round with this epi, my jazzmaster is still all original and my gretsch is minor tweeked with a pair of leopard surrounds for the Filtertrons and some Grover imperial tuners, for ease of use and look more than integral feel. but this is a fun little hack guitar so its cool to have it just the way i want it to end up. as usual more bands i work with will benefit from it more than i will myself no doubt..haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest icantbuyafender Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 heh have fun with your jr, and do look into that bridge, friend. It'll be worth it and as for dream axe, hah, i indeed got lucky for having simplistic needs that i was able to satisfy with some thought and handywork. plus i got lucky i found a good heavy bodied one... not these laminate ones of today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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