guitar_199
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2024
- Messages
- 48
- Reaction score
- 128
The story on this one: From about 1980 I was without an electric guitar at all. In 1991 I was working on a contract at JSC in Houston and a guy I worked with played bass and wanted to get together and play. Making a long story short, when my wife found out I was serious about it... out we went and came home with an Epiphone S-310B. Black, hockey stick head, black pickguard, black pickup covers, black knobs. It served well for a long time until 1996 when I got a '96 MIM Strat. With that, the S-310 went in the case and was stored away in the garage (not in direct heat, WAS in a case and the case was covered up).
Bounce up to a year ago.
I got to thinking about her and went out and dragged her back in the house for an inspection. While I was actually using her, the nut cracked so I had a local shop put on a bone nut AND had Sperzel locking tuners put on. The tuners.... work fine but could use a good polishing. The frets look dull and I haven't checked them yet... but I imagine that there is some uneven wear. The real fun..... I opened up the vibrato cover in back.....the pot metal/zinc/whatever it is tremolo block...... had basically disintegrated. It is almost like it turned into powder and crumbled. It literally crumbled to pieces. The saddles just looked funky. It is almost like they were some kind of shiny plated cheap metal. I decided that I wanted this one "back in the active fold".
I ordered a solid metal trem block and new saddles for a metric bridge, and new trem springs and a new trem arm. As soon as that came in.... I broke the plate assembly down, cleaned and polished it, put the new trem block and saddles on.... screwed the new arm in.... and it was beautiful. At the same time.... I wanted to change the look a bit as a "tip o the hat" to David Gilmour (since it was black!) so I bought new white knobs and switch tip, all new pots and tone caps, and a set of Planet Tone DG pickups (wanted to try them just for giggles!). When THOSE all came in..... did I "hop right on it"????
Did I mention being lazy and a lousy self-starter??????
That brings us to now.
I've decided.... it is time. Finishing this has moved to the head of the list.
It is in pieces now. The bridge assembly is all done and safe in a box here in my office room. The pickups and parts are in the same area. All the hardware is in a box here in my office as well.
The last things I need to do are:
Assemble and wire the pickguard,
MAYBE shield the cavity... I'm not sure.......
and I am going to do a fret level and crown on the neck.
At that point it will be polish the body, mount the pickguard and bridge, bolt the neck on, string it up and do the setup and she will be back.
I can't wait to see how she turns out.
Finally.... "Sneakers" (2013 LP Standard Gold Top) will have an Epi sibling!!!!!!!!
Stay tuned....
Bounce up to a year ago.
I got to thinking about her and went out and dragged her back in the house for an inspection. While I was actually using her, the nut cracked so I had a local shop put on a bone nut AND had Sperzel locking tuners put on. The tuners.... work fine but could use a good polishing. The frets look dull and I haven't checked them yet... but I imagine that there is some uneven wear. The real fun..... I opened up the vibrato cover in back.....the pot metal/zinc/whatever it is tremolo block...... had basically disintegrated. It is almost like it turned into powder and crumbled. It literally crumbled to pieces. The saddles just looked funky. It is almost like they were some kind of shiny plated cheap metal. I decided that I wanted this one "back in the active fold".
I ordered a solid metal trem block and new saddles for a metric bridge, and new trem springs and a new trem arm. As soon as that came in.... I broke the plate assembly down, cleaned and polished it, put the new trem block and saddles on.... screwed the new arm in.... and it was beautiful. At the same time.... I wanted to change the look a bit as a "tip o the hat" to David Gilmour (since it was black!) so I bought new white knobs and switch tip, all new pots and tone caps, and a set of Planet Tone DG pickups (wanted to try them just for giggles!). When THOSE all came in..... did I "hop right on it"????
Did I mention being lazy and a lousy self-starter??????
That brings us to now.
I've decided.... it is time. Finishing this has moved to the head of the list.
It is in pieces now. The bridge assembly is all done and safe in a box here in my office room. The pickups and parts are in the same area. All the hardware is in a box here in my office as well.
The last things I need to do are:
Assemble and wire the pickguard,
MAYBE shield the cavity... I'm not sure.......
and I am going to do a fret level and crown on the neck.
At that point it will be polish the body, mount the pickguard and bridge, bolt the neck on, string it up and do the setup and she will be back.
I can't wait to see how she turns out.
Finally.... "Sneakers" (2013 LP Standard Gold Top) will have an Epi sibling!!!!!!!!
Stay tuned....
