Giving My Old Epiphone a $2,000 Overhaul!

[@Trog]

Sweetwater made this Project Happen - Thank you Repair Team! 🍭Talk To Them About a Project ➡sweetwater.sjv.io/9gznM0 🍭Join Their Giveaways here ➡sweetwater.sjv.io/5gZyM9 🍭Shop Sweetwater + Support the Show➡ sweetwater.sjv.io/eKEerD

[@hkguitar1984]

Congrats Austin, so cool that you were able to restore your old #1. Great job and a big thanks to Sweetwater and Steve for fixing you up.

[@clarkbabin9799]

Glad to see you've got your guitar back and ready to rock with your own chosen specifications. Who knows maybe Epiphone ( or possibly Gibson) might get inspired to do a signature in your name from it. That would be so cool. I had a hand in wiring a light board way back in the the 70s when I was just a teen. The owner of the music company wanted to buy the cheapest momentary switches and intensity/rotary on / off switches. I made him realize that first of all the lighting was going to be a 110 volt board. He thought he could get away with switches rated like the one you showed us you had. It ended up costing about $2k and we had it breakered but we never had an issue running all the lights we had to plug in. We got a lot of use from that set up in the years after and it resulted in not only repeat gigs but many new jobs as well. I suppose you could call your guitar a mut or a half breed being it started out aa a decent Epiphone and You got the Gibson upgrades on it. Would've been cool too if they could've put your logo somewhere either on the back of the neck or if it could've been on them tuners. Maybe both. I have some of the newer Elixirs on my Trad Pro III. and on on of my acoustics. Otherwise I typically use Daddarios on most every guitar except my acoustic guitars which I usually use Ernie Ball strings on. You used to be able to buy Daddarios at best buy for $3 to $4 a set. Haven't seen them in there in awhile. Sounds great with them 57 s in there. The Seymour Duncans are great but the neck tends to have a a little bite unless you buy something more in a jazz tone. The guitar has a good classic rock sound in all positions I've heard you use it in with the addition of more up to date options . If you think about it you did the same thing a lot of car enthusiasts do by turning it into a sleeper. Maybe Sweetwater could team up with you to do a different kind of giveaway where the do a good upgrade on someone's guitar that they already have.

[@CorkElectric40]

Yes.....

[@CorkElectric40]

Yes

[@CorkElectric40]

Yes.

[@sleevelessace]

i love how you gave your first guitar this crazy huge upgrade.. its almost like saying " thank you we made it this far together, now your the best sounding epiphone in the world you deserve it pal"

[@sjlefebvre]

A slick surface wouldn't be something that a cat would scratch on... they scratch to sharpen not to dull...

[@TranceMasterJack]

Ha. Yeah no way a cat scratched that pattern. 🏳️

[@doctoribanez]

A little relic job. Been there lol.

[@kevinnsevinn799]

Think he was being facetious 😉

[@AltGrendel]

Yep, I seriously doubt the cat did that.

[@mist5142]

I have 4 cats a cat wouldn't do it as you said just dull there claws

[@magicman12b]

It’s interesting how the guitar world works. I have a similar introduction to guitars like Trogly, and my first serious guitar was a Fender Strat starter pack. Fast forward a few years later I purchased an Epiphone LP Standard Plus ($450,Honey Burst) with my first working (9-5) paycheck. I too was curious like Trogly and did similar modifications to my Epiphone to see how it compared to my first Gibson LP Studio ($1,200,Pelham Blue). I think a lot of guitar players and enthusiasts can relate to this video and say that they too have walked down the same path. I just love how a guitar can inspire so many people from different facets of life from different places around the world to experience similar feelings or near identical moments.

[@seanmurphy26]

I got a Standard Honeyburst for $250 back in April, super fun guitar! It was interesting to see the choice of Classic '57s. Heard that are the choice of many.. I was thinking of putting those new Gibson "GreeneyBuckers" or some low winds in there..

[@CR0SSJ]

Love that you finally got your guitar project sorted. I always feel like that "first real guitar" is the one you should never get rid of, and glad you didn't and kept it around. Became a good video, and hopefully a guitar you re-visit again often :D

[@AntmanFelix]

Yeah I feel ya, sadly I sold off my first "real" guitar and though I have my Gibsons, a Gretsch White Falcon, and a nice Telecaster, I still miss my first real guitar. Should have never sold it.

[@watersnortmoment3734]

@AntmanFelix My first real guitar I bought for myself was a Pacifica 611, but I never got along with it. My first real guitar I was gifted was a Vintera 50s strat and I don’t ever want to get rid of it.

