I Upgraded My Fake Greeny! Did I Ruin It? Or Would Kirk Hammett Approve?

In this video I upgrade my Fake Greeny I purchased off of eBay. I had TNTones pickups wire me some special A2 pickups modeled after the Greeny pickups.... including the out of phase neck pickup. These are amazing Alnico 2 hand wired pickups in the USA. TNTones does amazing work, please like and follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Reach out and ask for some pickups! You will be impressed! Anyways.... I also upgraded the pots on this Chinese Chibson to large CTS pots as well. Based on the original video and demo of this guitar, I was really nervous because the sound and tone was very impressive for a stock Chibson. Remarkable in fact. Take a look and listen to the video and let me know what you think. Below is the original video if the unboxing and demo of the Fake Greeny stock as it arrived from China. Also, there is a video link for a pink "Les Paul" custom I made that has Van Halen Style pickups wound by TNTones. Thanks for watching, I hope you enjoy the video. I fully support Gibson and really don't support Chibson guitars. They can be a serious risk and waste of money. This video was for "science" and was a lot of fun to do. Please subscribe!
Original Fake Greeny Video:
• I Bought A Fake Greeny...
Pink Les Paul Build With Van Halen TNTones Pickups:
• Building And Dyeing My...
TNTones Facebook:
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My Links:
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[@MarkSchuster-ym3iy]

I’ve been a luthier for over 30 years.that is an incredible copy. its weird the original pups wernt bad at all. these sound a little hotter than alnico IIobviously you know how to fix microphonic pickups just wax pot them. i just use an old crock pot works great. youre a great player too.

[@peterm3964]

Ahh the basswood body , the maple veneer , the scratched and worn finish . AND the hat on backwards . WOW I thought it was Peter Green himself !! Man you totally rock that Chinese guitar , and don’t listen to the fools that say you suck . Rock on man !!!

[@davidjeffers68]

100% better! Nice work Marty... ( love listening to your jam while you were building... Nice touch! )

[@brianbeaven698]

Actually, both sets of pickups sounded great , and who cares what Kirk says…. lol Your a much better player then he’ll ever be… Great video Marty , thanks for sharing 🎸

[@mvptarheel299]

Not only does it sound great, it looks like you really enjoy playing it!

[@austing1580]

Got me wanting one lol. Love projects like this. No need for big money to sound good. Just skill and passion

[@davidking2835]

If you have the passion, I GUARANTEE the skill will follow.

[@thelemonademan6235]

I have many guitars and was a friend of Eddie Van Halen's, I own many guitars, expensive ones n the chibsons as well, I honestly can get the same tones and sounds all by adjusting my amp setting's and my pick attack. It's the player 90%, 9% amp, 1 % the guitar ! I don't change the pots or pick ups on the Chibsons , there simply is no need to unless something becomes non functional. Hell my tone knob plastic hat is a bit broken, I just used tape on it, no need to replace that either because it still works the pot n still turns!

[@darrenm5239]

Ya I think I can justify getting one since I did buy a real 59 reissue. I'd like to play with one and change stuff out. I'm not doing anything to my real gibsons.

[@AndyK.23]

Dramatic improvement with the new pots and pickups! Sounds as good (or better) than any Gibson demo out there!

[@smc8144]

I got a Slash anaconda Chibson from a buddy that has all Gibson electronics. I did a fret job and man the thing cooks! People want that guitar when they play it.

[@rogerb.4959]

I would suggest also upgrading the capacitors. Those green mylar .047 capacitors are wrong should be .022 and they are very muddy and dark sounding. If you put in some Mallory, IC/Chicago electric, or Vashay caps that are .022 you will notice a huge difference in clarity and they are more affordable than paper in oil caps. Try them wired either 1950s Les Paul style or 1960s SG style and you will flip

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Awesome thanks for the info man!!

[@greggsteven1028]

You answered my question on the caps, thanks.

[@rangerdoc1029]

I do a pot & cap swap in most of mine. Bourns 500k & .022 orange drop. Makes a bigger difference than swapping pickups. I like the Bourns as they have a nice tension on the knobs.

[@k9er233]

Great advice, thank you sir.

[@iainholmes2735]

Enjoyed the vid. That looks a beautiful guitar. Cheers from London!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks, it is a surprisingly nice guitar. I still own it and it has not changed at all. It was a great buy.

