Epiphone LP100 set up

This video shows the set up of Dom's lovely old (1980s?) Epiphone LP100 in 'heritage cherry' finish. This guitar arrived with problems holding tune on the G string in particular, with a high-ish action and some uneven frets preventing a lower, faster action being set. It also had some loose bits and everything was tired and in need of a good clean.
My first step was to do a test to see just how much residual slack was still in the strings - despite them being pretty old (probably a year or more). The answer is LOADS - and the guitar de-tuned significantly over the three times I stretched them before settling down. This was undoubtedly a contributor to the tuning instability regardless of whatever else I found wrong.
I then set my desired action (1.5mm at the last fret), set the neck relief and reduced the nut slots to give 0.3mm 1st fret action over all the strings. That done, I set about levelling the frets with my 'Banana' method.
I cleaned and polished all the components, fixed the loose strap screw and gave the electrics a shot of air and contact cleaner. I also strengthened up the loose jack plug socket.
The result is an awesome-sounding guitar in the best colour combination out there. I immediately fell in love with this simple, unpretentious bolted-neck LP copy and saw another one on eBay the same day. Unfortunately the seller wouldn't post it so I had to pass it by, but I've been smitten.

[@rupertradar7424]

Thanks for doing these videos Sam. Over the years I have WASTED hundreds of dollars for "experts in shops" to set up, tweek, or diagnose playing problems only to end up having to learn to do it myself to actually fix the problems. I now very rarely take it in to anywhere. I actually really enjoy doing it now. The most common "expert" remedy was "I'll just jack up the string action! for you!!" arggghhhhh!

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

You're welcome :-) Yes, that 'hey let's fix it by raising the action' ploy. Quick and easy for the tech, lousy for you.

[@ApexHotShot]

Hi Sam. Thanks for the detailed video. I have a new Epi LP 100 - a beginner guitar player - but I found this very interesting. The "tech" side of guitars is a fascinating subject for me. Your skills as a luthier are apparent.

[@sircampos94]

much appreciation for the les paul quartz retro agliment

[@dcamnc1]

I file my tuneomatic slots to match the fretboard radius with nut slotting files. Works great.

[@gavel44]

I just bought one as my first guitar and I want to learn as much as possible. You are never too old to learn!

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

Way to go! Hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoyed this one (even though it was only for a couple of hours). Fun, simple and classic looking guitar.

[@gavel44]

Sam Deeks thank you! Which are the best strings? I have had it a few months and doing pretty good. I want to learn not just to play, but how to adjust and put on my own strings

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

It's a personal choice Rhonda. I personally use UK-made Rotosound strings (mainly because they're good AND because they provide an extra high E in every pack - useful when you stretch out the strings as strenuously as I do). The LP is a 24.75" scale which means that 0.009 gauge strings will feel lighter on that guitar than they will on a longer scale length (like a strat at 25.5"). A lot of people like 0.010s on Les Paul guitars and 0.009s on strats but it's worth trying to find your own preference. The heavier the gauge string the more strength you'll need to bend notes but many successful 'mainly rhythm' guitar players (like the late Rick Parfitt of Status Quo) use 12s or 13s!

[@gavel44]

Sam Deeks the Roto Yellows?

[@evmanbutts]

My 2014 LP100 came with pretty terrible action. After fixing it by adjusting the bridge height, then setting the intonation it sounds much better & feels better to play!

[@adriyanmusic]

great job mister !!! thank you for your video

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

THanks, you're welcome!

[@catzdollz9810]

I just purchased this exact same guitar at the Goodwill store!!!

[@krustybuzzard2477]

I do have a bad tuner on my 63 fender the low e string loosens up and its very easy to turn.I wish I could tighten it a little.

[@wickedgit]

really like the epiphone guitars,i own one black lp studio,one black lp custom and one SG,all my guitars came with grover tuners with are little bit better than those original tuners. its very interesting to watch you setting up guitars. that guitar do need a new set of strings!:)

[@revolutionday1]

The 2nd 2 digits in the serial # on this guitar will equate to the last 2 of the production year (example: "U97XXXXXX" would be Unsung, Korea produced, 1997). Looks like my '97, as it's got the vertical "GIBSON" on the truss rod cover. I have modified just about every part on mine since buying it new.. My G string was also bullshit, until I put some Grover tuners on and replaced the nut with a solid graphite piece.

[@markgreenwell5830]

very good job

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

Thanks Mark!

[@MidiHippi]

Hi Sam! I noticed in your video a drill press. Would that model be able to fit a gibson/fender body in it appropriately to drill out for a bridge? I am thinking of making a partscaster/lespaulenstien for fun.

[@ImprEcr]

I have one also. It's black. Does yours have separate knobs? My does, it has treble and Bass knobs. .. it's from 2000 year.

