I cannot stress this enough to everyone I know who plays guitar. SET UP THE GUITAR. Its the difference in making an epiphone/squier/prs SE, feeling like their big brother counterparts. And this is coming from someone who own(ed) epiphones, squier, fender american, warmoth, jacksons, ltd, etc. Please. If you ever save up the extra bucks, get it to your local tech and request a set up from head to body. You will thank your tech so much and truly have a more enjoyable experience overall. P.s the world needs more of these educational videos. Its what brings us together and help each other even through the rough comments. Loved the video, cant wait for ep3!!
I really enjoy these videos. I just ordered a Epiphone 59 in cherryburst. I wanted one since they came out. These videos pushed me over the edge! I don't know if they will stop making these guitars so I thought I better get one while I still am able to. Looking forward to your next video!
Very kind of him to share his time and knowledge with us. This is being written 2 years after filming and he has your pickups prominently displayed on his website. He also wound the pickups for Pete Honores purple telecaster. So cool. Thanks for putting this together.
Didn't win the righteous guitar give away or any others but when i came here you put a smile on my face. With my current health issues ( massive brain infection and stage 4 non smokers lung cancer) i can honestly say despite not having a guitar yet wishing badly i could afford even a counterfeit one its still wonderful to see someone like yourself entertaining and educating us all. Keep up the great videos and if i ever do get one and learn to play before the cancer eats me alive ill def put down my tenacious spirit to fellow like yourself flaming the fire in my spirit. Thank you!!!
Sorry to hear you've been dealt such shit cards Mike ☹️ As you can tell from my films I live every day fully embracing my passion for guitars and it's great to hear that an unexpected consequence of that is that it fires up others too! Stay strong man 🙏 Where are you living?
@@theguitaristas Im staying with family in westwood a suburb of Los Angeles. I tried to apply for disability to help ease their burden but was denied 3 times by state and federal. But luckily i have excellent health insurance or id not be long for this word
As Colin McNab stated the rewind on peters original guitar was documented years ago, it was done by a guy called Sam Li who worked for Selmers on Denmark Street in London. At Some point Peter had removeed the neck pickup in favour of the single pickup look (google and you can find pictures of the guitar with just the bridge pickup) when he pick it back it wasn't working so he took it to sam. Sam rewound the pickup using 42 heavy formvar wire (usually found in Strat pickups at the time) on a record player turntable, it also features standard plastic 2 core output wire instead of braided - this resulted in the pickup being wound clockwise as opposed to the standard humbucker winding direction of counterclockwise thus putting them out of phase in the middle position, when this is done it makes no difference which way the magnet goes back in they will still be out of phase. This was confirmed to me by Tim Mills of Bare Knuckle Pickups who made copies for Gary Moore for his backup guitars. Excerpt from email from Tim Mils "The magnets are installed in the correct way, bridge and neck, the only thing different is the wind direction of the neck. Kind Regards, Tim Mills Burstbucker pickups are offset amounts on each coils just like Gibson originalsare are virtually perfect for this guitar, The BB#3 & BB#2 combo are used by countless pro musicians around the world. Personally I would like too see a limited edition epiphone 50's Les Paul with BB#2 & BB#1 pickups
@ 02:24 - I don't normally like the look of flamed maple tops but I find this Gibson mesmerising. It actually looks like a 3D picture that moves and morphs as you move the guitar around in the light, especially with the top half of the bookmatch 👍
great interview. one thing i noticed that made quite a big difference on my epiphone vintage g-400 (2002 model), besides changin pickups, is the difference between the poly finish and a nitro finish. i completely refinished the guitar because the old poly finish had lots of dings and scratches, a couple of places where the poly finish was cracked so badly it fell off. it now sounds a lot more lively and airy. the darkness and dullness that was there is nearly completely gone. the guitar vibrates a lot more. and playing harmonics is extremely easy. in fact too easy, i now have to try and play a bit differently than i did before because it's so easy to get harmonic tones to ring through. it was not something i expected in starting the refinish. i just wanted to make it look a bit better than the trainwreck it used to look like. i cant say if it is because the poly finish was a lot thicker than the nitro finish (polly was well over 1mm thick, probably close to 1.5mm) and the nitro i cant really tell.. i did have to scrape out the control cavity a bit to get the backplate to sit flush with the body. so i guess its quite a bit thinner
@@theguitaristas could be the thick poly dampened the vibrations a bit. the only soldering i did when taking it apart and putting it back together was desoldering the pickups. all the rest of the wiring came out as a whole, including the groundwire for the bridge. All other hardware is the same as it was before. If you want to try a project like this for a video it will take some time to get done. the curing of the lacquer took about 3 weeks before it was hard enough to not be able to dent it with my fingernail. Also a nice bonus, it now has movement in the woodgrain with the nitro finish which it didn't have before. It looks real nice when moving it about under a light. i must also add i refinished the entire guitar, body, neck and headstock.(not the front of the headstock with the logo though) I'm looking forwards to the next video with the pickup swap.
The local music shops have largely disappeared from Chicago area. 30 years ago I bought my first Fender from Guitar Center and even they took it in back and set it up properly, a huge help to a beginner. Today I believe they get 130$ for a setup. So the beginner gets a roughly setup guitar fresh from the box from far east. And maybe it’s pretty close to intonated or maybe its not. I ordered two new Squiers over the holidays and one was perfect, the Jazzmaster not even close.
Great interview - clicked, liked, subscribed! Matt explaining the different wire properties was so key!! Many thanks for taking us on this journey. 🎵😎👍
@@2112pjm It's further proof that us guitar addicts populate each and every far flung corner of this world... and are literally around the corner too! :) glad you found us dude!... if you see me out shopping come and say hello!
Well, Mate, they came out with a new 59 LP standard with the Gibson headstock and Custombuckers. You gotta do a review on it, gotta do it Mate. I did buy the old version (2020) in Southern Fade. After I polished it up with Carnauba Wax, it look fantastic but have to say that the neck has that rounded shoulder D Type neck style. I played the 50’s standard at GC and loved it because the shoulders on it wasn’t as pronounced as the 59 that I bought so I have to I was disappointed with the 59 compared to the 50’s. Nevertheless, the 59 (2020) version is a great guitar. Please do a review of the New 2024 version. Would greatly appreciate it. I value your opinion. Cheers!