[@kennethhoneycutt4513]

Looks and sounds good my man. I would say you got lucky on those pick up covers sitting over the new one s I was shocked they fit over them so well love the guitar man

[@stopitrightnow12]

I mean, all full size humbuckers are the same size... Unless the covers are bent, any cover will fit over any humbucker which uses the same size pole pieces.

[@smytree]

Very cool man, well done Marty. Cheers!

[@papablue3015]

Very nice! But?? Where's the Gary Moore licks? Mine now looks nothing like Greene! Good job! Thanks Marty 😊

[@Roman-li8zy]

Dude that guitar sounds great. That little chirp as each note is picked is a real turn on for my ears. Hell yeah mang good shit.

[@jonboy4601]

Love the fact you had a chuckle in that middle position 😂😂😂...does sound good. Top job

[@jamesmarcin4787]

Sounds great. How does it feel in your hands compared to one of your real Les Paul's or is there a real noticeable difference? Love the out of phase sound, my 2020 Les Paul Classic does that also it also has coil tap.😀

[@MrJackrockerman]

You are great player !!! The tone of the Les Paul shine with your hands ..

[@sedoyotec]

Sounds definitely nice. But the stock ones sounded pretty good

[@BeesWaxMinder]

I'm not one to complain I'm happy if you're happy but the chances of those covers being Nickle/GermanSilver/etc are very close to ZERO! I have to admit I'm the kind of person who likes to relic guitars and my favourite Les Paul is a CHIBSON that I've done myself However my pet hate is guitars that look good and then don't deliver sound wise ...I much prefer it the other way round and best of all is if they look good AND sound good Basically, anything that gets in the way sonically isn't worth the compromise IMHO Now of course, IF you found those lovely boutique pickups too shrill and bright and they needed taming more than a tone knob could manage then fair enough at the end of the day if YOU like the sound then it's a good sound Thank you for another great video BTW

[@robertcormier242]

What I've learned with the chibson s. Pick ups. Level the frets. Change the nut. Upgrade the pots........the bridge is the tuff one I did a Nashville Bridge those bridges are junk on these guitars. You can get the conversion poles that screw over the ones that come on those guitars because there metric ....but the conversion ones are standard to except the Nashville...do your home work .....ps I put pearly gates on mine👍

[@jonathanvincent6631]

I really love your playing, and your guitar sounds great!! I have a couple of the custom LP"s , with some work and effort put into them, they make great guitars!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Well thanks man!! I appreciate that! True, a little work can make most of these thjngs really fun and solid players 😎🎵👍

[@johnnorth9355]

Was not expecting to be interested much in this but when you started playing I sat up and took notice. Those pups are amazing compared to so many I have heard over the years. Great job.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks! It's got some nice tone. Turned out to be a solid investment!

[@cguitarallday]

You can’t beat that. Chump Change Custom Shop. Who can complain for the money. Very nice sounding

[@Brycereigle2000]

Excellent video (As always)!

[@D.Guitar]

Were either of these sets of pick-ups potted? And if so. Was wax an issue when fitting the covers on. I've had to boil covers once I unsoldered them from potted pickups. And get the wax residue down to a minimum... Also. If you could flow that solder to the pickup base. It's probably a lot better. I have done both. Just squeezed them into covers. And resoldered covers at the same two points to baseplate..

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Not sure about set one. Set two not potted. Custom wound by TNTones.

[@garybrady9531]

I'd buy one of those guitars and the pickups,good tone loved the clean tones you hit a homerun

[@3cardmonty602]

The new pickups sound ballsier than the originals. Gotta love it.

[@DeputyVanHalen5150]

Cool video, I would be excited to gig with this one I think. 😁 Sounds really good on my end. 😎 Was digging the Eric Johnson riffs too man. 😁👍🏻

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks man! I will Gig with it Friday night!

[@DeputyVanHalen5150]

@@Ranch5150SkinWalker Excellent man! Wish that I was in your neck of the woods to see that brother. Good luck, I know that you'll have a killer show. Lot's of face melting I bet. 😁🎸 😲😅

[@bukwok]

it looks like nitro finish , they really up their game , next time maybe see some fret lip chison , for some people if not very familiar with gibson, 3 feet away probably cant tell , usually chison guitar the headstock logo always give it away , always looks a bit odd, but this one the logo place looks ok ,only one thing not right i think is the logo inlay material , thats crazy chison keep improving ,i dont know is good or bad , hope they put their own name on it ,focus on build good guitar rather than focus on accuracy of copy gibson.

[@BackWoodsBillyCraftBeerReviews]

Sounds Great Looks great 👍 ...