[@bottomkitchen250]

Yes, the keystone tuners are way nicer looking than the bean. I always thought that Gibson didn't use the keystone enough on the newer models

[@snapfinger1]

Awesome overbuilt restoration. Don’t see a lot of old school headstock Epi silver bursts.

[@supermario2100]

The great thing about Epiphone and Squier guitars is that they make for amazing mod platforms without sacrificing on looks. You can get that Strat or Les Paul you've always wanted, and it'll look the part completely. Especially now that Epiphone updated their headstock lol.

[@WW-1995]

True that the old Epiphone headstock was the reason I wouldn't buy their guitars

[@JohnnyBGoode9]

Epiphone Vs and Explorers have had proper headstocks for years, too. I just wish the new Firebird wasn't such an AliExpress-looking misshapen disaster. Its nothing like the Gibson headstock, even the recent flat one. If they fixed that, especially if they made the proper carved headstock for banjo/Steinberger tuners, it'd be an instant buy for me.

[@RockyH.]

Congratulations Trogly! I'm Happy and Proud of you man...Mom and Dads gifts are so important and you turned your first into a forever guitar awesome!!!!

[@jimilee459]

That sounds and looks fantastic. Part of your first guitar is the feel. It should feel like home, I hope it does.

[@scottmartin356]

Congratulations on keeping that guitar and following through with showing it some love!

[@CarsonLee-ll8ph]

"following through" Letting someone else do it after volunteering.

[@plinger1]

I think this is what makes Epiphone a “player guitar”. These mods are definitely worth it if you like the way the instrument plays. Beyond that in a real world scenario someone might do these over a couple years one mod at a time, giving them the instrument they want. Final note any instrument is worth it if you like it enough.

[@eddiejr540]

@3:50…sometimes I think it was better when I was younger and had no idea about gear and I just played and had fun🤔

[@elvee7851]

That guitar sounds great - nice restoration. Just wanted to mention, I really enjoy your channel.

[@jtyoung706]

I just finished putting jumbo frets and a brass nut in my 02' Epi LP Custom. It has the maple neck so I took the finish down to the grain fill on the back when I got it some 15 years ago. It plays like a completely different guitar now. It definitely ignited the mojo that it's been lacking for years. I can't imagine spending $2k so I did it myself for about $80 in parts.

[@MagneticPool24]

That fretboard wood is gorgeous

[@andrewbecker3700]

Other than the cost from Sweetwater, this is something many of us should consider doing. If you can handle everything except the re-fret yourself, this can be done for less than half that much. I did a very similar thing to a new Epiphone LesPaul custom silverburst a couple years ago. Now I've swapped it all into an Adam Jones sig. and couldn't be happier. It's super sick, and the only one like it in existence. Being a "The Berserker" custom art version from Frank Frazetta, makes it even sweeter.

[@guitarplaya47560]

Love this for you Trogly! I had started doing a similar mod to my first “real” guitar which was an Epiphone SG but never quite finished the wiring. This is some great inspiration to finish that project! Thanks!

[@monstrok]

What a fantastic restoration! Sweetwater knocked this one out of the park and so glad that you got your guitar back into playing condition. I can verify that stainless steel frets will not wear - my '93 Parker Fly is by far my most played guitar and has zero fret wear after thousands of playing hours.

[@zigzagrz]

57 classics are my fav Gibby pups, great choice

[@Snibborwocky]

That is a fantastic and creative mod for your Epi. Looks and sounds amazing. Well done on Sweetwater's end. I love these mod upgrade feelgood stories for instruments. 👍

[@RRW276]

I like the 57 classics... they're what I've had in my 335 for many years now and wouldn't think of touching them. Those custombuckers, however, sound mighty astonishing. Though I've only played em on a buddies SG and I don't like playing SG's, but those pickups are truly special.

[@topfacemod]

Agreed...the Alnico II mags in 57's and SD A-II Pros with that warmer tone but still powerful as all get out. At least for blues to hard rock and early metal

[@tobiasryan8378]

Good to know Sweetwater does a sweet job!

[@MaxCohen-mx2rf]

We have a very similar guitar journey. From Squier Strat at 10, to a Les Special II (tobacco burst), to a Les Paul Black Beauty III. I remember the same sense of awe when presented with the 3 gold humbucker goodness that was a Les Paul Black Beauty III. Couldn't fathom having a guitar that expensive. Felt like my guitar journey was finally over. The made in Korea Epiphones were next level from the indonesian or China made Epi's back in 2005.

