Modifying an Epiphone Les Paul Special | Mythos Mods

[@4vinylsound]

Would have been nice to of heard it originally out of the box first to have an a b comparison

[@Gma7788]

He's a very sick guy. Clearly not appropriate for social media, cause he's antisocial.

[@IronheadStakebreaker]

Nothing changes so he left that clip out.

[@4vinylsound]

@@IronheadStakebreaker If nothing changes then why modify it.

[@werewolflover8636]

@@IronheadStakebreakerWrong!

[@gringogreen4719]

I would say check out other reviews but to be honest, the stock parts and pickups are fantastic. I would recommend playing with the screw heights on the pickups as that can add more clarity without swapping the pickups. You can enjoy this guitar stock for decades as is.

[@AmatHour]

Epiphone be like we gave you cts pots and you still ripped them out lol

[@fancykarlmarx]

Yea, I don’t get it. Those Epiphone pickups sound great too.

[@powdermnky007]

Cts pots aren't as good as they used to be. (just repeating what i've heard from some very knowledgable people).

[@JeremyToy]

the stock pickups in mine sounded very muddy. I gave them a good go but couldn’t stand them. A good set of pickups really helps the feel of the special in terms of dynamics and expression

[@pharmerdavid1432]

@@JeremyToy Lower them down then - it makes a HUGE difference! Maybe change the pots too?

[@bricktop201]

I’ve got the Epiphone SG Special with the same pickups and wiring, changing them is the last thing on my mind with that guitar. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with them, sounds every bit as good as good as my ‘77 Les Paul Special and my ‘55 Les Paul Junior.

[@user-jb4um9tl8d]

Loved the video Zach, only one thing I would disagree with. Fralins are nice, but the Seymour Duncan P-90's made mine a killer machine!

[@brenthorrocks]

I love the trick of using a pedal housing as a holder for the switch while you do the soldering!

[@MythosPedals]

Save those blems!

[@Aokitadamitsu]

Zack does A LOT of soldering I am thinking, he likely knows more tips and tricks then he could cover in a 1hr video LOL

[@tone1798]

Definitely sold! Always wanted a special! This machine sounds deluxe! Thank you Zach for sharing and showing us the process!

[@thekevinjsim]

I really appreciated the explanations you gave on what you were doing, and I was very impressed with how it sounded in the demo.

[@mboyer68]

That towel / knob pull technique is really good, thank you!!

[@richsackett3423]

The proper tool is like five bucks. You’re welcome. Get ahold of yourself.

[@richardclark.]

Towels free. Thx. Get over yourself.

[@anthonypyanoe6452]

Love fralin pickups. I did an electronic/pickup upgrade with them in my Revstar and really brought the guitar to life. Thanks for sharing the process of making a good guitar great!!! Really enjoyed the tool recs

[@michaeld.mcclish]

I used them too. I put a set of matched Fralin p90's in one of the new Melody Makers, plus new pots, paper caps, and 50's wiring, completely changed the sound, I love it!

[@Corporations8MyBaby]

Remember, if you are young and have a band ... or are training to be a hired gun, and want to tour, something like this is ideal. The poly paint makes it less sensitive to temperature changes. If it gets damaged or stolen it's not hard to replace and you can insure this to the value of replacing it so all the after market parts and labor can be part of the valuation. This is a GREAT way to tour safely... while playing a guitar you LOVE.

[@jonathanhandsmusic]

Great video! I got one of these when they came out in 2020. I swapped out the bridge for a tone pro’s vintage style, and the posts too, getting the Philadelphia Luthiers ones like Zach used here. After polishing frets and linseed oil on the board, it’s a damn good guitar.

[@WilliamFeryll]

This was a splendid video! Very well done in all regards. Cheers to you and Mythos pedals!

[@Bruce-gb1be]

I am old and probably couldn't do this, but it's a really cool video. Nice to see how this all works.

[@mrskullman40]

This was a great video Zach, educational and enjoyable! Looking forward to your soldering tutorial vid as well

[@ivan_emege]

My favorite Les Paul, light, honest and straight guitar, like a Tele. I’ve got the ‘57 reissue Gibson custom shop Special, pricey but a world of feeling and tone different than the Gibson regular one and of course the Epiphone version. Thanks for the video!