[@wilsonjames299]

Sounds wonderful...kill tone and looks for a fraction of the real one. I've got a chibson supreme that thing is awesome phat cat in the neck and a pearly gates in bridge I've always been against buying chibsons it was so cheap it was hard to refuse..I have 2 real les Paul's..they are supreme compared to chibsons..that one worked out really nice for you I'm happy you seem like a good dude..thank you for the great video keep us up dated on the other up grades like bridge keys etc..I may try to get one of those to experiment with. Those pick up made a world of difference..2thumbs up bud thanks..

[@darrenm5239]

I cant believe how good that guitar sounds. I have a real 59 reissue and I can't get that type of sound. I think I need a fractal

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Fractals record amazing. 😎🤟🏻

[@bobbrendel758]

Does it looks like the holes in the bridge pickup cover are not spaced correctly for the screw pole pieces?

[@frednoce3043]

Very nice! I noticed that you didn't pot the new pickups when you reinstalled the covers. Any worries of microphonics?

[@frankinvan]

This was great! Thanks for posting. I would be interested to hear your comments after the pick up upgrade if you have time to post.

[@runningfree4606]

That upgrade sounds good to me. Great work!

[@SHENDOH]

Kirk plays one of those on tour. I'll bet you

[@XXVIIICCX]

i just bought my first chibson, what else should i do besides of switching pickups and send it to a luthier?

[@geraldpinkerton6412]

You asked if you ruined it. I wouldn’t say you ruined it, & I’m not busting on ya, I like you & your channel, but why would you spend money on those awesome hand wired pickups & then put those I’ll fitting covers on them? Honestly, they look terrible. Can’t you adjust the poles to make them fit up through the holes better? Out of curiosity, were the original pickups wax potted? Hope I didn’t offend you. Yeah, it’s a Chibson, but why not go all the way & make it as good as it can be? Once all the upgrading is done & any fretwork or anything or setup is completed, I think you’ll find that these guitars can be quite satisfying. I’ve bought about 10 of them over the last 11 years, & I love them, my Epiphones & my Harley Benton’s so much I ended up selling all my Gibsons! And please, for the love of God, swap out the Chibson trussrod cover for a real Gibson one! The Chinese never get those right! 😆Anyway, the guitar sounds amazing now, keep rocking’ brother!

[@taz4965]

Curious choice pickups? How much were they? Just curious because Gibson sell the greenybuckers for a reasonable price

[@brynjones7371]

Certainly nailed the Greeny tone. A bar of need your love so bad would've been great. Love those new pick ups. Do you think Gibson and more so Epiphone are total rip offs. Your chibson sounded good with the Chinese pick ups the TN pick ups are unbelievably beautiful.

[@jessienidiffer9440]

Marty, great upgrade. I love it. If you get ready to sell it, let me know. I told you how I ruined mine trying to do the complete reliced job. I turned mine into a goldtop. Enjoy

[@VanjaSpirin]

It sounds better than 90% original Gibsons. I would like ti have that guitar,

[@garrobond0017]

Can you become my teacher, what a difference those pickup's did, great video.

[@scottmcmillan7452]

Amazing, blown away on what? $800 bucks all in. Interestingly you never gave your final thoughts. I might need one, I wonder how good the ESP skulls and snakes guitar is? OH Great playing!

[@newmexicosaint]

Great video. Great playing too man!

[@yourselfbch]

Cool thanks for sharing 👍 😀 I have 6 gibsons I've stuck big $ into I love them

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

You're welcome. I have several too. Love them very much!

[@paulburton5150]

Phew! For a minute there I thought you'd scratched KH into the wood! 🤣

[@rjh1469ii]

Nice work! Take it and gig it!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks! Didn't take it last night but it's playing an outside gig with me tonight!!

[@DaveDeline]

I bought one year ago and was wondering if it came with backwards wiring neck pickup. As for comparison to USA gibson,has the weight and maybe changes in setup might help but I like it and no regretting purchase, mine was 307.00 from dh gate.but my 57 junior from Kalamazoo is no comparison.

[@Skullskalle]

How is the wood in these replica guitars? Very soft or is it good?

[@timayris3375]

Dig out the counterfeit logo and replace it with something else and it would be a keeper. New pickups are excellent.

[@diegocollazo4078]

Fantastic

[@theshootindutchman]

Nice picking😄👍

[@MarkSchuster-ym3iy]

i went back to your first video to compare to me the neck sounds a tad muddy. but that could be your settings or it really could be those green caps. . ofcoarse i cant hear as well as if i were in the same room. all in all id be super happy with that ax what are you playing through?