[@rockinrob2004]

That's AWESOME! Congrats man! Sounds & looks GREAT! I still have my 1st real guitar from my Mom a 1975 Gibson S-1. All maple, still play it, in the 80's I changed out all the hardware, switches, & wiring. The maple fb has worn in so nicely. I would never part with it, as you know those 1st instruments from parents are "special". Enjoy!

[@TheRealChemlock]

i also love the silverburst finish about as good as any (rivaled by the honeyburst). if you're ever in the mood you should satin the neck yourself - there's plenty of good youtube videos that show you how to tape it off, and use an abrasive dish sponge. i got great results on my guitars and as long as you take care to achieve even coverage it's indistinguishable from a shop job. i also just did an overhaul on a sentimental guitar. i borrowed a buddy's soldering gun to attempt my first ever wiring work -- my $150 pre-banged-around lefty Epi LP100 2005 cherry sunburst had a great feel but pretty bad sour and muddy signal coming off both pups, especially the neck, and a bum tone knob. i ordered a bunch of knock-off parts ($35 Fleor Alcino II pups, push-push pots) with the goal of doing a dual coil split + 50s style treble-retention wiring ...in REVERSE (lefty). there are no diagrams anywhere online for this - electronics stump my brain - and advice from reddit was sparse; it was a tribulation. after multiple attempts each with failure points, i deduced and replaced a faulty linear B500K volume pot with the remaining functional logarithmic A500K stock tone pot (needed to wire in reverse to all the other pots since log pot curves screw lefties!). i nearly ran out of the solder i'd 'borrowed' (as well as totally soaking the amount of copper wick i'd allotted myself), but in the end i got it playing properly!.. and oohhh damn, does it sound mountains better than the stock setup. Pups probably not as good as SD or DiMarzio, obviously, but honestly probably 80% the way there at 15% the price. now with proof of concept achieved, i've gone and bought a bunch of more cheapo parts (tune-o-matic with rolling brass saddles, brass nut, locking tuners, straplock pegs...) - all in *gold* 😂 - to make this thing irresistible to pick up whenever i walk by it, (and also to hopefully stay in tune!), so now it's a $266 Epiphone Les Paul "100", and it's got a second life.

[@jonathanhorne6503]

I’ve bought guitars with the plan to put crazy dollars into. It’s part of my guitar/bass fascination. The two worst $$ wastes are some of my best players. An Epi Casino Coupe with every part replaced but the bridge. It even has a scaled down frequensator tailpiece. The craziest is a Squier Bronco that has a 66 Gibson mudbucker, a Fralin 53 P bass pup, and in the bridge a Lollar T-bird. New gears, wired with a strat 5way switch and a push pull tone that will allow for every pickup combination. The Bronco was a special pink issue from CME. The bass sounds epic and looks louder.

[@extraordinary_ordinary]

$1300 just in labor? Damn!

[@BillyZakk]

Thought the same thing !!! Not a good endorsement for using them for work Add shipping for you and me I will Stay with my guy

[@Topsy_Krett]

Ouch, yes...and that is with no restoration done to the finish. I don't really see another $800 in parts either. I prefer upgrading guitars myself.

[@extraordinary_ordinary]

@@Topsy_Krett I think that is pretty on point when you consider stainless fret wire, new tuners, new pickups, new bridge/tail piece, bone nut, 3 push/pull CTS pots, wiring harness, kill switch, output jack/plate and new plastics.

[@dublev78]

They overhauled it. When you start refretting and cutting on wood, it gets pricey. It’s a waste of money in my opinion on an epiphone.

[@jeremyancelin7582]

@@extraordinary_ordinary nah fam - I had to redo my epi after being exposed to water in the basement of my secondary place. Replaced all parts for duked out stuff and it costs me around $600 this include refret, all hardware and wiring - pickups and so forth.

[@scottbogfoot]

Yeah, they can do impressively clean work! Cat would not claw just the middle it would claw the edge, also for a cat to scratch it that bad it would push it off any conventional floor stand, thus alluding to the culprit

[@scottbogfoot]

@@cataclysmicconverter two of my cats have beaver DNA 😂

[@jim_e_g]

Enjoy your show but Sorry Trogly. Cat didn’t scratch it. I have had cats and guitars for 40 years, never happened. An amp grill cloth definitely but back of a solid guitar in that pattern that’s all you. You owe that cat an apology.

