It would be nice to know the total cost: guitar + pickups + wiring harness + labor. I've often thought it makes sense to search for a well-built "budget" guitar and then upgrade it rather than buying a brand new "standard" model.
Depends. If you’re going to keep it, it’s worth it. You’ll never see that money again if you try to sell it. The cost of the pickups, the wiring harness, and the labor should all be considered as a “loss” because most people aren’t going to pay you more for a guitar just because it’s upgraded to what you like.
@@phillipsouthard8285 I've owned roughly 20 guitars in the past 7 years. I now have 6. None of them were "upgraded" significantly. Of the 14 guitars, 10 sold for $100-200 less than I paid for them and 4 sold for the same or more. I don't have an issue with this because I look at it as the cost of finding a guitar that I can bond with. A rental fee, if you will. I should also mention that included in those 14 guitars was a Strat, a SG, and an ES-339. The rest were G&L and Godin. None of these guitars were "bad." Mostly, I sold them because they weren't my cup of tea or I needed to thin out the herd a bit.
@@mikeaustin4138 yeah, that’s about how much I lose each time I sell one (I’ve been through a lot in the past few years). But I’m talking about the loss when you do upgrade one. I would not suggest upgrading a guitar unless you absolutely love it and plan on keeping it. I’ve found that it’s better just to buy a better guitar than to upgrade a cheaper one.
@@phillipsouthard8285 To a knowledgeable player, good quality upgrades may or may not get you a bit more on resale. But what they will do is make it a more appealing purchase to a player, particularly if you keep the work receipts or have a good series of photos of the work if you do it yourself, as I do. It IS your guitar after all. It is worth the upgrades for the joy of better playing. I have no fear of drilling holes in a $3,000 instrument if it makes it better for me to play. My favorite mod is a master volume on the lower horn, like Gretsch has.
The build quality of many inexpensive guitars has gotten so good, just choosing great pickups and optimum electronics yields a wonderful sound. I did the same with a Chinese set neck LP Jr = Fantastic. And also with an older Korean made Hamer 335. The Hamer build quality was superb. Thank you Rhett
I've been on a mission the last 30 mo to build a clean variety of nice playing generally no-name guitars that happen to have excellent chassis i learned to make and install custom electronics upgrades...to astonishingly excellent effect! Not worried about recouping $ spent. Interested in learning and understanding what works best with what, and how to make what's not working anymore work again better than ever... Great episode, nice to see how you can upgrade a $700 guitar into something very special, figure there is what? $1100+- in real money invested in that casino now,...? and it plays like a $2500+ guitar.... One can work absolute wonders on - $200 - $400 guitars, that meet a basic criteria of quality and performance...chassis wise : wood, construction materials, with a cpl hundred $ in pups, electronics and a little ( or ALOT if yr Rhett...) time and care.
I think that Today is another "Golden Age" for (broke) guitarists. I mean, right now even Harley Benton has a very, very good quality Fusion Pro III series with well executed, name brand 'Blacksmith' Stainless Steel frets, with "flame" roasted maple necks or very nice Ebony fingerboard options and flamed maple (veneer) tops with Wilkinson tremolos standard to boot?! I've got one and it is VERY GOOD and I'm comparing it to my American Standard Fender Strat, Gretsch Electromatic Jet, G&L Tribute Doheny or even my Mexican Charvel. I've got the Ebony board on mine and it is very nice. This for just about $350? Even the Roswell pups sound good and well rounded, not too trebly, but, those with hearing loss will perceive them as "dull" since they've lost some of their higher frequency hearing perception.
I purchased a brand new Epiphone Wildcat a couple years ago. That's basically the same guitar with a Bixby and slightly different wiring diagram. I absolutely loves the way it it played. It was so comfortable and as a guy that plays mainly acoustic guitars it felt a little more like home plus I love P90s. I don't know what I had plugged it into at this little country jewelry store with a guitar problem but it even sounded great through the lil amp. The problem came when I brought it home and hooked it up to my rig and then subsequently hooked it up to almost a dozen different amps and even straight in to my PA through my board and there was 1 common problem and that is it was such a dark, muddy no shitty sounding in everything i plugged it into unless I completely tweeked the tone to some extremes throughout the chain and it still wasn't ideal. It just didn't make sense and sure did not sound like a P90 hollow body should sound. I tried new strings NYXLs and threw on a roller bridge. That still did not make much difference. After some digging, research and testing I found out the problem was the crap coaxial cable the factory wires them with. These guitars are wired so that each pickup has a volume and there is a master volume that is located toward the bottom horn and the switch is on top like a les paul. That is a lot of wire, a lot of bad wire that has an extremely high impedance. This curcuit doesn't need anymore help in that department but it is that wire that robs all the tone and makes them sound so dark and shitty. Seriously the stock pickups are actually pretty good but most would never know that. The parts are even decent, not exactly ideal but if you want it to sound as it should and are on a budget all that must be done is just change out the wire. I upgraded the pots and switch because I was there but I kept the stock pickups because I had heard they were just fine with the proper wire and good P90s can be expensive unless you make them. I haven't once considered new pickups since the rewire and I ended up using those stock parts else where and they seem alright. Long story short just change the wire. If Epiphone would just spend an extra dollar or 2 and wired these with a better wire from the factory I Garauntee they would sell a whole lot more of them. Then they wouldn't need anything exept new strings and a roller if it has a trem/vib and these guitars would be impossible to rival at this price range. I am Glad to see that you appreciate them too and knowing that you also found them to sound too dark and really muddy is reassuring because now I am certain I didn't just loose my mind. Lol
@Syd McCreath who cares. 🤷🏼♂️ doesn't matter what kind of tremolo, well technically Vibrato, that a guitar has I never use them anyway. However, I once had a Hagstrom super swede tremar with their version of a bigsby and it was so smooth and balanced you could operate it with your pinky. That one I should have kept. I may have started using it.
After reading this I'm hoping to upgrade the wiring on my Casino.. love the guitar and it's playability but the overly dark, muddy tone make it difficult to use live. Thanks for posting your findings, you may have given me a solution.. 👍
@@wdbmusicchannel3849 that's great. I'm happy to hear that. Let us know how it works out for you. I swear if epiphone had only spent between .50cent and $2 more on the wiring they would have a couple monsters on their hands. I just can't believe I didn't notice it when I first tried it out. That must have been one terrible amp I was plugged into.
Thanks Rhett for being online. I have been playing off and on for over 5 decades but, I have found I can always improve my skills, by listening and learning. Keep up the good work.
Wow! This tech is like an "E.R." guitar surgeon with his hands and skills! Thank You to this guitar Doctor for his gracious demonstration of his wonderful skills and knowledge. Absolutely great. I would go to this store in a heartbeat just to visit.
I have also fitted Lollar dogear P90’s and upgraded the wiring on my (lefty) Chinese Epiphone Casino. I have also upgraded the bridge and the tuners. Very pleased with the results.
I did a similar upgrade to Lollars on my Epiphone Riviera Custom P93. Added some Kluson Revolution 19:1 tuners and a Guitar Fetish roller bridge (to complement the Bigsby), and now it's one of my favorite guitars! 💣 ▶ 👂
@@xochihuarock I think they were just the regular P-90 Dogears. I did have to use some of the shims to get them mounted just right. You can consult with the Lollar guys if you want some educated help, before you put down any money.
Really liked that you followed him through every step of the upgrade -- so many good tips and tricks, especially when working with hollows/semis. After my own DIY attempt on a 335 copy several years ago I said "never again" -- and that's still pretty much the case -- I learned a lot about what I did wrong and how I might do better if I ever dare attempt it. Thanks!
I had one of those 90s Mexican super strats and one of the first mods I did was to put some suhr V60 low wind pickups in. The difference was pretty big but I really didn’t get the full value out of the pickups until I replaced the wiring harness with an Emerson. If you’re going to bother spending a decent amount on pickups it is always worth making sure the wiring harness is doing them justice.
I’ve found that with Epiphone hollow bodies that a violin soundpost setter is really handy for pushing the pots through the body. New pots and caps will improve the stock pickup’s sound, new pickups improve the stock pots ands caps sound, but together makes a huge difference. Doing a fret level and polish really wakes these things up a surprising amount.
13:26 I've shielded the cavity (pickups and control area, AND most of the pick guard) of several Strat clones and it basically gets rid of any hum (or "noise") that otherwise showed up when I don't touch the strings. A problem with a hollow body is it looks pretty hard to do that. I didn't look close but it looks like most wires carrying signal are shielded, though those two capacitors are exposed. But yeah, the Lollar pickups are much brighter.
It is unconscionable pigheadedness that semis don't come with an access cover in the back, as I easily made for my Chibson. This eased tremendously placing all the pots in a plastic envelope covered with aluminum tape. HUGE improvement, though, along with ground wires for everything.
There are several ways to shield it. I prefer using shielding paint instead of copper because it's neater. But don't forget to ground the guitar before you put all the electronics back in.
I did the exact same mods on my Casino and the difference was night and day. I love the sound of the Lollar P-90s. That snarly nasally tone the harder you dig in is just fun.
Several years ago, I put Lollar P-90s in an Inanez AS-73 semi-hollow and that one upgrade turned a $300 guitar into a $3,000-sounding guitar. Jason Lollar knows his stuff! You really turned this Casino into a righteous beast, Rhett, with these upgrades
That is amazing Brett, from mud to sparkle. I had the same experience with my China-made Ibanez AS-73 - played great but sounded like there was a pillow over the amp. Threw in a set of Fralin's Pure PAFs (that cost me more than the guitar), used an RS Guitarworks wiring harness, and magic! Congrats.
