epiphone lp 100

[Kramer Guy]

Re: epiphone lp 100


I'm 50/50 on this subject . IMO it would depend on the guitar . I have tried out the Epiphone LP-100 in the past at GC and I feel they're not really that bad for the price. If he wants to upgrade his guitar , well that's his choice . I personally love to mod lower priced guitars and turn them into instruments that can be gig worthy. My Butterscotch tele shown here, is a prime example of my work. I paid $180.00 for it brand new, over 3 months ago but I hated the stock bridge which had the standard saddles on it. It was a ***** to restring seeing that it was a toploader, so I changed the bridge to a gold plated , all steel one, which is a top loader, but with the addition of the more tradition vintage Telecaster 3 barrel saddle design ,which made restringing much easier. That was only going to be the only mod I had planned on doing but as you all can see, I pretty much got carried away and went ballistic on the whole thing. The bridge pup is a Duncan Design TE-101B which is what Squier uses on their Vintage Modified Telecasters. It also has a Sprague .047 Orange cap on the tone pot , Copper shielding tape in the pup & control cavities , new Fender " F " logo neck plate , Fender 1950's Tele String Tree, 1950's Fender Tele waterslide headstock decal, and a new Fender red Tortiseshell pickguard. I had gave this to my son, but he decided that he didn't want to bother with the guitar, so it now is a permanent part of my collection and I now use it regularly with my band.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: epiphone lp 100

I see two sides to this topic.

On one hand, it is good that people can identify problems on guitars and devise solutions. We all had to start somewhere. It is, arguably, better to have performed such experiments on a sub two hundred Dollar guitar than on something worth thousands. We have to make a few mistakes in order to experience what works and what, despite our very best intentions, does not.

There is also the matter of money. How much money is too much to put into a budget guitar project? Is there a point beyond which it is not sensible to go? What proportion of an instrument's MSRP would it be wise to spend on upgrades? When might it have been wiser to simply buy a higher spec guitar to begin with?

Some people on this forum like to draw a distinction between US-made and import products. For them, the question arises, "does an import instrument warrant anything other than an import brand pickup?"

All that I know is, if it sounds right, it is right. Some unlikely combinations turn out to be for the best.

 

[Aceman]

Re: epiphone lp 100

The bottom line is that the cost of the upgrades is more than the cost of a better guitar that likely won't need them out of the gate.

Those of us who do slum and mod (and I'm one of them) do it for fun because we enjoy it. We also tend to have at least one (or more) really nice guitars.

TAke me for example:

73 and 79 Les PAul Standards, with Superdistortion and Duncan Distortion pups.

But I also have a Kaman GTX-36 (Les Paul Custom Copy) that i got in a pawn shop for $150 that will SLAY the LP 100. (currently drilling holes for a third pup in that!) On that, I'm switching tuners, knobs pups, added a new switch....

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: epiphone lp 100

I think we've long since scared off the OP....

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: epiphone lp 100

+1

Just to put this matter into perspective, I spent this afternoon A/B testing active pickups in the pre-owned Ibanez IC-200 that I bought two weeks ago. I have tried a pair of SD Live Wire Classic IIs and three different EMGs. These pickups are all in my home at the same time, looking for a host. So, several hundred monetary units worth of pickups for a guitar costing less than any pair of those pickups would cost - not to mention any booster or EQ accessories that I might add.

Not content with any pairing so far, I am considering purchasing a single AHB-2.

:scratchch

 

[GREEN DAY LP GEEK]

Re: epiphone lp 100

basically i want to make it look like a standard or custom
i would like to put a new head on it because i hate the shape of the epiphone one i want one the shape of the gibson
i also want a fretbord like a custom and probably throw a metal truss rod cover like the one's on ebay with chrome pickup covers

 

[DeathALT.]

Re: epiphone lp 100

Sell it and buy a new one. You will end up destroying the value by modding it, and you can easily get a used Epiphone LP Custom for around $300 or less used.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: epiphone lp 100

It would be a complete waste of time, money, and effort. Either sell it and start over with something light years closer to what you want (for not much more than the LP100 originally cost), or keep it as a beater and start over with something light years closer…

There is absolutely no way on Earth it's worth trying to do all that to an LP100, unless the guitar itself has some sentimental value. A set-neck Epi or Agile, not to mention a used Gibson LP Studio, would be a much, much better place to start. The thing is a bolt-on, mystery-wood guitar that's about half the thickness of a real LP, with dot inlays, and not a scrap of binding anywhere on it. It's only marginally closer to a real LP than a Strat with humbuckers would be.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: epiphone lp 100

You can't polish a turd....unless you cover it with epoxy, wait for it to dry, paint it and then polish that...but underneath, no matter how shiny it is, it will still be a shiny turd.
Just play the crap out of it (pun intended). By the time the guitar needs a refret, you'll be able to tell the difference between a good guitar and a not so good one. At which time, you will probably see the value in a better instrument.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: epiphone lp 100

basically i want to make it look like a standard or custom
i would like to put a new head on it because i hate the shape of the epiphone one i want one the shape of the gibson
i also want a fretbord like a custom and probably throw a metal truss rod cover like the one's on ebay with chrome pickup covers

Fretboard like a custom?