[@Kahuna54]

It’s cool you have this special guitar all set up TH way you want! Congratulations!🎉

[@TheZaneTeam]

The poor cat gets the blame when this is obviously NOT cat scratches 😅

[@garymesser9065]

Well Trogly, I purchased a Epiphone es339 p90 pro, got a Gibson USA case for it, installed Dimarzio p90 pick ups, kluson tuners and fret work. I’ve got approx $1500.00. Plus I will be installing a Roland GK3 synth pick up, it’s a great guitar.

[@Tripple-L432]

I love my Epis,I have three or four rather,Custom pros, One is a one piece body, and three with a two piece body. Maple caps,I have modded them with cts,Dunlop,and switchcraft electronics, Seymore Duncan and TonePros, It`s all stuff I do over time,but they sound the part and play well,I can gig them and not worry so much,Thats one thing I love. But if you buy the upper end Epiphones you will do well, i think the USA casino is around $2,700. Thats not cheap and it`s well made here in the USA. Love the Channel Trogly.I been watchin for a few yrs now,Wow,How time flys,Thank you for all your work,I love staying up to date on stuff ,seeing and learning about all Gibsons is a passion. so Thank you again.and maybe one day soon I can buy a guitar from ya, Just to say I got this from TROGLY !!

[@scottmartin356]

Lol, the cat ate my guitar finish excuse 😆

[@jimmyjames2022]

Awesome revitalization of your sentimental Epiphone LP Custom Silver Burst by Sweetwater! Kill switch! Glad the string less truss rod survived storage, puts to bed the myths. Enjoying your playing these days, lots of cool riffs. I think it's still worth buying a used Gibson over heavily modding an Epi for the average person, lots of great used deals in local papers/sales websites if we are patient.

[@thomassawicki2065]

I have the '57 Classic pickups in my 2021 Les Paul 50's Standard. It sounds like a 50's LP . I play Jazz and the neck P'up is gold.

[@juanpanchoec]

Those old limited editions are awesome... I have a Y2k korean made LP standard, and it was awesome after a pickup swap for a couple of SD's. I ended making a few more upgrades for a total of +/- $400 USD, and ended up a great guitar. People would turn and ask "what is that you are playing" and forgot about the US Fenders or Gibsons from other players in the room. Oddly enough, it currently is as disassembled as yours since I have long desired to put a custom wiring that would require routing and a cover for at least one pair of mini switches instead of one of the knobs.

[@frankiechan9651]

Stephen from Sweetwater did an amazing job on your guitar Trogly. It looks and sounds great - while retaining some bits that tell of it's history. I also have a keeper guitar that I may also make the investment into for SS frets - although thankfully, things like the pickups and nut I'm very happy with. (Unless I change my mind and swap out the EMG's for Fishmann)

[@markmccawley2526]

You should send it back at some time in the future for a sand back, wet sand and polish. I love thicc just not on a guitar finish. play it and certainly enjoy it. What a one of a kind treasure!

[@fjcaracap]

I bought two Epiphone special edition 59 Les Paul standards from Sweetwater, which came with Burstbucker pickups, CTS pots and overall better electronics. I had the two guitars plek'd before shipping them to me. Both are amazing sounding and playing guitars. Sweetwater did a great job with the setup and pleking. I then shipped them my 1990 Gibson Les Paul Custom ebony, to have the frets polished and the guitar properly setup and pleked. They did an awesome job, now plays like a dream....

[@akminid]

My first good guitar also was this Epiphone Silverburst. I also did modify it. First in a terrible way, but now it is my best guitar. I went for EMG Pickups and also Tone Pros Hardware and Graph Tech Locking Tuner. I really dig that guitar for it's design. I mean: It is no proper teardrop silverburst, but just look at it. That finish is a dream for a Les Paul. I found that Les Paul to be one of the "special" looking ones.

[@7828191]

Also, remember Epiphone is a USA brand and older than Gibson. Les Paul learned how to make guitars when working at Epiphone. Anyway good video.

[@jefffixesit60]

Definitely not cat scratches. Value is entirely in the opinion of the valuer, build quality and materials are what make a guitar great, and I'd rather have your freshly setup Epi than spend twice as much for a plain Jane Gibson. P.S., I have a murdered-out, satin black Epiphone Special-II, and it's still my favorite electric player! I also have a Gibson LP Studio, and a cherry red Epi 339-pro: they're both nice, but they just aren't as comfortable in my hands. Have fun, keep up the great work 😊

[@michaelheller8841]

I have no issues with the cost that you put into this guitar because you made it yours. That's the goal. I did the same thing with starting out with an American Fender Ultra Luxe Body. Everything else was custom-made for me. the SSS pickup configuration was hand-wired Tone Master pickups, wiring, and pots. The neck is a perfect Masikkraft quartersawn maple neck 12" radius with a CBS style head and locking tuners. I'm not a fan of the stainless steel frets, it feels strange to me. If I did like them I would have just gone with the Stock Fender American Ultra Luxe guitar. I didn't like the pickups either though. I told my friend the owner of Tone Master to make my guitar sound like Jeff Becks before his noiseless signatures lol. Mission accomplished. I recommend anyone making a guitar their own. The Strat is currently my #2 because my number one is a Gibson Custom Shop R8 and I never played a better Les Paul and I've played plenty of Vintage. I got really lucky. All said and done I put in almost up to 5k to make my Strat my own. Will I ever sell it? not even if you put a gun to my head lol.