If you watch/listen to Rhett's first video on this Casino (with original pickups) you will notice that the sound is quite different. I really think the amp settings on this second video are substantially different and tend to emphasise the supposed muddiness of the original pickups. On the first video the Casino doesn't sound muddy at all (to me). I'm not saying this is intentionally biased but I suspect the amp settings are not the same. Given that Rhett's opinion is very reliable I am happy to go by that! However, I'm not confident that the comparisons we actually hear on this video necessarily give the full picture.
I actually liked the original Epiphone sound. People tend to rate an improvement using the tone range of their favorite “other guitar” as a benchmark eg it sounds closer to my XXX now. I’m currently in the process of buying a standard Epiphone Casino natural. So long as all the hardware is functional I’ll keep it standard. Don’t want it to mimic my other guitars.
Yes, just go and listen to the sound on Rhett's first video after receiving the Casino ... the original pickups don't sound "muddy" at all. The amp settings on this video sound different.
@@MrAdopado Agree 100%. However, I also agree to each their own. But, I do like the original pick-ups on his first video on this guitar. I think that is because of his amp. The quality of Chinese guitars is often better than American made guitars and at a lower price - yet I think he may have found fault with the original because Loller has a better reputation than some "Chinese" pick-up. The authentic sound of a Casino was made to sound very generic to my ear. Funny how price or where a guitar is built will change a person's perception or favorability of sound quality.
So I have my John Lennon style Casino now. I did s much better upgrade: I had a bone nut put in. Had the guitar PLEKed, frets polished, action and intonation set up by my guitar tech in Switzerland. Result: great mellow hollow body. To get the sound in the video of the Lollars I just switch guitars to my Gibson 336 custom shop and turn the bright switch on for my Fender Amp.
Grounding the strings makes your body function as a capacitor that reduces some noise. There are also shock hazards as a trade off. I would much prefer keeping the stock metal pickup covers, unless that was the main cause of the stock pickups being less bright. A comparison could have been done with each type cover on the new Lollar pickups. The metal covers would have some noise shielding properties when grounded, and I prefer their look over black plastic.
When doing such comparison, you need to adjust gain to be the same. The amp was set at the edge of breakup which original pickups didn't fully reach and this influences the tone at higher frequencies.
Yeah I think Epiphone got it right with their stock pickups which sounded warmer, more mellow and that is what I'd expect from a hollow body, but nevertheless the Lollars are fine no doubt and I'm sure that guitar would howl when driven in a cranked tube amp.
I preferred the stock pickups as well. Buying a guitar specifically for the vibe, then gutting the vibe with different pickups and electronics doesn't make sense to me. But Rett had a particularly sound in mind, so it's up to him. 🤷
I also like the stock ones, I have a Casino Coupe and the stock pups are very good to me. I would maybe get better electronics to see if that I owns the tonal dynamics, but I don’t think is needed, is not a necessity for me at the moment.
A couple of months ago, I did something similar with my 2004 Epiphone Les Paul that I fell out of love a little bit. I replaced the pots and switches with CTS and Switchcraft, and the pick ups with Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers. It turned the guitar into a completely different beast and it sounds absolutely fantastic. If you like the feel of your instrument, I recommend to give this a go.
Rhett's assessment of how he would handle the job matches exactly my experience of doing it. Retrying it a couple times over several months, with the guitar just sitting unused between each attempt. Eventually gave in and paid an expert to do it, for less than the cost of the parts I'd purchased.
I changed out the pups on my stock Epiphone Sheraton II (335) with Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz Set and the the result was astonishing. The sustain and depth of the sound changed a nice guitar into a beautiful guitar that never ceases to amaze me (and I also have a PRS Custom 24 so it is in good company). Also changed out the pots and it was very challenging as everything has to fit through the f-holes. Fishing wire is your friend.
upgrading things that already work is fine if it satisfies you psychologically. In the case of pickups, I would tend to learn how to work with what I already have in order to find an acceptable compromise. I'd put more emphasis on pickup height, guitar/amp settings, pickup tone blend, etc... before buying a new set to solve the problem
@@kevinmcleod2366 to be fair, there isn't any one ideal pickup tone that everyone should strive for. If you think they're too 'muddy' for you (which basically means too much mid/low frequency), then that's your thing. If you have a faulty switch then fix it. That has nothing to do with what I said.
I'd have to agree with this immensely. My example would be an Epiphone SG, the neck pickup is a bit odd, and it compresses alot, but I've learned how to work it out for something very good.
@@BIGBOPPER41 perhaps, I guess it could be used as a way to scam. Most likely it's just a really uncreative marketing technique to get more people to sup the channel, collect more dedicated viewers, & sell more stuff ....ya, that would be a scam
This is a great video and covers so much ground. Not that its necessary though I would like to throw a few things out here to piggy back on how to get a good hollowbody tone. For one. something that I think helps to remember: while I believe upgraded three way switch, pickups, and pots/caps make a big difference in terms of quality, often the stuff that comes in these guitars are just fine. I do believe the three way switch and nut are more essential though the actual electronics are often fine. A big thing for musicians that may want to get a bit more without changing out electronics is a magnet swap. Particularlly for these types of guitars - P90s have TWO magnets per pickup and what I've found is that the P90s that come stock have two ceramic or highish powered magnets in them. With distortion or gain that can work, though for cleans, you run into the "dull" thing. Going to Addition FX or another magnet store online I like two alnico 2 magnets for the neck and two alnico 5s for the bridge. Often these magnet swaps can be switched out in no time for the plastic covered ones though I know sometimes the metal covers are soldered down t ight. Either way even if a person opts. to do an overhaul and upgrade the pickups entire I think it helps to remember the A2 for neck A5 for bridge really helps get a great balanced sound for P90s. Also, and this is big: almost any modern hollowbody can have P90s installed thanks to the spacers mentioned in the video. I have it done on a mid 2000s Ibanez AF85. If you pull out the stock humbuckers and rings, it's a near perfect fit if you don't mind drilling into the top. I initially had some basic Kent Armstrong P90 Junior P90s added and, after the magnet swaps, this thing ROCKS without "having" to exclusively get one brand. I've played it on stage doing my singing/looping thing as well as playing it in super conservative jazz situations. I typically use an always on EQ to knock down a hair of the 60 hz though honestly it doesn't typically bother me. Point is, for many guitars (335, full hollow, LPs), you have the option to get these tones with just a little bit of modding - not to mention the "P90 humbuckers" that, while don't have as many winds, gets in the ball park without ANY modding. I think it helps to remember that the 50s wiring helps here, as well as a linear volume pot (300B) and audio tone (300A) and you can get THIS sound with anything you may have laying around needing love. Take it from me - I've did it and I love it. Posted respectfully because this video rocks.
Rhett, I think changing out the stock pickups for Lollars IS Plan B, and it is awesome, worked out great. I've never done a pickup replacement on a hollow body and it looks like a tougher job for sure, done lots of solid bodies. Sounds great, much more articulate and more punch through! Good work...
There's a tremendous amount of clarity in the upgraded pickups. I did SD antiquity in mine. It's a completely different sounding instrument. Also, I upgraded the bridge to a new ABR style with raw brass saddles that I needed to file myself. Now they're cut correctly for the strings I play on it . That was a big upgrade to consider as well.
I get "This video is unavailable on this device" when I try to play this. Other TH-cam vids all play fine. This one gives that message on all devices I tried (desktop/table/phone).
same here - i checked the one i watched yesterday and same notice came up but disappeared in 1 sec. then the video played...not so with this new vid still not playing after 3 min. hmmmmmmmm
I love when you can take an affordable guitar and easily make it A LOT better. Would you bring this one on tour? I always worried about P90s in a live setting because they can be a bit noisy. Speaking of tours...are we getting any tour vlogs sometime soon?
I'd be more worried about the full hollow than the P90s in a live setting. That said, I use a full hollow with a Marshall stack live. You've got to be on your game with controlling your volume from the guitar, but the tone is so worth it! So warm and rich, stands out from the norm, and the controlled feedback can be incredible!
Only if it doesn't have a rollercoaster fret job, which very many cheap guitars of any brand do, making that myth absolute nonsense! Playability, buzz free, dead note free comes first! I get them in all the time wanting everything but fret work because of the cost, and even having had several techs... setup the damned thing to no improvement, and charging for it without ever addressing the real issue: Uneven frets, that no adjustment of any hardware can fix! And yes, it can easily cost more than what one payed for the instrument in the first place, and may still not be worth doing if the neck woods are not dry enough or settled yet, as it will go back out of speck in doing so.
He used the pink Novo as his main guitar for so long and that has P90's, I don't see a reason he wouldn't take this out as well. Especially being so much less expensive in case something happens!
great video! I did something similar. I bought a new Epiphone Melody Maker E1, and put 2 Lindy Fralin stock p90's and new CTS 500 pots with Emerson PIO cap, selector switch, and it sounds absolutely beautiful. I chose the Melody Maker because: 1-the nostalgia of the name, the look of the classic sunburst satin finish; 2-the mathematics were true to scale and the neck is 42.67mm almost 43mm, but slim contour; mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, poplar body, which is actually weighty enough. 3-all the electronics are on the pickguard, so I just bought a new pickguard and built everything on it, then swapped out the old to the new. The old can be put back in no problem. I put Kluson locking tuners on, kept the wraparound bridge(for now), classic gold knobs. It has that perky yet mellow jazz sound at the neck, chimey sound with both, and the classic bridge p90 from the 50's-60's. I call it my Poor Boy 50's Les Paul. For about $600 total I have a classic sound that is easy to play, very stylish looking, and....I love it. Coming from cheap 60's Japanese and foreign guitars as a teen, they have really improved the general quality, but they still can't beat a good set of electronics. Better electronics + a new foreign made guitar and you have a killer combination for half the cost. It would be nice if America would make even the same quality for a competetive price, but they are always more.
