Syn_13 Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Hi all, new here and wanted to see if I could get some advice regarding my next guitar purchase! So after months of deliberation I've decided that I want to get a Les Paul. I've pretty much made up my mind on wanting to get an Ultra III purely down to the satin neck. It's an absolute dream to play but I haven't come across another Epiphone Les Paul in the shops where I live that do a satin neck like that. I can take or leave the other features like plugging it into a PC and the tuner, although I did like the nanomag when trying it out. But for the price I'm not sure if it's better to go with something else. I was wondering if that satin neck was just available on the Ultra III and if it is, is it something that you can easily replicate on any other Les Pauls? I'm keen on a couple of other LPs, such as the Custom in Alpine White and the Tribute Plus but that neck really is irresistable to me. Any input on this would be much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeTar Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Hi all, new here and wanted to see if I could get some advice regarding my next guitar purchase! So after months of deliberation I've decided that I want to get a Les Paul. I've pretty much made up my mind on wanting to get an Ultra III purely down to the satin neck. It's an absolute dream to play but I haven't come across another Epiphone Les Paul in the shops where I live that do a satin neck like that. I can take or leave the other features like plugging it into a PC and the tuner, although I did like the nanomag when trying it out. But for the price I'm not sure if it's better to go with something else. I was wondering if that satin neck was just available on the Ultra III and if it is, is it something that you can easily replicate on any other Les Pauls? I'm keen on a couple of other LPs, such as the Custom in Alpine White and the Tribute Plus but that neck really is irresistable to me. Any input on this would be much appreciated! I believe the ultra pro has the same satin neck without all the nanomag usb stuff - http://www.epiphone.com/Products/Les-Paul/Les-Paul-Ultra-PRO.aspx i have read of people making a satin neck with very fine sandpaper - a little search and you should find some examples here or over on mylespaul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Wire wool rather than sandpaper/glasspaper. Use tape to mask off nearby surfaces and get a neat join between satin and gloss areas. Rub gently with wire wool rubbing one direction only (up/down rather than sideways or circular movements). Take your time and there's no risk of going through to the wood - it takes ages to rub all that hard poly off. In 30 mins you will have taken the gloss off and you'll have a matt satin finish. Bear in mind not everyone likes it, so it might reduce resale value if you sell it later on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 A Scotchbrite pad is your friend for making the neck really silky and no risk of metal dust on your pickups either. I've doen this on all my guitars and it works beautifully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disaster Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 The prophecy LPs also have the satin finish slim taper "D" shape neck. It is superb. I shopped SGs and landed on the G-400 gloss slim taper "D" neck. I tried the Prophecy SG w/ the satin neck but didn't like the sound & some of the details so ended up w/ the G-400. I originally thought I got an inferior neck and intended to refinish it in satin. But after playing it for a few days I realized how really fast this neck is EVEN in gloss. Wowsers! I also have a china-caster w/ a satin finish slim "C" shape maple neck. It's exceptionally fast and every bit as thin as the SG. But the gloss is actually a little faster than the satin. I bought the Gibson guitar polish at the recommendataion of Gibson's help line in order to keep the gloss neck smooth and fast as new. It does a GREAT job. The satin china-caster can't keep it's silkyness like the gloss. I think the problem is that the satin is a water base and it wears off more easily than the gloss. In time I'll refinish the satin neck to get it back to new. I think it will be a little faster than the gloss SG neck for a little while afterwards but in time it will wear and the gloss will be faster again. I don't know what LPs have the gloss slim taper "D" shape neck but the guys at Epi can direct you. Call or e-mail them and let them know what you're shopping for. They'll point you in the right direction. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syn_13 Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 Thanks for the replies so far. I've had the fortune of trying a few more Epi LPs in the past couple of days and although I do love the satin neck I'll be getting a Tribute Plus. The USA 57 pups are fantastic and it looks/feels like a really well made guitar. I'll probably give the Scotchbrite trick that's been recommended a go to sand down the neck for a smoother finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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