My journey with a 2004 Epiphone Les Paul Standard

[neepheid]

Here is the story of the Gibson (family) bass I've had the longest by some margin - the 2004 Epiphone Les Paul Standard bass.

In 2009 I bought an Epiphone Les Paul Standard bass.



Nice, right?  Except I couldn't leave it alone.  My first mod was to replace the pickups with EMG-HB actives.  In the beginning it was simple passive tone controls and I put some abalone topped knobs on it because I was feeling fancy (got no clear photos of that though).  Then I shoehorned in an EMG-BQC 3 band EQ and changed the knobs to be black John East ones.



Then, I addressed the thing which was bugging me all along - the lack of selector switch in the usual Les Paul place.  I found out that all the channelling and routing is there, they just don't bother drilling and fitting the switch on the basses.  So I sorted that.



Then I sold it.  Then I regretted it.  Then I tracked it down and bought it back.  On its travels, it acquired Schaller straplocks, can't take the credit for that mod.

Eventually, I got a bit bored of the EMG sound.  Then Squier came out with their devastatingly lovely black and gold 40th anniversary models and I got to thinking how good this bass would look if given the black and gold treatment.  So it got gutted, and the following fitted instead:

Wilkinson WJB750 gold tuners
DiMarzio X2N-B (DP125) pickups in black bobbins with gold rails
Babicz three point replacement bridge in gold (ONLY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T FIND A GOLD THREE POINTER FOR LOVE NOR MONEY - I TRIED)
New pots (including two push/push knobs for series/parallel on the tone knobs)
Gold bell knobs
Gold knob pointers
Gold jack socket, gold three way switch with black tip, black pickup rings




And for the final finishing touch, I had a custom "poker chip" made which reads DO / DO NOT, which mirrors general Star Wars related geekery and an inherent dislike of bridge pickups.

Except it wasn't quite black and gold enough, so I then added gold pickup covers, a brass nut, a black jack plate with gold screws and a silly sticker...





The rear control cavity covers are still cream, but they're at the back so I'm not in a hurry to replace them.  Short of redoing the body binding in gold, refretting in gold frets and fitting gold strings, I think I'm done.

End of shaggy dog story.

[uwe]

And how does it sound? I have an Epi LP prototype and that sounds closer to a Ric than a Gibson Les Paul bass - all that maple ...

I liked the penultimate version of yours best, those gold rail DiMarzios looked dangerous!

[Basvarken]

I prefer the version without the gold covers too.

[Basvarken]

A quick google search:

https://franklinguitarworks.com/products/bass-bridge-gold


But the Babicz is better 😎

[uwe]

No argument with that.

I just remembered that my Epi Les Paul prototype was/is neck-thru, so that of course added to the Ric vibe.

[gearHed289]

Nice. Customizing something to your own personal specs can be fun. Reminds me of the story of me and my main '89 Rickenbacker. It's been my Frankenstein since I bought it used in 2000.

[neepheid]

And how does it sound? I have an Epi LP prototype and that sounds closer to a Ric than a Gibson Les Paul bass - all that maple ...

I liked the penultimate version of yours best, those gold rail DiMarzios looked dangerous!

How does it sound?  Brutal.  The DiMarzio X2N-B pickups are super overwound and are loud AF.  Without taming as the sound travels through my pedalboard, the preamp of my Markbass begins to clip when it's turned up to about 2 out of 10.  If I didn't have my pedals, I might have been tempted to fit a trim pot inside the control cavity.  For all their power, there's quite a bit of clarity and character to them. I'm very impressed - bought them completely on a whim!

Well, the gold covers aren't permanent, they're just installed over the top of the X2N-Bs.  I wanted more bling.  Flirted with the idea of gold pickup rings instead but thought that would look silly (or maybe sillier).

[neepheid]

A quick google search:

https://franklinguitarworks.com/products/bass-bridge-gold


But the Babicz is better 😎

That was not available when I was looking at the start of last year, damnit!  I can google!

I prefer the Hipshot when it comes to three point replacement TBH, I find the Babicz overly fussy, overengineered and a bit "steampunk" for want of a better word.  But I got a deal on the Babicz at the time, and who doesn't like a bargain?

[uwe]

  Steampunk just about sums it up! Lot's of small clever solutions for problems that don't really exist in the real world.

[patman]

I like the 3 point, but the cheap stamped steel Fender design always works the best...

[slinkp]

I like this a lot. It looks like it was meant to be that way.

[uwe]

I'm neither a black/ebony fin nor a gold hardware fan, but the combo of the two strangely has something. Possibly the contrast between a very dead and a very warm color.

I really like what you did, it goes a long way in correcting that - fashionwise, well ... difficult - wool cap impression in your avatar pic.   And especially how you left the Epiphone logo intact.

[neepheid]

I'm neither a black/ebony fin nor a gold hardware fan, but the combo of the two strangely has something. Possibly the contrast between a very dead and a very warm color.

I really like what you did, it goes a long way in correcting that - fashionwise, well ... difficult - wool cap impression in your avatar pic.   And especially how you left the Epiphone logo intact.

The inspiration for the black and gold thing is partially from the Squier 40th Anniversary Precision they issued in black with gold hardware and a gold anodised pickguard.  Mmm.  If I didn't have my G&L Tribute LB-100 taking care of my P bass needs, I would have been all over that.  But the other inspiration is something from much longer ago...



As for the hat, I didn't buy it in the end, I was trying it on at a music festival and it made my wife laugh, so it was recorded for posterity.

And I would never, ever remove the Epiphone logo.  I can't stand all this masquerading nonsense that goes on.  I'm proud to rock my Epiphones as Epiphones!

[uwe]

 Your wife has impeccable taste!