G400 upgrades

[ashbosh]

hiya guys, got a new epiphone yesterday a G400 from GuitarGuitar in Newcastle (England). it's GORGEOUS! just what i wanted, and for a lefty, it's as much METAL as i can really get as a beginner. i want this guitar until the day i die to be as good as it can be. That being said, what aftermarket parts could you recommend i get to make it better? thanks alot!!

 

[brad1]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new axe!

 

I'd replace the plastic nut. Bone or synthetic(TUSQ). An inexpensive, but significant improvement.

 

The switch will ultimately need replacing. Unless you don't mind going thru the process of cleaning it regularly. You don't have to do it now it you don't want too. But sooner or later it will start giving you problems. Mine worked great for almost 2 years of constant playing. I'd heard others say that Epi switches were inferior, and thought I just got lucky. Nope, it eventually became a big problem.

 

I had new caps and new wiring installed on my G400. I also had the pups wired for independent control. I just like it that way. But that was just my preference.

 

Many like to get new pups. But my '06 G400 has pups that I like. They sound fine to me. But yours may sound different.

 

Good luck with the upgrades and let us know how it goes.

[animalfarm]

In reality, as it sits, the G-400 is good to go and a VERY

playable, decent guitar. Epi pups in it are the Bridge/HOTCH(G)13.8Kohms,

and the Neck/57CH(G)8.5Kohms. Yes, there are "higher quality" pickups out there,

but for now a good AMP will make the most noticable difference in tone.

 

Even a "mediocre" guitar can sound good in the hands of a skilled player, and

a G-400 is NOT mediocre. A fellow/former semi-pro player I sometimes jam with

showed up recently with his Line 6 amp and an...... Epi LP Special II????

A $169.00 Git? Once he started playing, all disbelief was gone. I even asked him

if he wanted to use one of my LPs, he said "Not needed". He was right.

 

Later on, after the "G.A.S." really hits you, you may start looking at upgrades for

either Cosmetic reasons, or because you have a set of KNOWN "Bad-@zz" pickups you wish to

install. I'll admit, being a former Gibby LP owner, I eventually upgraded my EPI LPs to

498T/490R pups and Gibson Deluxe Tulip Tuners, but I played the Epis for a year and a half

before making the change.

 

I did this because I LOVE Tulip Tuners, and the pups in the LP Studio really did have too much

bottom end/mud for my taste. I went ahead and did both as I had snagged 2 sets of Gibson pups

at $100 a SET vs $110 EACH, so what the heck?

 

As Brad mentioned, there are other changes (such as the nut) that can be made. I'm still

running all original parts with the exception of the pups and tuners, and I DID install

Sprague "Orange Drop" caps when I changed pups. So far, so good - no electronic probs.

 

What AMP are you currently using?

[ashbosh]

as i'm an uber beginner, i currently have a tiny little sqaure one, made by yamaha. model number GA-10 its a 10w thing. i hate it but i've had it in a cupboard since i moved in my house and it works so i've been using that. i think it was part of someone elses starter set many moons ago

 

what amps are cheap and good tone for metal, like metallica or opeth?

[brad1]

as i'm an uber beginner, i currently have a tiny little sqaure one, made by yamaha. model number GA-10 its a 10w thing. i hate it but i've had it in a cupboard since i moved in my house and it works so i've been using that. i think it was part of someone elses starter set many moons ago

 

what amps are cheap and good tone for metal, like metallica or opeth?

 

There are many good choices out there. I highly recommend you getting a new amp.

Here's 3 that I would look at if I were you:

Roland Cube 20X or 30X

Fender Super Champ XD

Vox Valvetronix VT30

[animalfarm]

Regarding a smaller, "starter amp", listen to the suggestions from some

of the other folks on this forum. I have a Marshall 15W Solid-State MG-15,

and a Fender Frontman 212 (100W).

The Marshall is OK, and I grabbed it still in the box for $45.00 locally.

But, the Marshall IS a bit lacking, so I, too, and on the hunt for a small,

but versatile "grab and Go" amp.

 

OR, play one of these?????

 

[audiomitch]

You might consider a modeling box instead of an amp. If you get a Line6 Pod or something, you'll get an idea of what works for you and what doesn't. They also make little practice amps if that fits better.

 

By the time you upgrade to a real amp, you'll know what direction you want to go.

[SyreCorp]

What I did to my G-400 was:

Replaced the nut with a bone one.

The tuners started leaking, so I got some Grover 18:1

Changed the switch, the pots, the caps - RS upgrade kit. Big improvement.

Chrome dome knobs.

Installed TonePros TOM, TonePros Stopbar studs and a lightweight Stopbar.

Installed Gibson 490R/496T pups.

Reinstalled the original pups - as they sound more balanced to my ears.

Replaced truss rod cover with an Epiphone trifork one.

Installed WCR Iron Man pups (A8 magnets).

 

Plays and sounds great. :-D

[buliwyf]

I have a Roland Cube 15 just for banging around the house.I love the 4 distortion settings it has built in,especially the Metal stack one has killer drive for a little amp and nly $99.00.I also use a Behringer vamp 2 but i don't think they make it anymore now it's the vamp3 still inexpensive around $129.99.Has lots of amp settings you can either use as a front for your amp or what i do when the wife is tired of all the guitar noise at serious loud levels is plug it into a set of head phones so no one else is disturbed and I can rock my *** off.Hey just my choices I'm sure everyone has their favorite and there is a lot of gear out there,HAVE FUN

[ashbosh]

Roland Cube 15 - is this a small amp?

