Upgrading a mid-range 335-copy

The best pickups that I've heard for a while are the Bareknuckle pickups, but they are mighty expensive. You could buy from Gibson - the PAFs and standard 335 pickups should be a good replacement.
I'm not sure that the bridge will help tuning stability. The nut may be a good start - some people recommend using the string as a saw, to widen the gap. I don't know about Sheratons, but a lot of tuners have a small screw in the end of the tuning knob. Tightening that will help with tuning.
If you intend to replace the electrics, do it all at once - it's a very fiddly job. Before removing the pots, switch and jack socket, secure them with a long length of string or tape. As you remove the component, the string will pull through the hole. As long as you make it long enough, the string will stay there and allow you to pull the new component through the body and up into the hole.

Thanks for the prompt reply!
The best pickups that I've heard for a while are the Bareknuckle pickups, but they are mighty expensive. You could buy from Gibson - the PAFs and standard 335 pickups should be a good replacement.

I found Bareknuckle's website - and it looks as though they're based somewhere near my parents house. I might have to go pay them a visit when I've saved some money up...
I'm not sure that the bridge will help tuning stability. The nut may be a good start - some people recommend using the string as a saw, to widen the gap. I don't know about Sheratons, but a lot of tuners have a small screw in the end of the tuning knob. Tightening that will help with tuning.

My initial assumption was that the nut was probably the first place to start.

However, I had a chat with a guitar technician (who has worked for some very impressive clients), and he seemed to think that the saddles on Epiphone's bridges tend to move around a little. Because the bridge is so easy to replace, I thought I might give it a try.

I think I've adjusted the screw in the tuners before - but I can't remember very well. I'll try that again!
If you intend to replace the electrics, do it all at once - it's a very fiddly job. Before removing the pots, switch and jack socket, secure them with a long length of string or tape. As you remove the component, the string will pull through the hole. As long as you make it long enough, the string will stay there and allow you to pull the new component through the body and up into the hole.

Yeah, I've had to re-solder the jack socket a few times before. It's not easy, but it can be done with some patience, and a good long piece of string! Do you have any knowledge of replacing pickups in a guitar like this?

However, I had a chat with a guitar technician (who has worked for some very impressive clients), and he seemed to think that the saddles on Epiphone's bridges tend to move around a little. Because the bridge is so easy to replace, I thought I might give it a try.
I have a feeling that the post spacing on Epi guitars is specific, you can't just whack a Gibby bridge or whatever in. That's something to check when you buy the bridge, although this is the first time I've heard of this complaint.
Do you have any knowledge of replacing pickups in a guitar like this?
Fortunately, I've not had to do this yet, although I'm considering a change to my Washburn. Even experienced techs reckon it's a real pain to do, because you have to take all the electronics out to change the wire connections to the pots.

A very good resource for accurate info on Epis is the Epi forum (if it's still running) ( http://www.gibson.com/products/epiphone/forum/toast.asp )

Replacing electronics and pickups in a hollow-body or semi-hollow-body guitar is a pain the butt. You have three options:

1) Do it yourself and fish out all the electronics through the pickup holes, change averything you want to change THEN, and then re-fish back through the holes and work for 40 minutes on trying to get the pits back in place correctly.

2) Pay a guitar-tech to do it for $100

3) Don't bother

Honsetly, I found it a very frustrating experience. And then, just think if you don't like the sound of the new pickups!!!

Depending on the sound you are looking for, I would recommend the Seymour Duncan JB / Jazz set. I had them in a semi-hollow Les Paul style guitar and it sounded out of thie world.

I have a feeling that the post spacing on Epi guitars is specific, you can't just whack a Gibby bridge or whatever in. That's something to check when you buy the bridge, although this is the first time I've heard of this complaint.

A very good resource for accurate info on Epis is the Epi forum (if it's still running) ( http://www.gibson.com/products/epiphone/forum/toast.asp )

I would REALLY like to know if Gibson and 'Epiphone/Gibson' hardware is interchangeable because I woud also like to upgrade- an Epiphone/Gibson G400 which is a 62 SG reissue.

On an Epiphone/Gibson REISSUE of an original Gibson guitar I would EXPECT that the hardware is interchangeable because it would make very little sense to retool to make a completely different bridge for example when they are already tooled up to make the original bridges and these parts are not that expensive to make. I would not be surprised if the bridge is in fact the same. Electronics may be different, tuners might be different. In some cases they might use a lesser quality material in the stampings etc. (that is just a guess). One thing I know is different on my G400 although it looks identical to the original SG, is that the Original cherry finish on the SG was higher quality and much more expensive to do and more durable than the finish on the G400, even though they look the same the latter finish is not as tough and durable, may chip easier etc.

With regard to the epiphone forums, for the past coupe of years they are not allowing new members so you are stuck with reading what old members post. Good luck on finding an answer to your specific questions there. I never did.

Here is the message I get when trying to register, same as a year or 2 ago:

This board is not taking new registrations at this time. Please check back again later. service@gibson.com

That sucks!