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thanks for watching msn! I use a fractal ax8 for you tube. 👍😎

[@JoeFricker]

what seller did you getthe greeny chibson from, and import taxes?

[@sparkyguitar0058]

People talk about replacing parts on a Chinese guitar is O K. Well when I got my actual Gibson L Paul studio used, it came with the smallest crappyest looking pots and garbage wire I ever seen. CTS 500K pots and Garrett cloth wiring in a 50's style fixed that. And for tuning stability, I changed out the bridge to a Tonespro locking bridge and alum tailpiece, Tusc XL nut and Kluson locking tuners. Alum taped inside the control cavity. Made my own signature series guitar. L O L

[@denmar355]

I’d call that a great swap. It’s a good one now. As long as the neck stays put.

[@bigbasil1908]

I know that guitar neck rest is cork, but it looks like a piece of a broken brick lol

[@Jettblack_]

It looks great,sounds great,but how does it fill compared to a Gibson standard Lp?I was thinking of doing something very similar

[@paulsharp6559]

You should buy a Epiphone Les Paul they sound great right out of the box. I love mine.

[@adriennelee1520]

Love this vid.. I bought one of these also.. so you didn't replace the switch?

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Thank you! Nah no switch replacement. The one in there is good quality. Looks like an all parts one. Very similar to a switchcraft.

[@adriennelee1520]

@@Ranch5150SkinWalker cool.. I have yet to open that .. I have the dime pots, but I too was so surprised at how good it sounded.. I really could not tell the diff between this and the 3199 buck real one I bought.. again.. I like the Chibson better.. lol.. thanks again for your vid

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

@@adriennelee1520 you're welcome!! 😎🤟🏻

[@saleenX02]

Better be careful playing anything from that certain band that Don Felder and Don Henley were in that shall remain nameless. They'll take your videos down!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

True that I was dancing with the devil lol!

[@TomDantzig]

@@Ranch5150SkinWalker are they that OCD and protective over their material from playing just a few bars they will get offended?

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

@@TomDantzig if the bot picks it up it reports it and the publishing company that handles their stuff will demonetize it. Or worse have it removed. I have had several Van Halen lessons flagged. Months after their upload date. And forced to share monitization. And it was a lesson. No actual Audio used from the recording. It's all the publishers.

[@CaptainCraigKWMRZ]

They shall remain shameless.

[@saleenX02]

@@Ranch5150SkinWalker The greeny sounds good btw lol!

[@jamiemorgan4146]

Question, does it feel like a Reissue CS LP? How would you describe the feel of the guitar? Thanks.. I’d ask if it felt like a real burst, but I think that wouldn’t even be in the ballpark. 👍🏻

[@cbcacbca]

I'm wondering why you turned the original neck humbucker round when P Greens was that way when you unboxed the guitar and does turning the pickup round make any difference anyway.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Just mirroring what it looks like now. That's all. 😎☮️

[@chrysostomides88]

great stuff! how come the covers don't squeal on high gain though?

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

I think they would if it was super high gain since they're not potted. But I didn't have it cranking in all fairness. It sounds like I do but it was just room volume. 🤟🏻

[@cbcacbca]

The quality of the routing on the chibson looks better than the routing on my USA Gibson les paul special.

[@ed4008]

The pickups sound great, that bridge pickups killer almost has some tele like qualities to it ..

[@johncartelli]

i love the thought of a Greeny clone..but I hate the fact the Epiphone just used the "Slash" orange color for it...hell, it wouldve been closer if they used their Honey burst color and lightened it.

[@Pere1966...]

Ok! You changed pups to a perfect smooth Aln2 pair.... I saw the stock pickups video ( probably cheap aln 5 or ceramic) and surprising IMHO you were lucky 'cause those agressive harmonics when dist...You've lost now that benefit...ruined? at your Taste!

[@jasonbates2687]

I had that happen with a set of humbuckers I tried to cover, just raise the pole peices.

[@CaptainCraigKWMRZ]

A question. Did you have to adjust the intonation? Did it come spot on? Also, I think the bridge is metric so you may have to replace all of it even the stud inserts in the body. Thanks.

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Intonation was good, not adj needed. Yeh... hard to replace the bridge. Probably all metric. Need another chibson bridge. I think.