Just watched the video, thoroughly enjoyed it again. I can't agree more, a decent setup is probably the most important upgrade you can do. A Strings in pontypridd has a tech in a little workshop at the back, great shop.
Cheers Ross, thanks for kind words and support! maybe also check out our 335 series as well if you have time... it shows even more how the simplest of things make the biggest improvements!
Excellent interview with Matt, very interesting all the way through! Despite lots of guesswork in articles, always wondered about Peter Greene's pickup and as Matt tells it, there was a rewind plus the magnet was reversed, no one has mentioned the rewind before in any articles I've read.
One thing to try if you like the bridge probucker in Epi's but the neck is too boomy. Try changing the 22uf cap in cavity to a 15uf, it brightens the neck pickup and makes the Neck and middle settings sound much better. Def a cheap mod to try and it may just stop you from needing a new set of pickups in your Epi. Also if the bridge is too bright for you, you can use a higher cap for the bridge pickup. Its 22uf stock, so anything higher (22+uf) will darken the tone of your bridge pickup. You can find info by googling what im speaking of, but its saved me from changing pickups on quite a few guitars doing this mod and it costs a lot less than a new set of pickups now does it ? ;-)
Oh my, the suspense is killing me. I ordered a set of the PAF 's from Montys on Monday so I couldn't wait for part three, oh well I guess I still have to wait. Although I guess the comparison may not be bang on since the ones you have are a special greeny wind. I'm sure it will be very interesting none the less. I have seen Matt in other interviews and always enjoy hearing him share some guitar expertise. The practicing sounds great so I am looking forward to tuning in next week.
Very interesting and entertaining interview with loads of useful information. I’m pretty sure that when you unpack your online purchased Chinese Epiphone it’s the first time it’s seen daylight since it was in China. Unfortunately small problems with new guitars are quite difficult for a newer player to analyse and fix any expensive if you have to pay someone to sort them out. I’ve been playing for years and did a guitar setting up course around 30 years ago which has saved me a fortune not to mention a load of hassle . I’m also an electronics engineer which certainly helps with wiring and pickup problems . I’m looking forward to hearing the new pickups in the Epiphone, I’ve been very interested in the USA ThroBak PAFs, they actually have some of the winding machines from the old Gibson factory and go to extraordinary lengths to replicate everything in the original pickups. I know that you can never tell what a pickup is going to sound like until it’s actually fitted in your guitar but they do sound absolutely amazing online.
Thanks Henry, I think everything I know about setup has been picked up from TH-cam and guitar magazines... nice if we can pass some of this on and hopefully it’s correct information! 👍🎸😎
The set up course I did was with Robbie Gladwell AKA Dr Robert who used to write in Guitarist magazine and had also worked for Gibson. It was really very good, it lasted a day and was quite intensive covering fret levelling, action adjustments and intonation etc. You actually worked on your own guitar so the bonus was that you came away with a nicely set up guitar at the end of the day. Of course you can learn all of these things on TH-cam these days but I think that actually doing the work being taught at the same time by a skilled tech gave me a lot more confidence than I might have had learning from videos although I’m also an avid watcher of TH-cam guitar repair videos as I think that you can always learn a better way to do something. With over 80 electric guitars the knowledge I’ve picked up over the years has helped me keep my guitars in great playing condition and saved me a small fortune.
Great series and surprise interview! Looking forward to hearing Monty’s pickups in the Epiphone. I bought this same guitar and love it. Got the Aged Southern Fade limited run finish from American Musical Supply. Even after a great setup I’m interested in upgrading the hardware. My interest has been piqued by the Faber master kit for Epiphone and imports. I’ve written to them to ask specifically what of their line I would need to order. Alas, they didn’t respond. I would be delighted if you could do a proper comparison of the stock hardware and some aftermarket brands so we could hear if there is any difference, positive or negative, to the overall tone and feel. Thanks again so much for the terrific content! Peace 🙏
Cheers Swami! First thing next video will be upgrading the stop tailpiece with the Faber one... and then the pickups will go in. Looking forward myself to hearing what differences they may make... particularly tailpiece as it’s such a cheap upgrade. I’m jealous of you getting that Southern fade... I would have chosen that too but not an option here yet 🤷♂️ Thanks for support! 👍😎🎸
@@theguitaristas Thanks for your response! And thrilled you’ll be testing the Faber tailpiece. Curious, do you or anyone reading this, know if the Faber import bridge and posts are direct drop-ins for our particular Epiphone Lesters? I’m quite pleased with my finish, fake flame and all. Looks great next to my buddy’s Custom Shop R9. My bias naturally is to prefer the R9 over mine. Playability and unplugged tone it’s R9 all the way. Add a quick glance however they’re nearly indistinguishable from each other. But to the untrained eye they’re two of a kind. Looking to improve the unplugged tone with hardware upgrades if possible. Perhaps pickups will come after that. FYI I’ve used Monty’s Montypresso on several fingerboards to great effect. Can’t wait to hear their pickups next week!
It already has burstbuckers. What else do you want. You can copy the hardware and electronics. I suppose you could take the veneer off but it wouldn't look as good. lol I'm pretty well convinced that the Epi 59 reissue is a great value for the price and I'm going to buy one of those as my choice for a Les Paul.
was this one still stock when you were playing? sounds like a gary moore song...parisianne paradise? im not sure of the name lol! great interview and playin mate!
After selling almost all my gear last year I was going to get the Epi 59 as my main guitar but shipping delays were about 6 months. I bought a used Gibson LP Studio for $700 instead and I am glad I did. It’s the best guitar I’ve ever owned, much better than Epiphone and it cost less. She growls and moans like a beast
How do you know it's so much better than the Epiphone if you never got the Epiphone??? I'd put one of these up against any and all challengers in a blind test!!!
I've owned 4 Gibson Studios, and they're no better than any of the Epiphone Les Pauls I've owned, and they were not the deluxe 59s, just regular standards.
