Customising Les Paul: opinions & help!
- Thread starter Reth
- Start date
penta-tonic
New member
ok heres the deal reth. when one customises a guitar theres 2 roads to take. u either go the softcore way of customization which is should i say adding a personalized touch by upgrading stuff which can be done without too much of a hassle. and the other path would be to do the stuff which should have been decided at building stage. if u wanna choose option 2 me thinks going to USA custom guitars to assemble a les paul from scratch would be much more cost effecient but it appears to me u dont really know in depth wat u really want (no offence to you) such as neck carve, neck radius, material, neck joint, frets and the different materials for the diff parts such as fretboard. aesthetic wise there is a way lot more stuff u can do such as the bindings u so desire or even inlays and more personalised touches.
ok heres where i would put my input. since u already like this guitar theres more u can do without having to tear u guitar apart. first off, replace the pickups. thats the first way to go. u could also replace the tuners with better ones cos i feel most epi tuners dont hold tuning too well. u could then soup it up by adding push/pull knobs on the guitar to enable coil taps and parallel wiring which would turn ur guitar into an ultra tweakable machine. u might also wanna consider adding graphtech saddles which also aids in preventing string breakage. how about adding a piezo (acoustic sound) option to your guitar? see theres plenty of things u can do to ur guitar which would aid ur playing rather that just merely coping an aesthetic off your favourite star.
hope this helps.
ok heres where i would put my input. since u already like this guitar theres more u can do without having to tear u guitar apart. first off, replace the pickups. thats the first way to go. u could also replace the tuners with better ones cos i feel most epi tuners dont hold tuning too well. u could then soup it up by adding push/pull knobs on the guitar to enable coil taps and parallel wiring which would turn ur guitar into an ultra tweakable machine. u might also wanna consider adding graphtech saddles which also aids in preventing string breakage. how about adding a piezo (acoustic sound) option to your guitar? see theres plenty of things u can do to ur guitar which would aid ur playing rather that just merely coping an aesthetic off your favourite star.
hope this helps.
Reth
New member
Hey, thanks! Yeah, I guess you're right.. Aestetics isn't that big a deal, in comparison with the amount of work needed. I mean, if it was CHEAP, then it wouldn't be a problem.. thanks for all your helps! (;
I'm replacing the pickups with a Duncan Distortion, and later on a Jazz in the neck. But since I only have enough to do one for now($130 for pickup + installation), that would leave me with the stock pickup in the neck! The question I'm asking now is, if the cover were to be removed from the neck pickup, would the pickup be nice and clean, or would it be covered in wax, since its "double vacumme-waxed". Also, are the stock pickups white or black in colour?
TTHHANNKK YYOOUUU. sorry for any frustration caused
Oh, my lp came with grover tuners, not epi ones, so they hold up pretty well
I'm replacing the pickups with a Duncan Distortion, and later on a Jazz in the neck. But since I only have enough to do one for now($130 for pickup + installation), that would leave me with the stock pickup in the neck! The question I'm asking now is, if the cover were to be removed from the neck pickup, would the pickup be nice and clean, or would it be covered in wax, since its "double vacumme-waxed". Also, are the stock pickups white or black in colour?
TTHHANNKK YYOOUUU. sorry for any frustration caused
Oh, my lp came with grover tuners, not epi ones, so they hold up pretty well
removing pickup covers isn't that really hard of a job. even if there's wax residue since it's potted those can be wiped/flaked off. They are hard and dry like a candle. Beeswax usually.
Now putting the covers back and repotting it would be a different story. Not that difficult but much more troublesome if you happen to like the pickups covered in the end.
Personally I would keep the pickups covered. Feel that white/black bobbins would look horrible in an ebony body with chrome hardware 8)
Now putting the covers back and repotting it would be a different story. Not that difficult but much more troublesome if you happen to like the pickups covered in the end.
Personally I would keep the pickups covered. Feel that white/black bobbins would look horrible in an ebony body with chrome hardware 8)
penta-tonic
New member
nah wat holds it is solder. its just that when its potted the wax gets all over so when u remove the cover theres bound to be wax all over but nothing a little chipping away cant do. but likewise id say to reth keep the covers. they scream class. also taking away the covers would alter the sound abit though take note this is second hand info as ive not tried it myself.
Reth
New member
The wax is just used to eliminate microphinics, if that's how you spell it..
Anyway, thanks for your advice guys.
Hmm, penta-tonic; How does it alter the sound? You took them off, then put them back on before?
Hehe, I've edited some images, took the open coils off a LP Classic:
What do you think of it?
Anyway, thanks for your advice guys.
Hmm, penta-tonic; How does it alter the sound? You took them off, then put them back on before?
Hehe, I've edited some images, took the open coils off a LP Classic:
What do you think of it?
Everdying said:i wouldnt mind a LP that looks like this.
i call it the LP Heart Attack, guranteed to kill off a few LP traditionalists here and there
Actually its nice in a way, being simplistic and all. A no brainer-just rock guitar.
It might be good to keep the covers on, especially if you want to sell it in future. Might be too much trouble to put it back and some people are picky about it being stock.
IMO it looks good with the covers on.
Removing the pickguard is also a stylistic option.
Reth
New member
eugen3 said:
Yeah, I also experience some feedback, at high gain. I guess stocks just doen't work for everyone..
Everdying; haha, looks cool! Really straight-forward..
Hmm, I like output! But if i change the pickups, and still want the covers on, would I have to wax-pot it again? Cause i think there would be some space in between the new pickup and the cover..
I guess it's all about personal preferance?
More edited images!! What do you think? Of the 2?
1st one - With gold speed knobs and pickguard:
2nd one - stock knobs and no pickguard. (edited colour of a blue LP Classic hehe):
Photoshop is a good thing!