Epiphone G-400 total upgrade

[Camazza]

Yeah, P-rails are really nice!

 

I was also considering the EMG 89.

They are dual mode humbuckers, they basically offer a fat humbucking tone and a strat-like single coil mode inside one pickup (for the single coil mode think the SA series, the ones GIlmour uses).

They're Alnico V, so not that ceramic metalhead rubbish EMG is too well known for. They sound nice, plus they come with prewired split shaft volume and tone pots, and output jack, and the install is solderless. Easy and clean upgrade! What do you guys think?

[Sjael]

Yeah' date=' P-rails are really nice!

 

I was also considering the EMG 89.

They are dual mode humbuckers, they basically offer a fat humbucking tone and a strat-like single coil mode inside one pickup (for the single coil mode think the SA series, the ones GIlmour uses).

They're Alnico V, so not that ceramic metalhead rubbish EMG is too well known for. They sound nice, plus they come with prewired split shaft volume and tone pots, and output jack, and the install is solderless. Easy and clean upgrade! What do you guys think?

Everyone here knows I loves me my EMGs, so I say go for it, providing you do the (simple) 18volt mod. The 89 is essentially a dual-mode 85, and the 85 is my favorite bridge pickup of all, along with the 60 in the neck. If you're interested I posted some sound samples here. Definitely not metal-only pickups.

 

The solderless kits are certainly a great boon, too.

[PeterP]

Old thread I came across :)

 

I believe and someone correct me if I am wrong.

The tuners on the EPI are "licensed by Grover" which is not the same as actual Grovers.

They are not bad though, seem to work just fine.

 

The tuners are Grover, so nothing to replace there. Everything else is perfect.

 

Disagree, I have a Squire by Fender Classic Vibe P-bass. I bought it over a Fender MiM P-bass, It played and sounded better when I checked them out at the shop.

It is one of two axes I have that I have had no desire to alter anything on, the other is a Fender American Deluxe Strat.

 

Only thing I have changed on my Epi SG g-400 is the input jack it is now a switchcraft, the rest of the guitar seems to be fine (for now :) ).

 

IMHO: The sound comes more from the player than the axe.

 

Do you think it is worth to upgrade that stuff, will it become a nice axe or just a lame souped up epi? I'm asking that because for example upgrading a Squier isn't worthwhile, because it'll always sound dull and empty....

[cjlandry]

Agreed! The pickups that are stock with the G-400 are:

Bridge - "HOTCH", 13.3Kohms, Alnico Classic Plus Humbucker (Also used in EPI LP Bridge).

Neck - "57CH", 8.1Kohms, Alnico Classic Humbucker, (Also used in LP Neck, DOT Neck and Bridge).

 

These ARE decent pickups, I've used many sets in project guitars. Don't forget your

AMP will also play into the overal TONE you get.

In the hands of a skilled player, the listener wouldn't know if the git had Gibby pups in

it, or copper wire wrapped around a pencil for pickups (exaggeration). Point is, you do not

have to automatically modify an EPI just because it's an EPI. Some sound quite GOOD from

the factory.

 

Try it out for a while, bet you're not disappointed. Since you now know the pickups

are the SAME as for an EPI Les Paul, watch/listen to this - will give you a chance to

hear the pickups. (I don't know of any G-400 comparison Videos)...

 

[YOUTUBE]

[/YOUTUBE]

 

I love the way that guy finishes his sentences with the guitar.

 

 

It's from 2005 or so, not older than that for sure. Pots seem to be decent but the switch is already failing. I was thinking about the pickups however, and i don't think i'll put humbuckers in there because I already have the Tele deluxe for that, and i'd like to have a second guitar with totally different sounds and purpose, so i decided to put Duncan Phat Cats in, which are humbucker-sized P90s single coils. I love the sound of the SG classic with p90 so it may be a good choice... anybody tried a phat cat before?

 

I have Phat Cats on my G-400, and I love 'em.

[davidloc]

Hello, I just bought an Epiphone G-400. It's a backup guitar, next to my '72 Tele Deluxe Reissue. It is beautiful, nice resonant body, great playability. I really think that, apart for the electronics, it really can be as good as the real SG. So, to make this beauty worth playing at gigs I decided to upgrade a few things, and i'd like a second opinion.