I love this shit. More for musical discussion than guitar discussion. Dave Edmunds is one of my heroes. Great shit. Believe me, I understand the technical shit too.
Cheers Jeff, it's great to hear that those... let's say 'niche' musician references I made didn't fall on deaf ears! Thanks for kind words and supporting the channel it's appreciated.
@@theguitaristas Great review of this guitar. I have one. I also have the newest Jared James Nichols Gold Glory, and today I received my Slash AFD. I have a couple dozen high end Gibsons. These Epiphones are amazing. And they're saving me a ton of money.
When I saw a review of the EPI 59 I was very intrigued and figured "I need that" but I soon determined that they decided to leave lefty players out of the equation. So to answer your question, no. They are going in a Les Paul that I have had for a while but have never been happy with the neck pick up. So I am putting in the Montys and an upgraded harness with some bumble bee caps hoping for tonal nirvana. See ya next week!
Nice ! weird burst but.... gots a '06 MIC LP Std + i bought new a year later, CSB. Good guitar. Actually toy'd with the idea of getting a SD HR set and flipping the neck pup's magnet (epis are potted). Maybe nice then,,,,i just use a wah for "Please Stop Messin' 'Round" or whatever. not great but...
Yes, very interesting. I can’t wait to hear the difference. Yes best do the pickups then do the stop bar later and hear the difference each mod makes 👍. I’ve found the stop bar change gave it more treble and an acoustic sound unplugged. Be interesting to hear your opinion.
Great video, thanks for that. I've got a Squier esquire which I picked up a couple of weeks ago, second-hand which has proved to be a steal. Absolutely love it, as I see you did on your video of it too. To me the pickup sounds a bit weak though, did you find that? I am thinking about upgrading to a Bareknuckle Flat 50 broadcaster pickup. Any thoughts?
Hey David, that’s a cool guitar well done! I didn’t really notice anything lacking with the pickup but I suppose don’t tend to look at these things too critically to start with as I'm just evaluating what I got to work with... I found the pickup on mine sounded like Syd Barrett and that was good enough for me! Maybe yours could just need adjustment or the guitar may need setting up properly? Like Matt says in this video start there and then spend cash on pickup if you need to! Cheers dude hope that helps! 😎👍🎸
Very interesting indeed. It's nice to get some answers from someone who knows that uses common sense and isn't trying to sell you a custom shop guitar at the price for a down payment on a house. Lol
Great interview…great advice ‘make sure your guitar is setup properly’ lot of online setup info is poor doesn’t follow setup procedures and leaves some of most important steps out … with the result that the guitar plays worse than ever !
idk if the 59 is the one for that question as much as the orig 50s and others. since the 59 comes with gibson p/u's as opposed to the epi probuckers.which are pretty good but not as good as the SD seth lovers i threw in my 50s goldtop. Thoe probucksers do sound pretty nice in my epi 339 so im bothways happy
New subscriber here I was looking for honest reviews for this guitar just received mine in the new Aged southern fade so far one of the best epiphone guitars I own with the Jason Hook limited M4 explorer coming in second.
I polished the satin out of it and it does look so (aged)now it look amazing of does a AAA flame top and live with it to even think it looks great? But with a cordless drill a few beers later and my baby quits bitchin at me for buying it behind her back and says no satin shit says "Damn" she didn't say that when I got her ass the diamond that she cherishes but didn't say damn not to damn Epiphone
Appreciate the videos but having owned many Gibsons & Epiphones, there’s a bigger difference than these videos indicate. Yes, if low price is a top priority, the Epi’s are great. But every Gibson I’ve owned is superior to the Epi’s. These videos make it appear Epi’s are a superior choice every time & that’s not the case.
I don't think I imply in this video that Epiphone is the 'superior' choice... just perhaps the 'smarter' choice? I think you also have to add some context of the particular guitars I had in my hand to talk about and compare... which will perhaps be different to the ones you own or have owned? I'm not dismissing your argument but this Epiphone is bloody good! 😆👍
Your right I've had 5 LP epis and Ive bought Gibson Les Paul tribute and it is better but not £600 better just to add I've just bought epi sg standard and it's better than epi LPs it's amazing
Cheers Toby, well for us this is just an experiment so that’s the reason. We also already have the 50’s so will swap those pups out too in favour of these... it’s going to get even more complicated than that I promise! 👍😎🎸
I want to get a les paul, can't afford a Gibson. I'd be really interested to see how good you could get a 50s for the money you'd spent extra on the 59.
Good point. I'd probably put in some irongear pickups in as you can get a set for under £80. I have their overwound pig iron single coils in my strat and they are fantastic. They do PAF and APH 2 style humbuckers and I have heard good things.
@@automatoncollectives7237 Yes that's true... but we already have the burstbuckers going spare so will try it out anyway, and of course there may be many owners of the 50's that could spend the extra $$ to upgrade rather than buy a whole new guitar. There are way too many variables dude so these experiments are purely to offer options and have a it in fun! Cheers for joining in it is appreciated.
I know Matt. He was a neighbour of mine before he left London and I have Monty's Guitars PAFs on my 2005 Gibson Les Paul Standard and on a relatively inexpensive ( ie not Japanese) Tokai 335-a-like. Both guitars sound better but the Gibson is 30% better whilst the Tokai is at least twice as good. th-cam.com/video/4KJO_qB4L0A/w-d-xo.html
@@theguitaristas Having just looked and realised how bad the sound is with my old camera I will forgive you in advance for deleting it from your comment thread. You do get a good idea of how excited I am by the pups though :-)
It all comes across fine... don’t worry about sound Paul it’s a great review and your enthusiasm for the Monty’s is quite palpable! And I love your analogies describing how pickups can sound and feel... small person walking large dog is quite brilliant! 😂👍 looking forward to fitting mine in the next couple of days and am now thinking perhaps they will make more difference than I expect? 🤔 cheers mate 😎🎸✌️
@@theguitaristas I expect the pups in your Epiphone are a lot better than the Tokai ones were, so it may not ne 100% + improvement but they are great pickups and I'm sure you'll love them :-) We all look forward to hearing...