[@ianchappell2907]

I've down a similar route with mine, the electrics are absolutely fine and the pickups are more than good enough but to get the best out of it switch wiring to 50's. Far cheaper and well worth doing first before spending loads on new pickups and wiring loom.

[@sleekslush]

Agree a million percent

[@GabeHelma]

Hellyeah thats my 1st mod to any guitar i get! I love to swap out the pickup magnets with roughcast A5s too. I have even swapped out ceramics in high gain pickups with them and it always seems to be an improvement. For my playing style at least.

[@neelpatkar3446]

Awesome video! Learned a lot that I didn’t know I needed. Very useful tips. Thanks guys!

[@Ryan_Q3L]

I updated pots and pickups in my Epiphone Les Paul limited edition standard years ago-to this day, it plays as good if not better than other more expensive guitars I own.

[@MatzeMaulwurf]

What Pickups do you use?

[@Ryan_Q3L]

My Epiphone LP has Bare Knucle True Grits and my Gibson LP has Bare Knuckle Nailbombs. Both are excellent. @@MatzeMaulwurf

[@mrrootytooty5797]

Yeah i think i want some new ones!

[@TheBhannah]

Thanks for showing this upgrade !

[@house-o-twang]

Awesome bang for the buck guitar! I didn't replace the electronics, just bought the Epi connector from Ebay & swapped in Monty's P90's. Cheers, J

[@NoahRichardHarris]

really enjoying these build videos!

[@WhitAnderson70]

Snow day video! Excellent.

[@ryansloan575]

Great video! The Epi sounded amazing in every position.

[@cometsuch]

This was really good information! Thanks for sharing.

[@MarcCarriage121]

I live in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, and I have been purchasing a lot of tools from Philly luthier tools for some years now. In many ways it's cheaper than StewMac, but I have to say StewMac has some awesome stuff as well . Their over wound humbuckers ( specially the neck position) are incredible. I do up all of my guitars electronics in the 50 wiring . I tried the other wiring options and I wasn't impressed. To each their own . Good luck to you guys there with your new store . Hope everything works out for you . Many blessings and rock on ,🎸

[@Mark_B585]

I just wanted to say this video really educated me thank you

[@zmix]

Those one piece aluminum wrap around bridge / tailpieces from Philadelphia Luthier Supply are fantastic - Gibson got that design right the first time back in the 1950s, notes really sing on those bridges.

[@Victinfien]

phil luth also sells the made in Germany ABM bell brass adjustable wraparound bridge

[@Chunky_PB]

Just picked up this exact guitar recently, cheap. It's a '22 model & mint as new. My first adventure into the P-90 world. My first thought was I'll throw some Lollars in it if the stock pick-ups are crap. Pleasant surprise, they're not! Play with the height before you start chasing tone & tossing $$ down that rabbit hole! Good video sir, I'll be using your links to pickup a fret file and erasers. IMO all this guitar really needs is the frets ends dressed a little and a higher polish job, & set-up to taste as normal of course. Electrics seem fine, tuners OK (so far), finished very nicely (though I'm admittedly not a poly fan). Not much to hate on this guitar, pretty dang solid, especially at this price! Do it some justice and run it through a sweating tube amp to find out where it really likes to live! Thanks for the video, cheers!

[@KozmykJ]

I recently bought a Harley Benton DC Junior and I was pleasantly surprised at the fret end finish and rolled fretboard. I wouldn't have complained if there Had been some catchy fret ends But NO they are as smooth as could be. £166 amazing value.

[@mattj1341]

I own one of these and I love it so much, the thing plays like a dream. Awesome video and tricks

[@mrrootytooty5797]

Great guitar...amongst the very best for the cash! I actually dont really like the pickups though, dunno if thats just me but i think i'll be swapping mine out at some point :)

[@colinjohnston5870]

Super video. Fret rounding was great - don’t see that in many videos. Totally changing out the pots and wiring and telling what they are and where you got them was on point. In fact, the whole wiring portion of this was good. Auto-focus is a blessing and a curse, haha.