My idea was first of all to replace the pickups with some a Seymour Duncan Hot Rodded pickup set, SH-2N jazz humbucker (neck) and SH-4 JB (bridge). Then, I'd replace the jack and the pickup toggle switch with some Switchcraft stuff and the pots with CTS pots or similar. The tuners are Grover, so nothing to replace there. Everything else is perfect.

Do you think it is worth to upgrade that stuff, will it become a nice axe or just a lame souped up epi? I'm asking that because for example upgrading a Squier isn't worthwhile, because it'll always sound dull and empty....

 

The stock pups that come with the newer SG-400 are pretty good. If you did your due diligence and played the guitar before you bought it to check for electronic drop outs. uneven frets, twisted neck . etc. , then a complete srt up and swapping out the stock nut with a Tusq will do wonders. The nut that came with mine was absolute trash and stopped the guitar from staying in tune and the wound strings were too low. The neck relief took an over night effort as the needed change took a lot of settle in time for the wood between the changes. Now, I am really delighted with my purchase and have no intentions of further upgrades. I have to ESP metal rigs and a Fender Strat but wanted a stop tail just because they are much more versatile than a trem. I love the SG sound as well.

[JamGuy]

Just my 2 cents, but I always rewire import guitars from scratch... it might not help, but it certainly can't hurt, and as far as caps go, I'm sold on PIO caps... period people may say you can't tell the difference but since making the swap, I've convinced myself I can. As far as my G400 goes... it's one of the worn brown models, from 2010. I bought it off fleabay from a refurb place... it has a used stamp on the headstock but was really inexpensive, played awesome and actually sounded quite nice stock. I did a complete rewire, added CTS pots, Cornell Dublier PIO caps, Switchcraft jack and toggle, Kluson deluxe tuners, knob pointers, and a Duncan Sh-1 neck and Custom 5 for the bridge...love it, love it, love it! I'm guessing I'll never unscrew the control pate again... as far as being 'worth it", that's totally relative. It was an awesome playing/feeling guitar when I started and despite spending more on parts than I did on the guitar, it was very worth it for me... I've always loved the look of SG's and wanted a real one but at this pointI couldn't care less if it's not a real Gibby...the thing rocks and it's a real keeper. So, again, I say go for it...

 

I'd also like to get in on the little Squire side conversation... the new Classic vibe series is pretty nice, the 50's style tele is an amazing axe for $350... better than the $500 MIM standard in my opinion. It's all a matter of taste really. I shied away from Epi's for years...not thinking they were very good guitars. The newer ones I've played are AWESOME guitars, so I couldn't have been more wrong about that! They (Epi) are producing some really cool models and the quality seems much better than average. The old made in Japan Squires and Fenders from the 80's are also outstanding instruments... my MIJ P-bass is as nice as any P-Bass out there without a doubt. I'm a huge fan of my Cort Source as well... the fit and finish are perfect and it's my favorite feeling neck of all my guitars.

 

Before I get too far off track... I guess my point is, if you have a guitar that plays, feels, and sounds good, and it's something you're planning on holding on to,...there's no harm in decking it out w/ new electronics. It'll only make it better and more like the instrument you want it to be... here's the two I mentioned... the Cort Actually has the only Epi G400 pups in it now.

[tweed2]

OK, I just got the Korina back. Unlike some of you more talented people, I learned a while ago that although I may be good with wood, touching anything electronic usually spells disaster. So, I take my guitars to a tech, and let him do what he does, while I do what I do best, to pay him. Plus, we barter a little, which works well, too.

To start with, this was a brand new 2010 Korina G-400. Overall, I liked the look and feel of the guitar. But, after adjusting the pickups to get better tone out of them, I found that although the neck pickup was acceptable, the bridge wasnt. It was anemic. My goal was to replace both with either new or used PUs, preferably with chrome covers, for $120, or less. Several weeks of watching eBay yielded nothing in chrome covered, so I scratched that requirement. After consulting with a few friends, I decided on looking for a Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB for the bridge and a SH-1 59 (bridge wind) for the neck. I wanted something hotter at the neck, I have other guitars for mellower neck tones. An eBay seller had both pickups I was looking for, with a buy-it-now price and a make-an-offer option. I offered $120 (incl shipping for both) and he accepted.