I sorry! I have a hard time understanding while people buy a high-end guitar 🎸 and they buy upgrades before the game arrives! Why not save your milk money and buy one with the features your looking for! They are not pros and never been a celiberty entertainer and the only way you've heard of them is on a novice you tube channel! I'm not going to buy a guitar that I have to modify to suit me! If I was on stage making herendous money that's a different story! But if you're gigging at a club or bar that sells alcohol your not impressing these intoxicated clowns that only wants to hear their favorite songs no matter who performs! I've never heard one time the expressing or commenting about the sound of the guitar 🎸 except maybe the looks of the guitar!
@@theguitaristas ABSOLUTELY! I wasn't being disrespectful but I enjoy using my amp to get electric and acoustic guitar 🎸 tones! I don't have the knowledge myself to choose what kind of electrical hardware but I do enjoy tinkering with the other aspects! It's a what ever turns your top thing!
@@theguitaristas sorry, lemme rephrase that...yes it's worth it...but keep them in the realm of Dimarzio or Seymour Duncan's lower priced fare...they do a good job...I misread....and thought high dollar upgrades...which, for this guitar...makes little sense. My bad. As you were.
Sound wise the biggest difference between the Epi and the Gibson 59 is the bridge. You can use this rule with most brands if the pickups and the wood are the same. My current project is my 2020 LP Custom. The PUPS had to go, but more importantly I started looking at the bridge. Most of it appears to be potted metal. I ordered everything from Faberusa dot com because they had the easiest site to navigate. When I swapped the titanium/brass bridge and studs/bushings, I noticed that tone and sustain improving dramatically, before plugging it in, after running it through an amp...WOW. On one of these videos The Guitaristas said the Epi tailpiece was heavier than the Gibson. I looked at Faberusa web site because my next step was to replace the tailpiece. They called Epi tailpieces "heavy tone robbing". Makes you wonder eh? This week I swapped the Epi Mudbuckers with a Seth Lover and a SD '59. While doing so, I also replaced the Epi tailpiece bushing with the Faber. Just the bushings increased my sustain. I guess now I need to order the tailpiece and studs. Awesome series of videos hope this helps someone too.
Cheers Steve, that’s interesting stuff so I’m going to have to look into all these another parts that are available from Faber... we’re going to swap the tailpiece on the Epi but maybe will go further than that! Thanks for sharing dude! 😎👍🎸
@@theguitaristas I've got a PRS Temonti with a trem. I changed just the Indonesian potted metal saddles with the US Parts, they were drop in BTW, I heard that tonal improvement. This is the first of three videos that sent me down the bridge rabbit hole. th-cam.com/video/85IWlkPdO8A/w-d-xo.html There really isn't any reason to spend more than $1,000 on a guitar any more. If fit and finish are good and is sounds good acoustically everything else can be changed.
@@theguitaristas i changed the bridge and tailpiece to gotoh on my firebird inspired by gibson and that made a difference in the world.. and i did the same thing on my gibson les paul tribute from 2012..
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I cannot stress this enough to everyone I know who plays guitar. SET UP THE GUITAR. Its the difference in making an epiphone/squier/prs SE, feeling like their big brother counterparts. And this is coming from someone who own(ed) epiphones, squier, fender american, warmoth, jacksons, ltd, etc. Please. If you ever save up the extra bucks, get it to your local tech and request a set up from head to body. You will thank your tech so much and truly have a more enjoyable experience overall.
P.s the world needs more of these educational videos. Its what brings us together and help each other even through the rough comments. Loved the video, cant wait for ep3!!
I really enjoy these videos. I just ordered a Epiphone 59 in cherryburst. I wanted one since they came out. These videos pushed me over the edge! I don't know if they will stop making these guitars so I thought I better get one while I still am able to. Looking forward to your next video!
Cheers man, hope you like it!... they are limited edition so will be interesting to see how long they run for eh? 😎👍🎸
Don’t know how I missed this episode in the day. Brilliant guitar geekery and excellent, relevant interview.
Thanks John
Very kind of him to share his time and knowledge with us. This is being written 2 years after filming and he has your pickups prominently displayed on his website. He also wound the pickups for Pete Honores purple telecaster. So cool. Thanks for putting this together.
Didn't win the righteous guitar give away or any others but when i came here you put a smile on my face. With my current health issues ( massive brain infection and stage 4 non smokers lung cancer) i can honestly say despite not having a guitar yet wishing badly i could afford even a counterfeit one its still wonderful to see someone like yourself entertaining and educating us all. Keep up the great videos and if i ever do get one and learn to play before the cancer eats me alive ill def put down my tenacious spirit to fellow like yourself flaming the fire in my spirit. Thank you!!!
Sorry to hear you've been dealt such shit cards Mike ☹️ As you can tell from my films I live every day fully embracing my passion for guitars and it's great to hear that an unexpected consequence of that is that it fires up others too! Stay strong man 🙏 Where are you living?
@@theguitaristas Im staying with family in westwood a suburb of Los Angeles. I tried to apply for disability to help ease their burden but was denied 3 times by state and federal. But luckily i have excellent health insurance or id not be long for this word
As Colin McNab stated the rewind on peters original guitar was documented years ago, it was done by a guy called Sam Li who worked for Selmers on Denmark Street in London. At Some point Peter had removeed the neck pickup in favour of the single pickup look (google and you can find pictures of the guitar with just the bridge pickup) when he pick it back it wasn't working so he took it to sam. Sam rewound the pickup using 42 heavy formvar wire (usually found in Strat pickups at the time) on a record player turntable, it also features standard plastic 2 core output wire instead of braided - this resulted in the pickup being wound clockwise as opposed to the standard humbucker winding direction of counterclockwise thus putting them out of phase in the middle position, when this is done it makes no difference which way the magnet goes back in they will still be out of phase. This was confirmed to me by Tim Mills of Bare Knuckle Pickups who made copies for Gary Moore for his backup guitars.
