Home Forums Guitar Discussion Guitar Seymore Duncan ’59’s

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  • #25113
    MichaelC
    Participant

    Holy smokes! It sounds like I bought a new guitar!

    I didn’t realize how muddy sounding the Epiphone pick-ups were in my Les Paul Custom.

    It took all of 45 minutes to change them out and well worth the investment. I’d have paid more for this guitar if they would have installed these at the factory. Even the Gibson pick-ups would have been an improvement over what Epi installs.

    I remember back in ’77 or ’78 when one of the local guitar hero’s I used to play with on occasion bought a new Les Paul. I wish I could say I remember it sounding just like my Epi does now, but at least it sounds 100% better than it did.

    The highs are so clear it’s unbelievable. The lows are well defined and solid without being muddy in the least. Both the lows & highs are still very distinct even when overdriven with the VOX.

    I also bought a Boss CE-5 chorus box with this order and I’m very happy with it too. Sounds great.

    #http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h146/boeing722/LPVOX.jpg

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    • #77212
      1bassleft
      Participant

      Yes I have a ’90 Fenix Jazz bass (and sold another) which were made in Korea and the wood on body and neck is lovely. With the defretted one I’ve kept, I replaced the bridge with a Gotoh (and fitted piezo saddles and preamp), the neck pup stayed stock (very nice tone) and the bridge pup that didn’t sound very Jazz-like was replaced with a Fender Vintage 60s (not a lot different, surprisingly). Best of all, for a small outlay, were the pots and jack socket. Switchcraft jacks have reassuring “clonk”s when the lead is put in, instead of that Korean fuzz-dur before. Although the Jazz doesn’t have a selector switch, I noticed plenty of flimsy types on other guitars and they’re well worth getting rid.

    • #77147
      MichaelC
      Participant

      I do plan to change the rest out, starting with the three-way toggle. That’s has to be the worst part of the whole guitar.

      It works fine, but it’s very loose and sloppy feeling.

      The bridge and the stop piece are next. I’m replacing those with the TonePro setup.

      I can’t speak for all the Chinese-made Epiphone guitars, but structurally and finish-wise, this is a very nice example. I can see they do have to meet a price point or everyone would buy Gibson’s instead or do without. I can’t see myself spending $3-$5K for a Gibson.

    • #77206
      1bassleft
      Participant

      Unlike when we started on budget guitars in the late 70s/early 80s (plywood bodies, inhouse pups made of magnetized wood screws and other hardware from a furniture warehouse), modern affordables are quite close to being decent, but for the cheapo electronics. They’ve got to keep unit costs down, and that’s where it bites.

      A quick replacement of pups and, while you’re at it might as well get US pots and jack socket, you can have a nice instrument. I know more than a few people who’ve bought those SX guitars from Rondo for $100 and replaced the pups and pots to get a good looking and sounding guitar. If it weren’t for the shipping cost and import duties, I’d like a couple of their lefty basses myself.

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