Hi, I went to bed thinking about all the cool info in this thread but couldn't help thinking there is a more worthy guitar in your collection, angelodp! Not saying the epiphone is no good, I love them, I play a stock epiphone '58 korina explorer! No, what I mean is this, you actually already like the way your guitar sounds! My advice, grab out that guitar you have in your closet which you don't like how it sounds and apply all the excellent advice in this thread to it. You'll end up with 2 guitars you love!!
You might get a 10% improvement in your perception of the epiphone LP, but I guarantee $300 spent on that 'other' guitar will yield 80% improvement, unless a) you don't have another guitar b) it really can't be helped! (see end of this post for my list of guitars which can't be helped)
Quick example of what I mean,
My first guitar, Session strat copy, still own it but you wouldn't recognize it, new pickup arrangement, floyd rose, single volume with coil tap, big frets, all done myself. Shit guitar made good!
Yamaha Pacifica, not great guitars, but belonged to my late brother so have to keep right
? Well, I drop in 2 new Carvin humbuckers with coil taps, and voila! Shit guitar made good!
Epiphone '58 Korina explorer, loved the look & sounded good in shop, got home a plugged in, a little disappointed. Not much bass response, and a few intonation tuning issues, felt a bit of a sucker...until I recorded with it!
Obviously I fixed the intonation etc, but all the things I didn't like about jamming with it in the room, translated to an excellent recorded tone! It sounded brilliant! the lack of bass meant I'm not EQing and compressing the bee-jesus out of it to make it fit, it has a real classic vibe to it with alot of great harmonics and transients coming through which I didn't really hear through the amp.
My point, good sounding guitars are great in the right context, and sometimes are just waiting for their moment to shine....Shit guitars can be good guitars with new pickups.
Also, just to add to the tone debate,
My list of guitars which can't be helped; EVERYTHING WITH A CRAP NECK ON IT!
40% of the tone of the guitar is the neck woods/truss rod setup. Boring yes, but just swap the neck on a US strat with a cheap soft wood copy and you will see what I mean, no pickup can save a crap neck!!! [/quote]
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) Thanks again, Chad