[@peanutbutterisfu]

I have a 1995 epiphone les Paul made in Korea. I did a restoration to it as well. Fret job, evh pots, dirty fingers bridge and pearly gates neck pick ups, complete rewire all done by a local luthier that all the pros go to. The tuners were mint, it never goes out of tune so no need to change them, and the guitar pretty much sat in its case for 15 years not getting played until I got it so was like new. It completely transformed the guitar to the best sounding guitar I’ve played as well as many others. When doing the last album my band did I had all the work done to it just to have another option as well as getting a bunch of work done to my strat. The other guitarist in my band has like 20 guitars he’s a guitar teacher at the best school in my city and went to musician’s institute finishing top of his class in the jazz program so he’s a Guitar nut and the studio has a bunch of really expensive guitars and when finding the right guitar sounds we played a ton of guitars and I wasn’t even gonna test my les Paul because I hate playing it because it has one of them baseball bat necks and the studio owner said did we try the guitar in that case? I said no and when I plugged it in everybody was like wow that thing is amazing and the owner laughed when he seen it said epiphone he was almost pissed because he has all these expensive guitars and this epiphone is so amazing. Idk what wood it’s made of but when I had the neck off u can tell it’s some really good wood and it has dried out nicely over the years that’s why it sounds so great. I feel like someone made a mistake and used wood that was for a much higher end guitar.

[@Jimbowlcoach]

Very cool, I was wondering what you could do to an Epiphone to make it more like a Gibson thanks for doing this Trogly!❤❤❤❤

[@Dan.Solo.Chicago]

Elixir’s are the good stuff? Coated or non-coated? Two years ago i decided to test out as many string brands as I could, to see which I like the best. I tried 3 different kinds of Elixir’s and didn’t like any of them. I hated the coatings. They would fray where I picked, then start to get bushy. The only strings I didn’t try were String Joy. My local Guitar Center didn’t have them, but I tried everything else. In the end, the winner was just your basic Ernie Ball 9’s, Super Slinky in the pink packaging. I was using GHS Boomers 10’s and 11’s before the test. I used to make fun of 9’s back in the day. Now the Ernie Ball 9’s are pretty much all I use. I think they sound the best.

[@RaccoonHenry]

beautiful, came out fantastic!! congrats, hope you enjoy it for years to come!!

[@RoachDoggJr2112]

I have one of these, from about twenty sixteen or so. I also have those markings in the center of the back. The clear coat finish on these things is really soft, and anything can mark it up.

[@MisterJWJ71]

Awesome results! I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of the Les Paul shape and that finish doesn't do much for me. Then again, this isn't my guitar it's YOURS and you love it! I prefer the Kluson-style knobs on the tuners as well. To me that just says "Gibson" even on an Epiphone. As far as knocking the shine down on the kneck, I've always heard using 0000 steel Wool will work well for that.

[@BushidoPhoto]

Nickel is my favorite material for guitar parts.

[@edwinstovall3334]

You know, your "resto/mod" (restoration/modification) project reminds me of Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top, who had his first guitar replicated into a very hot-rodded version. In my opinion, the things you did to your old firsty are even cooler than the Les Paul Jr with tribal striping that Billy gave himself.

[@guitarafter40]

I had my local luthier work on my Epi LP neck to remove the heavy poly and I LOVE the difference. No more sticky neck and it also has a custom shop look now.