Excerpt from email from Tim Mils
"The magnets are installed in the correct way, bridge and neck, the only thing different is the wind direction of the neck.
Kind Regards,
Tim Mills
Burstbucker pickups are offset amounts on each coils just like Gibson originalsare are virtually perfect for this guitar, The BB#3 & BB#2 combo are used by countless pro musicians around the world.
Personally I would like too see a limited edition epiphone 50's Les Paul with BB#2 & BB#1 pickups
Cheers Steve! 😎👍
I bought this guitar in Cherry Burst. The burstbucker pickups sound great to my ears
Thanks Michael, yes agreed... they seem perfectly good in their own right! 👍😎🎸
@@theguitaristas PAF type pickups all sound the same to me including Epiphone's AlNiCo Classic and Probuckers.
@ 02:24 - I don't normally like the look of flamed maple tops but I find this Gibson mesmerising. It actually looks like a 3D picture that moves and morphs as you move the guitar around in the light, especially with the top half of the bookmatch 👍
Cheers!
These guitars come with Gibson USA Burstbucker pickups, no need to change them.
*Exactly*
great interview.
one thing i noticed that made quite a big difference on my epiphone vintage g-400 (2002 model), besides changin pickups, is the difference between the poly finish and a nitro finish. i completely refinished the guitar because the old poly finish had lots of dings and scratches, a couple of places where the poly finish was cracked so badly it fell off.
it now sounds a lot more lively and airy. the darkness and dullness that was there is nearly completely gone. the guitar vibrates a lot more. and playing harmonics is extremely easy. in fact too easy, i now have to try and play a bit differently than i did before because it's so easy to get harmonic tones to ring through. it was not something i expected in starting the refinish. i just wanted to make it look a bit better than the trainwreck it used to look like. i cant say if it is because the poly finish was a lot thicker than the nitro finish (polly was well over 1mm thick, probably close to 1.5mm) and the nitro i cant really tell.. i did have to scrape out the control cavity a bit to get the backplate to sit flush with the body. so i guess its quite a bit thinner
Cheers for that, I guess its likely that the poly vs nitro will have made difference... maybe that’s an experiment we can get into one day! 😎🎸👍
@@theguitaristas could be the thick poly dampened the vibrations a bit. the only soldering i did when taking it apart and putting it back together was desoldering the pickups. all the rest of the wiring came out as a whole, including the groundwire for the bridge. All other hardware is the same as it was before.
If you want to try a project like this for a video it will take some time to get done. the curing of the lacquer took about 3 weeks before it was hard enough to not be able to dent it with my fingernail. Also a nice bonus, it now has movement in the woodgrain with the nitro finish which it didn't have before. It looks real nice when moving it about under a light. i must also add i refinished the entire guitar, body, neck and headstock.(not the front of the headstock with the logo though)
I'm looking forwards to the next video with the pickup swap.
The local music shops have largely disappeared from Chicago area. 30 years ago I bought my first Fender from Guitar Center and even they took it in back and set it up properly, a huge help to a beginner. Today I believe they get 130$ for a setup. So the beginner gets a roughly setup guitar fresh from the box from far east. And maybe it’s pretty close to intonated or maybe its not. I ordered two new Squiers over the holidays and one was perfect, the Jazzmaster not even close.
Great interview, looking forward to seeing the next one and finding out what difference they make.
Thanks Paul! 😎👍🎸
Great interview - clicked, liked, subscribed! Matt explaining the different wire properties was so key!! Many thanks for taking us on this journey. 🎵😎👍
Thanks for this... glad you liked and I appreciate the support! 😎👍🎸
What a brilliant episode, this series is awesome man 👌🏼 thank you!
My pleasure.. thanks for supporting!
The interview was a good addition., You should do more of that kind of thing
Great interview, Matt really interesting ❤
🤔
Always ready to watch another one of your videos.
Mat, your hair is fantastic ❤
Hi, hope you are well, Matt Gleeson seems such a nice person, very kind and polite, now I really want to see the comparison. take care.
One of the few guitars I feel privileged to own. I prefer mine over all of my Gibsons.
Really enjoyed this, great part 2.5..
Thanks Kerry! 😎👍
What a top guy Matt is.
This is now my favourite channel right up my street, love it. Thanks 👍👍🎸🎸
Thanks Richard great to hear that! 👍😎🎸
Catching up on your old videos and how amazed I was to find you are based in my neighbourhood!
Another Essex boy? :)
@@theguitaristas Sarfend on sea🤣
@@2112pjm It's further proof that us guitar addicts populate each and every far flung corner of this world... and are literally around the corner too! :) glad you found us dude!... if you see me out shopping come and say hello!
@@theguitaristas will do!
Well, Mate, they came out with a new 59 LP standard with the Gibson headstock and Custombuckers. You gotta do a review on it, gotta do it Mate. I did buy the old version (2020) in Southern Fade. After I polished it up with Carnauba Wax, it look fantastic but have to say that the neck has that rounded shoulder D Type neck style. I played the 50’s standard at GC and loved it because the shoulders on it wasn’t as pronounced as the 59 that I bought so I have to I was disappointed with the 59 compared to the 50’s. Nevertheless, the 59 (2020) version is a great guitar. Please do a review of the New 2024 version. Would greatly appreciate it. I value your opinion. Cheers!
Just watched the video, thoroughly enjoyed it again. I can't agree more, a decent setup is probably the most important upgrade you can do. A Strings in pontypridd has a tech in a little workshop at the back, great shop.
Cheers Ross, thanks for kind words and support! maybe also check out our 335 series as well if you have time... it shows even more how the simplest of things make the biggest improvements!
Excellent interview with Matt, very interesting all the way through! Despite lots of guesswork in articles, always wondered about Peter Greene's pickup and as Matt tells it, there was a rewind plus the magnet was reversed, no one has mentioned the rewind before in any articles I've read.
The rewind on Green's Les Paul was mentioned years ago.
Thanks, for this video. It was a real learning experience.
