NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

FuseG4

Our Neighbor Totoro
For a while I've been needing a humbucker guitar, since I sold an Agile AL-3000M last year.
Went into GC and played two epi LPs, two "1966" G400s, and I also tried a tele for the shoots and googles. I was liking what I was hearing from a blue plus top pro. I sat there for an hour going back and forth with it and the others, the other LP (a standard black one) sounded nearly as good for $100 less. However, the finish on the blue one really got me, and i like the probucker pickups for now, so I decided to take her home. I named her Rikka :)

I've also wanted specifically a blue LP for years but lots of them that I've seen have been kinda a lighter blue or not bookmatched very well, or they sounded off in one way or another, or they were Gibsons and just too freaking much money... but this one's a nice dark teardrop and for me that's the ticket. :D

Got her home, played for a bit, lowered the action on the bass side a touch, took the pickguard off, and took a bit of sandpaper to the nut slot under the G, and I'm pretty happy now. Haven't had a guitar with humbuckers in a while. I feel like the coil splitting is kinda a gimmick though.
The probuckers aint too bad. Not especially rich but not dull, and a little chewier and smoother than a burstbucker.

This one is made in Indonesia, I haven't been following epiphone for a while so I was surprised when I saw that on the back of the headstock, I thought they were mostly from China. So far no glaring errors in construction and she plays well and bends smooth.

I have some Power Slinky strings that have been sitting around for a bit... sometime I'll have see how the neck pickup sounds in C standard with the OR15.
Pics to follow.
 
Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

No flash, looks nice and dark
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with flash, shows a bit more flame this way.
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Group shot.
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Also, Yes that's a pink squier bullet. Don't "read into it" or stereotype. I like Fender's surfy colors, i think they're cool. And yeah the bullet is a bullet because it's a bullet. They're cheap but they work, especially with nice pickups, and this one has Klein pickups in it.
 
Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

Very nice Epi! I love the blue.

I had same thing in mind but wanted the slim taper neck and EMG's so went with blue quilt top prophecy custom plus. It plays awesome after luthier fixed setup for me. These are well made guitars and have all the feel of a gibby to me. Then again havent owned a real gibson since the 80's but my prophecy rocks like crazy. Blue is striking for a Les Paul.
 
Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

That's a great looking guitar. Congrats.

BTW, what made you sell your Agile? How does the new LP compare to it?
 
Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

Sweet!
Lerv 'dat finish!!!
:headbang:

Good call on losing teh p/g,too!
:D

Happy NGD!
(edit yer sig!)
 
Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

Pretty shade of blue.

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Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

That's a great looking guitar. Congrats.

BTW, what made you sell your Agile? How does the new LP compare to it?

sold the agile to pay bills in a rough patch.
This guitar has slightly narrower frets on a 12" fretboard radius, the agile had bigger frets on a 13.7" radius which didn't feel so great for chords, I play mostly 9.5" fender style necks and have for years. The agile has a full 3/4" maple cap and could sound very bright and was 10 lbs, I dunno what my new epi weights but it sure aint 10 lbs and it has less sting to it. Also, the agile had an ebony fretboard which I think contributed even more to the brightness and percussive attack. Overall I think the Epi sounds more like a Les Paul and the Agile is it's own thing with a kind of a LP formula.
 
Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

image.jpg

Bought this Agile A-2000 a flout 2.5 months ago. All I have is humbucker guitars. I have an ibanez RG with SD pups in it, a Hamer Vector V with Duncan Designed pups, and now I have this Agile. Found it on GC.com and had it shipped to Mississippi and was very impressed with the responsiveness from the guitar itself. Sounds really well. EVEN IF THE PICKUPS ARE MICROPHONIC.
P.S. I lurv the blue top. Great color choice if I must say. Flame tops look great in one type of light and look AMAZING in another type. Or church has different lights and in one might my ibanez looks black and in another it looks like it's a silver with black flames in it.
SORRY FOR THE SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS. I was too excited to move them since this picture was taken as soon as it came out of the box.
 
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Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

The first agile I had, and the first epi I had, are in this pic. The Epi had Duncan '59s, the Rootbeer Agile AL-3100 had PGs
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The second agile I had, the AL-3000M, got a Jazz neck and a burstbucker #2 I think it was? I loved the plain top.
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I remember I sold this agile to GC and came back 3 weeks later buying strings. Saw the Agile on the "repairs" wall behind a counter. I asked hem about it and it turns out a few days after I sold it, some idiot dropped her and the headstock popped off. I guess they had fixed it. I was kinda sad after hearing that, cuz as I said earlier I sold the guitar not cuz I didn't like it, but because I needed to pay some bills.
 
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Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

The Agile 3000 in the first pic almost looks like the one I have except mine doesn't have the crescent on the headstock. I love the color they have on these guitars. Did you ever change the pups in the 3000 in the said picture?
 
Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

The Agile 3000 in the first pic almost looks like the one I have except mine doesn't have the crescent on the headstock. I love the color they have on these guitars. Did you ever change the pups in the 3000 in the said picture?

Yeah I only remember that the bridge pickup in that pic was for sure a pearly gates bridge model. I don't remember but perhaps I left the stock pickup in the neck spot? It was like 4 years ago. Actually I'm pretty sure I ended up with an alnico II pro neck and bridge set when I switched the PGb over to an SG
 
Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

Hey Fuse, that's really a gorgeous guitar. I love the new Epi LP's...great guitar for a great price. I've personally got lots of Epi's (about a dozen) and love every one.
 
Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

I've been thinking about replacing them around Christmas, but im not sure if i want to since i already know what my stock settings are on my floor unit and if i swap them i would have to redo most of the EQ on the unit itself to compensate for the different outputs
 
Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

Yeah I only remember that the bridge pickup in that pic was for sure a pearly gates bridge model. I don't remember but perhaps I left the stock pickup in the neck spot? It was like 4 years ago. Actually I'm pretty sure I ended up with an alnico II pro neck and bridge set when I switched the PGb over to an SG

Which pup did you prefer, the Alnico IIs or the PG?
 
Re: NGD: Epi LP plus top pro

I kinda like the alnico II pros. They sound really smooth whereas I'd say the pearly gates sound a bit more in your face. They are not worlds apart though. I wouldn't mind a pearly gates neck with an alnico II pro bridge, that way you combine the best of both sets, the neck pearly gates with the little extra midrange, and the smooth a2p bridge.

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