[@matthewmckinney5387]

The real setup for the Jimmy page no2 les Paul has 2 switches under the pickguard. But with todays tech id do the push-pulls as well

[@matthewaltomare7629]

With the new Epiphone offerings out there, it's sort of difficult to determine which are the correct upgrades. I just recently scored a basically brand new 2022 Epi Les Paul Trad Pro IV off craigslist for a great price. I've been dying to get a Les Paul forever, and kind of wanted it to be Gibson, to go along with my Gibson SGs, but at the end of the day, I care more about value and function over the headstock. This Epi is that satin type finish all over and love it and it already has stock CTS push/pull pots. Have been starting to look at some basic upgrades, locking tuners, bridge, knobs, but it's hard determine what actually fits. The newer/higher end Epi's are different than the old, and sometimes could be Gibson sized stuff. For $10, I ordered a Gibson metal output jack plate, which I thought would've been direct fit, but wasn't. Was barely off...and not worth my time to fill/redrill holes. I hear a bunch of different things about the knobs and am still not sure which ones. Same for bridge, etc. Then you have the quick connect pickup connections...so if I wanted to change that out, I'd probably have to hack out the harness, which is also "apparently" different than Gibson's quick connect. At the price point I paid for this Epi LP, I don't mind putting in a few upgrades, and honestly wouldn't feel bad about it. Then last night saw GC has a Gibson LP Trad V on sale for $1,799. Satin finish, custom buckers, custom wiring, locking tuners, etc. Now if I continue down the Epi upgrade path, I probably have $700+ plus in parts that I could eventually upgrade. Now the total all in cost on the Epi vs the Gibson starts getting closer, as I likely wouldn't modify the Gibson. Still uncertain...but I keep telling myself, I don't need to do anything at all. Keep what I have and enjoy the crap out them as they're already all great.

[@alessandrodecarli2462]

Good work! I’ve upgraded my 2014 Epi Custom Les Paul too but with custom made pickups, chosen and coupled by me (in conjunction with the artisan, of course) and a professional custom made wiring. And guess what? She sound heavenly! Beautiful tone, soft or aggressive when it needs, I really love to play that guitar, finally. The only thing that I didn’t do is change the tuners: why put a locking tuners on a Les Paul? Personally, is a silly thing to do…🤷🏻‍♂️…

[@MaxCohen-mx2rf]

Just wanted correct your information about stainless steel frets. If you're a bedroom player, probably won't need a refret for 10's of years. If you're a modern gigging musician. You got about 4 - 5 years dependent on your playing style and string gauge, maybe 3 with a level and re-crowning if you're a beast.

[@BigDinnerBoy]

Got stainless frets on my tele. Totally different feel on bends and its noticeably brighter. I'll also never have to have fretwork done again.

[@Dan.Solo.Chicago]

17:00 Ah, a new evolution of Trogly’s Funk. I like where you went with it this time. 👍

[@bsjeffrey]

i know you do it for every guitar, but it still made me laugh that you sent it away to get it 'put together' to then immediately take it apart.

[@bsjeffrey]

@@cataclysmicconverter someone without the ability to put it back together.

[@wrenchhead6840]

Very nice….. i chose a seymour duncan SH-1/Jazz for my epiphone upgrade…. It is a Epi V, didnt have to route the body..FABER makes a killer bridge in metric…. I also put in Kluson “drop in” locking tuners…. No drilling

[@gregsguitartone]

If you like the Elixir strings then you might try the D’Addario Xt or Xs. I was a longtime Elixir user but I really like the Xt’s now.

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

The 57 Classics was a great idea. There are so many classic records where that is what you here. Often in different guitars like an SG etc. Once you have them in a guitar you have an OH WOW moment because you have a sound that you thought you needed better PU'S and better this and that to get this sound. I got a super deal on an SG at an estate sale with full intentions of flipping it. BUT then I got home and plugged it in!!!

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

@@cataclysmicconverter Ironic. In 2017 I found in a small shop in farm country the same guitar in cardinal red that was NOS from 2002. It was shop that catered to a country crowd so they kept a stack of Tele's around. No local wanted it. It still had the original price 2002 price on it but I was broke .Ouch!!!

[@TeiasDoMultiverso]

I absolutely love SS frets, have on an old ltd v 500 (with sd blackouts aswell) and man, they feel good and last (not in need of any tlc for more than a year, not even polishing) and they handle my crazy .17 to .80 set

[@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur]

I have allways loved a upgrade on a guitar that you know and love. It just extend the instrument. Enjoy this beautiful Epiphone.

[@paulraider2001]

We love it when you're happy! It looks fantastic. I wanted to do a rework of my first guitar, but it got stolen by UPS. So I had to fill that hole with 5 Les Paul's. And yet I still feel empty.....maybe another 5 will do the trick.

[@brucedelaney9606]

Fantastic transformation. After watching this video I have a Danelectro Vintage 12 on order. I may have them set it up. It really is worth the money. Great video. PS that guitar sounds fantastic. Don’t change a thing. Just get on your knees and thank them. Lol.