After buying a new tweed case (what else) for travelling, the guitar went off to Mark, with instructions to replace the PUs, pots, switch and jack, and nut. Plus, go over the rest and fix anything that needed it. He ended up doing everything I asked, except, he felt that the stock pots were fine. Same with the tuners, after tightening them up a little. Heres what he did end up doing.

 

-Replace pickups with supplied SDs

-Level, reset (5 raised/loose), recrown and polish frets

-Replace switch and metric jack with Switchcraft

- New black phenolic nut (same material as Rickenbacker bass nuts)

-Check bridge and tailpiece studs for looseness

-Fine tune bridge saddle notches, flip 3 for better intonation travel

-New Ernie ball 10-46 strings

- tighten tuners

-Adjust truss rod

-Reset bridge height

-Set intonation

-Set pickup height

 

A total going over. Was it successful? Hell yes. I especially like the neck pickup choice. It sounded great plugged in to my old school AC4, and even better into my Champ/DeLuxe. Excellent sustain, very dialable breakup, yet articulate when backed off just a hair. Man, this thing sharls compared with the stock pickups. It fills the tone gap in my collection, which didnt have anything with HBs, and does it with an attitude. A very noticeable improvement over the stock configuration. Some day, when I semi-retire/retire, Ill learn to do this stuff myself. Mark does such good work, though, its money well spent. I havent picked up one of my other guitars since this one came back. The neck is fast and smooth, reminds me of my 66 Gibson SG.

 

[JamGuy]

Nice Looking guitar!

[Trewblue]

I've posted this before but thought..what the heck

The pickups are guitar fetish Dream 90's-humbucker size P90's. the bridge and stop bar are also from guitar fetish. No mods... everything dropped right in. The sound is brighter than the stock HB's. It's a really sweet Blues machine.

Good luck on your search.

[RaSTuS]

Glad that the mods worked out so well Pat, and that the pickups were what you were looking for, grats mate.

[tweed2]

Glad that the mods worked out so well Pat, and that the pickups were what you were looking for, grats mate.

Thanks for your input on the PUs. So many choices.

[Blueman335]

After consulting with a few friends, I decided on looking for a Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB for the bridge and a SH-1 ’59 (bridge wind) for the neck. I wanted something hotter at the neck, I have other guitars for mellower neck tones.

 

'59s are a great neck magnet in SG's.

 

JB's are famous for being picky about the wood they're in, with mahogany being particularly hit or miss (it can bring out some unpleasant characteristics). JB's were designed for a Tele of Jeff Beck's (bright wood) which is where they do best. In mahogany they can sound great or they can be 'atrocious', depends on the guitar and wood.

 

Since my guitars are all either mahogany, semi hollow, or fully hollow, JB's didn't work for me. But I put in an alnico 2 magnet (the warmest of the alnicos) and that took away the notorious 'ice pick' high-end spike they can have in warm woods. It also added mids. Much fuller, richer sound. So if you want something different at the bridge, consider a replacement magnet. Other mags used in JB's are UOA5 (like an A2 but a little brighter), A8 (pwoerful and rude), and A4 (like a tamer A8).

[RaSTuS]

JB's are famous for being picky about the wood they're in, with mahogany being particularly hit or miss (it can bring out some unpleasant characteristics). JB's were designed for a Tele of Jeff Beck's (bright wood) which is where they do best. In mahogany they can sound great or they can be 'atrocious', depends on the guitar and wood.

It's Korina.

[Blueman335]

It's Korina.

 

I don't know if it's really korina, or a mahogany-type wood with a korina stain. Either way, it's a warm-toned wood and JB's commonly have an issue with that. You should see the descriptions on the Duncan site over the last few years, of the sound of JB's in warm woods. Many disgruntled players out there. Definitely not an all-purpose PU like the markting would suggest, and because of that you see Duncan now using a much wider variety of PU's in factory guitars and it their advertising. JB's used to dominate everything Duncan did, but they've gotten a lot of negative feedback over the years. JB's are made for Fenders, and what they'll do in Gibson-design guitars isn't that predictable.