If you want to swap to an ebony board with block inlays to the LP100, either you are going to have a bit of luthier experience or pay someone a lot of $$$ to get it done. By the time you do that, you could have bought a used Gibson LP model (depends on which model based on the deal you can get). The ebony blank for a fretboard alone will cost you about $100, and that isn't even the highest grade, and will have grey/brown streaks. If you like the streaks, then fine, but jet black uniform ebony? You're looking at hundreds.

What many manufacturers will do though is dye the ebony to be uniform (getting rid of the streaks), but then you would also have to buy the correct dye (Fiebings Black Leather Dye is highly recommended), and do the extra work for that/get someone to do it for you. More $$$ wasted.

If you just want the inlays, re-inlaying a guitar is going to be the cost of an entire refret (~$200) , plus inlay material, plus the labor so you're looking at a total price of at the very least ($300).

For the price of a new fretboard and inlays, you'll end up spending more than just buying a Gibson Les Paul Studio. If you want to upgrade all hardware with quality stuff, you are looking at the end price being that of an new Gibson SG Standard. Do you really want to pay the price of a Gibson SG Standard for an Epiphone Les Paul 100 "Custom" that isn't really a custom?

Does the LP100 even have binding on it? I know for a fact it isn't double multiply bound like a real Les Paul Custom. And putting binding on a new guitar is highly discouraged, because most edges have been trimmed with a shaper bit requiring much larger binding channels than normal.

Do yourself a favor and decide whether you are serious about getting a good guitar or fine with what you have. i'm all for modding, I do tons of work myself, but putting so much money into a LP100 is foolish. Remember, the guitar will no matter what be an Epiphone Les Paul 100 no matter what you do to it. If you want a Les Paul for a good price that will last you quite a while, get one of the new LPJs. The SGJ and LPJ are really great guitars and overall a great move on Gibson's part IMO.

BUY ONCE, CRY ONCE.

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: epiphone lp 100

It would be a complete waste of time, money, and effort. Either sell it and start over with something light years closer to what you want (for not much more than the LP100 originally cost), or keep it as a beater and start over with something light years closer…

There is absolutely no way on Earth it's worth trying to do all that to an LP100, unless the guitar itself has some sentimental value. A set-neck Epi or Agile, not to mention a used Gibson LP Studio, would be a much, much better place to start. The thing is a bolt-on, mystery-wood guitar that's about half the thickness of a real LP, with dot inlays, and not a scrap of binding anywhere on it. It's only marginally closer to a real LP than a Strat with humbuckers would be.

+1 to this.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: epiphone lp 100

@ GD LP Geek.

By this point in the thread, you will have noticed that the forum consensus is, mildly tweak yo' Epi LP100 and keep it as a workable fun/beater/backup instrument. Invest the majority of your time, money and enthusiasm into a second guitar - one that better fits the Gibson LP brief.

Either the dunces are in confederacy against you or some of us are confessing to our unwise choices as an example of what NOT to do.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: epiphone lp 100

Yep. I used to have an LP100, and I liked it for what it was. I did a few mods to it, and it wasn't a bad guitar. But it also wasn't a Gibson, a Standard, or a Custom. There's nothing wrong with playing an LP100 if it plays and sounds good to you, but I don't understand the appeal of dressing it (or any piece of gear) up and pretending it's something that it isn't. It reminds me of the guy who took a really, really nice LP copy and did a full-on Hollywood plastic surgery on the headstock so that it had the Gibson shape, inlays, logo, everything. Why? If it's a good guitar that you want to keep and play, why not honor the people who made it, instead of disguising their work as someone else's?

 

[Aceman]

Re: epiphone lp 100

Green Day LP Geek -

Don't take this the wrong way, but at this point I'm just gonna throw down. You have no idea what you are talking about. How old are you? How long have you played?

I'm calling STOP to the insanity. You either have no idea what you want, no idea how to do it or both. You can't even clearly describe the finish you want (binding, inlays, etc...). Just some vague notion of "Like an LP Custom" or some such foolishness. Here is the car analogy: I want to/have a Hundai. I'd like to make it like a Ferrari. FAIL. You can't do it. And even if it could be done you don't have the skill or the money to do it.

I appreciate having low cash. I appreciate having a dream. I appreciate a great Les Paul. But I'm not taking part in this dumb@$$ery anymore. Here is some series life advice, learn it.

"Hey guys, I really want a guitar like a Les Paul Custom. What is the cheapest way I can get there? The block inlays and dark fingerboard are things I really want the most." And then sit back and listen.

We will help you do anything here. And take all the time it takes. But you gotta start somewhere, and in your case, assuming you are not foreign with language issues or mentally impaired, the place YOU need to start is by saying " I know nothing and have $??. Help..."