[@wineghost317]

Sounds awesome! Congrats Trog! It’s always fun to revisit an old fav guitar, especially when it gets the upgrades!

[@IndyRockStar]

It sounds great. I've been considering buying a Epiphone Silverburst Custom and trying to upgrade it. I wasn't to see how close I could get it to an actual LP Custom.

[@jonathanstrand2474]

I’ve done what you did, I wanted a Firebird, well Bonnamassa did a run of epi ‘64 Firebird 1’s, $899 the single PU. Seriously it was intended to be in a glass display case, the bridge and PU weren’t in the right place. 😮 no matter $1500 parts dollars later: 3 Seymour Duncan’s the 4 sound, hotshot PU switching stacked vol/tone each PU, new Dunlop frets, a bone nut, Waverly banjo tuners and Black 3 layer pick gaurd. I knew the neck through wood and the 5 piece neck would be good. But if you twist the truss rod, you know it’s an EPI, backwards threads!😳. Still I love it now, stays in tune. I just have to remember read what it says to do, but turn it the opposite way 😂

[@Desaulnierspf]

Hi Trogly, may you know the answer.I want to know if older Epiphone Les Paul standard all have a maple cap , like the post 2020, between the mahogany and the maple veneer.?

[@the_nondrive_side]

my killswitch is in the switch position and my switch is in the spot you left... I also used a Fender TBX tone pot with the HPF mod and have series -parallel on my push pull volume pots

[@matt-770]

Learned something new! I’d love to see you go off script so to speak, and review /tear down a 1970’s Yamaha SG 1000.

[@TheOnlyGuitarFather]

i have that same guitar... my first real guitar as well. i modded it with pearly gates and an obsidian wire harness..black tone pro bridge and saddle.. gold hum rings and locking tuners. chipped the paint a bit around one of the pot holes enlarging it for the new pots but she hangs in there with my Gibsons now

[@nieko3038]

So do SS frets add value to an Epi? 1300 on labour. My ‘01 Epiphone has SS frets and classic 57 and 57+ For a lot less can tell you that

[@Zombie_13x33]

the neck dirty in the higher register was awesome. i havent had to many neck pups ive liked but that sounds great

[@robspectre1973]

I own that same guitar. Replaced ProBuckers with EMG KFK 81/85 set and I absolutely love it. Installed the boost switch between the 4 pots and really polished the frets and it plays and sounds amazing. Yes, I play mostly metal.

[@wokelink4732]

i got an epiphone les paul standard pro, my brother help me put push-push pots in it, instead of splitting the coils it's parallel and series for each humbucker, in the middle position it could be changed in and out of phase and put in series. i really loved that it had push push instead of push pulls. unfortunately the neck broke, and i haven't had the money to fix it yet. But one day i will. I have a Edwards Les Paul thats from the late 90s with the same setup with some other little details, its an amazing guitar i love it.

[@skidmark316]

The original die-cast zinc bridge gets plated with copper first, then nickel or chrome. Which is why you see the weird color.

[@tinystar3010]

I noticed you mentioned the 500k pots like its better pots but that's not what 500k means. In potentiometers, a higher k reading means its allowing more highs to come through. That's why nearly all single coil guitars use 250k pots, to reduce the extreme brights. And a few single coil guitars use 300k pots to overcome a darker pickup or a single/humbucker pickup combination. And all humbucker guitars should be using 500k pots to allow as much mids and highs as possible, otherwise the tone will guaranteed be extremely dark, and muted overall. That's the reasoning behind 250k, 300k, and 500k potentiometers. It's a resistance measurement, not a quality rating.

[@tinystar3010]

Yeah you can customize your pots however you choose, but explanation was about what the k's mean, and typically why you see them where they are.

[@joesharpe7685]

Holy fuck sweet water rip people off. I am a professional tech and I would charge less than half for this job

[@astridlenore]

Showing that old guitar some love, good on you Trogly, good on you! btw that brassy color on the old bridge is probably actual brass that got chrome-plated because that was the age when brass could do no wrong. For those curious and adventurous, the 4-wire pickup output crucial to this type of mod can be hacked at the pickup itself, but it takes an iron stomach and I'd recommend trying it first on pickups you don't care much about.

[@The_Hi_Life]

Sounds as great as any Gibson LP to me! Great resto-mod. And it’s got the sentimental value.❤

[@markcampbell7554]

I am impressed with Sweetwaters restoration of this guitar! Wow! I come away knowing that there is hope for a couple of my guitar's that need help getting back to their best.

