Mod's for an EP G-400

[doors4ever]

Purchased a used Epiphone G-400 Limited Edition Custom Shop guitar and have some money left over to make some upgrades. Looking to BCS for some better wiring and a roller bridge. What would be the closest thing to, and an improvemnt over Gibson Classic 57's in SD pickups. Like to play classic and southern rock. Thanks.

 

[trevorus]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

Unless you have a trem, a roller bridge will likely be overkill. Get some good CTS pots, good capacitors, new switch and jack. As far as pickups, 57's are another PAF repro. I used to have a 59 set in my old G-400, and they sounded great. If you want to get even better, Seths.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[CTN]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

here are the upgrades i did to my Epi:

grovers out, replaced with kluson style tuners (no more neck dive)
plastic nut out, replaced with graphtech tusq (more sustain, more clarity)
pickups out, replaced with Duncan '59 set (more better)
pots and caps out, replaced with Alpha (my preference for feel) and Sprague orange drops.


It's great for everything but the metulz. Actually even that it can pull off if it needs to, but the tonality is a bit more tame than a high-output axe designed for metal.

I actually did get a roller bridge too, but I found it wasn't as beefy sounding as the stock bridge, which itself is not all that bad tbh.

 

[XPAULPITT]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

I would replace the stock bridge with a tonepros piece. Made a world of difference on my Epis and if you want to go even further try the graphtech saddles. They really brighten up the guitar and add tons of sustain, almost too much in some cases.

 

[rts99]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

I like the SD Pearly Gates. Maybe not PAF, but who cares? They sound great.

Happy Choosing

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

Welcome to the forum.

My preference on skinny-bodied, mostly mahogany, set neck electric guitars is the P90. For a guitar such as yours, I would install SD P-Rails pickups and Triple Shot mounting surrounds and/or several push-pull pots to select between the various sound possibilities.

 

[jpistolas]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

here are the upgrades i did to my Epi:

grovers out, replaced with kluson style tuners (no more neck dive)
plastic nut out, replaced with graphtech tusq (more sustain, more clarity)

I've been considering getting a Epi G-400. One I was looking at already had kluson style tuners but the nut had been replaced with brass. Would the brass nut be heavy enough to cause any balance issue & how do you think it would affect the tone as opposed to the tusq?

 

[CTN]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

I've been considering getting a Epi G-400. One I was looking at already had kluson style tuners but the nut had been replaced with brass. Would the brass nut be heavy enough to cause any balance issue & how do you think it would affect the tone as opposed to the tusq?

I don't have any experience with brass nuts, so I can't say for sure, but I think it's fairly safe to say that it'd be louder, fuller and more detailed than the cheap plastic nut that comes stock. The Tusq nut did much the same, also added a heap more clarity in the high end. I imagine that the tonality of Tusq is a bit different than Brass though.

I don't think a brass nut would be heavy enough to cause neck dive, it's a pretty small piece, even if it is dense and heavy (relatively speaking)

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

If its already got 57 Classics in it, why don't you just play it for a few months until you find things it does not do well that you think you can improve. I ended up putting a 498t Bridge and a Duncan 59 Neck in mine. Everything else work well, so I see no reason to change it.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

So here's what I did to my used Cherry G-400:

Took off the Kluson style tuners the previous owner put on and put Grovers back on (keystone buttons of course)
Replaced the stock bridge with a Tune Pros TOM (better sounding)
Replaced the Tone Pros saddles with a set of string saver saddles (better tuning and longer lasting strings)
Replaced all of the electronics with CTS 500K pots, two 0.022 orange drop caps, and a new toggle switch (better sealed electronics)
Nut replaced with a Graphtech TUSQ White (better sounding and tunings
Strap buttons replaced with Dunlop Dual Locking strap buttons (better straping)
SD Distortion bridge and 9 neck pikcups (better sounding)
Added lead weights to the control cavity and pickup routs to counterbalance the neck (added about a lb in weight, still lighter than a Les Paul)

Pretty much just an overhaul of everything. It was a real piece of work when I got, the previous owner having not taken care of it. I brought it back to life with some help from my dad (he showed me how to do the soldering). By the time I got it I had my Hamer Echotone and I was already married to the SD Distortion and the 59 (had them since I was 15). the SG is now my go to for Eb/ Drop Db where as my Hamer is in E and Drop D.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

Welcome to the forum.

My preference on skinny-bodied, mostly mahogany, set neck electric guitars is the P90. For a guitar such as yours, I would install SD P-Rails pickups and Triple Shot mounting surrounds and/or several push-pull pots to select between the various sound possibilities.

SG and P-90's were made for each other. The P-Rails has a great P-90, and in the bargain you get a Rail, and a good sounding hummer (great in parallel). Use Triple Shots to access all og the pup combinations.

Can't do much better than that in a G-400.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

welcome to the forum! I had a G400 and put on straplocks, put a duncan custom 8 in it and a 59 neck and it was awesome!

 

[xntrick]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

Do the P-rails have 60 cycle hum?

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

Do the P-rails have 60 cycle hum?

No, they are a set of humbuckers that are made with a P90 coil and a reverse wound reverse polarity rail coil, IIRC. The secret to them is to mix them up with a Duncan Triple Shot which allows series, parallel, and either coil on or off. If you are leaning towards them I'd go with the original P-Rails in the neck position, and a P-Rails Hot in the bridge. SGs and AlNiCo 8 mags sound great together, and I always like a hotter pickup in the bridge.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Mod's for an EP G-400

Thread sucks w/o pics,guys...