[@_H_2023]

I customised my 175 with 50s wiring also changed the capacitors to oil in paper and that made it sound great the only down side is it's heavy (as in weighty.) Just to let your viewers know non of the parts on a Chibson are the same size/fitting as real Gibson parts ie bridge, pots, tail etc and my 175 doesn't fit into a real Gibson case so be shore to buy a Chibson case with your gtr.

[@mrmanontherock]

How’s the neck angle? Is it like Gibson or Epiphone?

[@The_Macaroon]

One of the dorkiest videos on KZbin. And I love it 😊

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Well thanks!! 😂🤟🏻☮️

[@KarlSheridan]

Looks and sounds killer man ☘️

[@danielferrera8773]

Would you please share where did you buy this one? I'm very interested

[@FatalizedGuitar]

Hey amazing video, that guitar looks awesome do you know if it’s finished in nitro or poly? Thanks!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

It looks like nitro. Poly is very thick, and this thing is barely covered in clear coat. Thanks for the compliment and for watching!!

[@mikeoliver198]

Sounds Great.

[@whatwilliswastalkingabout9610]

That old school Marshall stack on the left is sick ..what’s that a super lead head?

[@JasonShanahan-ly2rf]

What site did you go on to get that one ? Sounds great the new hardware. Beautiful job bro

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

It was a seller on eBay. They disappeared a couple weeks after I bought this one. 🤷

[@davidmontes3587]

I managed to get one just before they closed the site been slowly upgrading it also

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

@@davidmontes3587 how is yours??

[@davidmontes3587]

Had to do a little fret work on mine but not bad for what it is

[@rwmalin1194]

Even Though, You are in that Rare Group of Axeslingers With EPIC SKILLZ, That Can Pick Up and Plug In a Six Stringed TURD, And, Make It Sound like You've Got A SUHR In Your Hands, The UPGRADES KICK AZZ MARTY!!! 🤟😎👍👍

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Man ...thanks for the nice comment. I really appreciate it. Thanks for watching too! 😎☮️

[@rwmalin1194]

@Ranch5150SkinWalker My Pleasure Brother.. I just Calls Em As I Sees (Hears) Em... 😎

[@mikedtubey]

Heavenly Tone!

[@Stelly669]

Nah bud it's not right .Forget chibsons get a Gretsch electromatic for a fully sorted guitar

[@kengreer3302]

love those tones

[@electricgypsyblues4761]

There you go right there

[@Crawdini]

TASTY playing !

[@peterfalahee]

I see you added your MP in the back like KH did … that’s a beautiful job did the new pots fit thru the body holes on the face of the guitar with out drilling ?? 😊

[@MarkSchuster-ym3iy]

only thing id change is the caps to orange drops.

[@geoffreylowery9730]

Souds great Bud! Hammett sees this and hell be like Damn! I paid millions and coulda just snagged one for 4 bills! Coulda bought a lot and slurpies and cheese burgers and still jammed out of phase. Bummer.

[@colinmcnab6145]

Hammett paid £500,000GBP for Greeny. Richard Henry a UK dealer acted as broker for the deal.

[@MichaelThomasOflaherty]

It sounds better now

[@brianekholm6100]

Nice Floyd poster!

[@andrewdahlgren4350]

Do you still have the original pickups?

[@strawsparky33]

the screws in the pickups are adjustable!! try raising them to match the covers!

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

I could. That adj the magnets and sound too ... it's pretty close. One cover doesn't exactly line up.

[@jamiesmith1151]

Dimarzio 36th are amazing for greenie tone after mod

[@bigbasil1908]

Shouldn't the neck pickup be upside down? I would imagine if it's meant to be a greeny neck pickup, it was meant to be put in upside down. But obviously you will know a lot more about those pickups you bought than I do

[@Ranch5150SkinWalker]

Yep it's flipped backwards but it sounds like it does be cause the magnets have been reversed in wiring. Like the original. 🤟🏻😎

[@howardthrust]

Definitely some "Glory" goin' on there! Nice work...and I'm sure you aren't arguing with the "lucky factor", either! This git is as good an excuse as ANY to get busy woodsheding some Gary Moore and F/Mac era Peter Green...maybe some Mojo Nixon, too (you know the one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6WbYpWMlspnqrM)!! 🙂

[@adriennelee1520]

I think the big question is would Gary approve.. I say yes

[@wjewell63]

I swear I like the A2 pickups for my ear .,I keep doubting myself but the A5's seem to irritate me in the treble side...keep on rockin man..👍

[@jmartini8875]

Cool. I like it. 😊