[matiac]

Do you think it is worth to upgrade that stuff, will it become a nice axe or just a lame souped up epi? I'm asking that because for example upgrading a Squier isn't worthwhile, because it'll always sound dull and empty....

 

Um...that's not an entirely accurate statement. I've owned 3 Squiers, and this current one is ANYTHING but dull sounding. Squiers, like Epiphones, are a cheap alternative for people who can't afford a Fender, and most times, they can be altered to where they're even better than a Fender just like an Epiphone can be altered.

 

Squiers ROCK!

[EvoRider]

Agreed! The pickups that are stock with the G-400 are:

Bridge - "HOTCH", 13.3Kohms, Alnico Classic Plus Humbucker (Also used in EPI LP Bridge).

Neck - "57CH", 8.1Kohms, Alnico Classic Humbucker, (Also used in LP Neck, DOT Neck and Bridge).

 

These ARE decent pickups, I've used many sets in project guitars. Don't forget your

AMP will also play into the overal TONE you get.

In the hands of a skilled player, the listener wouldn't know if the git had Gibby pups in

it, or copper wire wrapped around a pencil for pickups (exaggeration). Point is, you do not

have to automatically modify an EPI just because it's an EPI. Some sound quite GOOD from

the factory.

 

I know this is a older post but i was thinking about changing my Bridge pickup out on my G-400 and reinstalling a Angus Young signature pickup. I checked the ohm reading on mine and it read about 13 something also. wont that be hotter than a AY signature i read somewhere they are about 9. something.. will i just be wasting my time??? By the way i am trying to get as close to Angus Young's sound as i can. i am useing a Marshall Class5 combo

[mud guy]

I know this is a older post but i was thinking about changing my Bridge pickup out on my G-400 and reinstalling a Angus Young signature pickup. I checked the ohm reading on mine and it read about 13 something also. wont that be hotter than a AY signature i read somewhere they are about 9. something.. will i just be wasting my time??? By the way i am trying to get as close to Angus Young's sound as i can. i am useing a Marshall Class5 combo

 

Hey Lawnmowerman...you are on your way to Angus tones with the marshall class 5. I would try the lower output signature pickup if you have it...if you listen close to angus tones, he is not super distorted, there is still a lot of clear note definition in his sound. I think it is as much in his fingers as in his hardware. I replaced the stock epi humbucker in my g400 with a better quality, lower output model and the sound became a lot less harsh.

[atj13]

Hello, I just bought an Epiphone G-400. It's a backup guitar, next to my '72 Tele Deluxe Reissue. It is beautiful, nice resonant body, great playability. I really think that, apart for the electronics, it really can be as good as the real SG. So, to make this beauty worth playing at gigs I decided to upgrade a few things, and i'd like a second opinion.

My idea was first of all to replace the pickups with some a Seymour Duncan Hot Rodded pickup set, SH-2N jazz humbucker (neck) and SH-4 JB (bridge). Then, I'd replace the jack and the pickup toggle switch with some Switchcraft stuff and the pots with CTS pots or similar. The tuners are Grover, so nothing to replace there. Everything else is perfect.

Do you think it is worth to upgrade that stuff, will it become a nice axe or just a lame souped up epi? I'm asking that because for example upgrading a Squier isn't worthwhile, because it'll always sound dull and empty....

Hi there, my son has the same guitar and I have bought the same pickups to install along with a new wiring/switch/pots etc plus push pull pots for coil splitting. He doesn't know about this yet it is a Christmas surprise gift so I really hope it is worth the money and effort. It should be from all accounts I have read on line, the SD pickups come very highly recommended.

[SGgypsyboy]

I've posted this before but thought..what the heck

The pickups are guitar fetish Dream 90's-humbucker size P90's. the bridge and stop bar are also from guitar fetish. No mods... everything dropped right in. The sound is brighter than the stock HB's. It's a really sweet Blues machine.

Good luck on your search.

 

I have one like yours, on the left: I put on high grade Gotoh Sealed Keystone tuning machines and will be putting on a Gotoh bridge and tailpiece soon. Pickup swap remains to be determined.Definitely the nicest playing and built G400 of the 3 I've owned and has a two piece body with NO front and back veneer, the same as yours.