[@benoftroy]

loved this vid, looking forward to more stuff like this on the mythos channel. thanks!

[@bretspangler8717]

I do this with each new guitar I get, a year or so after my first tune-up I need to revisit the fret ends, maybe I missed some or have a little fretboard shrinkage. My Indian Laurel was much darker than the ads Epiphone was running, I used lemon oil, which keeps them nice and dark.

[@benallmark9671]

Lemon oil also drys the fretboard out. Lemon oil to clean linseed oil to hydrate and darken. I had to learn this the hard way.

[@gringogreen4719]

I have one of these. The mods I made are to replace the capacitors with Orange Drops, a 22 on the neck and a 47 on the bridge. I replaced the original bridge with a Wilkinson wrap around with the G and B string slide. I replaced the knobs with witch hat knobs, the switch tip with a Gretsch style metal tip and put on my Dunlop strap locks. I also added a pinup girl behind the bridge too. I was going for a 70s-esque vibe on the guitar Dennis Denell played on the video for "When The Angels Sing" by Social Distortion. It's worth mentioning that I waited 26 years for Epiphone to release this guitar in this version. For the stock pickups I raised the screw heights a bit to my sonic taste to open up the performance of the stock pickups. Adjusting the screw heights on P-90s, humbuckers, or Filtertrons can make an overall difference in the sound, usually adding more clarity. It's also 100% reversible. Do this on pickups you already have if they have screws, you may find what you are looking for already in there before you replace pickups.

[@KonicaHexanon]

How is the Wilkinson bridge working for you in terms of tuning stability? I'm looking for getting the exact same bridge.

[@gringogreen4719]

@@KonicaHexanon No issues, so it works as advertised. I prefer the feel of the bridge to stock lightning bar models. I have three Epiphone wrap around models (bolt on Special with P-90s, an SL that's been converted to a Nashville High Tuned guitar, and my Epiphone Les Paul Special in TV Yellow) and all three have the same Wilkinson bridge on them. Feels better and I have no major tuning issues. It's worth noting that all three have been set up and twerked by me and my luthier friend so that usually minimizes stability issues.😉👍✨

[@mikegaudet6264]

i took a squier strat classic vibe and put eric johnson pickups in it the same way robbie robertson did to his , sound and plays fantastic and beautiful also.

[@michellewilson8845]

Very watchable nice delivery and pace of tuition

[@brianseneca3546]

cool video and nice upgrades. as long as you are not spending the difference of buying the USA Gibson. When I sold Gibson and Fender in the early 2000's, Mexican made Fenders were around $350-$400. An American Strat in black was $799 at that time. With a hardshell and better overall quality then (Mexi Fenders have gone up big time in quality since) Guys would say to me "I am not paying $800 for a strat. Then they would put new pick ups, new harness, tuners even different pick guards. So their $400 Fender now cost as much or more than buying the American Standard. I know prices have changed, but I think the USA Gibson is around $1700 so I am sure you are nowhere near that with the upgrades. My former bandmate had this guitar. We tracked with it. Stock, no mods and it sounded fantastic! Enjoy

[@wadesummers4102]

Nice. I did a similar project on an 2011 Epi LP Jr. - Hanging in our local shop, I kept playing it and it felt great in my hands. Single P90 up-grade, premium wiring loom, nut and Kluson style vintage tuners with white buttons - gotta have the white buttons. Great little guitar now.

[@MichaelMakowski2006]

I own an Epiphone LP Special just like this - bought it a year ago for $359.00 on sale. I love it! Best value I've ever realized I think, lol. Big question I have, is how much did the components for this upgrade cost? I'm a bit lazy, and could figure it out, but thought I'd ask anyway. Been thinking of upgrading the pickups - all else seems to suit my needs as it sits otherwise. Cheers - Big Mike

[@sebastianmedina1234]

the pickups themselves will definitely get you close to $300 alone. All these mod components probably totaled close to $500, so the modifications exceed the price of the guitar itself. Hope that helped

[@markhammer643]

