HNOSGD - Archtop Content

[driver8]

I just picked up a literally "like new" Samick Joe Pass off the 'bay - these are really nice guitars! It shipped Wed. and I couldn't believe it when I heard UPS dropping it off this AM - with the x-mas season I didn't think it would probably be here till next week.

 

It's in mint condish, not a scratch, dent or ding to be found - I don't think the guy ever really even played it. He said it was his father's, and that his dad had a lot of other guitars so it basically just sat unused in its case for years. So I'm going to call it "New Old Stock." ;-) I'm just getting some pics uploaded now, and I think you can see from a couple of them that the foam insert thing is even still under the bridge!

 

 

 

 

 

one with the Zephyr Regent in my little jazz practice corner:

 

 

A darker one I took earlier:

 

 

It lost the black plastic selector switch cap, but that is obviously no big deal to replace. One thing that surprised me is that the strings are buzzier than I expected (expected none :D). Seems to be coming from the bridge, but that's mostly all wood, so I guess it's the tailpiece? It buzzes most playing near the headstock, but it's definitely not the frets. I'm going to overhaul it a little, so maybe some new strings and tweaking the setup will help. I thought taking the foam out would fix most of it, but it didn't seem to.

 

It's hard to tell from the pic, but the Zephyr is about 1 1/2 times wider in depth (deeper?) than the JP. I can try to get more pics of that later if anyone is interested in a comparison. The Zephyr also has a much more acoustic sound than the JP - it's almost like an acoustic, in fact, while the JP is more percussive. But that's what I was after, so it's all good.

 

The ironic thing is I was thinking of selling the Zephyr a while ago, but then I put some pure nickel strings on it and it got overall way cooler sounding and I really started liking it a lot more. Just from strings, it was crazy how much difference it made. I planned to change the p/u, but now I don't think I need to. I'll probably change the JP pups, because they have a lot less clean headroom than I expected - about half the headroom of the Zephyr. But the two guitars complement each other perfectly, so I guess I'm keeping both.

 

Love these epis - what amazing value! I got the JP for $395 shipped with the case, and it's virtually new. Love it! If you've been thinking about getting one of these, check the 'bay! They seem to be going for good prices lately, even for the Korean models. They're definitely worth it.

[RaSTuS]

Stunning looking guitar driver8 and a IMHO a bargain at the price you paid, HNGD to you.

[brianh]

Very nice driver, I love the little flourish they put at the end of the fretboard on those JPs.

 

Kind reminds me of an L5.

 

Are you in the keep or get rid of the Joe Pass sig camp?

[driver8]

Very nice driver, I love the little flourish they put at the end of the fretboard on those JPs.

 

Kind reminds me of an L5.

 

Are you in the keep or get rid of the Joe Pas sig camp?

 

Ha! thanks, I love that detail, too.

 

If you mean keep or get rid of the "Joe Pass" on the pickguard, I'm in the "get that off of there as soon as I can figure out how to do it cleanly" camp. I wouldn't mind getting rid of the E, too. The "E" that was on the Zephyr PG was a raised emblem/sticker kind of thing (you'll notice that's gone), and when it fell off after the first week I decided it looked better and I just left it off. So I think I'm taking it off the JP, too. The sig is the main offender, though - it's very cheesy bling imho. Gots to go. :D

[Tuiblue]

HNGD!

 

Sometimes that buzzing is the strings inside the tailpiece aren't completely settled. Could be that since that foam was never removed, nor played very much, the strings may be original as well, and they are loose when shipped, you see where I'm going here...

 

 

As a fellow owner of a Zephyr Regent, I would say hang onto it. If Epiphone never starts making them again, these will go up in value over time. They really aren't just a simple ES-175 copy with one pup as so many think.

[driver8]

HNGD!

 

Sometimes that buzzing is the strings inside the tailpiece aren't completely settled. Could be that since that foam was never removed, nor played very much, the strings may be original as well, and they are loose when shipped, you see where I'm going here...

 

 

As a fellow owner of a Zephyr Regent, I would say hang onto it. If Epiphone never starts making them again, these will go up in value over time. They really aren't just a simple ES-175 copy with one pup as so many think.