Finally, Does anyone KNOW if Epiphone/Gibson Reissues use standard dimensions with respect to hardware- meaning specifically that it IS interchangeable?

For me it is only a matter of referrence whenI buy AFTERMARKET parts for upgrades, I can buy replacements for 'Gibson SG' for example.

One hardware item that I am going to replace for sure is the Tuners. I am going to use some high quality locking tuners and of course they are sold as replacement for Gibson SG and I want them to FIT exactly as a replacement on this G400. I will also replace the bridge because the existing tunematic is one with a retainer spring that sometimes can buzz so I am getting rid of it in lieu of a better designed, more modern tunematic. I need to know if it is dimensionally interchangeable with stock Gibson Tunematics. I am going to ASSUME that it is, based on what I wrote above, but I am still unsure.

I haven't decided on pickups and electronics yet.

This from an ad for a tonepro bridge said to be a direct replacement for the Epi SG, 335, wtc bridge
"Important dimensions- Bridge stud diameter - 6 mm, slotted top bridge center to center spacing - 2.95" saddle spacing - 10.4mm"
Other Tonepro bridges have different sized posts and different spacing - I don't know which applies to what. The one mentioned is a metric bridge, others from tonepro are imperial measurement (Maybe what US uses?).
You should check before doing anything else.

This from an ad for a tonepro bridge said to be a direct replacement for the Epi SG, 335, wtc bridge
"Important dimensions- Bridge stud diameter - 6 mm, slotted top bridge center to center spacing - 2.95" saddle spacing - 10.4mm"
Other Tonepro bridges have different sized posts and different spacing - I don't know which applies to what. The one mentioned is a metric bridge, others from tonepro are imperial measurement (Maybe what US uses?).
You should check before doing anything else.

Thank you very much Greybeard. I was checking against these dimensions with my American machinists rule which is all in fractions or diecimal frctions of one inch (Jeeez- I wish Americans would use metrics solely) I was comparring my measurements with a Gotoh replacement tunematic bridge for Gibsons and the dimensions given, width between posts and width between high E and low E string slots are the same. Without converting to metrics to check against the dimensions you gave for Tonematic (I tried to find a site with those dimensions but the hyperlinks to the individual bridge pages didn't work) I will assume now that they are the same (pending final determination) so that is good!

By the way, here is a URL to an EXCELLENT conversion program, it is small and simple to use as well as being programmable should you want to insert your own conversions. It is being used on the International Space Station. It is a free download, excellent program, I have been using it for years. I KEEP IT ON MY DESKTOP along with a shortcut to my calculater so I can quickly convert.

I HIGHLY recommend it. It even makes a fun learning toy. Here is the URL:

http://joshmadison.net/software/convert/download.php

I'll bet your tuning instability is from the larger strings hanging in the nut. The slots need to be enlarged. I usually do that simply by "sawing" the strings in the slots till they slide freely.

I wouldn't mess with upgrading anything else, personally.

Ricochet wrote:
I'll bet your tuning instability is from the larger strings hanging in the nut. The slots need to be enlarged. I usually do that simply by "sawing" the strings in the slots till they slide freely.

I wouldn't mess with upgrading anything else, personally.

I would think that only works with the softer plastic nuts and only on the wound strings of course. I was looking at a set of nut files in Stew Mac catalog awhile back and the price was about $125. which I can't afford. I found a set of 12 cheap needle files at Harbor Freight for only about $4-$5 and they are useful for some things- a couple of them will work on the larger slots, but not on the thin slots. I have used a tiny hack saw blade and I have used emory cloth before.

Replacing a nut is not as easy as one might think. I always have a problem with the height being slightly too low and I think it is because when the old nut comes off it removes the finish on the wood of the headstock and maybe even a small amount of the wood surface and this causes the same size to fit up just a little bit too low. I still haven't found a 'best method' to shim that up. I have thought about building the surface back up with layers of verathane or some finishing material before installing the nut.

From now on I am goig to string the guitar up with a few strings and make sure I have a good height adjustment before I glue it on because the last 2 that I have done I had to remove and do over again.

I just found something interesting! If you take a small thin hacksaw blade and hammer the tooth edge flat it might be thin enough to do the thin slots. If you look closely at a saw blade you will see that the teeth are are bent outward in an alternating fashion to help remove material from from a cut while sawing. I think theis is called the tooth set. I am talking about laying the saw blade in it's side on a flat hard surface and hammering those flat again so the theeth will cut a thinner slot.

I got that idea from reading this web page :
http://users.powernet.co.uk/guitars/setup4.htm

NOW, all of that said, I am not going to give any advice until I read a good guitar repair book so I will feel confident that I am giving some good advice. I decided to order one from Amazon.com- (or wherever)

That being said, I am not going to give any

I have been thinking about making a nut out of agate

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Phangeaux
BadBadBlues

phangeaux wrote:
I would think that only works with the softer plastic nuts and only on the wound strings of course.

Actually, it works much better on bone than soft plastic, and works quite well with the plain strings. They're not as smooth as they look.

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