Incoming: NGLPD

[ItsaBass]

New green Les Paul day coming soon. Epi Les Paul Muse, which uses the "new" gigantic open book headstock

Put together a package with this, an SKB soft case, and two special order DiMarzio pickups in my Sweetwater cart. Asked my salesman for a package deal, and he shaved about 10 percent off. That's enough for me, since I gladly would have paid full price.

I have some minor plans for this one. Nothing crazy. But I could not resist the sage green metallic color with a black back.

All I will be doing is putting zebra DiMarzios in (which are actually the traditional zebra, not reverse zebra, like Duncan "zebra" is), black pickup rings, black pickguard, black switch indicator ("poker chip"), black knobs, and dyeing the fretboard black. Maybe a tuner swap down the line, so that it has keystones or classic white butterbean buttons.

I had Sweetwater slot the nut for 12s with a wound G, and set up with 11s with plain G. They are also softening the fret ends. IME, with those two changes, the current Epis play very well.

As for the ProBuckers, I like the neck model quite a lot in both positions, but the bridge model is too hot IMO. It actually sounds better in the neck position to me, believe it or not. If you're going to be an overly fat and smooth sounding pickup, might as well do it in a position that I switch to in order to get fatness. I don't like overwound bridge pickups; they muddy up the bridge position. I want snap, clarity, and "stringiness" from the bridge position, and I don't care if it means the pickup has to be a little bit quieter in order to get it.

Based on my experiences with these pickups (which I do actually like in my V, once I swapped their positions), I knew I wanted something else this time. I got a PAF Master Bridge (7.69K, A4, output 278) for the neck position, and a PAF '59 neck (8.2K, degaussed A5, output 202) for the bridge position. Both were ordered with long legs, braided/shielded leads, and "glossy vintage" (i.e. butyrate) bobbins. Nice that you can special order any PAF style pickup with these "vintage" components without much extra charge.

 

[Top-L]

I like it. But I wouldn't buy anything for less than 15% off. It's not too hard to get mf to cave and offer 15, just tell them you can get it elsewhere.
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ive got a deal lined up for 19.5 on a new esp m1000. Told them mf was doing 15 + 8 cash back, they came back 19.5. still undecided but I may pull trigger tomorrow.

Don't need a coupon. They always deal.

That's one reason I hate dealing with Sweetwater. Your sales engineer is harder to hard bargain. If you call mf and get a stick, hang up and call back..you'll get someone else. Call zzounds, ams, pas see who will deal. If you tell them mf is doing 15+8, they will believe you. If you're not getting 15+8 from mf, you didn't really ask.

 

[ICTGoober]

Love the color.

 

[ItsaBass]

I don't patronize GC/MF/M123/WWBW if I can at all avoid it. They are the Burger King of musical instrument retailers – just horrid in every possible way – even worse than McDonalds, if you can imagine such a thing. I will shop there when the deal is so extreme that I can't resist, and/or when I know they are only breaking even with the sale. For example, I sometimes use my friend, who works in an office position there, to buy dealer exclusive models at cost plus tax and shipping. I like Sweetwater, I like my sales guy (and every sales guy before him), and I am happy with the price I paid for the package I will be getting, especially considering that they were lower end items without a ton of wiggle room. MF/GC/M123/WWBW has an absolutely sleazy, low rent, bottom feeder vibe through and through. Screw 'em.

 

[Masta' C]

That LP is goooooorgeous! Can't wait to see it with the small updates you make to it!

 

[Snake Aces]

That is a pretty LP, congrats! I am sure you cannot wait for it to arrive!

 

[ItsaBass]

It’s a very good green. It’s very close to Fender’s Sage Green Metallic, which has been my favorite modern Fender color since I first saw it back around 2003. The Sweetwater pix usually render colors lighter than they actually are – especially with a curved top, which catches glare from their stock lighting setup. In this case, the lighting makes the color look pearlescent, but it’s actually just a standard metallic.

 

[Mincer]

That is an awesome, unique color...congrats!