Two recommended mods to the electronics: 1) It drives me up the wall that manufacturers have been using the *same* tone cap values for neck and bridge tone controls for the last 70 years. Name me ONE player who switches to their bridge pickup when they want a duller darker sound. And yet the tone cap value somehow aims for that. I recommend changing it to a value roughly 1/4 to 1/5 the original value. So if it was .022uf, change it to .0056 or even .0047uf. This will let that tone control "sand down the edges" of the bridge pickup tone without ever making it dull and dark. 2) I cannot recommend, highly enough, the "half out of phase" (HOOP) mod, that Bill Lawrence invented. Normally, putting a bridge and neck pickup out of phase results in a thin nasal tone with a big volume drop. Overlap in spectral content produces those cancellations, but so does equal level. Players of dual-pickup guitars that have dual volume controls, in addition to phase-reverse, will know that adjusting the volume of either neck or bridge, when in opposite phase, will bring the level back up. The HOOP mod, used well in the old Fender Jerry Donahue Telecaster, simply shaves off some of the bass content of the neck pickup, when phase is reversed; restoring it when the pickups are put back in phase. In that guitar, it results in a tone strikingly similar to neck+middle on a Strat, without any middle pickup or volume drop. I've installed it on several of my guitars and it can do just that. BUT, I also installed it on a dual humbucker guitar. It obviously can't replicate Strat tone on an HB-equipped guitar, but it does add another distinct N+B tone that is *very* usable, without any nasal qualities or volume drop. I see no reason why implementing it on a dual P-90 guitar would not expand the available tonal palette. Probably most easily installed by use of a push-pull tone pot for the neck pickup, to do the phase-switching. Personally, I find a .01uf series cap shaves off the right amount of bass in phase-reverse mode, but feel free to experiment.

[@chriswebb383]

My bridge pickups don't sound dull in any of my Gibsons lol

[@mikelaffey5159]

I have same guitar. It ROCKS right out of the box but WOW...even BETTER with your upgrades!

[@Youtubemademeaddahandle]

I also like to set the pickup heights for equal output volume (with a decibel meter - NOT just by ear) between pickups & high string to low string.(for each pickup) with the neck pickup about 3/32 from the bass string (pressed down onto the highest fret). The bridge pickup height can then be lowered or raised, if volume differential is desired.

[@endorphinstudios2023]

I have the bolt-on version of this Epiphone. It's not my best guitar but it's one of my favorites. Lightweight and stays in tune.

[@jarredhicks]

Great way to end the work week! Thanks fellas, fun to enter into the Mythos world!

[@doc_matter]

You can use that wrap around tailpiece with offset studs and still have some decent intonation like all the jrs and specials were back in the 50s, but that epiphone having equidistant studs, the lightningbar is ideal for intonation, Good video regardless!

[@IronandWire]

My thoughts exactly! Why would you replace everything and not but on a proper bridge?

[@doc_matter]

I was totally with him agreeing with every mod tell that last one at the very end, silly lol. He did it for it being "vintage correct" however it is a Vintage correct tailpiece, but incorrect application,

[@sixpicker82]

Do they make a lightning bar in aluminum that is better than stock??

[@johnmoua235]

I love this guitar…I have a few les Paul’s including a Gibson and I always pick up this guitar…the p90s are just so good…it plays great. I would like to up grade a few things as well, but I’m loving this axe. Rock on 🤘🏼

[@deanmccaskill5495]

Bought a fairly expensive pedal last year and got it home to find out it was defective. Brought it back and noticed a Special on sale so I think for the pedal return and 30 bux I was out the door with it. I own all Gibsons but until I buy it’s big brother these are great! Unlike my grammar and sentence structure sorry. I do have a yellow Jr Gibson single though. That thing is a beast!

[@pjacques123]

So much great general upgrading information as well! Thank You!

[@svtman93]

Very cool video. I have an original 1956 Gibson Les Paul Special, as well as a 2019 Gibson USA Les Paul Special. It's interesting to see the differences, especially how different the original TV yellow finish from the 50's is compared to Gibson's "modern" recreation of it. Slightly better on the custom shop's i've seen but still not perfect. Maybe one day they will get it perfect. I love these Epiphone's as well. I had one but never thought of modding it before I sold it. You may have inspired me to find another haha. I ordered some cool parts from the link in the thumbnail. Great video!