 

Thanks, Tuiblue. You're so right, the Zephyr Regent is really a unique guitar with a sound all its own. Once I put on the EPN21 strings it just kind of came into its own. Flatwounds were too dull, and regular wounds were too bright and acoustic sounding. The nickels really suit the guitar perfectly. And it can only get better with a pickup and electronics upgrade down the road. I'm definitely keeping it.

 

I think I'm going to put some D'addario chromes on the JP, reset the action a little, etc. Maybe that will fix the buzzing, or at least give me a better idea of what's causing it. Maybe some of it is fret action, I haven't had time to really check, tbh. It's not really that bad, but unplugged it can be really noticeable when it does happen.

[Tuiblue]

I use D'Addario Chrome flats 13-56 on mine, It nevers sounds flat to me, maybe you need to raise the pup a little, bring it up closer to the strings...

 

Just a thought.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOQ4rbPOhNU

[brianh]

The sig is the main offender, though - it's very cheesy bling imho. Gots to go. :D

Try some Naptha and a soft cloth. You can get it cheap at Home Depot or Lowes. It should take off the sig and E without damaging the pickguard or finish.

 

You may want to remove the pickguard first, just to be on the safe side. If Naptha doesn't work, try Goo Gone (regular, not the Xtreme version which contains acetone). Next step would be paint thinner, and you definitely don't want that anywhere near the guitar.

[RaSTuS]

If you mean keep or get rid of the "Joe Pass" on the pickguard, I'm in the "get that off of there as soon as I can figure out how to do it cleanly" camp. I wouldn't mind getting rid of the E, too. The "E" that was on the Zephyr PG was a raised emblem/sticker kind of thing (you'll notice that's gone), and when it fell off after the first week I decided it looked better and I just left it off. So I think I'm taking it off the JP, too. The sig is the main offender, though - it's very cheesy bling imho. Gots to go. :D

Just swap out the PG and keep the original stored away, if you ever decide to sell it, you will get more money the closer it is to original condition.

[driver8]

I use D'Addario Chrome flats 13-56 on mine, It nevers sounds flat to me, maybe you need to raise the pup a little, bring it up closer to the strings...

 

Just a thought.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOQ4rbPOhNU

 

Sounds pretty nice! For me doing a lot of single note lines, I found that some of the lower and mid strings especially didn't have enough resonance with the flatwounds. They seemed to be fighting against the guitar's natural tendency to want to vibrate and project acoustically. I was using the chrome .011s, though (ECG24 I think it is, 11-50) so maybe the fatter strings you have on is what makes the difference. Those are some pretty fat strings! Pickup height seemed fine. I'm very happy now with the nickels, though. So I guess whatever works for each person is the best solution.

 

I like the look without the pickgard, too. Speaking of which, I could try taking off the sig with the naptha, but I like to avoid using harsh chemicals like that if at all possible, not only because of environmental concerns, but those petroleum based products actually tend to make me feel a little sick, headachey, etc. Can't stand the smell - does it linger after you're finished, or does it evaporate pretty fast? Replacing the PG sounds like a good idea - any pointers as to where to get one that will fit? I'd like to keep the translucent tortoise shell look if possible, but I don't really see a lot of replacement options out there, just mainly les paul guards.

[Tuiblue]

Driver-

 

I'm just guessing here, but the general consensus is those "e" logos simply fall off in time, and then clean the glue residue off with something simple like nail polish remover.

 

Should work ok.

 

If yours is tight, or only loose on one side, you could accelerate the process a little by soaking the pickguard in hot water, then freezing it, several times to break up the glue joint. The formation of ice under the logo should do the trick.

[driver8]

Driver-

 

I'm just guessing here, but the general consensus is those "e" logos simply fall off in time, and then clean the glue residue off with something simple like nail polish remover.

 

Should work ok.

 

If yours is tight, or only loose on one side, you could accelerate the process a little by soaking the pickguard in hot water, then freezing it, several times to break up the glue joint. The formation of ice under the logo should do the trick.

