Figstrum Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I have an Epi LP standard, and have not upgraded anything on it. I hear all about upgrading the Pups to Bustbuckers, the nut to a bone nut, Pots, Wiring, Stopbar, Knobs, so on.... Of these upgrades, which would make a significant change to the tone of the guitar? I believe anything you do would somewhat affect the tone, but which upgrades would greatly affect the tone for the better, if any? I'm leaning towards just leaving it all alone until something breaks and then deal with it, and just jam as much as I can. I would greatly appreciate any advice on this topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 pickups would do the most. after that I'd say pots and caps. then bone nut. a better bridge. stoptail. I think you have the right idea.. sort of. I'd certainly play it a lot.. and then see what I didn't like for sure and start there. For instance, do you really want burstbuckers .. your pups output can range from vintage 8K to 20K monster distortos.. so what you have already is hot somewhat warm sounding stock pickups. do you want more treble.. cleaner lows.. less overdrive at the preamp.. depends on your ears amp speakers.. and what direction your playing is taking you.. bone nut will do a little.. but it's not some huge thing like a pup change. pots switch and caps can make a difference.. both in how they operate, better tone control, not necessariily better tone per se. smoother operation, more sensitive. better caps can open it up a bit, maybe more if you get spendy caps. push pull pot for series/parallel operation of the pups.. an extra sound. rewired for individual volume controls.. treble bleed caps so you don't lose highs when you turn down. new bridge, by itself, about like a bone nut..not huge, but better overall. where is the guitar weak? where is it strong? what's bugging you, what's making you happy. I swapped pups in mine right off.. because I knew what I wanted.. vintage output and tones.. for the bridge, and a p90 in the neck. I did my caps and pots because as long as I was in there, I may as well get the most out of the new pups. I always put in a bone or tusq nut, because I have a bunch of them. *S* I did more, but then, I knew what I wanted being all like old and stuff. Give it a think! And take your time. Your basic guitar is pretty good already. TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figstrum Posted February 19, 2009 Author Share Posted February 19, 2009 WOW! Lots of stuff. Thanks, TWANG. Have you heard of the Jimmy Page Modification? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animalfarm Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Hey, figstrum. Welcome aboard. Welcome to the start of a new and improved forum where we all share info with each other, has been happening lately in MY case, and it's GREAT! I keep a notebook of useful tech data nd info for guitars - wiring, q's and A's, tech tips, fix-it tricks, etc. I'd seen the Jimmy Page wiring diagrams, knew they were above my CURRENT level of knowledge and need, but kept 'em anyway FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. How about the following diagrams, one in "seymour Duncan" color form, the other in plain ol' schematic style. Save 'em for YOUR book... Exactly what it does, I leave the 'splainin to others more knowledgeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figstrum Posted February 19, 2009 Author Share Posted February 19, 2009 Thank you, Animalfarm. If I ever get this done in my LP, I looks like I would prob take it in the shop. I have read of this improvement is awesome for the guitar as it gives you a greater range of tone acquirement. http://www.fretbase.com/blog/2008/08/jimmy-pages-hum/ http://www.torresengineering.com/noname7.html http://detroit.craigslist.org/msg/1022955207.html These are just a few links I was checking out this morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron G Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Gibson Les Paul Standard:-" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 The nut, in my opinion, is worthy of a change, but only makes a difference on open strings, provided the stock one isn't binding and in need of replacement for that reason. I'd recommend pickups first. Listen to some audio samples on a good set of headphones. Find out what your favorite picker is using in his or her LP, then add those to the short list. Do a search on this forum for pickups or humbuckers and you'll find old posts where people asked the same question and you will find more than you can read about pickups. The bridge is a consideration, but may not be the most bang for your buck. I haven't changed my stopbar. I don't really see a reason to change unless I find a good deal on an aluminum one. Pots and caps haven't been a problem for me. The stock pots work and unless they get scratchy, they are fine. As far as caps go, I would probably try some smaller caps to raise the resonant peak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexygibson Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Gibson Les Paul Standard:-" I have to agree with Ron on this one. I believe in buying what you want to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 There's argument aplenty on how the nut affects tone.. on all the strings, fretted or open. And I happen to be on who believes it affects fretted notes as well as open. the stop tail is part of the string path.. anytime you add mass.. like better metal in the tail.. you're going to hear a difference. Cap values are important. I just swapped from an .022uF to a .015uF in an epi vj combo I have.. and the brightness was perfect after the change. Same thing with guitar tone caps.. that's why I say to people.. get a couple of values when you put in new.. get cheap poly caps at radio shack.. and try each value on each pickup.. neck pickups get more signal.. but it's warmer.. so you may like to add brightness there.. If your pups are not matched pups.. you may also find different cap values really sweeten it up. and the same is true of treble bleeds.. get the wrong value for your pup and when you back off the volume all you keep is tinny really high freq. highs.. and still lose some meaty more upper midrange tones.. and be very unhappy Bridge saddles.. I think are the way to go in a lot of cases. graph techs not only let you have good tone, etc., they're a lot easier on your strings and your bends dont leave you quite so out of tune. But it's still up to your ears and your