[@tomfoolery2082]

Like how u did the cardboard to mark the pot placement. Ill do tht nxt time . U reccomended a hakko soldering station to me long time ago . Got it and still love it . Boys n girls whatever Zach says , do it . Hats off to u sir .

[@Fenn2b]

This was way more informative than you think. My buddy is a soldering phenom, might have to pair up with him so on an epiphone someday soon

[@dcaudio1]

I just bought one of these in new condition....this guitar stock as a rock is very nice. I will end up changing the pickuops but truthfully these are pretty nice as is...The frets are not bad either but they do need a little round over but as is they are fine.The tuners are nice...it plays great honestly.....

[@elatiumband]

What a fun, informative video. The polishing cloth knob removal trick is great! Thanks!

[@Frettedchaos]

Huge improvement! Sounds incredible guys.

[@A10011]

Is there a before and after comparison? I may have missed that.

[@Frettedchaos]

He played it stock a few videos back when they went on a guitar safari of sorts.

[@A10011]

Thank you@@Frettedchaos

[@Frettedchaos]

You’re absolutely welcome!

[@billreynolds2221]

Have the epiphone and love it as is. An amazing guitar for the money right out of the box. It took a while to make the transition from worshipping the name on the head stock to getting real value for my investment.

[@coolspring8749]

This video is outstanding! The chopstick trick was hysterical. I think I have a twin brother by another mother. Excellent!!!!!

[@johnaurentz4699]

I did all of these upgrades but the #1 upgrade not done here was a set of Gibson Deluxe White Button Tuner Set. Made tuning stable. I also shielded the pickup and control cavity, Bone nut and Vitamin Q caps instead of MOJO but both are PIO caps.

[@MythosPedals]

Mine holds tune very well with the stock tuners

[@Thirsty_Deer_Studio]

Really cool video Zach. Very informative and makes me more confident about doing some maintance and mods

[@clausbjerregaard3815]

Best and most informative DIY guitar upgrade walk thru ever. My hunt for a - lightweight - Epiphone LP Special is on...👍!

[@spotmfd9431]

Thanks I have a set of custom wound p-90s for around 4 years that i have not used. Have been thinking about doing something like this for a while with a less expensive guitar as my Gibson special sounds great.

[@John_2Much_Coffee]

Great video. I want to do a project like this sometime. As soon as I saw a chopstick I got hungry. Watched your video, then ordered some Sushi..... Cheers!

[@salmonti9707]

Soldering demo was very good. I know how to solder, but I love learning new tricks. Very well done !

[@ChadwickRider]

10:45 ... brilliant, using this method on my next wiring job, which will be a thinline tele.

[@Ten80pete]

Wow... Now, take this for what it's worth, coming from someone who has only been modding his guitars for maybe 2 years. In this one video, Zach provided more helpful tips and tricks than I have picked up in those 2 years. The chopstick and the Cap leg bend are going to save me a good 15-30 minutes of work, and closer to an hour of muffled swearing and stress the next time I upgrade one of my instruments.

[@RevGary]

You didn't have ability to think that for yourself really??

[@phillipasby9202]

Really great clear video! Thanks for sharing this! Next up a basic soldering video because damn you’re good at it :)

[@macguy3049]

Great video. Couple tricks I hadnt seen before 👍

[@BuckyCrittenden]

Love this episode! Great guitar show! 👍

[@mikedegrazia]

Got that same guitar a while back, plays real nice, needs a good once over like this, love the bulletproof set up. It is hard to beat.

[@kurtweiand7086]

Very well done, l use to do similar work on my guitars! But now l just watch others do it! Epi's are a good choice for this type of mod!👍

[@eddierosales1680]

Nice work. I dig your mission to Pluto moonswatch

[@MarkPhelps-c2g]

FWIW: Mostly just for fun (I'm primarily an acoustic player) I did some mods on a nice little Special II that landed in my lap for $50 - with already-upgraded pots. I added Grover tuners, a replacement bridge, bone nut, and did some fret-dressing work - I had a lot of fun. But the thing that surprised me the most was the simplest. I took Scotchbrite to the back of the neck to cut back the glossy sheen to a more matte finish. I'm still surprised at how much smoother it feels sliding my hand up and down the neck. Maybe I just have extra-sweaty palms (don't judge me), but it made the guitar noticeably more playable for me.