 

[Snake Aces]

It’s a very good green. It’s very close to Fender’s Sage Green Metallic, which has been my favorite modern Fender color since I first saw it back around 2003. The Sweetwater pix usually render colors lighter than they actually are – especially with a curved top, which catches glare from their stock lighting setup. In this case, the lighting makes the color look pearlescent, but it’s actually just a standard metallic.

I agree. In the photos, it definitely reminds me of the Fender Sage Green Metallic. However, it looks really, really good on a singlecut. Maybe I am biased...

 

[FuseG4]

Great looking!! Hope you enjoy it!!

 

[ItsaBass]

Forgot to mention that I picked a very light one too. It's 7 1/4 lb., which is not quite into Melody Maker territory, but definitely lighter than your typical chambered carved top Les Paul (usually around 8 lb. or more). It's more like a Special in weight.

Never had a guitar using either of these woods. Chambered okoume body with laurel fretboard. Okoume is "junk" wood, usually, when used for general use (furniture, plywood, etc.). But apparently it has been been well received by guitar builders across the spectrum of price points. I don't care much about the wood used; I only mention it as a point of trivia.

Laurel, I have never played on. It will be dyed black anyhow, FWIW. Managed to get my hands on some old classic Fiebing's in three colors (it's now banned in CA). Made for leather, but it works as a great alcohol based wood dye. Got some black, dark brown, and yellow (for necks and bursts).

 

[RorySquier]

I'm GREEN with envy!!!:crying:



;>)/

 

[Mincer]

Forgot to mention that I picked a very light one too. It's 7 1/4 lb., which is not quite into Melody Maker territory, but definitely lighter than your typical chambered carved top Les Paul (usually around 8 lb. or more). It's more like a Special in weight.

Never had a guitar using either of these woods. Chambered okoume body with laurel fretboard. Okoume is "junk" wood, usually, when used for general use (furniture, plywood, etc.). But apparently it has been been well received by guitar builders across the spectrum of price points. I don't care much about the wood used; I only mention it as a point of trivia.

Laurel, I have never played on. It will be dyed black anyhow, FWIW. Managed to get my hands on some old classic Fiebing's in three colors (it's now banned in CA). Made for leather, but it works as a great alcohol based wood dye. Got some black, dark brown, and yellow (for necks and bursts).

That's an amazing weight for that guitar, and I applaud their use of alternative woods (even if considered 'junk'). I also love all the colors in this series, and makes me think that Epi is ahead of Gibson in moving the model forward.

 

[weepingminotaur]

Ooh, that is a lovely color! I was eyeing the Muse line awhile back, and I may go back and look at the line again for a future LP purchase.

 

[Spirit of 76]

That's awesome, congrats. Great color scheme, plus I like that they went with the clear knobs (black and silver would look cool too).

I can't stand those amber color knobs that Epi and Gibson like stick on a lot of Les Pauls, those are fugly as can be.

 

[ItsaBass]

Yes, there is a slew of other cool metallics in the Muse line, and there’s an SG too. Very tempting to get it and do the same mods, to have a matching set.

The blue and red colors look really good.

 

[ItsaBass]

It got here. Very sparkly finish, but not in an ugly way. Slightly cooler in tone than Fender’s Sage Green Metallic. Great looking guitar as is, but I’m still going to go with the black plastics and knobs, and a black fretboard. Seems pretty well-made, aside from a handful of minor finish flaws under the clearcoat. Epi is doing good work right now IME. I’m happy with it, after Sweetwater’s minor improvements: nut slotted for 12s with wound G, 11s with plain G installed, set up with 1.5X factory string height specs, softened fret edges.


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[ItsaBass]

[No message]

 

[Top-L]

I think it looks great now. Black hardware and pickguard on sparkle wont match. But I'd be happy if u can prove me wrong! Post pics when it's done.

I think all it needs is a matching creme pickguard.

 

[ItsaBass]

Definitely “pretty” now, and stereotypically “girly.” The black plastics, DiMarzio zebras (which are classic zebras, with the black coils on the outsides), and black guard will take it from “pretty” to “badass.”

I invite you to look at pictures of vintage ‘57 gold tops with stock black plastic.

I said nothing about installing black hardware. That almost always looks bad IMO.