Thanks Tom! 👍😎🎸
One thing to try if you like the bridge probucker in Epi's but the neck is too boomy. Try changing the 22uf cap in cavity to a 15uf, it brightens the neck pickup and makes the Neck and middle settings sound much better. Def a cheap mod to try and it may just stop you from needing a new set of pickups in your Epi. Also if the bridge is too bright for you, you can use a higher cap for the bridge pickup. Its 22uf stock, so anything higher (22+uf) will darken the tone of your bridge pickup. You can find info by googling what im speaking of, but its saved me from changing pickups on quite a few guitars doing this mod and it costs a lot less than a new set of pickups now does it ? ;-)
Oh my, the suspense is killing me. I ordered a set of the PAF 's from Montys on Monday so I couldn't wait for part three, oh well I guess I still have to wait. Although I guess the comparison may not be bang on since the ones you have are a special greeny wind. I'm sure it will be very interesting none the less. I have seen Matt in other interviews and always enjoy hearing him share some guitar expertise.
The practicing sounds great so I am looking forward to tuning in next week.
Cheers Todd, sorry to keep you waiting... likewise we can’t wait to see the results! So are your Monty’s also going in an Epi 59? 😎👍🎸
Very interesting and entertaining interview with loads of useful information. I’m pretty sure that when you unpack your online purchased Chinese Epiphone it’s the first time it’s seen daylight since it was in China. Unfortunately small problems with new guitars are quite difficult for a newer player to analyse and fix any expensive if you have to pay someone to sort them out. I’ve been playing for years and did a guitar setting up course around 30 years ago which has saved me a fortune not to mention a load of hassle . I’m also an electronics engineer which certainly helps with wiring and pickup problems . I’m looking forward to hearing the new pickups in the Epiphone, I’ve been very interested in the USA ThroBak PAFs, they actually have some of the winding machines from the old Gibson factory and go to extraordinary lengths to replicate everything in the original pickups. I know that you can never tell what a pickup is going to sound like until it’s actually fitted in your guitar but they do sound absolutely amazing online.
Thanks Henry, I think everything I know about setup has been picked up from TH-cam and guitar magazines... nice if we can pass some of this on and hopefully it’s correct information! 👍🎸😎
The set up course I did was with Robbie Gladwell AKA Dr Robert who used to write in Guitarist magazine and had also worked for Gibson. It was really very good, it lasted a day and was quite intensive covering fret levelling, action adjustments and intonation etc. You actually worked on your own guitar so the bonus was that you came away with a nicely set up guitar at the end of the day. Of course you can learn all of these things on TH-cam these days but I think that actually doing the work being taught at the same time by a skilled tech gave me a lot more confidence than I might have had learning from videos although I’m also an avid watcher of TH-cam guitar repair videos as I think that you can always learn a better way to do something. With over 80 electric guitars the knowledge I’ve picked up over the years has helped me keep my guitars in great playing condition and saved me a small fortune.
Very great interview. Great advice.
Thanks! 😎🎸👍
Great interview lot of things to consider little things that I didn't know about changing out the bridge raising pickups good interview
Cheers Glen thanks for supporting 👍😎🎸
Nice show and I'll look forward to part III!
😎👍👍
Great series and surprise interview! Looking forward to hearing Monty’s pickups in the Epiphone.
I bought this same guitar and love it. Got the Aged Southern Fade limited run finish from American Musical Supply. Even after a great setup I’m interested in upgrading the hardware. My interest has been piqued by the Faber master kit for Epiphone and imports. I’ve written to them to ask specifically what of their line I would need to order. Alas, they didn’t respond.
I would be delighted if you could do a proper comparison of the stock hardware and some aftermarket brands so we could hear if there is any difference, positive or negative, to the overall tone and feel. Thanks again so much for the terrific content! Peace 🙏
Cheers Swami! First thing next video will be upgrading the stop tailpiece with the Faber one... and then the pickups will go in. Looking forward myself to hearing what differences they may make... particularly tailpiece as it’s such a cheap upgrade. I’m jealous of you getting that Southern fade... I would have chosen that too but not an option here yet 🤷♂️ Thanks for support! 👍😎🎸
@@theguitaristas Thanks for your response! And thrilled you’ll be testing the Faber tailpiece.
Curious, do you or anyone reading this, know if the Faber import bridge and posts are direct drop-ins for our particular Epiphone Lesters?
I’m quite pleased with my finish, fake flame and all. Looks great next to my buddy’s Custom Shop R9. My bias naturally is to prefer the R9 over mine. Playability and unplugged tone it’s R9 all the way. Add a quick glance however they’re nearly indistinguishable from each other. But to the untrained eye they’re two of a kind.
Looking to improve the unplugged tone with hardware upgrades if possible. Perhaps pickups will come after that.
FYI I’ve used Monty’s Montypresso on several fingerboards to great effect. Can’t wait to hear their pickups next week!
Great video again , really interesting to listen to the interview, i'll be following montys and having a gander at what they offer.
Cheers Paul! 😎🎸👍
That was really cool, a lot of insight & experience. Thanks great video. Can't wait for the next.
Thanks Edward! 😎👍🎸
Great interview! Thanks for it
It already has burstbuckers. What else do you want. You can copy the hardware and electronics. I suppose you could take the veneer off but it wouldn't look as good. lol I'm pretty well convinced that the Epi 59 reissue is a great value for the price and I'm going to buy one of those as my choice for a Les Paul.
😎👍
Another fantastic show, really enjoying the channel looking forward to next week
Cheers John... likewise I can’t wait to see what happens! 😁👍🎸
was this one still stock when you were playing? sounds like a gary moore song...parisianne paradise? im not sure of the name lol!
great interview and playin mate!
After selling almost all my gear last year I was going to get the Epi 59 as my main guitar but shipping delays were about 6 months. I bought a used Gibson LP Studio for $700 instead and I am glad I did. It’s the best guitar I’ve ever owned, much better than Epiphone and it cost less. She growls and moans like a beast
Nice one!... I always fancied a black (or maybe wine red) studio 🤔
How do you know it's so much better than the Epiphone if you never got the Epiphone???
I'd put one of these up against any and all challengers in a blind test!!!
I've owned 4 Gibson Studios, and they're no better than any of the Epiphone Les Pauls I've owned, and they were not the deluxe 59s, just regular standards.