[@rdmkeytohwy]

Thank you so much for taking us on this journey with you. While I would leave the CTS pots in there I am sure these upgrades add up to making this a great guitar. The pickup swap alone was probably the game-changer. Epiphone stock pickups are not bad but the Fralins are much better. Many guitarists think that Fralin’s P-90’s are the best on the market. Such a cool guitar. I think I am going to sell some gear and get one. This guitar is so close to the Gibson counterpart it kind of makes more sense to get the Epiphone. Spend more money on a good amp…..or some pedals. I know a guy……😂

[@GC-ji3ye]

Philadelphia Luthier is my go-to for TOM/stop and wrap bridges on my gibsons. Usually the first upgrade I do with a new set of string after the set up. Sounds great.

[@jmc1186]

Dude you rock. You explained (and demonstrated) how to wire a Gibson sooooooo much better than anyone else. You took into account I am a dumb dumb who has never done it before and I appreciate that more than you know!! I request you help me understand the witchery that is Stratocaster wiring 😅 lmao thank you!!!

[@Fatherflot64]

Love the soldering technique!

[@sashguitars_com]

Smart approach! Lots for learning.

[@hunterstrasser]

Loved all of this. Been thinking about hot rodding one of these and it was great to see everything you did!

[@josephkingston9252]

I modified a special 2 epiphone, new gold plated pickups, new oak veneer front and back stained, sounds so great, had to use a heat gun to get the old coating off, and was shocked to see it was originally made with 2- 3/4 thick pieces of plywood glued together.

[@mikesalmo]

You did a great job of being thorough and keeping it fun. This covered about everything that’s easy to do at home except setup and there’s plenty of videos on that. Everything you did except the pickups are pretty cheap upgrades that make most guitars better. That Epi had surprisingly nice pots and jack. Low end Fenders and my old Epi Les Paul had ALPS clones and the flimsiest jacks I’ve ever seen. Such a weird corner to cut… maybe $5… but everyone has to make their money I guess. I got into this stuff from buying inexpensive guitars like this. Now I’m better at working on them than playing them 😂. But I still love watching people work. There’s not 1 right way to do anything and I pick up ideas most of the time.

[@mikesweeney1435]

I love watching upgrade videos, thanks

[@jeffdavidson3975]

That was awesome! One day I’ll get the stuff to upgrade my 20 year old epiphone and I’ll rewatch when I’m not at work to learn how to do it.

[@mykeharrison8353]

Holy god - that sounded so good!

[@mennowokke2965]

That’s awesome, great video! Keep it up guys!

[@kevinoconnor338]

Such a good video. I love stuff like this.

[@madgeniusmusic]

Great video. I've just found your channel. I've got one of those guitars and they're great, I already did the frets and fingerboard stuff but am now considering a wiring harness and pickup swap too.

[@BGTsoundandvision]

Thank you. I have to go thru fixing a guitar I have and this is very applicable to what I need to do.

[@edwardgordon4309]

Thanks for the video. Can you give a sticker price on the cost to upgrade?

[@ohiorunwithme]

That’s a beautiful guitar. You knew it had greatness at the music store. Mid position was such a nice clear and fat sound. Can’t wait to finish my masters. I’ll get something with P90s. This was a neat eye opener. I play a Larose JM. previously played a Joe Pass Epiphone hollow body. I threw some Lollar Low winds in it. Sounded so good.

[@badbrad]

Those pickups do sound good!

[@JohnMcGFrance]

Interesting and very informative. Thank you. I think I might use a bridge with individual saddles for intonation but otherwise I’ll be following the video.

[@ziggyscoob466]

Great video! I love the chop stick trick.this will help me alot with my soldering.thanks!

[@GEH-vw4hm]

Awesome!! Cheers from Brazil Zack!!

