My New Epiphone LP

[ttime32]

I decided recently that I wanted to learn how to play guitar and my grandpa had always said that if I wanted to learn he would give me one. About a year or two ago he bought an Epiphone Les Paul and never really ever played it so he said he would give me that one . So he gave it to me for Christmas but I am not sure exactly what model it is. My grandpa cant remember so I thought maybe someone on hear would know.

 

It has:

- the maple flamed cherry sunburst top on it

- the pickups/humbuckers are black (not chrome like most of the ones I see, are these pretty good pickups?)

- the fretboard has the pearl inlays

- the truss rod cover says Gibson on it

- above the truss rod cover it says Les Paul Model

- the machine heads have pearloid buttons on them

- on the back it says Epiphone Limited Edition

 

So those are the basics of it pretty much. The amp I ordered is still in the mail but will be here in a few days so I haven't really had any time to actually test it out a whole lot. I was considering putting chrome humbucker covers on it because I like the look of the chrome instead of the black. Would this be hard to do or would it effect the guitars sound much at all. They are like $16.99 a piece for the gibson ones on like guitarcenter or musiciansfriend.

 

Thanks.

[brad1]

First of all, the fretboard does not have pearl inlays. They are plastic of some kind.

Next, you already said what model it is. It's a Les Paul, Limited Edition. I also have one which is pictured in my avatar.

In order to give you any more info you need to give us the serial number. That will tell you the year made, and maybe the factory it was made in (depending on the first letter of the #).

brad

[ttime32]

Serial # I01042884

[Ricochet]

Based on that I'd say Les Paul Classic built in 2001 Saein, Korea.

 

Does it look like this?

[brad1]

Your guitar was made at a factory not yet added to the database

April 2001

Production Number: 2884

 

This was the guitar dater project said about your guitar. ---->http://www.guitardaterproject.org/epiphone.aspx

So it was made in 2001, but it does not know the factory.

I'm thinking that an I at the beginning might mean Indonesia. But I might be wrong.

brad

[ttime32]

Based on that I'd say Les Paul Classic built in 2001 Saein' date=' Korea.

 

Does it look like this?

[img']http://www.guitarz-for-ever.com/images/gibsonlespaulepiphone.jpg[/img]

 

Yup, looks pretty much like exactly that, thanks guys for the info. Ya, on the back it says made in Korea. I can't believe my grandpa had it for that long and never played it. So about the chrome Gibson humbucker covers, would those be a good idea or would they be more trouble than they are worth?

[Ricochet]

So about the chrome Gibson humbucker covers' date=' would those be a good idea or would they be more trouble than they are worth?[/quote']

 

Depends on your skills I suppose. It's not that hard. Find the right pole-spaced covers and solder'm to the baseplate with 2 dabs of solder. Optimally you should waxpot the pickups to avoid any weird resonant noise from the covers, but I never did and I havent had problems.

 

Tonally it won't be a real improvement. But if you're shooting for looks, why not? :-)

[TWANG]

There probably isn't going to be any difference in the pickups except for the covers, which add shielding, but also affect tone.

Many players remove their covers for the sound change, and so gibson and others started selling them that way. coverless.

 

gibson covers wont fit your pickups. You'll have to have metric, not usa covers, if you want them.

wax potting pickups yourself is a risky business. wax has to be in a pot on the stove.. right kind at the right temperature.. and then you have to soak them for the right amount of time.

if it's too hot, you lose the coating on the windings around the magnet and there you go. bad pickups.

 

Better to simply replace what you have if you think you need covers or want a different sound.

I'd leave 'em alone, myself.

play awhile get used to the sound.. hear others.. compare taking your time.. listen to and find out what your fave recording artists are using.. then make a decision.

 

soldering the covers on also is not simple for everyone.. a drop of solder falls into the covers and hits the coil wires.. zap.. bad pickups again.

 

In the end, with covers, you'd have the same sound, only a little less of it.

Sheilding, which is another reason covers are used, is already not a great advantage, since they are already humbuckers and quiet to start with.

 

Based on your questions I'd say you're asking for trouble doing these jobs first time yourself.

 

A simpler option would be to choose a pickup you are sure you would like more.. gibsons for instance.. but again, they are different sizes..so new mounting rings would be needed as gibsons wont fit your epis rings.

 

Take your time.. it's a darn nice guitar as is! And if it aint broke.. don't fix it.

 

tWANG