[@stevehogan8829]

Hey Sam, very much enjoying your videos. Just subscribed last night. Have you considered using a lapel mic? I'm having some problems hearing you. Of course I'm old and deaf but thought I'd ask.

[@Megzamani]

I bought a 100 Sunday sold it Monday. lost twenty dollars on it but I feel good as I bought it from a family that needed groceries.

[@RandyBurnettTalks]

I wish I had U in my neighborhood :)

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

Hi Randy - thanks, appreciate your comment. I wish I could work everywhere at once :-)

[@everyday80sdude86]

I am going to buying one of these Epiphone Les Paul 100 in a Left-handed version and it is in very good used condition. What would some nice replacement pickups be for this? Or are the original pickups good enough? I play Rock, Classic Rock, Blues, R&B and Country. Thanks

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

R&B and Country? Humbuckers don't provide that sort of tone really. Here's an idea... how about a matched set of Seymour Duncan SHPR-1s and a bit of extra switching..? Each pickup is a P90 plus a single coil rail so you can have: P90, single coil and (with both on) humbucker... Two of those gives you a massive range of possibilities from 2 x P90 to bridge HB & neck single or two singles or....

[@everyday80sdude86]

I'm a new by so your advice helps. Thanks!

[@mattm9759]

Hi Sam, you recall wher you got the trussrod you use? I couldn't find the same one online and ended up buying the same one with blue coating on rod shown in your video. Thanks

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

Matt - mine came out of broken Squier strat neck. the blue coating is standard; you just cut it off. So long as it's a 'bar and rod' construction it should work. If you find 46cm too bendy for your liking, maybe try a shorter one - I tend to use 42cm (I think that's the length!)

[@ApexHotShot]

Hi again. Sam. I have a follow up question / comment. On my LP 100 the tune-o-matic screws are on the neck side of the bridge. On the one you worked, they are on the tailpiece side of the bridge. While you were adjusting the intonation for the G. B and high E strings - you said you were about to run out of adjustment and may have to turn the bridge around (luckily, you did nor), So, can you provide a bit of explanation for this? 1. Why would the tune-o-matics be oriented differently and 2. when would one consider rotating them (if that is what you meant)? cheers!

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

Bryan Thomas hi Bryan - what I meant was turning round some (usually 3) of he individual saddles in the bridge rather than the bridge itself. You'll see that 3 of your saddles have the 'wedge' or block slanting one way and on the other 3 the blocks slant the other way. Whichever way they currently face the point is that *if* for example the bulk of the block is between the apex of the saddle and the nut then that block will stop you moving the apex of the saddle further towards the nut (assuming you're trying to shorten the string). The same applies the other way round: if you're trying to length the string but the body of the saddle block is between the saddle apex and the tail piece then it may stop you moving the saddle apex back as far as you need to reach intonation. Sometimes, when you run out of intonation travel it's possible to reverse the way the block sits on the screw effectively putting the body of the block to the opposite side and thereby reclaiming close to 3mm of saddle travel. It sounds way more complex trying to write it than actually doing it lol. You may only have to switch the block orientation on one or two saddles and you can do this without disturbing all the others. One other thing: it really makes no difference which direction the screws on your tune-o-matic bridge face. I orient them according to whichever side gives me easiest access with a screwdriver for intonation.

[@ApexHotShot]

Sam, Thank you for the explanation. I understand the technique now and when to consider it. I very much appreciate your willingness to share these insights with all of us. Cheers!

[@Randscorporation]

Do you know if a fender style neck would fit on my lp100? I know it would probably be cheaper and easier to just get a baritone, but I like how my epiphone sounds and would like to try putting a baritone neck on it.

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

It's not going to fit the neck pocket for starters... and my mind reels at the thought of what scale you'd end up with - and of course, the frets on your neck would be completely wrong for the resultant scale length. A baritone neck has frets spaced wider apart than a Fender style because it's designed for a longer overall scale length.

[@Randscorporation]

Sam Deeks thanks for the response! I assumed the neck pocket would be incorrect but didn’t anticipate the rest of the issues. I’d probably be better off building my own partscaster

[@1961jscofield]

A question Sam: I recently acquired an old beater and am able to drop the action to 1.58 on the fat E, 1.4 on the thin E. If it were your personal guitar and you really didn't feel like wearing down the frets with leveling for now, would you live with that? it feels comfortable to play with no audible zinging, plugged in. Thanks! I feel this thing is maybe 2 levelings away from needing fret replacement.

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

Hi Jim, that's not bad. I always say 'it's a judgment call' and yours is a good example of that. You're in the zone of 'managing your fret life' so yep, enjoy it until you're ready to re-fret it.

[@1961jscofield]

Thanks!

[@1961jscofield]

The Jackson on the left is the guitar in question. I thought I'd gotten it "recently," but in hindsight, it's been over a year, lol! It's my most "recent" acquisition and I love her dearly with the new pickups! i.imgur.com/COsr068.jpg Yes, my phone camera SUCKS!