Awesome upgrade. Lollar is so clearer and funner. Cut thru the mix. Sounds so good! (I love Lollar Wide Field PU' S on hollow body teles). Great tech Ben. Nice Rhett very good upgrade.
loving the lollar p90's in my lp special tribute, such a huge upgrade. also dropped their imperials in my 335 and so much more clarity compared to the 57 classics.
I clicked on the notification on my phone and it tells me this video is unavailable on this device. All the other videos I've watched of yours have worked perfectly fine on my phone before.
WOW!! That was a *HUGE* difference!! The A/B stock-vs-Loller portion of the video totally blew me away! I honestly don't think I've ever heard such an impressive difference like that!
Anyone else getting a TH-cam error that says, “This video is unavailable on this device?” I’m on an iPhone XS Max using the TH-cam app. The same thing happens when I try playing this video with iOS Safari. All other videos are playing. Did Rhett accidentally click something that prevents mobile viewing in his settings when he uploaded?
I have an older Epi Dot that had the same muddy problem. About 12 years ago I took the original humbuckers out and installed Seymour Duncan Phat Cat P-90's. WOW, definitely punches way above its weight class.
Dark and Muddy is not a cheap epiphone pickup problem. Even Gibson P90s are like this. I personally love it because it pair so well with fuzz, makes it sound evil.
I go fully with your opinion. Since 5 days, I am the loving owner of such a Chinese casino and the punch and clarity of its sound still make it hard to lay this beauty down.
That is becausecan A5 standard nagnet like Gibsons really do not pair well w the full hollow body Casino. Lollar uses de-gaussed magnets. Otherwise A2/A3 magnets yield better results especially in the neck pickup. Btw, it's very easy to swap an A5 magnet w an A2/A3 in a P90. Ive done it on one guitar but have Lollars as standard. I used an A2 in the Casino i bought that now has Lollars in it. Swapped the pickups. Already sounds much better. So, if you have a standard Casino buy an A2/A3 magnet for the neck P90 and swap. That already is an improvement. Saves you ablot of money. Magnets are cheap.
I’ve always been a Fender player. Recently got the Epiphone ES-335 and with a proper setup could not be happier. Over time I plan on changing out the hardware and electronics to the specs I want. I’m sure it will turn into one of my favorites to play. Great video!
I had my local shop do this with an Epiphone 335-Pro and it was extremely worth it. They only charged $250 for swapping pots, caps, pickups, jack and switch. It really took the guitar up a level and couldn’t be more happy with it. Even just swapping for Gibson PUs is worth it IMO.
The Casino sounds great with the Lollars thinking of a set to replace the stock pickups on my Korean Sorrento reissue. I am looking into purchasing your slide course since Josh Scott doesn’t offer one even though his slide tone is far superior 😂
Hi Rhett, I've seen a number of TH-cam channels cover this pickup upgrade on the Chinese-made Casinos. Have to say, while the upgrade gives a crisper delivery, I'm not too sure that is what I would want from my Casino (prefer 'vintage'), despite the obvious improvement in the wiring. Of course, beauty is in the ear of the beholder, and I'm glad it has given you more enjoyment of the instrument. Just subscribed, all the best.
I’m loving my modded Casino Coupe. Ive literally replaced everything that isn’t wood. I installed underwound Lollar P-90s plus wiring. I did modify a frequensator tailpiece to work on it as well as installing new Grover tuners. The guitar sounds and plays better and it’s great on recordings. It seems feedback isn’t much of an issue with these underwound pickups.
when you remove the metal cover from a pickup you get a brighter sound and more volume, which is why jimmy page removed the cover from the hambuckers on his double neck. Pickups with metal covers have a more vintage sound. Personally I prefer the original pickups. Yes I like more the chinese pickups than the lollars!
Very cool, Ben did a very nice job, clearly a worthwhile upgrade visually and sonically. Almost makes me want one...You didn't play any Beatles, what the heck! :+)
Sorry, but the person doing the wiring has nothing to do with "Sonic" anything, unless they make poor contact and get dirt in the pots! All of that "Matching capacitors" and "Brand X vintage capacitors" bullshit is bunk, and a huge money making scam! Matching is nonsense because your everything else isn't matched, nor would anyone want that, you want differences between bridge and neck, or else just use a single pickup! I mean what would the point be? THERE IS NONE! Film capacitors do have slight advantages over ceramic caps, but brand and age make no other difference than old ones may no longer be within original tolerance for good, or worse, or even noisy, and it's only their frequency value that counts, and a matter of taste for the player, so the notion that one must have a specific values for the caps, or even the potentiometers is also bullshit! There's all kinds of room and reasons to use different values, as anyone understanding audio circuit design knows. Your biggest factor for "Sonic value" are the pickups, and their positions under the strings between bridge and neck! The rest of the circuit should take them into account, and from there, and again a matter of taste. Of course their size and shape matters too if you don't want to need and pay for additional woodwork... to use them.
@@Bob-of-Zoid I am talking about the overall difference in tone, before and after, not any one piece. Clearly pickups makeup a large part of that; but I know from experience that just replacing a wiring harness can make a big difference. If I were doing this work (having it done), I’d go ahead and replace all the wiring too, just because it seems easier to do that all at the same time because of the hollow body wiring setup. As you mention, the same pickups sound different depending on which position they are installed, and having them “match” means the tones and volume won’t be drastically different. I’m just used to - and like - it that way.
I wanted to see the video and got a black screen saying "This video is unavailable on this device". I tried my phone. Same message. I really love your videos Rhett. I got a TH-cam Premium account and live in Lima, Peru. I never had problems watching your videos. I'm starting to get anxious because I fear TH-cam will not allow me to see your videos anymore and I really do not know why.
I swapped the pups in my Inspired by John Lennon MIC for Lollars. I couldn't be happier with the improved sound. A few pointers: Tying a string to the pot won't work if you need to ream the hole. I used surgical tubing, worked like a charm. You can insert it afterwards, when it's time to mount the new pot(s) If you want to save the whole harness you don't have to cut the wire on the bridge pup. You can just get it in the through the bridge pup cavity and out through the bridge pup cavity. My original switch and output jack were in fact Switchcraft, so no need to replace them. If you're doing this yourself, just take your time and have a lot of breaks. I worked in 30-60 minute passes, to be able to stay fully focused. No hurry, no worry. ✌✌
Cool vid, Rhett! I wonder if Epiphone did a few upgrades to the Casino line. My 2022 Casino in Worn Ebony comes with CTS pots from the factory. And I only payed 465USD brand new from Thomann - It really does punch way above it's weight class - love it! Those Lollars sound great... but I actually think the Epiphone PUs sound more to the vintage side whereas the Lollars sound a bit more modern - but that's all a matter of taste what one likes more. Thanks, man!
I have what Rhett has the “shiny” Casino & know those p90s were hot. Yours has the p90 Pros & are a huge improvement over the older ones. I put Lindy Fralins in as I couldn’t find the Epi Pros (for price).
@@iainfreeman5112 Oh I see. Yes, mine indeed has the Epi p90 Pros. So there really has been some awesome upgrades done to the Casinos. I also read that some people tried to upgrade the Epi Pros to the Gibson P90's but found no improvement... sounded very similar. Thanks
@@iainfreeman5112 I put chrome Fralins in mine. Took a little while to dial in and I wound up shimming both of them, but the improvement has been major. With a tuner upgrade, this Casino is now easily my #1 among USA strat, tele and LP.
Great video. I am waiting for delivery of my custom Lollar 50s P90 neck pickup for my Tele. I’m replacing the existing P90 with the Lollar. I just replaced the the bridge pickup with the special T. It is great. Next will be to think about 50s wiring for the Tele.
The Casino sounds beautiful with the Lollar's, but, to be fair, the tone with the original pickups is definitely usable, so I would probably have two Casino's, one stock and one modded. It could be useful for recording purposes (I'm talking like I could actually afford two Casino's 😄).
Did a very similar swap with an Epiphone 335-Pro. New pots, orange drops, and new humbuckers. Turned a good guitar into an unbelievable value and gave my local shop some business. It’s the one I pick up every time.
Thanks for this great vid on the upgrade of the Epi Casino; very noticeable improvement in the sound quality after the wiring, pots & pickups were upgraded. I've already discussed with my tech about doing a very similar mod on my Epi Riviera Custom P93, for the same reason you cited with the Casino; I really love this guitar, its look and design plus it plays well, but tone is too dark for what the P90s should sound like. This vid is very helpful in moving forward with that mod...Thanks!
