Epiphone Sheraton - mods.

[Mark Lysaght]

I've had a Sheraton for a few years now, it's a 1998 model made in Korea (by Samick). It has the "tobacco sunburst" type of finish where the body looks dark brown, surrounded by black. The truss rod cover says "GIBSON" instead of the Epiphone symbol on more recent models.

 

I haven't changed a thing on it, toyed with the idea of changing the pickups but was told this is a major operation on a 335-style guitar. I have a couple of spare Seymour Duncan pickups lying around but I'm afraid they would change the whole character of the guitar.

 

I actually LIKE the sound, and the neck plays like a dream. So why should I change anything?

 

I've got a number of other "name" electric guitars (Strat, Les Paul, SG) and the Sheraton holds its own in this company! Obviously it's not a real 335 but it's a fine instrument.

 

Still, would welcome views of anyone who owns a Sheraton of similar vintage (i.e not one of the newer wave made after 2005).

 

Cheers

Mark

[chewy1281734128]

you answered your own question. you like the way it sounds, and we all know how good they look. leave it be!

 

im switching the pups on mine, just for a bit more clarity (gibson 57 in the neck, sd 59 in the bridge. they've just come in the post, should be in the guitar by friday.

 

it isnt a major opperation, it just takes longer. my guitar man charges for time, and its double what an LP or an SG costs.

 

dont mess with the guitar if you like the way it sounds, and your finish, the tobacco sunburst, with the gibson TR cover, sounds great! enjoy.

[charlie brown]

I tend to agree with Chewy...if you LOVE the way it sounds, leave it alone. However, if you decide you really might want to

change pickups, see if you can find someone that's done that, and preferably with the same pickups you want to use, and

have a listen to theirs, before you do yours. I guess it's kind of a "Do I love my guitar sound, because I don't know any

better, or is it because I really LOVE the sound of it, as is?!" You know? I know people, in my area, that do the mod thing,

quite a bit, only to later go back (sometimes), to the original setup, because the mod either didn't make that much difference, or spoiled what they did like about it, in the first place.

"Different" isn't always better...it's just "different." LOL.

 

CB

[caulkhead]

Tinkerers like to tinker - it's just their nature, there might not be anything specificly wrong with a guitar that they tinker with, they just wonder what it might sound like with different pick-ups or a bigsby or a roller bridge. Their tinkering brings them pleasure and teaches them valuable skills, and as long as they don't bust a guitar, it's all positive.

 

If you're not a tinkerer by nature and you already like the sound and fit of your guitar, just leave it be. Don't be sucked into modding by any sense of peer pressure that your epiphone might not be as good as the other guys because it's straight out of the factory. If you're happy just play the hell out of it, that's what it was designed for.

 

I've modded my Sheraton, but not because I'm a tinkerer, it's beacuse it had tonal and tuning issues that I just couldn't put up with. It was a case of fix it or sell it on and I liked it far too much to part with it.

 

In short, if you are lucky enough not to be infected with the tinkering disease, you like the sound and fit of the guitar and your not anal about tone (like me!!) then leave well alone and get on with enjoying your music!

 

ATB

 

Dave

[TWANG]

It doesn't matter what year it is. What you like is what you like.

 

So two questions. what don't you like and can anything be made better.

 

For me, the first thing I'd say is I got along with my stock tuners for years.. and then was really pleased to upgrade.

So.. cosmetically.. grover gold imperials on a sheri are the bomb.. and 18:1 rotomatic gears are the bomb for performance.

 

Some of the sheris had rather low quality bridges.. but even if yours seems to be a better metal, consider graph tech saddles.

Not very expensive, and fewer tuning/bending problems.

 

neat look, too.. black saddles.

 

pots and caps.. I believe there's a definate betterness to be had here in several ways. So improvements to the electronics are

very nice.

 

straplocks, which I always suggest.

 

by the way, the little pads that go under straplocks.. near the body.. very nice little things to add beneath pickguard screw at the neck.

 

another little custom thing I like to do is get the old felt pads for the pots.. goes under the knob.. keeps dirt out of the pot.

 

and take a look at your nut.. plastic? you're gonna do better with bone or tusq.

 

 

 

TWANG