[@tpap6827]

Great video. I sort of went through it quickly. Although I have been playing for 40 years not as my occupation but with professional diligence (daily practice routine typically focusing on keeping acquired lead chops, vibrato and bending precise with clean articulation, relaxed tension free hands and arms, good posture, acquiring a new skill or improving a technique that I don't use often when I gig (Travis picking, bebop improvisation, flamenco or classical for example), jamming over backing tracks, loops, chord work and theory and then writing and having fun. I typically spend between 10-30 hours per week maybe taking 2-3 weeks off per year not intentionally but as life happens. Interestingly, I only recently (last month began learning to set up my guitar (adjust action, truss rod, intonation). So far so good but I am no where near the level of doing serious fretwork (like a re-fret) or installing new electronics. Having said that I am interested in learning and this video was a great introduction. You may have compared the before and after tones but I didn't catch it. I know just from the fralin pick ups (I tend to have my more traditional guitars modified using Fralin pick ups-his Pure PAFs that a tech put on my Gibson LP Standard are wonderful as are his p90s on my Gibson SG). I would be interested to know what the total cost of upgrades were compared to the price of a stock Epiphone and stock Gibson. I would also be interested in total time in personal labor. Perhaps you mentioned this but I missed it.

[@Jeffy2n]

Hi there. While I own 4 Epiphone LP's, I also have 2 Gibson's. I have a Les Paul special in TV yellow, it's a Gibson and I picked it up brand new with case for 1299.00. Mine already has the 50 wiring, the right pots, Gibson 50's P-90's, Kluson deluxe tuners, real rosewood board, great frets and all the great switchcraft stuff right out of the box. I can't imagine that and if you add in a hard case that you didn't spend about the same, it comes down to if you had to sell it, all that work and parts would net you 0 dollars for resale, while mine will only go up in value. I have a 2009 1959 Epiphone reissue, their first attempt at a reissue, it has the same custom shop electronics the Gibson had, even better frets, but it had a horrid buzzing that turned out to be the import Kluson style tuners, I replaced them with real Kluson's and have had no other issues. It really is a great guitar. My point here is, it's kind on a false economy to think that doing all the upgrade work will net you a guitar that will be the same as the American counterpart. It maybe a better guitar, but still not the same.

[@bldallas]

Great video; nice upgrades. The guitar sounds awesome. I think I’d also put a set if locking tuners on it and possibly a bone or graphite nut. Epiphone and Squire are both putting out some great guitars for the money, I’ve done the same type of upgrades to both a new Squire 60s CV Strat and a new 60s CV Tele. With Fender American pups, the upgrades cost me between $300 and $350 per guitar. I spent quite a bit of time on the frets, too, and now both guitars quite literally feel/play/sound as good as my American Fender guitars. Fun projects, too. Thanks for the video; cool stuff.

[@joen3992]

Cut a bone nut cause the ones Epiphone uses binds up. Then change them awful crappy tuners. Now we got a gorgeous playing, staying in tune guitar for gigging and playing live. Love the video Bro...

[@californiawinetv]

Hey Zach, first off, I am grateful for all you do. I love the Golden Fleece and all of the great content you provide so generously. Did you replace the bit on that Epiphone? Dying to know because that seems like the Achilles heel on mine. Thanks again brother.

[@robyates136]

Excellent video. Thanks.

[@CustomTele52RI]

OMG I've been modding guitars for years and the cardboard template tip is pure GOLD - thanks! 🙂 Would have been great to hear new electronics with stock pickups to see how much difference the wiring and electronics alone really make. Maybe there's already a video on that . . . P.S. - I used a quality Saman Dark Walnut stain on the Indian Laurel fretboard of my Epiphone '59 Les Paul and it looks *just* like rosewood now 👍

[@mikemoir4944]

It sounded really great with that open e chord just how you want it too.

[@coryburns13]

rock on man, I'm doing this same sort of thing on an Epiphone 335 (dot)...seth lovers, all new electronics, total setup and dressing...the works. I traded a couple cheap guitars i never play for this one so I'm not into it much and it should be way better after.

[@MythosPedals]

That’s great! Nothing like a fun project guitar.