Appreciate the in depth footage of the wiring job. I have a 2017 Casino I have also fell in love with. I’ve recently gotten into doing my own mods and am redoing the wiring and have a set of Lollars as well. I made up my wiring harness last week and unfortunately the switch was faulty. Then I had some grounding issues but ultimately I wasn’t happy with the braided wire from Amazon. Just too difficult to push back and the cloth was too fuzzy underneath. I noticed the clean job your guitar tech did in this video and have decided to make another harness with the cloth wire like he did. You gave me a good alternative idea for this. Appreciate it! Try the Grover locking tuners (533N) if you still need tuners. They fit great and are much better than the stock ones.
Agree 100% with your assessment of the improvements in sound. Way better now. No more muddiness. I've got an Eastman hollow body that needs the same treatment. You've inspired me to get it done soon.
I have a 50th Anniversary 1961 reissue with the Gibson p90's that I have been wanting to switch out just haven't decided yet on which p90's to go with. These Lollars sound really good and are well priced
I've got an old Sapphire Studio and didn't care for the stock P-90's. After discussions and trying other guitars, I selected a pair of Lollar P90's with a slight overwound bridge pickup. The pickups and entire harness was replaced. [ kept old pickups and original harness ] These pickups made an incredible difference. clear, firm, almost a smooth top end. Its been many years since I had the work done, and I am very satisfied with the electronics. As the changes are completely reversible, there was no damage to the guitar.
I have a early-2000's Casino and I guess I'm lucky that it's not so dark. I did have the jack drop at a gig one night (before the show), and we spent 30 minutes trying to get it out. That was 2005 and I finally took it in and got it fixed in 2017 or so. I just used it for practicing, as it is easy to hear but you can play it at 2 AM in an apartment. Now I use it mostly for recording. They are great guitars.
It's funny, but while I've made hardware upgrades to my Casino Coupe, I haven't felt the urge to swap the pickups out- I have a Telecaster that speaks with a beautiful, almost acoustic clarity. The darker tone of the stock pickups on the Casino make a nice contrast...
I did the same thing with an Epiphone Dot. Came out fantastic! Tysontonelabs Preacher set with a Mojotone 50s wiring harness and it was transformed. Those stock pups are overwound and midrange muddy.
"This video is unavailable on this device." Never seen this error before. Using the same devices I always use (tablet, smartphone, notebook, PC, all the same error).
I have a 93 Sheraton I got a couple years ago and I swapped the pots and capacitors out and installed Seymour duncan 59s and it’s my best sounding guitar.
This setup is similar to the stock Eastman T64/v. It's currently my favorite guitar. I found one close to $1k last year and had to buy it. I purchased a Casino and returned it a few days later because the pickups didn't hit the spot for me. The Eastman on the other hand is a class instrument right up there with the 330.
The Eastman is a far superior guitar, even at almost double the price of the Epiphone. The poly finish of the Epiphone will always be a deal breaker for me. I've had both poly and lacquer finish guitars that I've owned and played for almost 30 years, I will never purchase another poly finish. After decades of use the poly finish looks like an old toy.
@@maggieo I wholeheartedly agree. I'm typically not fond of relic'd finishes but this one is so tastefully done. The instruments feels like it can breathe with the shellac and the attention to detail is amazing as well.
+1 for the Eastman. I played one with a bigsby at a shop and was certainly tempted to get it. Already have a '63 330 though but for the money the Eastman is great.
Way better than before to my ears. I did a similar swap on a Washburn Delta King a couple yrs ago. In my case I repaced the humbuckers with same sized Phat Katt P 90s from Seymour D. Totally revoiced the guitar and made it much nicer to play, although it still weighs a ton. I used 500k pots as they are supposed to enhance brightness as well.
Very nice and informative video. Just a FIY that you probably already know, the new 2023 Casinos Vintage Burst, the ones with the brown back like the original 60s guitars, already come with CTS pots as well as the much improved new P90-PRO pick ups, which many have tested against the Gibson P90 and judged not being worth the trouble switching, as the new P90 PRO are already pretty close. Interestingly, the Casino Worn series already came out with that upgrade a couple of years before. All the Worn casinos have the CTS pots and P90 PRO pick ups. By the way, if you switched the pots to imperial, did you have to switch the knobs as well? Imperial pots normally have 24 teeth/grooves. The Chinese Epiphones use metric, so 18 teeth/groves. Cheers!
For some reason I’m getting a message that says “This video is unavailable on this device.”, is anyone else getting this? I’ve seen allot a lot of your videos on this device in the past and other TH-cam videos are working
Stock pickups sound great, I would imagine the Beatles sounding more like the stock pups. The Lollars are different, brighter, but not necessarily better. Of course from a purely listener's POV I can not comment on the Lollars' feel and response to the player. If I had listened to each pup set without the comparison I'd have said both have I great sound. As you said, I suppose it's the preconceived sound you have in your head that matters.
I'm sure it's all done by now but I've had to replace an input jack or two when doing a pickup swap because even before I notice something wasn't right about the connection. It was a cheap made jack and I'd sometimes get scratching noises with out having touched the controls. I had replaced jumpers to go from guitar to amp used some electronics cleaner in the pots and checked solders. It ended up being the jack being made cheap and the contacts being flimsy not to mention the way it was put together you could slightly twist the parts. You could tell the obvious difference between the stock pickups and the Lollars . They're just much cleaner and brighter.
Sounds like you got yourself a live one. Definitely a keeper! The neck can probably go to Santana land with the right anp, the middle sounds like a big Telecaster with attitude through a smaller Tweed, and the bridge is ready to rock the country thang! You're getting 3 of my favorite sounds. My estimation is that you are successful in this endeavor. I'm betting that you're gonna have fun with it. One friendly word of advice, though. If you ever decide to strip it to the bare wood, you might want to get different glasses. This will prevent everyone from wanting you to climb up on the roof and play "Get Back" and "One After 909" in the freezing cold. I'm an Atlanta native, and I haven't forgotten how damp and raw and windy it gets down there in the winter. CHEERS!
I did this with my Casino last year - Lollar 50s wind P90s in there really make a big difference. New electronics/wiring set up, new bridge, swapped the trapeze for a frequensator tailpiece and also upgraded to locking tuners. It. Is. Sickkkkkkkkk.
It would be nice to know the total cost: guitar + pickups + wiring harness + labor. I've often thought it makes sense to search for a well-built "budget" guitar and then upgrade it rather than buying a brand new "standard" model.
This comment needs more likes! Great comment.
Depends. If you’re going to keep it, it’s worth it. You’ll never see that money again if you try to sell it. The cost of the pickups, the wiring harness, and the labor should all be considered as a “loss” because most people aren’t going to pay you more for a guitar just because it’s upgraded to what you like.
@@phillipsouthard8285 I've owned roughly 20 guitars in the past 7 years. I now have 6. None of them were "upgraded" significantly. Of the 14 guitars, 10 sold for $100-200 less than I paid for them and 4 sold for the same or more. I don't have an issue with this because I look at it as the cost of finding a guitar that I can bond with. A rental fee, if you will. I should also mention that included in those 14 guitars was a Strat, a SG, and an ES-339. The rest were G&L and Godin. None of these guitars were "bad." Mostly, I sold them because they weren't my cup of tea or I needed to thin out the herd a bit.
@@mikeaustin4138 yeah, that’s about how much I lose each time I sell one (I’ve been through a lot in the past few years). But I’m talking about the loss when you do upgrade one. I would not suggest upgrading a guitar unless you absolutely love it and plan on keeping it. I’ve found that it’s better just to buy a better guitar than to upgrade a cheaper one.
@@phillipsouthard8285 To a knowledgeable player, good quality upgrades may or may not get you a bit more on resale. But what they will do is make it a more appealing purchase to a player, particularly if you keep the work receipts or have a good series of photos of the work if you do it yourself, as I do.
It IS your guitar after all. It is worth the upgrades for the joy of better playing.
I have no fear of drilling holes in a $3,000 instrument if it makes it better for me to play. My favorite mod is a master volume on the lower horn, like Gretsch has.
The first I thought when I heard the stock Casino: give the eq-knobs on the amp a tiny twist and than compare it to the Lollars.
I would love a full series of Ben just fixing and modding guitars!
Ben made that look so easy
Yup 🤟😎🍻🔥💯
That was indeed very interesting to a non-tech person.
Dover?
@@DMSProduktions Ben from Dover
The build quality of many inexpensive guitars has gotten so good, just choosing great pickups and optimum electronics yields a wonderful sound. I did the same with a Chinese set neck LP Jr = Fantastic. And also with an older Korean made Hamer 335. The Hamer build quality was superb. Thank you Rhett
I've been on a mission the last 30 mo to build a clean variety of nice playing generally no-name guitars that happen to have excellent chassis i learned to make and install custom electronics upgrades...to astonishingly excellent effect!
Not worried about recouping $ spent. Interested in learning and understanding what works best with what, and how to make what's not working anymore work again better than ever...
Great episode, nice to see how you can upgrade a $700 guitar into something very special, figure there is what? $1100+- in real money invested in that casino now,...? and it plays like a $2500+ guitar....
One can work absolute wonders on - $200 - $400 guitars, that meet a basic criteria of quality and performance...chassis wise : wood, construction materials, with a cpl hundred $ in pups, electronics and a little ( or ALOT if yr Rhett...) time and care.