guitar.. sometimes a very small inexpensive thing can be just enough! TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gashole Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 I have to agree with Ron on this one. I believe in buying what you want to begin with. That is the truth. You'll save money in the long run-usually. Many times I have bought a cheaper version of something I really wanted. (many Fenders come to mind...many Mex and Jap before I got to the US standards) Many times I would end up taking a loss on reselling it to help buy the next thing-either something closer to the goal, or a few times, the goal itself. A Gibson Les Paul being one of those life goal purchases-and a great one it was! It will never be resold, though there's nothing notable about it except to me. But when I got to terminal Gas for a Gibson 335, I just couldn't go there. Too much bread, just way to much! So I went w/ a Sheraton II and had pickup replacements and a bone nut and good pots and stuff before it even arrived. Sounds crazy maybe, but I was hell bent, and had read enough on the internet to be dangerous. Even with some unexpected issues, I feel like I got the guitar I was looking for for a third of the cost! It isn't a 335, I know...but it isn't the guitar sent to me either...it's actually really my own thing now. So I'm really torn on this. I have 3 good Gibsons, but my modified Sheraton is just as good a player and sounds better than at least one of the Gibsons for my taste...I rave about my Wildkat incessantly-no need to go into that...I'm just not convinced anymore that it's "gotta" be Gibson...Though I really do like Gibson. A lot! So to the original poster...if it isn't doing it for you sonically-and it isn't your amp-which definitely is a bigger factor-then look to pickup replacement and pots and wiring first. That's where the budget cutting is usually most obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figstrum Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Do yall think that the JP Mod is worth it? Is that just the wiring, or do you have to get specific pups? BTW THNX 4 all the responses! Im thinking gold burstbuckers for my Honeyburst Epi Lp. It has chromed parts, but Im adding a gold stopbar to it, and keeping the bolts chromed, a little color combo there. I changed the stock grovers for tulip head grovers, its looking sweet!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy1281734128 Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 id just upgrade the pick ups, and only if you're not happy with them. these guitars are great and look nice without any mods, only do mods if you're unhappy with the sound and then to look of the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figstrum Posted February 23, 2009 Author Share Posted February 23, 2009 I know there's got to be something posted regarding pickups in here somewhere. But, if I wanted to change the pups in my LP, which pups would be the best? Im not looking for that AC/DC SG sound with the 490 and 498s. Im thinking Busrtbuckers Pro. But, is the Epi Alnico V so much different than the actual Gib Burstbucker pro? Would this even be worth it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin kyle Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 my opinion on the standard is ALL things electrical pickups pots caps 3 way switch (i am a hard toggler so my cheapie wore out in zero time) and output jack.. then i went with tonepro's metric locking TOM bridge and tailpiece assembly. my pickups of choice were EMG ZW 81/85 set. and used a graph tech graphite nut, and put gibson grovers in the headstock(had to drill it out 1/16th to make them fit )(that was scary for me) all hardware was changed to gold to match the amber color and ditched the creame pickgard and pickup rings and toggle plate for black.(sets it off real nice) i spent 300 on the guitar used in 1998 it was a 1996 ltd ed translucent amber color. kept her stock until 2007 put nearly 350.00 in all the parts and installation. and it will run with any gibby now next is changing out the fretboard from rosewood to ebony. my guy who builds all my custom guitars has a nice piece left over from my polkadot flying V he built for me in 2007 and i will go with lp custom block inlays. then thats about it for changing everything there was to change. here is a picture of the guitar now the fretboard was only brought up because after 13years the glue on the orginal rosewood has deteriorated and begun to seperate from fret 0 (the nut) to about fret 4.. not much but i see it will be a problem soon. this guitar is used everyday as my main teaching guitar anywhere from 8 to 10 hrs per day. and i truely love it thats the only reason i have dumped this cash into it. i know it really wasnt worth it but i loved the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSDx Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I'd certainly play it a lot.. and then see what I didn't like for sure and start there................................. .................................depends on your ears amp speakers.. and what direction your playing is taking you.. And take your time. Your basic guitar is pretty good already. TWANG Good advice - I was pleasantly surprised at how much better my stock LP Std+ sounds plugged into my new (to me) Valve Jr, compared to the cheap 15w ss amp I'd been using - the volume and tone knobs seem to do "more" through tubes, for whatever reason. Playing a lot and taking your time is excellent advice, from my point of view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figstrum Posted February 23, 2009 Author Share Posted February 23, 2009 I am thinking going with burstbuckers. It seems that they would fit the bluesy, old "power chord" rock, and the little bit of Jazz I like to play. Now, is there a difference in sound between the open coil, and the soapbar type of pickups? I have a Honeyburst with the cream parts, I was thinking either getting the gold covered pickups, or the open coil zebras. Anyone care to put in their 2 cents? Maybe just to help out with the decision in which one to pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figstrum Posted February 24, 2009 Author Share Posted February 24, 2009 Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Seymour Duncan '59 coverless humbuckers with four conducter wire. Btw i also agree with the comments ''play it a lot'' and a ''good tube amp''. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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