90s Epiphone LP - is it worth upgrading?

[Brody88]

It's my first post, so apologies if I ask any stupid questions.

My background is I'm in the UK, I've owned guitars for 20+ years, but I'm neither particularly good as a player, nor do I know much about guitars, upgrades, fixes, etc.

I've had an Epiphone LP since the late 90s. Nice cherry sunburst with a tremolo bar. For a guitar of it's age, it's not been played a lot, as I went months and years without playing. In recent years I've been playing regularly and bought 2 other electrics. The LP would be joint or maybe outright second choice player, all going well, but not lonely to jump to the top.

A local tech has told me it needs some fretwork but is otherwise in great condition for age. I'm thinking of ways to potentially upgrade and he's suggested pickups, which makes sense. My question is - is it worth spending £300ish upgrading a very old Epiphone guitar vs spending a bit more on a new LP type guitar (or, dare I say it, making do with just two electrics)? I'm unlikely to sell it, so it's not so I can get the money back later - but I don't want to throw £300 at it, to end up with it sounding like a £500 guitar, only 20 years old. Does that make sense?

I'd be grateful for any thoughts (and recommendations for PUs). I'm an OK strummer, and don't play lead, or anything too heavy, I'm not looking to shred.

Thanks for your time!

 

[Winnie Thomas]

Does it sound okay with the current pickups? My 1989 was a bit too dark with the originals. The guitars from Korea seem to now be sought after.

For new pickups, you might search out some used ones and save a few pounds.

 

[Norton]

yes. as a general rule those 90's MIK les paul's are very good guitars.


again... generally the weakest point would be the pickups/electronics.

 

[BGood]

It's hard to judge your fretwork without seeing it, but it certainly hasn't gotten worst all those years not being played. Do you feel the frets aren't at their best ? The guitar might jut need a good setup.

First thing to do is check if there are high ones. You can do that with a simple credit card (or hospital, or ...) by resting the card on 3 frets at a time, if the middle one is high, the card will rock. If you find one, try gently tapping it down with a hammer but put something like a small piece of hard wood on the fret before tapping so you don't damage the fret. Do both sides of the neck like that. If some don't go down tapping them, they'll need to be leveled by a good tech.

As pickups go, you have alnico classics in there and they sound good, no need to replace them. What you can do though is adjust their height to find their sweet spot. If the neck pickup sound boomy, it's simply too close to strings. Start by lowering it so it's level to the plastic ring.

If you want, I can send you my method for adjusting pickups height and one to do your own setup, both are foolproof.

 

[Cozmik Cowboy]

My question would not be "Is it worth upgrading?", but rather "Why does the tech think that would be an upgrade?"
I'm pretty sure an honest answer would prominently feature that £300.
I have played Epi electrics from every decade since the '40s (except for the current one), and I have yet to come across one that doesn't sound just fine stock.

 

[BlueSquirrel]

It's my first post, so apologies if I ask any stupid questions.

My background is I'm in the UK, I've owned guitars for 20+ years, but I'm neither particularly good as a player, nor do I know much about guitars, upgrades, fixes, etc.

I've had an Epiphone LP since the late 90s. Nice cherry sunburst with a tremolo bar. For a guitar of it's age, it's not been played a lot, as I went months and years without playing. In recent years I've been playing regularly and bought 2 other electrics. The LP would be joint or maybe outright second choice player, all going well, but not lonely to jump to the top.

A local tech has told me it needs some fretwork but is otherwise in great condition for age. I'm thinking of ways to potentially upgrade and he's suggested pickups, which makes sense. My question is - is it worth spending £300ish upgrading a very old Epiphone guitar vs spending a bit more on a new LP type guitar (or, dare I say it, making do with just two electrics)? I'm unlikely to sell it, so it's not so I can get the money back later - but I don't want to throw £300 at it, to end up with it sounding like a £500 guitar, only 20 years old. Does that make sense?

I'd be grateful for any thoughts (and recommendations for PUs). I'm an OK strummer, and don't play lead, or anything too heavy, I'm not looking to shred.

Thanks for your time!

Unless you have a broken part on your guitar, there's no need upgrading it.

 

[Brody88]

Hey
Thanks for all the replies. Gratefully received.
To answer some of the points -
1. the frets are rocking, so I think they do need the work, as far as that goes. Although I've not played it lots, or consistently, I guess it all adds up.
2. I'm fairness to the tech, it was me asking about upgrades rather than his suggestion. When I asked he said PUs were the most likely place to look for upgrades. I guess I wanted to make it the best guitar I could if cost effective. If the original PUs aren't likely to sound much better, maybe the frets and set up will do.
3. I'd happily receive your tips BGood. I'm pretty nervous about adjusting anything myself - I've not done much beyond changing strings and polishing frets in the past.

I'll let you know where I land on it, and what the results are.

 

[BlueSquirrel]

Keep the money for the frets, then. If your guitar ends up needing a full levelling and crowning, it might cost you close to $250, unfortunately...

 

[soulman969]

Welcome to the forum.