I think that Today is another "Golden Age" for (broke) guitarists. I mean, right now even Harley Benton has a very, very good quality Fusion Pro III series with well executed, name brand 'Blacksmith' Stainless Steel frets, with "flame" roasted maple necks or very nice Ebony fingerboard options and flamed maple (veneer) tops with Wilkinson tremolos standard to boot?! I've got one and it is VERY GOOD and I'm comparing it to my American Standard Fender Strat, Gretsch Electromatic Jet, G&L Tribute Doheny or even my Mexican Charvel. I've got the Ebony board on mine and it is very nice. This for just about $350? Even the Roswell pups sound good and well rounded, not too trebly, but, those with hearing loss will perceive them as "dull" since they've lost some of their higher frequency hearing perception.
I purchased a brand new Epiphone Wildcat a couple years ago. That's basically the same guitar with a Bixby and slightly different wiring diagram. I absolutely loves the way it it played. It was so comfortable and as a guy that plays mainly acoustic guitars it felt a little more like home plus I love P90s. I don't know what I had plugged it into at this little country jewelry store with a guitar problem but it even sounded great through the lil amp. The problem came when I brought it home and hooked it up to my rig and then subsequently hooked it up to almost a dozen different amps and even straight in to my PA through my board and there was 1 common problem and that is it was such a dark, muddy no shitty sounding in everything i plugged it into unless I completely tweeked the tone to some extremes throughout the chain and it still wasn't ideal. It just didn't make sense and sure did not sound like a P90 hollow body should sound. I tried new strings NYXLs and threw on a roller bridge. That still did not make much difference. After some digging, research and testing I found out the problem was the crap coaxial cable the factory wires them with. These guitars are wired so that each pickup has a volume and there is a master volume that is located toward the bottom horn and the switch is on top like a les paul. That is a lot of wire, a lot of bad wire that has an extremely high impedance. This curcuit doesn't need anymore help in that department but it is that wire that robs all the tone and makes them sound so dark and shitty. Seriously the stock pickups are actually pretty good but most would never know that. The parts are even decent, not exactly ideal but if you want it to sound as it should and are on a budget all that must be done is just change out the wire. I upgraded the pots and switch because I was there but I kept the stock pickups because I had heard they were just fine with the proper wire and good P90s can be expensive unless you make them. I haven't once considered new pickups since the rewire and I ended up using those stock parts else where and they seem alright. Long story short just change the wire. If Epiphone would just spend an extra dollar or 2 and wired these with a better wire from the factory I Garauntee they would sell a whole lot more of them. Then they wouldn't need anything exept new strings and a roller if it has a trem/vib and these guitars would be impossible to rival at this price range. I am Glad to see that you appreciate them too and knowing that you also found them to sound too dark and really muddy is reassuring because now I am certain I didn't just loose my mind. Lol
@Syd McCreath who cares. 🤷🏼♂️ doesn't matter what kind of tremolo, well technically Vibrato, that a guitar has I never use them anyway. However, I once had a Hagstrom super swede tremar with their version of a bigsby and it was so smooth and balanced you could operate it with your pinky. That one I should have kept. I may have started using it.
After reading this I'm hoping to upgrade the wiring on my Casino.. love the guitar and it's playability but the overly dark, muddy tone make it difficult to use live. Thanks for posting your findings, you may have given me a solution.. 👍
@@wdbmusicchannel3849 that's great. I'm happy to hear that. Let us know how it works out for you. I swear if epiphone had only spent between .50cent and $2 more on the wiring they would have a couple monsters on their hands. I just can't believe I didn't notice it when I first tried it out. That must have been one terrible amp I was plugged into.
nope. Epi Wildkat is semi hollow. Casino is hollow. totally different animal
@@eddienebula6084 regardless of hollow or semi hollow it likely has the exact same shitty coaxial wiring issue.
Thanks Rhett for being online. I have been playing off and on for over 5 decades but, I have found I can always improve my skills, by listening and learning. Keep up the good work.
Wow! This tech is like an "E.R." guitar surgeon with his hands and skills! Thank You to this guitar Doctor for his gracious demonstration of his wonderful skills and knowledge. Absolutely great. I would go to this store in a heartbeat just to visit.
I have also fitted Lollar dogear P90’s and upgraded the wiring on my (lefty) Chinese Epiphone Casino. I have also upgraded the bridge and the tuners. Very pleased with the results.
Been considering doing this to my casino for a while now. Awesome seeing/hearing the difference in this vid
He is literally playing through a different amp. Its a dumble clone. They got a lot of mids and they sound amazing.
I did a similar upgrade to Lollars on my Epiphone Riviera Custom P93. Added some Kluson Revolution 19:1 tuners and a Guitar Fetish roller bridge (to complement the Bigsby), and now it's one of my favorite guitars! 💣 ▶ 👂
Can you share the specific lollar pickups that you used? (Neck, mid, bridge)
@@xochihuarock I think they were just the regular P-90 Dogears. I did have to use some of the shims to get them mounted just right. You can consult with the Lollar guys if you want some educated help, before you put down any money.
@@neptunebob thanks a lot!
Really liked that you followed him through every step of the upgrade -- so many good tips and tricks, especially when working with hollows/semis. After my own DIY attempt on a 335 copy several years ago I said "never again" -- and that's still pretty much the case -- I learned a lot about what I did wrong and how I might do better if I ever dare attempt it. Thanks!
I had one of those 90s Mexican super strats and one of the first mods I did was to put some suhr V60 low wind pickups in. The difference was pretty big but I really didn’t get the full value out of the pickups until I replaced the wiring harness with an Emerson. If you’re going to bother spending a decent amount on pickups it is always worth making sure the wiring harness is doing them justice.
I’ve found that with Epiphone hollow bodies that a violin soundpost setter is really handy for pushing the pots through the body. New pots and caps will improve the stock pickup’s sound, new pickups improve the stock pots ands caps sound, but together makes a huge difference. Doing a fret level and polish really wakes these things up a surprising amount.
13:26 I've shielded the cavity (pickups and control area, AND most of the pick guard) of several Strat clones and it basically gets rid of any hum (or "noise") that otherwise showed up when I don't touch the strings. A problem with a hollow body is it looks pretty hard to do that. I didn't look close but it looks like most wires carrying signal are shielded, though those two capacitors are exposed.
But yeah, the Lollar pickups are much brighter.
It is unconscionable pigheadedness that semis don't come with an access cover in the back, as I easily made for my Chibson.
This eased tremendously placing all the pots in a plastic envelope covered with aluminum tape. HUGE improvement, though, along with ground wires for everything.
There are several ways to shield it. I prefer using shielding paint instead of copper because it's neater. But don't forget to ground the guitar before you put all the electronics back in.
Awesome swap. The clarity and drive of the new pickups are amazing.
I did the exact same mods on my Casino and the difference was night and day. I love the sound of the Lollar P-90s. That snarly nasally tone the harder you dig in is just fun.
Several years ago, I put Lollar P-90s in an Inanez AS-73 semi-hollow and that one upgrade turned a $300 guitar into a $3,000-sounding guitar. Jason Lollar knows his stuff! You really turned this Casino into a righteous beast, Rhett, with these upgrades
That is amazing Brett, from mud to sparkle. I had the same experience with my China-made Ibanez AS-73 - played great but sounded like there was a pillow over the amp. Threw in a set of Fralin's Pure PAFs (that cost me more than the guitar), used an RS Guitarworks wiring harness, and magic! Congrats.
If you watch/listen to Rhett's first video on this Casino (with original pickups) you will notice that the sound is quite different. I really think the amp settings on this second video are substantially different and tend to emphasise the supposed muddiness of the original pickups. On the first video the Casino doesn't sound muddy at all (to me). I'm not saying this is intentionally biased but I suspect the amp settings are not the same. Given that Rhett's opinion is very reliable I am happy to go by that! However, I'm not confident that the comparisons we actually hear on this video necessarily give the full picture.
I actually liked the original Epiphone sound. People tend to rate an improvement using the tone range of their favorite “other guitar” as a benchmark eg it sounds closer to my XXX now. I’m currently in the process of buying a standard Epiphone Casino natural. So long as all the hardware is functional I’ll keep it standard. Don’t want it to mimic my other guitars.
Yes, just go and listen to the sound on Rhett's first video after receiving the Casino ... the original pickups don't sound "muddy" at all. The amp settings on this video sound different.
@@MrAdopado Agree 100%. However, I also agree to each their own. But, I do like the original pick-ups on his first video on this guitar. I think that is because of his amp. The quality of Chinese guitars is often better than American made guitars and at a lower price - yet I think he may have found fault with the original because Loller has a better reputation than some "Chinese" pick-up. The authentic sound of a Casino was made to sound very generic to my ear. Funny how price or where a guitar is built will change a person's perception or favorability of sound quality.
I agree. The original PU's are less aggressive and more "gentle" to my ear, which suits a hollow body IMO. I like them better than the new ones.
So I have my John Lennon style Casino now. I did s much better upgrade: I had a bone nut put in. Had the guitar PLEKed, frets polished, action and intonation set up by my guitar tech in Switzerland. Result: great mellow hollow body. To get the sound in the video of the Lollars I just switch guitars to my Gibson 336 custom shop and turn the bright switch on for my Fender Amp.
You can't make a video if you leave it alone
Glad you got the sound you wanted man! I've always been an advocate for changing pickups if you're looking for a particular sound.
Grounding the strings makes your body function as a capacitor that reduces some noise. There are also shock hazards as a trade off.
I would much prefer keeping the stock metal pickup covers, unless that was the main cause of the stock pickups being less bright. A comparison could have been done with each type cover on the new Lollar pickups. The metal covers would have some noise shielding properties when grounded, and I prefer their look over black plastic.