[@Rotceh-r4g]

Cool video. Half of my guitars are entry level modest models, modded out to my specs. A good luthier can make wonders on any guitar. In the end I consider these cheaper instruments affordable custom shop models, that I instead of strangers at Fender or Gibson do. Resale value, not much. Pride of ownership, out of scale. Thanks for posting!

[@PeterMoore350]

Agreed. I have an expensive Ibanez Pia and an entry level Ibanez AZES40 which has this awesome toggle switch that i love. Do i love the Pia ? Yep but I play the AZ a lot more along with my Squiers and 5 Solar guitars. Cheers from NZ 😎🎸🤘

[@PeterMoore350]

h and for clarity ? The Pia is not in its box. It's right there in my little studio next to my Solars etc and i rotate them as much as i can given i have 10 guitars, but i know ppl have many more guitars than that hehe

[@larsfocken3456]

I got my first electric guitar in 1982, a Les Paul copy made by Pearl. My grandma grabbed the stand when I was at school and the guitar fell onto the ground and broke the headstock. The music dealer, where I brought it (I was depressed really) screwed everythig up. They drilled big holes into the headstock and put in long metal screws and the thing was literally unplayable after that. Later on I found a luthier that could remove those screws an glued the guitar, but it looked awful. The guitar ended at the junkyard. So don't blame your cat 🙂. There are much worse stories than that! Enjoy your great Epiphone!

[@pabloruiz1982]

Could you review the Epiphone Jerry Cantrell Wino?

[@InkedGamerWolf420]

I’m modifying a January 2021 Les Paul Special I wraparound bridge model. I don’t like the cherry grain finish so I’m painting it a different colour but keeping the exposed grain finish but protecting it with clear coat. The pickups I’m putting in it cost more than the guitar itself (Seymour Duncan Distortion Mayhem set), and convert the factory neck into an open book style because I HATE the tombstone headstock. Paid $75 because it sat for 2 of the 3 years of its life. No intention of selling it just want her gig worthy. My 2011 bolt on Junior has a maple open book Gibson style neck (original snapped in half), push button killswitch placed where the tone knob

[@jcout25]

Ya should have had em scallop the last 8 frets or so. Woulda been fun to play with!

[@TM-ev2tc]

That would be a tough decision, but it is something to think about doing to it.

[@gregoriyefimovichrasputin4931]

Those pickups seem to sound pretty good. Out of phase or better know as the tone suck switch.

[@kbroomall]

Yo I love watching people overhaul epiphones, thanks man

[@PeterMoore350]

I love the headstock on this. Especially the shapes around where the Epiphone logo is. Cheers from NZ 😎🎸🤘

[@TylerJohnstonGuitar]

I miss my first guitar dearly. I sold it for way below market (To GC) right before I left for boot camp. I wish I just had my family hang on to it for a while.

[@DavidHBurkart]

That Epi is swinging. Has the right swag and killer tone!

[@Xaltar_]

I have always wanted a Gibson LP with a good poly finish that won't wear/age/check as easily. This fits the bill nicely, only the ugly old Epi headstock takes away from it. Doing the same on one of the new ones with the updated headstock would be a great idea. I actually considered a Chibson (without the Gibson logo) at one point for the same reason, I fully intended to gut and refret it anyway so all that would have mattered was the quality of the wood/construction. I decided it was too much of a risk that I would get trash. The lure there was the fact that I could have ordered a custom spec husk with no electronics or hardware, the inlays and finish of my choice as well as whatever logo I wanted on the headstock. I went back and forth with the seller for a while then noticed they had started getting some really bad reviews, incorrect scale length/fret placement, binding coming off etc so I called it quits. I have done much the same as this with one of my own early guitars, also 57s, push pull pots for coil splitting and upgraded tuners/hardware. The friend that gave it to me, a 90's Tanglewood Star LP copy, tragically passed at just 36 so it's got sentimental value. Next step is stainless steel frets.

[@dw7704]

I have series/parallel on two guitars I use series more often, but parallel is nice option to have. I have in/out of phase option on one guitar as well, but I would pick series/parallel over phase switching

[@MrDblStop]

Nice. I replaced everything on my '04 Epiphone Sheraton with Tone Pros, Bare Knuckle, TV Jones, CTS, etc. If you have an exceptional body and neck to start with, and you don't intend to sell the guitar, then it is really worth doing.

[@drkaplin98]

What gauge strings are on there, and what is the action set at?

[@swordman521]

Sweetwater did source their switches from TESI no doubt, it's just that their 30 and 24mm buttons are Sanwas that they sell at a pretty big profit margin.

[@kevincox9119]

Epiphone does not use lacquer