NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

Taz Rules

Taz Rules

New member
$20!!!!

Epiphone Les Paul Special II. Needs pickup rings, and some cleaning up. Plugs in and plays.
I generally don't like LPs, but this one has a thinner neck than most I've tried. I made the offer as a joke, and they took it!!!!!

Thinking of some new pickups. Has stock Epiphone 700T/650R combo. Thinking either Burstbucker IIs, or SD AlnicoIIs.
Any thoughts on the difference between those two? And any other reasonable upgrades I might consider? (without breaking the bank...it IS a $20 guitar, after all!) I figure I'll ruin it with some paint, LOL.

(can't get my phone to upload pics...they are coming.)
 
Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

If I had a cheap Epiphone right now, I'd definitely put an Alnico II Pro set in it. I love Burstbuckers, but this is a combination that I just really find tough to beat.
 
Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

Putting a $150 set of pups in a $20 plywood guitar, please justify this?
 
Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

ICTGoober said:
It's the plywood body, right?
Click to expand...
When I looked the guitar up on Epiphone's website, it said mahogany body and mahogany neck/rosewood fingerboard.

I swapped the pickup rings, so I looked in the routs, but it was all painted. So the best I can say is "I don't know" regarding the construction. I do plan to strip it, though. So if it is plywood, I'll know. If its mahogany, as Epiphone claims, then I can see it being worth some upgrades. Even with new pickups and possibly pots, and maybe even a new nut and tuners, I still wouldn't be into it for a whole lot. Not saying I plan to do all that, but I'm basically starting from almost free.

Right now the plan is to strip it to wood, string it, and play it while I decide what to do.

I'm certainly open to suggestions.

Oh, yeah...pics (only change is I pulled the old, rusted strings, wiped it off, and put on new pickup rings.)

Body.jpg
Guitar.jpg
Headstock.jpg
 
Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

I like that
I'd put a set of GFS Alnico IIs in it

or some such
I wanna tell ya
the Pro Buckers that came in my Florentine sound awesome
I was gonna put a set of SD's I got sitting round in mine
but crap
there aint not cause to

Pro Buckers are crazy high though
GFS would be my suggestion
 
Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

I have that guitar, it's pretty good. The neck feels good and it resonates well. Mine has a mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard. When I removed the neck, the pocket revealed light tan hardwood not mahog not plywood I'm guessing Alder. The plastic lamination mellows out the sound and sounds pretty good. Not like a real lp but it resonates well and it a good base if you want to put nice pups in. I just use mine for neck tone jazz. I removed the switch, put in 250k pots and installed a jazz. It sounds great!
 
Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

I've seen these guitars recently go for around $50. At $20 it's a damn bargain! Even if it sounds like crap, you didn't spend much money on it anyway. If I were you, I'd just start by swapping the hardware and pickups.
 
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Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

I have one of their LP Special I P-90s... it is surprisingly nice to play AND sounds good. I did a bridge upgrade to mine (it came with a non-adjustable wraparound) and will eventually get it a set of better tuners, but I've even played it during gigs a couple of times. Who cares if it's cheap if it gets things done for you and you like it? :D

BWG Epiphone Les Paul Special I P-90 Worn Cherry (Scarlet Overkill) 10.jpg
 
Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

They aren't plywood anymore. The $99 "Jr" style ones were (most of them, anyway) but they always did make some out of "real" wood, too. I had 3 of the Ply ones, and two solid ones. (and a couple SG's, and a bolt-on neck LP...) Yours may be 74 pieces of "mahogany" with a nice veneer on top, but it won't be actual plywood.
 
Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

I'd steam punk it with some metal plates. Run the bridge studs into it, give some girth.
 
Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

devastone said:
Putting a $150 set of pups in a $20 plywood guitar, please justify this?
Click to expand...

Well, what he didnt spend for the guitar, he can put into upgrades... haha

Id prolly go with AIIpros too. Cool all arounder.. AND, most likely will have better luck finding used Duncans cheaper than a used set of gibson pups.. If you are trying to stay budget conscious
 
Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

This little LP special 2 was my first les Paul and my first Gibson style guitar. Seems I got something right!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

Sh6 in the bridge, nevermind the neck pup, play the crap out of it, great score man!
 
Re: NPSF (New Pawn Shop Find)

Wow...great responses!

Slight change of plan.....
A guy asked me to refinish his Gibson Les Paul 125th Anniversary Studio model. (I'll post some pics if anyone says they care).
Anyways, I now have that guitar in my home. Stock pickups and hardware. He wants me to strip his guitar down to bare wood (doing a wood-burn graphic, stain, and oil finish...no paints at all).

So before I strip down both his guitar and mine, I'm going to do a video comparison between it and my new $20 special. I've already strung mine, and done the intonation. (It has a decent growl with those stock ceramic pickups.)

Unfortunately, my only recorder is my cel phone. But back-to-back comparisons with the same mic in the same room and on the same amp with the same settings should still provide a valid comparision, even if the sound quality isn't ideal.
I don't expect mine to sound anywhere near as good, of course. But I am curious what the back to back A/B will sound like, and the opportunity seems to have fallen in my lap.

Then I might do the APIIs...gotta say the thought intrigues me.

My playing is still new and not great, but would anyone else be interested in seeing the vid once its done?
 
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