I've heard plastic PU cover doesn't affect tone like metal cover but I think ever if they do, the difference is insignificant.
I do prefer metal pickup cover too… it looks so much more elegant and “high end” than cheaper plastic…
I had Lollar build out the P90s using the existing chrome casing. Didn’t want to loose the vibe. Didn’t mess with wiring. It sounds killer!
So cool to see a pro at work… amazing skill and knowledge!
When doing such comparison, you need to adjust gain to be the same. The amp was set at the edge of breakup which original pickups didn't fully reach and this influences the tone at higher frequencies.
The Lollars sound amazing! The stock ones are a vibe though.
Yeah I think Epiphone got it right with their stock pickups which sounded warmer, more mellow and that is what I'd expect from a hollow body, but nevertheless the Lollars are fine no doubt and I'm sure that guitar would howl when driven in a cranked tube amp.
Agreed. I kinda liked that swampy tone. But if it’s not what you’re after, it’s not what you’re after
I preferred the stock pickups as well. Buying a guitar specifically for the vibe, then gutting the vibe with different pickups and electronics doesn't make sense to me. But Rett had a particularly sound in mind, so it's up to him. 🤷
@@Lowtech14 That "swampy" tone is what made the guitar sound cool. With the new pickups, it's too "refined" and the vibe is gone. 😢
I also like the stock ones, I have a Casino Coupe and the stock pups are very good to me.
I would maybe get better electronics to see if that I owns the tonal dynamics, but I don’t think is needed, is not a necessity for me at the moment.
A couple of months ago, I did something similar with my 2004 Epiphone Les Paul that I fell out of love a little bit. I replaced the pots and switches with CTS and Switchcraft, and the pick ups with Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers. It turned the guitar into a completely different beast and it sounds absolutely fantastic. If you like the feel of your instrument, I recommend to give this a go.
I have seth lovers in my epi les paul as well. They sound great.
Rhett's assessment of how he would handle the job matches exactly my experience of doing it. Retrying it a couple times over several months, with the guitar just sitting unused between each attempt. Eventually gave in and paid an expert to do it, for less than the cost of the parts I'd purchased.
same here, I'll never attempt that with a semi hollow again!
I changed out the pups on my stock Epiphone Sheraton II (335) with Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz Set and the the result was astonishing. The sustain and depth of the sound changed a nice guitar into a beautiful guitar that never ceases to amaze me (and I also have a PRS Custom 24 so it is in good company). Also changed out the pots and it was very challenging as everything has to fit through the f-holes. Fishing wire is your friend.
Just save a few old strings, (they work even better), and use the fishin line for fishing. LOL
upgrading things that already work is fine if it satisfies you psychologically. In the case of pickups, I would tend to learn how to work with what I already have in order to find an acceptable compromise. I'd put more emphasis on pickup height, guitar/amp settings, pickup tone blend, etc... before buying a new set to solve the problem
To be fair, the original ones are pretty muddy and the switch in mine is going out.
@@kevinmcleod2366 to be fair, there isn't any one ideal pickup tone that everyone should strive for. If you think they're too 'muddy' for you (which basically means too much mid/low frequency), then that's your thing. If you have a faulty switch then fix it. That has nothing to do with what I said.
I'd have to agree with this immensely. My example would be an Epiphone SG, the neck pickup is a bit odd, and it compresses alot, but I've learned how to work it out for something very good.
@@rodnyg7952 pretty sure that's part of a scam going on alot. Idk, but I have been hearing alot of shady stuff from other guitar channels
@@BIGBOPPER41 perhaps, I guess it could be used as a way to scam. Most likely it's just a really uncreative marketing technique to get more people to sup the channel, collect more dedicated viewers, & sell more stuff ....ya, that would be a scam
This is a great video and covers so much ground. Not that its necessary though I would like to throw a few things out here to piggy back on how to get a good hollowbody tone.
For one. something that I think helps to remember: while I believe upgraded three way switch, pickups, and pots/caps make a big difference in terms of quality, often the stuff that comes in these guitars are just fine. I do believe the three way switch and nut are more essential though the actual electronics are often fine. A big thing for musicians that may want to get a bit more without changing out electronics is a magnet swap. Particularlly for these types of guitars - P90s have TWO magnets per pickup and what I've found is that the P90s that come stock have two ceramic or highish powered magnets in them. With distortion or gain that can work, though for cleans, you run into the "dull" thing. Going to Addition FX or another magnet store online I like two alnico 2 magnets for the neck and two alnico 5s for the bridge. Often these magnet swaps can be switched out in no time for the plastic covered ones though I know sometimes the metal covers are soldered down t ight. Either way even if a person opts. to do an overhaul and upgrade the pickups entire I think it helps to remember the A2 for neck A5 for bridge really helps get a great balanced sound for P90s.
Also, and this is big: almost any modern hollowbody can have P90s installed thanks to the spacers mentioned in the video. I have it done on a mid 2000s Ibanez AF85. If you pull out the stock humbuckers and rings, it's a near perfect fit if you don't mind drilling into the top. I initially had some basic Kent Armstrong P90 Junior P90s added and, after the magnet swaps, this thing ROCKS without "having" to exclusively get one brand. I've played it on stage doing my singing/looping thing as well as playing it in super conservative jazz situations. I typically use an always on EQ to knock down a hair of the 60 hz though honestly it doesn't typically bother me. Point is, for many guitars (335, full hollow, LPs), you have the option to get these tones with just a little bit of modding - not to mention the "P90 humbuckers" that, while don't have as many winds, gets in the ball park without ANY modding. I think it helps to remember that the 50s wiring helps here, as well as a linear volume pot (300B) and audio tone (300A) and you can get THIS sound with anything you may have laying around needing love. Take it from me - I've did it and I love it.
Posted respectfully because this video rocks.
Rhett, I think changing out the stock pickups for Lollars IS Plan B, and it is awesome, worked out great. I've never done a pickup replacement on a hollow body and it looks like a tougher job for sure, done lots of solid bodies. Sounds great, much more articulate and more punch through! Good work...
There's a tremendous amount of clarity in the upgraded pickups. I did SD antiquity in mine. It's a completely different sounding instrument. Also, I upgraded the bridge to a new ABR style with raw brass saddles that I needed to file myself. Now they're cut correctly for the strings I play on it . That was a big upgrade to consider as well.
I would have liked to see what the old pickups sound like with a new harness.
I get "This video is unavailable on this device" when I try to play this. Other TH-cam vids all play fine. This one gives that message on all devices I tried (desktop/table/phone).
Same for me!
Same.
Same
Same
same here - i checked the one i watched yesterday and same notice came up but disappeared in 1 sec. then the video played...not so with this new vid still not playing after 3 min. hmmmmmmmm
I love when you can take an affordable guitar and easily make it A LOT better. Would you bring this one on tour? I always worried about P90s in a live setting because they can be a bit noisy. Speaking of tours...are we getting any tour vlogs sometime soon?
I'd be more worried about the full hollow than the P90s in a live setting. That said, I use a full hollow with a Marshall stack live. You've got to be on your game with controlling your volume from the guitar, but the tone is so worth it! So warm and rich, stands out from the norm, and the controlled feedback can be incredible!
@@amidthefight6915 That’s a great point about the hollow body. Your rig sounds intense in the best way.
Only if it doesn't have a rollercoaster fret job, which very many cheap guitars of any brand do, making that myth absolute nonsense! Playability, buzz free, dead note free comes first!
I get them in all the time wanting everything but fret work because of the cost, and even having had several techs... setup the damned thing to no improvement, and charging for it without ever addressing the real issue: Uneven frets, that no adjustment of any hardware can fix! And yes, it can easily cost more than what one payed for the instrument in the first place, and may still not be worth doing if the neck woods are not dry enough or settled yet, as it will go back out of speck in doing so.
He used the pink Novo as his main guitar for so long and that has P90's, I don't see a reason he wouldn't take this out as well. Especially being so much less expensive in case something happens!
@@PedroAsfora That's a good point. Idk why I assumed Novos had a center block like 335s.
great video! I did something similar. I bought a new Epiphone Melody Maker E1, and put 2 Lindy Fralin stock p90's and new CTS 500 pots with Emerson PIO cap, selector switch, and it sounds absolutely beautiful. I chose the Melody Maker because: 1-the nostalgia of the name, the look of the classic sunburst satin finish; 2-the mathematics were true to scale and the neck is 42.67mm almost 43mm, but slim contour; mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, poplar body, which is actually weighty enough. 3-all the electronics are on the pickguard, so I just bought a new pickguard and built everything on it, then swapped out the old to the new. The old can be put back in no problem. I put Kluson locking tuners on, kept the wraparound bridge(for now), classic gold knobs. It has that perky yet mellow jazz sound at the neck, chimey sound with both, and the classic bridge p90 from the 50's-60's. I call it my Poor Boy 50's Les Paul. For about $600 total I have a classic sound that is easy to play, very stylish looking, and....I love it. Coming from cheap 60's Japanese and foreign guitars as a teen, they have really improved the general quality, but they still can't beat a good set of electronics. Better electronics + a new foreign made guitar and you have a killer combination for half the cost.
It would be nice if America would make even the same quality for a competetive price, but they are always more.
Awesome upgrade. Lollar is so clearer and funner. Cut thru the mix. Sounds so good!
(I love Lollar Wide Field PU' S on hollow body teles).
Great tech Ben. Nice Rhett very good upgrade.
