I did some wheeling and dealing on Craigs List this week. I put the stock pickups back into my Epiphone SG G-400 and sold it. With the proceeds and an additional $25, I bought a year old Epiphone LP Standard Plus Top that came with a stand and hard shell case. Not too shabby a "trade". I put the pickups I had in the SG (SD '59 and SD Duncan Distortion) in it and it sounds very nice. It's the Honey Burst. http://www.amazon.com/Epiphone-Standard-Electric-Guitar-Honey/dp/B0002CZURE
One very interesting thing to note. The fellow I bought it from bought it with "every intention of learning how to play". The guitar had a horrible lack of set-up. Especially on the bass side. No wonder he gave up. It was not an easy guitar to play at all. I've still got to do a proper set up, but I did lower the string height before ripping it all apart to replace the pickups. I lost track, but it was quite a few 1/2 turns. As bad as I have ever seen an Epi LP. This poor fellow didn't have a chance.
I've go 11s on there now and it plays fairly decently. Not quite as well as my other Epi, but I have not done a proper set up either. That'll be a project for another day. :D
Oh, a little bragging. The young fellow who bought my SG said that he's been playing for 11 years and that's as good a set-up as he's ever played on an SG. 8) 8)
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Nice looking guitar, congrats! 8)
"The only way I know that guarantees no mistakes is not to play and that's simply not an option". David Hodge
Good deal, nice work Roy.
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
Awsome Roy! We need pics of it when you have it all set. Cudos on the SG setup too. 8)
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Very nice looking guitar, indeed? Do you normally play 11's? Why are you going so heavy? Maybe tune it down to C for the Metalcore sound? :lol:
11s are medium guage. many guitars come from the factory with 11s.
I did most of the setup this morning. About 3/8th a turn clockwise on the truss rod and then back up about a full turn on the string height. I'll let that settle a day before I do intonation, but it does not sound out that bad at all. It plays really well now.
Sounds like an LP too. I didn't turn the volume up at all to get a taste for what the SD pickups sound like compared to stock ones, but will do soon. Even at really low volumes I can hear a bit crisper or deeper tone on the bridge puckup. Over all, the SD pickups sounded like an SG when they were in the SG and an LP now that they're in one now. Imagine that. :D
Very nice looking guitar, indeed? Do you normally play 11's? Why are you going so heavy? Maybe tune it down to C for the Metalcore sound? :lol:
I tried some flatwounds in 11 and decided that it wasn't much harder to play, so I decided to try some standard 11's on a couple guitars. The Epi LP and SG got 'em. Still experimenting, but so far so good. Not as hard to play as I thought they would be, and the sound might be a little crisper. Someone with a better trained ear than my own could probably expound more.
11s are medium guage. many guitars come from the factory with 11s.
Yeah, I always found that naming a bit funny. I doubt I'll ever make it to 'Heavy" strings. :)
Here's a pic of the actual beast. The honey burst is my least favorite of the 'bursts, but price dictated this one and I do not dislike it. 
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Looks very nice, Roy!
Enjoy!
Bish
"I play live as playing dead is harder than it sounds!"
Thats BEAUTIFULL Roy!
Enjoy that baby.
I play the guitar, I taught myself how to play the guitar, which was a bad decision... because I didn't know how to play it, so I was a sh***y teacher. I would never have went to me. -Mitch Hedberg
That's really nice. Thanks for the pic.
I think your work will be worth it, oh yeah! :D
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
Least favorite burst? I love it Roy. It is one of my favorite bursts. :? I bet it grows on you. Oh, and thanks for the pic. It is beautiful!
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Thanks everyone. I got the set up done yesterday, but didn't play much guitar at all untill this afternoon with my Tele for a little while before the storms hit. I'll give it the proper session tomorrow.
I do hate the knobs though. Stupid etched paint color is same as the rest. No clue where I'm at on any knob without zeroing it out and approximate from there. I'm too doggone old to see low/no contrast things unless there's a ton of light on it. Maybe the missus will have something to bring it out.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
but didn't play much guitar at all untill this afternoon with my Tele for a little while before the storms hitInteresting... Does this mean you shouldn't play electric guitar in a storm? I suppose thats fairly obvious, but we don't get too many storms in the UK.
Very beautiful Roy! 8)
It is very similar to my Epi! My Epi is slightly darker, the top can be viewed more clearly in your and it is a very beautiful top!
Thanks everyone. I think I'll give it a first good, lengthy playing this morning. I played some of my other LP yesterday that was right beside me and I was far too lazy to go get the other one. Then last night I sat down in the bonus room recliner and settled on my Squire Tele.
... Does this mean you shouldn't play electric guitar in a storm? I suppose thats fairly obvious, but we don't get too many storms in the UK.
I don't like have my electrical stuff on during a sky to ground onslaught. I've heard lightening strikes make that crackle sound my speakers before. Every once in a while you hear some lightening related horror story. Best to play it safe I guess.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