[@j.d.schultzsr.9215]

Sam, THANK YOU! You are, without a doubt, the best setup man I have ever seen. I have been playing for over 50 years, but first learned REAL setup 7-8 years ago from several books and many videos. Did you figure out your "dynamic" fret management technique, or are you emulating another luthier? I intend to apply your method to my Danelectro, as well as to my Alvarez classical, (neither of which HAVE truss rods) as well as to all my other guitars. I no longer fear working frets, nuts or setup of my friends guitars. You have contributed immeasurably to my pleasure in making guitars more playable. Again, thank you. --JD Schultz, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

Hi JD - thanks for your comment, I'm pleased that you found my stuff useful. I learned the 'dynamic' technique (levelling with the strings on and neck curved) by buying and using a tool called the 'Katana'. Sadly the maker / seller of that tool got on my case so much I was unable to continue using it. Since I still wanted to level frets that way I had no choice but to improvised my own version of the tool using a basic truss rod & some self-adhesive sandpaper. I appreciate your comments, you're most welcome and thanks for taking the time to post.

[@juanerrodas139]

Let me hear a 1 4 5 buddy. Good work. Are you self taut or schooled? Good luthiers are hard to come by.

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

Hi Juan - self taught by reading, watching, experimenting and evaluating. KZbin is great but I don't accept anything anyone says unless there's strong evidence supporting it.

[@TheHutchMusic]

Hi Sam... what width is the truss rod side with the abrasive paper on? I think I asked before what's the best way to stick on the paper? I fancy having a go at this fret levelling with an old guitar. I just looked at Thomann for truss rods and couldn't find many. One was 6mm x 9mm. Is the 9mm the flat side. Or maybe they are all the same? > like this: www.thomann.de/gb/goeldo_ws44g_trussrod.htm

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

Hi TheHutch - yes, I'd say it was. I wouldn't want any wider than that. The rod you've linked to - I've got two of these and they work but they're a bit hard to adjust... you can get there, but the amounts of adjustment are quite big for the tiniest movement. That's always the case, but experimentation with different makes of truss rod will show you there are some that seem much more smooth / subtle to adjust and some that jump about in 'handfuls'. Don't get me wrong, you'll get there and the results will be good... it's just I take more time to get the curve matched with the last 2 I bought so I've reverted back to an earlier one :-)

[@andytaylor6773]

You are an amazing luthier mate 👍🏻 What I don’t get is, a new Epi LP100 is probably 250 bucks. You spend two hours working on it, isn’t that more expensive for the owner than getting a new one ?

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

Yes and no... it's worth whatever the customer is willing to pay and a new one will be almost exactly as unplayable as his old one anyway. My customers pay to get a guitar they already have to play the very best it can - knowing (as most of them do) that a high purchase price is no guarantee of a good set up. Most guitar companies (if not all) are working to very tight profit margins and simply can't afford the time to finesse a guitar to its full potential. And anyway, from their perspective, why should they? It's not as if they're struggling to sell guitars... As long as people will a) demand the lowest price and b) buy regardless of the state of the set up then little is going to change. Which is probably a good thing for people like me :-)

[@andytaylor6773]

Thanks mate 👍🏻

[@krustybuzzard2477]

Are you turning by ear or looking at a monitor?I know you tune a lot of guitars and your ears become very educated. but from what I hear it's always dead on.

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

I usually take a note from the Roland amp (an 'A') and tune the rest by ear using the relative tuning method. Works for me. When I do the intonation I'll use either a Korg tuner or the iStrobosoft app on my phone.

[@krustybuzzard2477]

I have always had a good ear for pitch and I think yours is better than mine.more practice helps too😉

[@gatorgrass3]

let's ask Slash his opinion,,, 😂 my friend counts and winds his own pickups,, its a little different climbing a tree that you grew Your self. Thank you for sharing Your special gift and trade! you should get a slash hat to remind us what to do when Walmart goes out of business.

[@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars]

Hi Johnny, thanks for the comment - and you're most welcome. I totally agree that climbing yer own tree is most excellent. Every time I pick up my two current favourite guitars - one headless Oakcaster and one with a headstock (both of which I made myself) I get that feeling.

[@revolutionday1]

You should get a tattoo of Slash, in the center of your chest, if you don't have one already. Something is telling me you do though. Jeezuss....

[@huskvarsm]

i owned one ages ago and it was a piece of crap i'd look at it and feel ill so i saved up 475 quid and bought a mim baja tele which was better than a usa made tele by miles i then chopped that in plus a grand and got my gorgeous les paul which has uber upgrades all over it and now im a happy man.

[@revolutionday1]

Yeah, I wouldn't recommend this guitar to anybody that isn't looking to take on a modification project. It's a semi-decent upgrade maybe as a student level guitar, but will ultimately frustrate with it's tuning instability issues.