I'm the pleased new owner of an Epiphone Sheraton II (Vintage Sunburst) & a Fender Super Champ XD. It's difficult to research the Sheraton without seeing many references to modifying it anywhere between one-new-pickup & nothing-original-but-the-wood. It's a popular model for that.
I imagine I'll at least consider modifications at some point, once I know the guitar better. New tubes for the amp & so forth, in a spirit of bringing out potential. To that end, here are a few beginner's questions. It seems more economical to ask all at once rather than create several new topics:
== Many mention the Sheraton's hardware's gold finish fading out, rubbing off. They vow to install nickel or chrome pieces. To me, unless it starts looking really funky --- I mean “funky†in a bad way, you understand, & “bad†in a, well, bad way --- or my arm turns green, that rubbed-out gold is just the distressed relic look some pay lots for in other circumstances.
Likewise, I'd keep the orange jello top hat knobs, etc. Everything visually as original as possible, soup it up on the inside. This brings me to consider pickup covers. Suppose I install the popular combination of Gibson '57 Classic neck & Classic Plus bridge. Would the Sheraton's original gold covers be likely to fit over them? I'm hoping pickups, especially maybe cousins like Gibson & Epiphone, are all of similar enough sizes to keep the original pieces as well as save $35 to apply elsewhere on the project.
== I've installed Tusq nut, saddle & bridge pins on my acoustic guitar with good results. I see GraphTech sells not only nuts specifically for Epiphones, but sets of six saddles for Tune-O-Matic bridges as well. Has anyone tried them?
== It would probably be best to do it all at once, but are there any dire arguments against splitting up the work between an electronics phase & a hardware phase?
== Am I forgetting anything? Pickups, pots, pickup switch, amp jack, electrical harness; tuners, nut & saddles, bridge, tail, pickup covers, strap knobs. I hope to leave the frets alone!
== Most people would probably say the one modification they'd make, if nothing else, would be installing new pickups. What is the one modification you would not make, if you had to eliminate one?
== Where can I get a really narrow muthrapurl-block-&-abalone-triangle inlay to fit between the sixteenth & seventeenth frets? That extra dark space on the neck drives me nuts. Just kidding.
Thank you all in advance!
== Where can I get a really narrow muthrapurl-block-&-abalone-triangle inlay to fit between the sixteenth & seventeenth frets? That extra dark space on the neck drives me nuts. Just kidding.
Thank you all in advance!
stewmac.com is a good supplier of guitar parts and tools.
as for the other changes....yeah, go for it....but eventually. if the guitar is brand new don't touch a thing for a year or two.
you need to understand the guitar's potential. in the meantime your ears and hands and eyes will gather an opinion that you can act on.
Forrest I have an Epi LP that has the gold hardware and the pickups have faded and personally I don't like it. To me it just looks like cheap plating which it is.
At some point I need to replace it but at the moment it's no bid deal. I had stopped playing it and just recently started exploring it again so I would agree with dogbite give yourself some time to get a feel for the guitar for awhile before you change anything.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
You said: This brings me to consider pickup covers. Suppose I install the popular combination of Gibson '57 Classic neck & Classic Plus bridge. Would the Sheraton's original gold covers be likely to fit over them? I'm hoping pickups, especially maybe cousins like Gibson & Epiphone, are all of similar enough sizes to keep the original pieces as well as save $35 to apply elsewhere on the project.
I say: I have done an Epi Sheraton for it's owner, for recording and performance. I have tried not to work for money, and let my kids do it with tutelage, but this guy was an adult and was serious about building a pro's guitar. I can't think of better pickups than the '57 Classic and the "'Plus" is optional, wouldn't hurt. Alternative would be a set of Seymour Duncan '59's and you'd have a Guild Bluesbird or awesome Starfire sound, either way. Keep within those bounds and avoid the sterile 490 - 498R's and 498T, like my Lucille, which I am keeping original, regardless. Funny though, just having Lucille brought players and once, a guitar company to my door - I referred the corporate enquiry to my 15 year old son and we lost it, when I told them to hire him (to design a new guitar). :shock: Anyhow, your gold covers won't come off without de-soldering and probably ruining the pickup and the plating. Then the 6 screws have to come out too. Just buy a new pickup with gold covers. Bill Lawrence's might be okay too, if you're on a budget. You can write to him, and tell him what sound you like, and he might endorse Stew Mac's pickups or not?
You said: == I've installed Tusq nut, saddle & bridge pins on my acoustic guitar with good results. I see GraphTech sells not only nuts specifically for Epiphones, but sets of six saddles for Tune-O-Matic bridges as well. Has anyone tried them?
I say, with controversy, that the graphtech saddles are tonesuckers, and I would stay with metal - Gibson T.O.M. or Gotoh, just as good, and Stew Mac Nashville is cool but I don't know how long the plating lasts. I put them on another guy's/same scenario Epi Dot 335 and on a gorgeous Guild for a makeover/maximum performance tune-up, but never followed them for years to see how they made out. I use Gibson and Gotoh myself, metal saddles of course. You can change the nut if you want, I wouldn't, but got Graphtech nuts somewhere, or maybe a few times on new guitars, all of the Godin's I guess? I put Tusq on Fenders, they need them. :lol: First-time posted pic below, what a nice clean and great sounding chambered Westerly Guild Bluesbird is:
You said: == It would probably be best to do it all at once, but are there any dire arguments against splitting up the work between an electronics phase & a hardware phase?
I say, just git 'r done. 8)
You said: == Am I forgetting anything? Pickups, pots, pickup switch, amp jack, electrical harness; tuners, nut & saddles, bridge, tail, pickup covers, strap knobs. I hope to leave the frets alone!
I say, no you're not forgetting anything. But use a good tone capacitor, or two. Sprague Orange Drop minimum, Bumble Bee's would be awesome, but maybe overkill unless you're really good! :mrgreen: Bill Callaham has found some good caps too, YES!!! See Sozo .047's and later the "Volume kit" http://www.callahamguitars.com/partstel.htm and BTW I believe he is making and offering better "Gibson parts" now. http://www.callahamguitars.com/abr1.htm , maybe you should just chrome your guitar! :idea: Or Split Rock Guitars might have a good cap for use with Joe Bardens, but don't use .022 with 500K pots, which I believe you want - Gibson or CTS. Use .047 to .050 uf caps.
You said: == Most people would probably say the one modification they'd make, if nothing else, would be installing new pickups. What is the one modification you would not make, if you had to eliminate one?
I say, I don't really see the need for a new nut. I might add two treble bleeds on the volume, while they're out, go for it all the way, as Guild (original Westerly, R.I.) or PRS Maryland would do, and I don't hear many complaints coming out of the East Coast? :!: They don't need mods or upgrades IMO. :wink:
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
