Is it worth upgrading?

htengz

New member
I own a Epiphone LP Special 2
Made in Indonesia with stock pick-up and tuners!

im beginning to think the tone output is not enough to satisfy me.. :P
also, when i bend the strings, it easily goes out of tune!

so im thinking of changing the 2 humbuckers (to something like seymour duncan), the tuners and the nut.

but is it worth it? or should i upgrade my axe?
 
If you like the guitar's feel, then it's worth it to upgrade. Can this guitar be your main guitar long term or do you think eventually you want a "higher end" guitar (e.g. a Gibson LP)?

If there's something about the guitar that you're fundamentally not satisfied with, then upgrading all the parts will not make you happy. Although it will definitely improve the sound.

You can consider some cheaper pickups like Tesla or buy parts second hand, that's the best way if you're not sure. You can always sell again if it doesn't suit you.
 
What amp are you using? As they always say, much of your tone-output is determined by your amp.
It'd be pretty inaccurate to judge your guitar's tone if you're playing through a small little solid-state amp.

Regarding the strings going out of tune, it might be worth upgrading the machine-heads.
Personally I've swapped out all of mine for locking Gotohs.
On the other hand, make sure the strings are strung properly, improper stringing can lead to them going out of tune.
Old strings, which have lost their equally spaced tension throughout the string, may cause some problems too.
 
carboxy, i am looking at high end guitars but i thought i might wanna upgrade my guitar since its the cheaper option to go! :) but i dont like how the neck doesnt fill the grip area between the thumb and the index finger.. in your opinion, you think i should still go for it?

phil, im using a line 6 spider III 15w. i think its solid state but im not sure 15w is considered small solid state amp.. strings wise, i also made sure its all strung properly! :D how will the machine heads make the strings go out of tune?
 
carboxy, i am looking at high end guitars but i thought i might wanna upgrade my guitar since its the cheaper option to go! :) but i dont like how the neck doesnt fill the grip area between the thumb and the index finger.. in your opinion, you think i should still go for it?

phil, im using a line 6 spider III 15w. i think its solid state but im not sure 15w is considered small solid state amp.. strings wise, i also made sure its all strung properly! :D how will the machine heads make the strings go out of tune?

honestly don't like neck feel the guitar should go. you don't like the grip area.. does that mean the girth is too thick? cos all les pauls have thicker necks. you want a skinny one gotta get something like the ibanez wizard neck or something.
 
is the girth the width of the neck or something?
when i form the C shape holding the neck, the neck doesnt fill up the gaps because its too thin.. :(
 
Well, if you were to upgrade your guitar, how much would you be willing to spend, and if you were to buy a new guitar, how much are you willing to spend. Then we can weigh the options and see which is the more value for money right? :)
 
oh. girth means like thickness, diameter. haha. so it's not thick enough?? first time i've ever heard that problem. ahha yeah. what lemonade said. should say how much you're willing to spend and all
 
carboxy, i am looking at high end guitars but i thought i might wanna upgrade my guitar since its the cheaper option to go! :) but i dont like how the neck doesnt fill the grip area between the thumb and the index finger.. in your opinion, you think i should still go for it?

phil, im using a line 6 spider III 15w. i think its solid state but im not sure 15w is considered small solid state amp.. strings wise, i also made sure its all strung properly! :D how will the machine heads make the strings go out of tune?

Yes, solid state. Yes, 15w for a SS would be what most people consider small. Your amp contributes a huge amount to your overall tone.
Have you ever plugged into anything bigger or a tube amp at a jamming studio, a friend's place or at a shop? You'd be amazed and how difference it sounds.

Machine-heads, also known as your tuner-heads, hold your strings in place, the ones you twist and turn to tune your guitar. Are we talking about the parts?
If it's not strung properly, strings might slip and cause your guitar to go out of tune. If the tuner-heads are not functioning properly, they might slip too.

Machine%20heads.jpg



Neck size, width, girth, profile, whatever you want to call it, is a very subjective matter.
And it's not a matter of what is good or bad.

Speaking a broad terms, because this topic along is enough to write an essay about, thicker necks are usually favoured by blues players, who like more grip and control on their necks. Personally, I like thicker necks simply because they feel better to me, more substantial. They also give me more control when I'm doing big bends. The thickest ones with a deep profile are what some people called the 'baseball' neck profile.
On the other end of the spectrum, shredders generally prefer thin and fast necks. Like the wizard necks on the Ibanez, etc. They facilitate, to some extent, fast passages.

So at the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preferences.
Hope this helps! :)
 
another simple trick is to use a mechanical pencil and colour the nut string slots like siao before putting ona new set of strings. like that then you'll have diy a graphited nut! the strings will be less likely to be caught by friction at these problem areas after bends
 
thanks phil! very informative! i think i'll get a new guitar just for the neck and a more comfortable feel. :)
madWwboy, yeah i use to do that all the time but now it seems that the pencil lead cannot get through the gap that was dug by the strings in the nut. its kinda like a Horseshoe shape now and my pencil leads cant get in ):
 
oh, if your strings have already made a cut into the slots, then it's time to get a new nut. i would recommend the graphite nut by graphtech, but it's currently out of stock the last time i checked at maestro. they said it'll only be in around july.. but you could opt for a cheaper alternative and get a bone nut or a plastic one also can

if your strings are in a deep tight string-cut groove, it will affect your tuning stability and open string tone quite jia lat
 
You're more than welcome!

And maybe if you're upgrading this time, go all out. So you'd not be bitten by the upgrading bug so soon again.
(:
 
Two s.duncan humbuggies ard 120 each so 240 plus ten buck installing. $250
Nut around $50
Tuners $50
Around $350 in total.

Sell ur guitar plus that amount you can upgrade the guitar and change to something u feel better playing.

It may be due to ur guitar lacking a set up too. warped neck etc..

I've weighed out the points. Its all up to you now. :) Hope this helped.
 
thank you! all :) you guys been very helpful! but i've made up my mind about guitar.. i would purchase a new guitar :) probably something that gives me a better feeling.
sometime in the future i think i will still change the nut and do a setup for this back up guitar :)
 
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