Twang Banger in a Les Paul

B

Broeheem

New member
So. Before anyone sets me on fire, YES, I've done plenty of forum searching BEFORE posting this Q, 'cuz I'm painfully aware of how touchy some can be about over-posting the same thing. This issue doesn't seem to have been talked about for awhile, so I'm gonna put it out here.

As a lifelong drummer who's decided that the time is ripe to start in on the guitar, I shall begin stuffing my head with guitar info, and the following is an issue I'd like to solve pretty much immediately.

I want to put a Twang Banger into my Epi Les Paul (delete criticism here), and I've seen one place (Allparts) that sells a conversion ring for a Gibson, but they're not clear as to if this will fit an Epiphone as well or just a Gibson. Also, might that dead space have an ugly loss of sonic quality, or am I prematurely overreacting? I gotta have this Twang Banger - nothing else will do... unless there's a HumB that sounds just like it. Haven't seen anything so far that might do that.

Anyone actually done this?
 
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Re: Twang Baner in a Les Paul

Re: Twang Baner in a Les Paul

I made an adapter out of plexiglas that I put on top of a regular mounting ring that I trimmed out the humbucker mount holes on and put a tele QP pickup in a HB spot with. It worked fine, other than the pickup had to go in straight without the tele angle. It sounded cool, I just did it for the experimentation. I've got a picture somewhere.
 
Re: Twang Banger in a Les Paul

It looks like the ones I was seeing at Allparts should work... possible miniscule adjusting of the screwhole, if anything. I mean, isn't a HumB a HumB, externally? Hopefully, the emptiness inside the cavity shouldn't make any difference - I don't believe that space was intended to resonate... should be safe there.

Now, I can't wait to actually hear that thing in there. I hope it's at least close to how it sounded in that Strat I heard it in before. I'll probably never understand why this pickup isn't wildly popular... I know it won me over.... in about five seconds.
 
Re: Twang Banger in a Les Paul

Please let us now what the outcome is!

Eric Bass (Bass Player for ShineDown) is a friend of mine, (and a GREAT studio engineer FWIW)...anyway, he used to have a les paul that he modified to use regular single coils in it....I've always wanted to do that ever since I found out about his.
 
Re: Twang Banger in a Les Paul

I have an Epi Les Paul Custom with 2 P-Rails in it...pretty cool, but kinda' sterile/generic sounding...(no character)...i think it's just the guitar itself....

I'll go back to watching Ghost Adventures now...have a good weekend everyone!
-Jeff
 
Re: Twang Banger in a Les Paul

There are plenty of adapters on ebay in a number of different colors. It should make no difference if it is an ephiphone or not.
 
Re: Twang Banger in a Les Paul

I've seen one on eBay, but it was off-white/cream - that compelled me to find Allparts. They at least have one in black. I still have to wonder what it's going to sound like on my guitar. I power-lusted it in a Strat, but that's an entirely different sound than a Les Paul. I still think it's worth it to try. That Twang Banger can bite my arm off, and it keeps me awake at night... and I don't even have it yet. With a '59 @ the neck and my Peavey Rage 25, I'm suddenly in no particular hurry to buy an effects box. I'm still in kindergarten-mode with a guitar, but yeah.... I obsessed over my drum equipment for years, too. Zildjian, I mock thee. Introducing: Paiste. Stand aside, mortals.

When I pull this swap off... I'll post.
 
Re: Twang Banger in a Les Paul

idsnowdog said:
There are plenty of adapters on ebay in a number of different colors. It should make no difference if it is an ephiphone or not.
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Yes it will - Gibson pickup rings are a different size from Epiphone ones (in my experience anyway). Allparts sell parts to fit Gibsons so I doubt it will fit onto an Epiphone.
Maybe you could email Allparts and ask them if they have/can get one that hasn't got the mounting screw holes pre-drilled so you can do your own?
 
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Re: Twang Banger in a Les Paul

Varg said:
Yes it will - Gibson pickup rings are a different size from Epiphone ones (in my experience anyway). Allparts sell parts to fit Gibsons so I doubt it will fit onto an Epiphone.
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+1

I had the same issue on my Epi BB King Lucille model when I Seymourised it.

Ironically, I now have the same issue with the Charvel/Warmoth project guitar that I am assembling. Gibson surrounds do not match up with Charvel screw holes. SD Trembucker surrounds do not match up. I have this nagging feeling that Epiphone ones would.
 
Re: Twang Banger in a Les Paul

I'll continue to investigate this, and I'm not opposed to a direct-fit HumB if I can find one with that sound or something close to it. One not-too-common example would be the blustery guitar from Focus' "Hocus Pocus". There MUST be a dual coil with those properties, specifically a copper base plate.
 
Re: Twang Banger in a Les Paul

If you MUST have the Twang-Banger (and why not, that Focus song rocks) you could buy the Allparts adapter and if it doesn't fit (I believe it will be a couple of mm out) you could just cut it in the middle, take the extra out, join it underneath with some plastic and superglue and re-attach with your Twang-Banger in place.
 
Re: Twang Banger in a Les Paul

Good option, Varg. I think I'll do just that.... buy the adapter and see what happens. I've yet to find out anything regarding a HumB that might sound like the Twang... especially in a Les Paul. Funny though.... Duncan refers to the Twang Banger as having moderate output. That cannot be accurate.... I've heard it and it can be pretty brutal when you want it to be. Gimme.
 
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