 

how would i change the nut? do i need a luthier? do i need any special size nut? or should i get one off ebay? SG ludwig says its a good improvement, in tone? or tuning?

 

thanks alot guys all the help has been awesome!

 

love that photo too animalfarm haha i love zakk wylde

[JPO1959]

The only change I did to my G-400 was to put in a Gotoh bridge. Now, if you're thinking of having a new nut installed, have a pro do it. Don't do it on your own if you've never done it before. As far as a new amp is concerned, take a look at a Peavey Vyper. They're the best sounding Solid State Modeling amps out there today. Stay away from the Marshall MG series. Those are nothing but total crap IMO, which are made in India I believe and aren't really dependable at all. Line 6 sucks also.

[brad1]

The only change I did to my G-400 was to put in a Gotoh bridge. Now, if you're thinking of having a new nut installed, have a pro do it. Don't do it on your own if you've never done it before. As far as a new amp is concerned, take a look at a Peavey Vyper. They're the best sounding Solid State Modeling amps out there today. Stay away from the Marshall MG series. Those are nothing but total crap IMO, which are made in India I believe and aren't really dependable at all. Line 6 sucks also.

 

I have to disagree with you about not doing it if you've never done it before.

It's only OK to do something if you've done it before?

With that logic, how would one do anything?

 

You CAN do it. It's not that hard. The first time for me it took 2 or 3 nuts before I got it right.

But now, I've done it many times, and it is easy.

But I had to do it that first time.......

[ashbosh]

sorry for my ignorance, whats the difference between a gotoh bridge, and the one on my guitar? they look the same? cheers guys, sorry for noobness.

[KX36]

Gotoh's just a different brand, people associate different brands with different qualities and some people will say such and such a brand will sound better.

 

In reality, you can replace everything except the wood if you really wanted to, but you'll have to really get to know the guitar inside and out for yourself to decide what's lacking.

 

First thing's first is to replace the amp. Avoid Marshall MG series like the plague, they sound rubbish and they're more expensive than the alternatives just because of the brand which is meaningless on a solid-state. Roland Cube up to 30W, Vox VT up to 30W are great choices for practice amps, I have the older version of the Vox and it doesn't let me down, they're versatile enough for you to experience a wide range of sounds and decide what is you. A decent valve amp does one sound very well, but you have to be sure that its the sound for you, a standard solid state amp will do one mediocre sound and that's fine for a lot of people who get solid state Fenders, run them clean and use lots of transistor driven effects pedals, but I really would recommend getting a decent modelling amp such as the Vox or Roland first.

 

The first thing to do, after replacing your amp, is to get a good set up from a good tech to analyse the guitar and work out how it can be improved. You can do your own set ups and assess your own guitar with the right tools. Basic set up can be done with very basic tools; screwdrivers, allen keys and a precise steel rule. This is something you should know how to do as a pro will charge £30 or so to do it and it will need doing fairly regularly.

 

What I would recommend from my own Epiphone is to get a 2ft steel rule or a similar straight edge and straighten out the neck as much as you can and check if it's flat along the tops of the frets. Uneven frets are quite common and you may get a big benefit from a fret level. Fret leveling costs about £70 for a pro to do it and as long as the guy knows what he's doing, its well worth it. I did it myself. This is a good time to replace the nut as fret leveling often requires removal of the nut.

 

Once you've got the guitar set up well and you've got a good quality amp, play it and get to know it, know its flaws and decide what needs changing.

 

Nuts are cheap to replace and most people will say they make a big differnce to sound, they certainly can make a difference to tuning stability and playability if the stock one's not cut right, which mine wasn't. At under £10, why not. I got a Graphtech Tusq XL nut pre-slotted for Epiphone with shipping from the US for £7.25 on ebay. The slotting wasn't perfect but I knew how to sort that. It's only a matter of sanding it down to the right height and sanding off the excess at the sides and gluing it in, but a tech will do all that for you.

 

People often say the stock 57CH/HOTCH pickups sound quite suited to the G400's lighter body, replacing them probably makes more difference on a Les Paul.

 

There's no need to start changing switches and pots etc yet. If you don't like the feel of pots, or the switch breaks, or you don't like the sound of the caps, you can change them a few years down the line, but there's nothing wrong with stock epi stuff made in the last few years.

 

There's also no need to change hardware straight away; bridges, tailpieces and tuners. There's nothing too wrong with the stuff that comes stock on a recent G400. My Epi saddles are a bit loose, but no other complaints. Play for a long while before considering changing these things.

[DMC59]

I was going to start a new thread for my issue, but I think it is relevant here. I purchased my used Epi g400 in ebony in mid June from a GC in California & had it set up at a GC here in Minnesota. Made in China, 2007. It appeared to be in little-used condition. Well, tonight my pick up selector stopped working on rhythm and the middle setting. I opened up the back & saw nothing obvious, but then I am not a luthier either. Also, the tone knobs have never really worked to any significant degree. Now this is my 1st guitar and I was hoping for an affordable hobby once I found a guitar to learn with -- and I have been enjoying it. However, I find it rather odd (having read this forum often) that so many people RAVE about this guitar yet so many have had electronics issues or they replace the components they think just aren't good enough. Frankly, I am beginning to wonder if I would have been ahead to save my money for an upper end guitar -- new or used -- as opposed to buying an over seas product with inferior components. I bought a guitar to learn to play it, not become a guitar luthier. Any thoughts?

 

This is an edit - Today I found an experienced luthier who will replace the toggle switch for $30.00 or so while I wait. I think most of my concerns have been addressed in the proevious posts on this thread -- this is a great forum! Perhaps I have to accept that guitars in this price range need upgrading of electronics & switches over time.