I love this shit. More for musical discussion than guitar discussion. Dave Edmunds is one of my heroes. Great shit. Believe me, I understand the technical shit too.
Cheers Jeff, it's great to hear that those... let's say 'niche' musician references I made didn't fall on deaf ears! Thanks for kind words and supporting the channel it's appreciated.
@@theguitaristas Great review of this guitar. I have one. I also have the newest Jared James Nichols Gold Glory, and today I received my Slash AFD. I have a couple dozen high end Gibsons. These Epiphones are amazing. And they're saving me a ton of money.
@@TheJeffcurran I hear you... I'm even thinking about letting go one or two of my high end Gibsons to buy the whole Epiphone collection!
I love your channel. 😃
Cheers Joe! 😁👍
When I saw a review of the EPI 59 I was very intrigued and figured "I need that" but I soon determined that they decided to leave lefty players out of the equation. So to answer your question, no. They are going in a Les Paul that I have had for a while but have never been happy with the neck pick up. So I am putting in the Montys and an upgraded harness with some bumble bee caps hoping for tonal nirvana. See ya next week!
Cool thanks Todd... I feel for you man you’re left out a lot with guitar choices! 🤷♂️🎸✌️
Great content can’t wait to hear those pickups in comparison to the burstbuckers
Nice ! weird burst but....
gots a '06 MIC LP Std + i bought new a year later, CSB. Good guitar.
Actually toy'd with the idea of getting a SD HR set and flipping the neck pup's magnet (epis are potted).
Maybe nice then,,,,i just use a wah for "Please Stop Messin' 'Round" or whatever. not great but...
Cheers Glen, yes I tend to agree the burst is the least convincing bit. Lots of great stuff done with a cocked wah dude... Mick Ronson 🙌🙌
really enjoyed the interview, came of as a good bloke. (My sad attempt at sounding British). Look forward to hearing them more.
Cheers!... yeah he’s a diamond geezer! 🤣👍🎸
Yes, very interesting. I can’t wait to hear the difference. Yes best do the pickups then do the stop bar later and hear the difference each mod makes 👍. I’ve found the stop bar change gave it more treble and an acoustic sound unplugged. Be interesting to hear your opinion.
Cheers Mr Log! I think stop bar first and then pups is my evil plan... 😁🎸👍
Great stuff brother!
Great video, thanks for that.
I've got a Squier esquire which I picked up a couple of weeks ago, second-hand which has proved to be a steal. Absolutely love it, as I see you did on your video of it too.
To me the pickup sounds a bit weak though, did you find that?
I am thinking about upgrading to a Bareknuckle Flat 50 broadcaster pickup. Any thoughts?
Hey David, that’s a cool guitar well done! I didn’t really notice anything lacking with the pickup but I suppose don’t tend to look at these things too critically to start with as I'm just evaluating what I got to work with... I found the pickup on mine sounded like Syd Barrett and that was good enough for me! Maybe yours could just need adjustment or the guitar may need setting up properly? Like Matt says in this video start there and then spend cash on pickup if you need to! Cheers dude hope that helps! 😎👍🎸
Very interesting indeed. It's nice to get some answers from someone who knows that uses common sense and isn't trying to sell you a custom shop guitar at the price for a down payment on a house. Lol
Great interview…great advice ‘make sure your guitar is setup properly’ lot of online setup info is poor doesn’t follow setup procedures and leaves some of most important steps out … with the result that the guitar plays worse than ever !
Thanks Gerry! 👍😎🎸
idk if the 59 is the one for that question as much as the orig 50s and others. since the 59 comes with gibson p/u's as opposed to the epi probuckers.which are pretty good but not as good as the SD seth lovers i threw in my 50s goldtop. Thoe probucksers do sound pretty nice in my epi 339 so im bothways happy
@@automatoncollectives7237 fair enough
Love your channel!!
Cheers that’s appreciated! 👍😎🎸
New subscriber here I was looking for honest reviews for this guitar just received mine in the new Aged southern fade so far one of the best epiphone guitars I own with the Jason Hook limited M4 explorer coming in second.
Cheers Slushy, nice one!... bet lots of people on here wishing they did that southern fade colour here in UK 😎🎸👍
@@theguitaristas yes from the looks of it in person it's more of a Gibson iced tea burst .
Excellent 🎸🎸
Cheers Paul! 😎👍🎸
Very good videos! Changes are good, but not always, sorry, stock pickups are best specifically for this guitar! That is my opinion!
Thanks man… I liked these pickups but have just put it back to stock for next video! 😎👍
I want hair like Matts❤
Who is Matt??
My epi lp was awesome!
Only change I made was putting green klusons on it.
I regret not having it any more
Cheers man... time for another one perhaps?? ;)
Have you ever played any G&L guitars? I picked one up last week.. really like it.
Not yet but I hope to soon!
@@theguitaristas Cool .. be good to see what you think.. those Asat pickups.. really throaty.. it's got character.
❤
I polished the satin out of it and it does look so (aged)now it look amazing of does a AAA flame top and live with it to even think it looks great? But with a cordless drill a few beers later and my baby quits bitchin at me for buying it behind her back and says no satin shit says "Damn" she didn't say that when I got her ass the diamond that she cherishes but didn't say damn not to damn Epiphone
Appreciate the videos but having owned many Gibsons & Epiphones, there’s a bigger difference than these videos indicate. Yes, if low price is a top priority, the Epi’s are great. But every Gibson I’ve owned is superior to the Epi’s. These videos make it appear Epi’s are a superior choice every time & that’s not the case.
I don't think I imply in this video that Epiphone is the 'superior' choice... just perhaps the 'smarter' choice? I think you also have to add some context of the particular guitars I had in my hand to talk about and compare... which will perhaps be different to the ones you own or have owned? I'm not dismissing your argument but this Epiphone is bloody good! 😆👍
Your right I've had 5 LP epis and Ive bought Gibson Les Paul tribute and it is better but not £600 better just to add I've just bought epi sg standard and it's better than epi LPs it's amazing
I mean, they already *have* upgraded pickups!