Depending upon what's needed regarding the frets I'd spend any money you plan to spend and devote it to that first. Epiphone has improved their own pickups since the '90s but there are many more products available to choose from as well. Once you get the fretwork done we can comment on pickups some of us have found to to add value.

 

[Cozmik Cowboy]

Yeah, do the frets.
Electronically speaking, you will get more bang for the buck (quake for the quid?) by replacing the pots, switch, and jack than the p-ups - but the improvement there will be in longevity, not sound.

 

[BGood]

1. the frets are rocking, so I think they do need the work, as far as that goes.

Tried to tap down the high ones ? Epiphone often has that problem. Once done, it doesn't come back. This is what I use. Loosen the strings beforehand so you don't tap on one, your fret wouldn't like it.



I'm sending you the setup method.

Yeah, do the frets.
Electronically speaking, you will get more bang for the buck (quake for the quid?) by replacing the pots, switch, and jack than the p-ups - but the improvement there will be in longevity, not sound.

My 2004, 2007, 2010 and both 2012 still have their original pots, switches and jacks, and they all perform as intended without glitches. I do though sometimes clean switches and pots with spray when they start acting, then all is great.

 

[Paruwi]

Hi @Brody88

Welcome here @ €piTalk


personally I would not spend much money into this (or any other) older €pi

play it as it is and save the coins for something that doesn't need upgrades
at least that's what I discovered over the years and ~ 70 guitars

 

[Cozmik Cowboy]

My 2004, 2007, 2010 and both 2012 still have their original pots, switches and jacks, and they all perform as intended without glitches. I do though sometimes clean switches and pots with spray when they start acting, then all is great.

Not saying the metric ones can't last; my '92 Sheraton got damp in a flood in '96, and it took about 18 years before the harness got so bad it required a rewire. But (having had other import pots & jacks fail) I am saying that if you replace them with CTS, CRL, Oakes-Grigby, Switchcraft, Pure-Tone, etc., you'll be good for life (barring natural or massive abuse, of course).

 

[Equalphone]

I'd pay to have a good luthier fix the frets and do a full nut, fret, bridge setup. Might mean a minor level and crown, or just some tapping. A properly setup guitar can quickly go from "meh" to "my number one!".

If you decide to go the DIY route, I would suggest buying a good fret rocker (Not one on Amazon IME). Credit cards work, but the rocker will make the job much easier. Also, get the strings out of the way before tapping. If a string slips under the block of wood when you strike, you will damage the fret and definitely need major leveling.

I wouldn't jump on replacing the pickups. Spend your money on getting it to play perfect. If you love it when it's done, maybe consider an upgrade. But pickup upgrades, unless you put something high driving in there, are usually incremental sound changes. Most of what they can do can be done with effects and an amp. Your factory pickups will play clean and that's a great place to start... adding effects like drive and distortion electronically.

 

[Norton]

What does $500 guitar sound like?

 

[BGood]

What does $500 guitar sound like?

Like this ?

 

[BlueSquirrel]

What does $500 guitar sound like?

Epiphone guitars around $500 have really good pickups.

 

[Norton]

Exactly what I was intending to mean.

 

[Bryan]

Welcome!!, You mentioned that it has a vibrato/whammy bar on it?? That's a bit unusual for a Les Paul. Do you anticipate using it much? Do your other two guitars have them and do you use them? If the answer is no to the whammy bar, then it might be time to just save your dollars/pounds and get one of the "Inspired by Gibson" Les Pauls and trade in the one you have now. Built from 2020 onward, with the inspired by Gibson guitar, you will be getting a guitar that will take you to the next level, or as far as you want to go. (I'm realising that you're a novice with this bit of advice).

If you're dead set on keeping this one, then you MUST get it into playing shape!! (Frets leveled and a proper set up) Until that is done, you'll be peeing into the wind with any mods/upgrades.

If, you go this way, you might be surprised at how good the old gal plays and sounds. At the very least, you'll have a proper platform to start upgrading.

Please don't take what I'm going to say next as an insult. I do not mean it to be taken that way. When it comes to upgrading a guitar, I've personally found that you have to be a reasonably good player so that you understand what you are trying to achieve with a particular upgrade. Take some time and read about what makes an electric guitar do what it does. Volume and tone potentiometers and capacitors (pots and caps) can have a huge effect on the tone of your guitar. It's not always "change the pick ups' and you'll be happy. NOT by a long shot!!

Take care and good luck!!

Bryan

 

[BGood]

If the answer is no to the whammy bar, then it might be time to just save your dollars/pounds and get one of the "Inspired by Gibson" Les Pauls and trade in the one you have now. Built from 2020 onward, with the inspired by Gibson guitar, you will be getting a guitar that will take you to the next level, or as far as you want to go.

Sorry but I don't agree that a 90's Epi LP can't be brought to be as good as a IBG. And their tops usually look much better than what is offered today.

Volume and tone potentiometers and capacitors (pots and caps) can have a huge effect on the tone of your guitar.

That is if their values are different, if they stay the same, they will not change anything in the tone.