 

No, the one on the JP is silkscreened on like the logo. Some kind of solvent definitely would be needed to remove it.

[Tuiblue]

Oh Yes, that logo, my bad.

 

Well nail polish remover may still do the trick. Naptha does evaporate pretty fast. Just wash the PG after the name is removed.

[Aubergine]

If you mean keep or get rid of the "Joe Pass" on the pickguard, I'm in the "get that off of there as soon as I can figure out how to do it cleanly" camp. I wouldn't mind getting rid of the E, too. The "E" that was on the Zephyr PG was a raised emblem/sticker kind of thing (you'll notice that's gone), and when it fell off after the first week I decided it looked better and I just left it off. So I think I'm taking it off the JP, too. The sig is the main offender, though - it's very cheesy bling imho. Gots to go. :D

I have a JP and I just took off the guard entirely. I couldn't see much need for a pickguard on that guitar anyway - the strings are so high off the deck that I never come close to marking the finish. It looks very good naked, too!

[brianh]

Of all the solutions above, I like Rastus' suggestion to get an aftermarket replacement and save the old for resale purposes.

 

I've been unimpressed with the cheesy fake tortoise shell that Epi puts on it's semis and hollows, they need to be removed or swapped out anyway.

 

I'd still try naptha or paint thinner before nail polish remover. NPR will melt plastic...

 

But I have a respirator and an exhaust fan in my basement shop, so the fumes don't bother me.

[driver8]

Of al the solutions above, I like Rastus' suggestion to get an aftermarket replacemnent and save the old for resale purposes.

 

I've been unimpressed with the cheesy fake tortoise shell that Epi puts on it's semis and hollows, they need to be removed or swapped out anyway.

 

I'd still try naptha or paint thinner before nail polish remover. NPR will melt plastic...

 

But I have a respirator and an exhaust fan in my basement shop, so the fumes don't bother me.

 

This guy looks like it would fit, although the middle part looks too short. what do you think?

 

http://www.allparts.com/Tortoise-ES-335-Pickguard-p/pg-0818-043.htm

[brianh]

This guy looks like it would fit, although the middle part looks too short. what do you think?

 

http://www.allparts....pg-0818-043.htm

Driver, that's for an ES-335, and I'd be skeptical of anything that wasn't specifically for a JP Emperor.

 

These guys have one that they say is specifically for JPs: http://pickguards.us/priceothergibson.html

 

Also - forum member TWANG makes custom pickguards, you can alway PM him if you want something special.

[driver8]

Driver, that's for an ES-335, and I'd be skeptical of anything that wasn't specifically for a JP Emperor.

 

These guys have one that they say is specifically for JPs: http://pickguards.us/priceothergibson.html

 

Also - forum member TWANG makes custom pickguards, you can alway PM him if you want something special.

 

Yeah, I was just looking at that site. $45 for the tortoise and it looks like they need a tracing. How much different can it be from the non Korean, though?

 

Seems like I might lose less on resale with a sig-less PG than the $45 it would cost me for a replacement. The naptha option is looking better and better. :D

[brianh]

When it comes to guitars, Asian vs. US versions can be significantly different. $45 seems like a lot though, how about a "Group B" - Black-White-Black for $22?

 

That would look quite nice IMHO.

[driver8]

When it comes to guitars, Asian vs. US versions can be significantly different. $45 seems like a lot though, how about a "Group B" - Black-White-Black for $22?

 

That would look quite nice IMHO.

 

yeah, that might be cool. thanks for the ideas.

[driver8]

Did some quick photoshopping, and I think they both look pretty cool. Maybe a slight preference for the tort, but I really could go either way. One thing's for sure - definitely a million times better without the sig! Imho, of course. :D

 

In case anyone else is interested:

 

[RaSTuS]

Did some quick photoshopping, and I think they both look pretty cool. Maybe a slight preference for the tort, but I really could go either way. One thing's for sure - definitely a million times better without the sig! Imho, of course. :D

I dunno, I think the black one looks the part, pearloid PGs (including tortise) look best against solid coloured gits rather than bursts IMHO.

[brianh]

I like the black, it looks more like a traditional Gibby jazzbox.