Yes I know... just messing around in the interests of research! 😆👍
Hi buddy wots the DC reading on the Peter Green pickups?
Hey Mark… I’d have to check is it not in the video?
@@theguitaristas hi buddy no i didn’t hear you say about the montys just the DC on the custombuckers be great if you could let me know
If it's going to sound like Greenie then some Gary Moore is in order.
👍 here’s hoping the practice pays off! Cheers Richard 😎🎸
Yes or no ?
Not really
@@theguitaristas thank you sir.
Your paying for the gibson pick ups I the 59, if your going to change them why not buy a standard 50s or 60s from epiphone???
Cheers Toby, well for us this is just an experiment so that’s the reason. We also already have the 50’s so will swap those pups out too in favour of these... it’s going to get even more complicated than that I promise! 👍😎🎸
I want to get a les paul, can't afford a Gibson. I'd be really interested to see how good you could get a 50s for the money you'd spent extra on the 59.
Good point. I'd probably put in some irongear pickups in as you can get a set for under £80. I have their overwound pig iron single coils in my strat and they are fantastic. They do PAF and APH 2 style humbuckers and I have heard good things.
@@automatoncollectives7237 Yes that's true... but we already have the burstbuckers going spare so will try it out anyway, and of course there may be many owners of the 50's that could spend the extra $$ to upgrade rather than buy a whole new guitar. There are way too many variables dude so these experiments are purely to offer options and have a it in fun! Cheers for joining in it is appreciated.
I know Matt. He was a neighbour of mine before he left London and I have Monty's Guitars PAFs on my 2005 Gibson Les Paul Standard and on a relatively inexpensive ( ie not Japanese) Tokai 335-a-like. Both guitars sound better but the Gibson is 30% better whilst the Tokai is at least twice as good.
th-cam.com/video/4KJO_qB4L0A/w-d-xo.html
Cheers Paul will check that out!
@@theguitaristas Having just looked and realised how bad the sound is with my old camera I will forgive you in advance for deleting it from your comment thread. You do get a good idea of how excited I am by the pups though :-)
It all comes across fine... don’t worry about sound Paul it’s a great review and your enthusiasm for the Monty’s is quite palpable! And I love your analogies describing how pickups can sound and feel... small person walking large dog is quite brilliant! 😂👍 looking forward to fitting mine in the next couple of days and am now thinking perhaps they will make more difference than I expect? 🤔 cheers mate 😎🎸✌️
@@theguitaristas I expect the pups in your Epiphone are a lot better than the Tokai ones were, so it may not ne 100% + improvement but they are great pickups and I'm sure you'll love them :-)
We all look forward to hearing...
I sorry! I have a hard time understanding while people buy a high-end guitar 🎸 and they buy upgrades before the game arrives! Why not save your milk money and buy one with the features your looking for! They are not pros and never been a celiberty entertainer and the only way you've heard of them is on a novice you tube channel! I'm not going to buy a guitar that I have to modify to suit me! If I was on stage making herendous money that's a different story! But if you're gigging at a club or bar that sells alcohol your not impressing these intoxicated clowns that only wants to hear their favorite songs no matter who performs! I've never heard one time the expressing or commenting about the sound of the guitar 🎸 except maybe the looks of the guitar!
Well it's fun isn't it?? we like tinkering with guitars on this novice youtube channel dude!
@@theguitaristas ABSOLUTELY! I wasn't being disrespectful but I enjoy using my amp to get electric and acoustic guitar 🎸 tones! I don't have the knowledge myself to choose what kind of electrical hardware but I do enjoy tinkering with the other aspects! It's a what ever turns your top thing!
@@phillipholt6005 Cheers Phillip, keep rocking!!
Absolutely NOT! Go buy a set of SD 59's....at best....or even Dimarzio PAFs....don't put big money into these.
Why is that?
@@theguitaristas sorry, lemme rephrase that...yes it's worth it...but keep them in the realm of Dimarzio or Seymour Duncan's lower priced fare...they do a good job...I misread....and thought high dollar upgrades...which, for this guitar...makes little sense. My bad. As you were.
Ah thanks for clarifying that makes sense 😁 ✌️ ... but hey let’s hear the results next week and take a view as it may make sense after all? 😎👍🎸
Sound wise the biggest difference between the Epi and the Gibson 59 is the bridge. You can use this rule with most brands if the pickups and the wood are the same.
My current project is my 2020 LP Custom. The PUPS had to go, but more importantly I started looking at the bridge. Most of it appears to be potted metal. I ordered everything from Faberusa dot com because they had the easiest site to navigate. When I swapped the titanium/brass bridge and studs/bushings, I noticed that tone and sustain improving dramatically, before plugging it in, after running it through an amp...WOW.
On one of these videos The Guitaristas said the Epi tailpiece was heavier than the Gibson. I looked at Faberusa web site because my next step was to replace the tailpiece. They called Epi tailpieces "heavy tone robbing". Makes you wonder eh? This week I swapped the Epi Mudbuckers with a Seth Lover and a SD '59. While doing so, I also replaced the Epi tailpiece bushing with the Faber. Just the bushings increased my sustain. I guess now I need to order the tailpiece and studs.
Awesome series of videos hope this helps someone too.
Cheers Steve, that’s interesting stuff so I’m going to have to look into all these another parts that are available from Faber... we’re going to swap the tailpiece on the Epi but maybe will go further than that! Thanks for sharing dude! 😎👍🎸
@@theguitaristas I've got a PRS Temonti with a trem. I changed just the Indonesian potted metal saddles with the US Parts, they were drop in BTW, I heard that tonal improvement. This is the first of three videos that sent me down the bridge rabbit hole. th-cam.com/video/85IWlkPdO8A/w-d-xo.html There really isn't any reason to spend more than $1,000 on a guitar any more. If fit and finish are good and is sounds good acoustically everything else can be changed.
@@theguitaristas i changed the bridge and tailpiece to gotoh on my firebird inspired by gibson and that made a difference in the world.. and i did the same thing on my gibson les paul tribute from 2012..