New IBG Les Paul Special, questions about P90's

[Johnny Dubs]

Well, I've really fallen for the Epi magic. I bought a blem version of the 1959 Les Paul Standard last night. With all the discounts it cost $745 plus tax. I couldn't say no. After getting the Special so cheaply, when I saw the '59 from the same online retailer I figured I'd be a fool to pass it up. I'm not trying to brag or anything but I have pedals that cost more than the '59 BUT, in the last year I've fallen in love with these inexpensive guitars. Between the PRS SE's, Sire and Epiphone (to name a few), I just can't get over what under (sometimes significantly under) a grand will buy these days. As I approach retirement age, it's nice to see I don't have to break the bank every time I get an itch for a new guitar.

The guitar will be here tomorrow. All I have to do is figure out how to shrink my photos small enough that I can attach them here.

If you have an iPhone just email the pics to yourself and choose something smaller than original size.

Other phones may have similar features, idk.

 

[spupilup]

This is what FedEx left for me today. Now I really scored on the blemished Special that started this thread. This $745 1959 Standard is going to need some sorting. First, it was built in 2021 and by the look of the fretboard, frets and fret ends, it’s been through a variety of climates. I have to tap more than a half dozen frets in place, file down the fret ends and polish every single fret. Fortunately, I have both the time and the tools. Man, this fretboard was dry. Some linseed oil brought it back to life as did some new strings.

The guitar’s pickups sound great and the chunky neck is fine by me, I like them that way. A couple of hours of work and it will be worth it but this wasn’t the steal the Special was.

 

[Darkness]

Nice top on that. I have the same color

 

[Epison]

I have the same special. I don't have that issue but then it all depends on the sounds you use and how you do things. But consider this....Lindy Frailin in one of his articles says with P90s you should set them as close to the string as possible without the string hitting the pickup. Now i'm not saying you have to go that close, but i have tried it and it DOES work like that and sounds fine. I keep mine only a hair lower than that but it's very close. So try that and see if it brings the bridge output high enough to balance better with the neck. On a sdie note, before i got the Epi TV yelow special i had a higher end gibson special and the issue you are having i had with that ! But not with the Epi ! On the gibson i took 1k worth of windings off the neck pup which dd the trick but also killed a bit of the necks overall tone.

 

[BlueSquirrel]

I recently got this TV Yellow Special as a demo model from one of the large mail order places for $379 (less a $20 coupon for an actual cost of $359). I was a little worried about what might have happened to it for the price to be this low but I was pleasantly surprised by the condition. Whomever had originally purchased the guitar had done a nice set up. Intonation was spot on and the action was pretty low. The only issues I saw were that the two grub screws were missing from the back of the wraparound bidge and the tops of the studs looked like they had been tightened using a butter knife. It was no big deal because I immediately installed a Faber bridge and studs. I had originally thought that the nut was slightly out of position but as it turned out, it wasn't even glued in place. So, a dab of Titebond and a dusting of graphite and all was made right.

One other thing that I noticed was that no matter how much I lowered the neck pickup, it overpowered the bridge pickup. I have the neck back just about as far as I can get it with the bridge raised higher than I've ever raised a pickup. Here's the thing. I think the neck pickup sounds incredible. The bridge pickup is no slouch either but it simply can't keep up. Initially, given the low cost of the guitar, I had planned on installing a different set of pickups. I play some 70's, punk and grunge so I had been checking out the Bare Knuckle P90's (Mississippi Queens and Nantucket's to be exact). I had planned to ask you folks what you use and what you like as an upgrade but to be honest, I think I may keep the neck pickup and just try to find a replacement for the bridge that can keep up. I'd love to hear what you think about my idea for just going with replacement of the bridge pickup and what you would use or likely use if you were in my position.

Lastly, is there any merit to replacing the tuners with genuine Kluson's or Gotoh's. It seems like both are a relatively cheap upgrade (costing under $50 in most cases) if I stay away from locking and keeping with the butterbean knobs. I can't really say I have any issues with tuning or holding tune, the nut seems fine and the bridge is exceptional. It's more a question of the value of installing something that's genuine rather than a knock off (as I'm typing this I realize the irony of what I'm saying since the whole guitar is nothing but a cheap knockoff of a Gibson). Let me know if I should make a change or save the money for a few sets of strings.
TIA

You could perhaps just raise the bridge closer to the strings?

 

[spupilup]

You could perhaps just raise the bridge closer to the strings?

Thanks for the advise BlueSquirrel. At this point, I took BGood's advise and moves the neck pickup to the point where it wouldn't go any lower while moving the bridge pickup to within a lick of the strings. Right now, I'm happy with the balance between the two pickups and with that, the quality of the sound from these inexpensive Epi P90 Pro's in both positions. I upgraded the bridge to a Faber from Germany and it is a lightweight work of art but beyond that, I think I'm done with modding this one, at least for the time being.

Like so many of you here on this board, we're old enough to remember what you got when you paid for an "inexpensive" guitar. Back in the '70's Japan was only starting to come I to it's own with guitars that were inexpensive AND worthwhile. By the '80's Japan was making Fender's better than they were in Leo's old factory! Quick studies, these Asian economies and good on them for it. I have several expensive US models, a few from Indonesia including a couple of G&L Tributes that are wonderful, and these two Epi's from China. We are living in an amazing time when it comes to quality instruments at reasonable prices.