So much brighter with the Lollars, really nice sound. Stock sounds a bit too muffled. More mod videos please !
i think it’s mostly the 50s wiring rather than the pickups
loving the lollar p90's in my lp special tribute, such a huge upgrade. also dropped their imperials in my 335 and so much more clarity compared to the 57 classics.
been a humbucker guy for years had my buddies LP classic for a bit when he moved
and now im shoppin for a P90 guitar. awesome sound !
I clicked on the notification on my phone and it tells me this video is unavailable on this device. All the other videos I've watched of yours have worked perfectly fine on my phone before.
Same here.
WOW!! That was a *HUGE* difference!! The A/B stock-vs-Loller portion of the video totally blew me away! I honestly don't think I've ever heard such an impressive difference like that!
Anyone else getting a TH-cam error that says, “This video is unavailable on this device?” I’m on an iPhone XS Max using the TH-cam app. The same thing happens when I try playing this video with iOS Safari.
All other videos are playing.
Did Rhett accidentally click something that prevents mobile viewing in his settings when he uploaded?
Doesn’t work with Chrome either... not sure whats going on???
I'm getting the same thing 😭
Same issue
doesn't work for me on anything - PC/Android/TV
I have an older Epi Dot that had the same muddy problem. About 12 years ago I took the original humbuckers out and installed Seymour Duncan Phat Cat P-90's. WOW, definitely punches way above its weight class.
Dark and Muddy is not a cheap epiphone pickup problem. Even Gibson P90s are like this.
I personally love it because it pair so well with fuzz, makes it sound evil.
I go fully with your opinion. Since 5 days, I am the loving owner of such a Chinese casino and the punch and clarity of its sound still make it hard to lay this beauty down.
Rhett is just super fussy and needs content
That is becausecan A5 standard nagnet like Gibsons really do not pair well w the full hollow body Casino. Lollar uses de-gaussed magnets. Otherwise A2/A3 magnets yield better results especially in the neck pickup. Btw, it's very easy to swap an A5 magnet w an A2/A3 in a P90. Ive done it on one guitar but have Lollars as standard. I used an A2 in the Casino i bought that now has Lollars in it. Swapped the pickups. Already sounds much better. So, if you have a standard Casino buy an A2/A3 magnet for the neck P90 and swap. That already is an improvement. Saves you ablot of money. Magnets are cheap.
I’ve always been a Fender player. Recently got the Epiphone ES-335 and with a proper setup could not be happier. Over time I plan on changing out the hardware and electronics to the specs I want. I’m sure it will turn into one of my favorites to play. Great video!
I had my local shop do this with an Epiphone 335-Pro and it was extremely worth it. They only charged $250 for swapping pots, caps, pickups, jack and switch. It really took the guitar up a level and couldn’t be more happy with it. Even just swapping for Gibson PUs is worth it IMO.
The Casino sounds great with the Lollars thinking of a set to replace the stock pickups on my Korean Sorrento reissue. I am looking into purchasing your slide course since Josh Scott doesn’t offer one even though his slide tone is far superior 😂
Hi Rhett, I've seen a number of TH-cam channels cover this pickup upgrade on the Chinese-made Casinos. Have to say, while the upgrade gives a crisper delivery, I'm not too sure that is what I would want from my Casino (prefer 'vintage'), despite the obvious improvement in the wiring. Of course, beauty is in the ear of the beholder, and I'm glad it has given you more enjoyment of the instrument. Just subscribed, all the best.
Sweet guitar! Pretty attainable for many. Also.... MISSING PLUGIN haha, had to replay that part a few times as I thought my computer was messing up.
I guess he fixed it, because I never saw anything
I’m loving my modded Casino Coupe. Ive literally replaced everything that isn’t wood. I installed underwound Lollar P-90s plus wiring. I did modify a frequensator tailpiece to work on it as well as installing new Grover tuners. The guitar sounds and plays better and it’s great on recordings. It seems feedback isn’t much of an issue with these underwound pickups.
when you remove the metal cover from a pickup you get a brighter sound and more volume, which is why jimmy page removed the cover from the hambuckers on his double neck. Pickups with metal covers have a more vintage sound. Personally I prefer the original pickups. Yes I like more the chinese pickups than the lollars!
Great video, thanks! Just purchased a blonde Casino and am expecting to replace the pickups and probably tuners.
Very cool, Ben did a very nice job, clearly a worthwhile upgrade visually and sonically. Almost makes me want one...You didn't play any Beatles, what the heck! :+)
Rhett better teach us the "Drive My Car" solo in his new mini-course!
He might get in "copyright" problems, or however it´s called. But at least gets the video "demonetized"...
Sorry, but the person doing the wiring has nothing to do with "Sonic" anything, unless they make poor contact and get dirt in the pots!
All of that "Matching capacitors" and "Brand X vintage capacitors" bullshit is bunk, and a huge money making scam! Matching is nonsense because your everything else isn't matched, nor would anyone want that, you want differences between bridge and neck, or else just use a single pickup! I mean what would the point be? THERE IS NONE!
Film capacitors do have slight advantages over ceramic caps, but brand and age make no other difference than old ones may no longer be within original tolerance for good, or worse, or even noisy, and it's only their frequency value that counts, and a matter of taste for the player, so the notion that one must have a specific values for the caps, or even the potentiometers is also bullshit! There's all kinds of room and reasons to use different values, as anyone understanding audio circuit design knows. Your biggest factor for "Sonic value" are the pickups, and their positions under the strings between bridge and neck! The rest of the circuit should take them into account, and from there, and again a matter of taste. Of course their size and shape matters too if you don't want to need and pay for additional woodwork... to use them.
@@Bob-of-Zoid I am talking about the overall difference in tone, before and after, not any one piece. Clearly pickups makeup a large part of that; but I know from experience that just replacing a wiring harness can make a big difference. If I were doing this work (having it done), I’d go ahead and replace all the wiring too, just because it seems easier to do that all at the same time because of the hollow body wiring setup. As you mention, the same pickups sound different depending on which position they are installed, and having them “match” means the tones and volume won’t be drastically different. I’m just used to - and like - it that way.
Classic Gibson/Epiphone player. Just bought it and I love it. Now I'm headed to replace all the essential components.
I wanted to see the video and got a black screen saying "This video is unavailable on this device". I tried my phone. Same message. I really love your videos Rhett. I got a TH-cam Premium account and live in Lima, Peru. I never had problems watching your videos. I'm starting to get anxious because I fear TH-cam will not allow me to see your videos anymore and I really do not know why.
It’s not just you buddy! I think he must have taken it down or something. I’ve tried it on 3 devices and it’s not working.
I got the same message just now in the USA; also premium subscriber. weird. Probably just a glitch.
@@arnolddealiii4259 Thanks for your response. Hope it gets solved shortly.
@@sagittated Thanks for responding. Hopefully is a glitch like you said.
I swapped the pups in my Inspired by John Lennon MIC for Lollars.
I couldn't be happier with the improved sound.
A few pointers:
Tying a string to the pot won't work if you need to ream the hole.
I used surgical tubing, worked like a charm.
You can insert it afterwards, when it's time to mount the new pot(s)
If you want to save the whole harness
you don't have to cut the wire on the bridge pup.
You can just get it in the through the bridge pup cavity
and out through the bridge pup cavity.
My original switch and output jack were in fact Switchcraft,
so no need to replace them.
If you're doing this yourself, just take your time and have a lot of breaks.
I worked in 30-60 minute passes, to be able to stay fully focused.
No hurry, no worry.
✌✌
Cool vid, Rhett! I wonder if Epiphone did a few upgrades to the Casino line. My 2022 Casino in Worn Ebony comes with CTS pots from the factory. And I only payed 465USD brand new from Thomann - It really does punch way above it's weight class - love it! Those Lollars sound great... but I actually think the Epiphone PUs sound more to the vintage side whereas the Lollars sound a bit more modern - but that's all a matter of taste what one likes more. Thanks, man!
I have what Rhett has the “shiny” Casino & know those p90s were hot. Yours has the p90 Pros & are a huge improvement over the older ones.
I put Lindy Fralins in as I couldn’t find the Epi Pros (for price).
@@iainfreeman5112 Oh I see. Yes, mine indeed has the Epi p90 Pros. So there really has been some awesome upgrades done to the Casinos. I also read that some people tried to upgrade the Epi Pros to the Gibson P90's but found no improvement... sounded very similar. Thanks
@@iainfreeman5112 I put chrome Fralins in mine. Took a little while to dial in and I wound up shimming both of them, but the improvement has been major. With a tuner upgrade, this Casino is now easily my #1 among USA strat, tele and LP.
Great video. I am waiting for delivery of my custom Lollar 50s P90 neck pickup for my Tele. I’m replacing the existing P90 with the Lollar. I just replaced the the bridge pickup with the special T. It is great. Next will be to think about 50s wiring for the Tele.
The Casino sounds beautiful with the Lollar's, but, to be fair, the tone with the original pickups is definitely usable, so I would probably have two Casino's, one stock and one modded. It could be useful for recording purposes (I'm talking like I could actually afford two Casino's 😄).
How many sounds do you need?
Did a very similar swap with an Epiphone 335-Pro. New pots, orange drops, and new humbuckers. Turned a good guitar into an unbelievable value and gave my local shop some business. It’s the one I pick up every time.
Yep, I can definitely hear a difference with the new pickups. Really, though, as far as stock pickups go, the originals weren't too bad.
I like the warmer sound so I'd left it as stocked. That had to be at least a $200 labor upgrade, not counting parts.
Thanks for this great vid on the upgrade of the Epi Casino; very noticeable improvement in the sound quality after the wiring, pots & pickups were upgraded. I've already discussed with my tech about doing a very similar mod on my Epi Riviera Custom P93, for the same reason you cited with the Casino; I really love this guitar, its look and design plus it plays well, but tone is too dark for what the P90s should sound like. This vid is very helpful in moving forward with that mod...Thanks!
this video is unavailable on this device according to youtube
Appreciate the in depth footage of the wiring job. I have a 2017 Casino I have also fell in love with. I’ve recently gotten into doing my own mods and am redoing the wiring and have a set of Lollars as well. I made up my wiring harness last week and unfortunately the switch was faulty. Then I had some grounding issues but ultimately I wasn’t happy with the braided wire from Amazon. Just too difficult to push back and the cloth was too fuzzy underneath. I noticed the clean job your guitar tech did in this video and have decided to make another harness with the cloth wire like he did. You gave me a good alternative idea for this. Appreciate it!
Try the Grover locking tuners (533N) if you still need tuners. They fit great and are much better than the stock ones.
I like the Lollars but I prefer the wamer sound of the stock pups. Adjusting your tone knobs can make a difference, too.
Agree 100% with your assessment of the improvements in sound. Way better now. No more muddiness.
I've got an Eastman hollow body that needs the same treatment. You've inspired me to get it done soon.
I am getting "This video is unavailable on this device." message on both my imac and iphone. Other videos play normally. Is the problem on my end?
I have an Epiphone Wildkat that I replaced the wiring loom on and even with the stock p/ups sounds amazing.
TBH changing the pick up covers and adding one meg pots would've achieved fairly similar results in a fraction of the cost IMO
Probably true, but the stock Chinese P90's are a pig to modify. Good luck getting the covers off without butchering at least one of the pickups.
@@steverolfeca fair enough!
I have a 50th Anniversary 1961 reissue with the Gibson p90's that I have been wanting to switch out just haven't decided yet on which p90's to go with. These Lollars sound really good and are well priced
What happened? The "video is unavailable on this device"?? It's a PC for crissakes :D Everything should be available, right?
I've got an old Sapphire Studio and didn't care for the stock P-90's. After discussions and trying other guitars, I selected a pair of Lollar P90's with a slight overwound bridge pickup. The pickups and entire harness was replaced. [ kept old pickups and original harness ] These pickups made an incredible difference. clear, firm, almost a smooth top end. Its been many years since I had the work done, and I am very satisfied with the electronics. As the changes are completely reversible, there was no damage to the guitar.
Definitly sounds much better. I think the vintage lower output p 90's sound best!
They always do
I have a early-2000's Casino and I guess I'm lucky that it's not so dark. I did have the jack drop at a gig one night (before the show), and we spent 30 minutes trying to get it out. That was 2005 and I finally took it in and got it fixed in 2017 or so.
I just used it for practicing, as it is easy to hear but you can play it at 2 AM in an apartment. Now I use it mostly for recording. They are great guitars.
Rhett TH-cam is saying this video is “unavailable on this device” for my iPhone
Sounds a lot better,nice and crisp and clear,Best wishes to you and all your viewers and subscribers, from, Auckland, New Zealand.
Why is this video unavailable on my device? Is it broken somehow?
Huh. "This video is unavailable on this device" .... Never had that before.
same on my phone, iPad, and my work PC.
It's funny, but while I've made hardware upgrades to my Casino Coupe, I haven't felt the urge to swap the pickups out- I have a Telecaster that speaks with a beautiful, almost acoustic clarity. The darker tone of the stock pickups on the Casino make a nice contrast...
I can't watch the video. I get the message: "This video is unavailable on this device" ?? BTW, in case it matters, I'm in Canada.
I did the same thing with an Epiphone Dot. Came out fantastic! Tysontonelabs Preacher set with a Mojotone 50s wiring harness and it was transformed. Those stock pups are overwound and midrange muddy.
"This video is unavailable on this device." Never seen this error before. Using the same devices I always use (tablet, smartphone, notebook, PC, all the same error).
Yeah, WTF? Tried it in another browser and same message, too.
@@TarkMcCoy @albacon64 Same
Same here. Where are you guys? I'm in Vienna, Austria, EU.
@@martin_schwarz Brazil. Still the same error.
@@martin_schwarz I am in Virginia, USA. I see the video got pulled entirely from Rhett's page.
I have a 93 Sheraton I got a couple years ago and I swapped the pots and capacitors out and installed Seymour duncan 59s and it’s my best sounding guitar.
This setup is similar to the stock Eastman T64/v. It's currently my favorite guitar. I found one close to $1k last year and had to buy it. I purchased a Casino and returned it a few days later because the pickups didn't hit the spot for me. The Eastman on the other hand is a class instrument right up there with the 330.
The Eastman is a far superior guitar, even at almost double the price of the Epiphone.
The poly finish of the Epiphone will always be a deal breaker for me. I've had both poly and lacquer finish guitars that I've owned and played for almost 30 years, I will never purchase another poly finish. After decades of use the poly finish looks like an old toy.
Another lover of her T64/v. Handmade with a lacquer hand-applied finish, makes it a guitar that only the Gibson Custom Shop is delivering, but better.
@@maggieo True
@@maggieo I wholeheartedly agree. I'm typically not fond of relic'd finishes but this one is so tastefully done. The instruments feels like it can breathe with the shellac and the attention to detail is amazing as well.
+1 for the Eastman. I played one with a bigsby at a shop and was certainly tempted to get it. Already have a '63 330 though but for the money the Eastman is great.
Way better than before to my ears. I did a similar swap on a Washburn Delta King a couple yrs ago. In my case I repaced the humbuckers with same sized Phat Katt P 90s from Seymour D. Totally revoiced the guitar and made it much nicer to play, although it still weighs a ton. I used 500k pots as they are supposed to enhance brightness as well.
This video is unavailable on this device. Getting this message on all of my devices (TV, phone, laptop) 😞
I'm in New Zealand. First time I've seen this. Hopefully it gets resolved soon!
Very nice and informative video. Just a FIY that you probably already know, the new 2023 Casinos Vintage Burst, the ones with the brown back like the original 60s guitars, already come with CTS pots as well as the much improved new P90-PRO pick ups, which many have tested against the Gibson P90 and judged not being worth the trouble switching, as the new P90 PRO are already pretty close. Interestingly, the Casino Worn series already came out with that upgrade a couple of years before. All the Worn casinos have the CTS pots and P90 PRO pick ups.
By the way, if you switched the pots to imperial, did you have to switch the knobs as well? Imperial pots normally have 24 teeth/grooves. The Chinese Epiphones use metric, so 18 teeth/groves. Cheers!
For some reason I’m getting a message that says “This video is unavailable on this device.”, is anyone else getting this? I’ve seen allot a lot of your videos on this device in the past and other TH-cam videos are working
Did exactly the same to my Korean Casino - Lollars plus all new wiring harness and pots. Welcome to the Casino club!
This video is unavailable on this device
Much better with the new electric & pickups - love it.
Stock pickups sound great, I would imagine the Beatles sounding more like the stock pups. The Lollars are different, brighter, but not necessarily better. Of course from a purely listener's POV I can not comment on the Lollars' feel and response to the player. If I had listened to each pup set without the comparison I'd have said both have I great sound. As you said, I suppose it's the preconceived sound you have in your head that matters.
I'm sure it's all done by now but I've had to replace an input jack or two when doing a pickup swap because even before I notice something wasn't right about the connection. It was a cheap made jack and I'd sometimes get scratching noises with out having touched the controls. I had replaced jumpers to go from guitar to amp used some electronics cleaner in the pots and checked solders. It ended up being the jack being made cheap and the contacts being flimsy not to mention the way it was put together you could slightly twist the parts. You could tell the obvious difference between the stock pickups and the Lollars . They're just much cleaner and brighter.
Video wont play, says ``This video is unavailable on this device.``
Working now!
Sounds like you got yourself a live one. Definitely a keeper! The neck can probably go to Santana land with the right anp, the middle sounds like a big Telecaster with attitude through a smaller Tweed, and the bridge is ready to rock the country thang!
You're getting 3 of my favorite sounds. My estimation is that you are successful in this endeavor. I'm betting that you're gonna have fun with it.
One friendly word of advice, though. If you ever decide to strip it to the bare wood, you might want to get different glasses. This will prevent everyone from wanting you to climb up on the roof and play "Get Back" and "One After 909" in the freezing cold. I'm an Atlanta native, and I haven't forgotten how damp and raw and windy it gets down there in the winter.
CHEERS!
For some reason, “This video is unavailable on this device” comes up and is unplayable. I’m in Australia.
Me to
Working now.
I did this with my Casino last year - Lollar 50s wind P90s in there really make a big difference. New electronics/wiring set up, new bridge, swapped the trapeze for a frequensator tailpiece and also upgraded to locking tuners. It. Is. Sickkkkkkkkk.
Don’t know why but I’m unable to view your video. On my phone and my tablet the message reads “This video is unavailable on this device.”
its borked
Yeaaa it’s working.
Those Lollar pups truly made the scene. Good tech tips in changing the wiring too. Thanks for the video.
Anybody else getting the "This video is not available on this device" error?
Yes sir