What did you do to your Epiphone today?

[Supersonic]

Haha, I haven’t actually owned a guitar with a bigsby before… played them sure but never had to really string them or anything so it’s gonna be a fun experience. I like to torture myself so gonna try without the butler for a little bit to see if it’s as infuriating as people say it is.

Putting new strings on a guitar with a Bigsby most definitely sucks. But you need a String Spoiler, not a String Butler. I have one on one of my guitars. They are a little pricey but they really do work well.

One of these things: http://www.vibramate.com/vibramate-string-spoiler.php

 

[BGood]

Putting new strings on a guitar with a Bigsby most definitely sucks. But you need a String Spoiler, not a String Butler. I have one on one of my guitars. They are a little pricey but they really do work well.

One of these things: http://www.vibramate.com/vibramate-string-spoiler.php

That is a great invention.

 

[Raiyn]

Ahh my bad. I’ve run into too many people on forums who claim bigsby are the worst things on earth without string butlers hard to tell when there’s a joke or not

A properly cut nut (I like TUSQ XL or graphite) perhaps with a bit of Super Lube depending on material will save headaches.

I see what they're going for with the String Butler, and it's a sound premise from the "I wanna sell band-aids" standpoint as it does what it says on the box - it's just that for the same money or so you could just have it done right.

I run my Bigsby with a Tone Pros roller bridge, locking tuners and a drilled string bar. You could get away without the string bar... less so the roller bridge , but I wouldn't run a wiggle stick without locking tuners.

When using a trem the reduced tension on the string winds around the tuning posts can allow them to shift enough to throw off your tuning. The other benefit to correctly utilized lockers is that with no string wraps you're not sitting there winding the tuners for a month and a half on a string change.

Someone will likely come on here telling you to "tie yer strings" (doesn't help with string wrap shift - just makes the initial set easier) or tell you about how their wiggle stick axe is so miraculously stable with regular pegs... Well, that's cool I guess. This is what works for me, and what I suggest to people who tend not to be as blessed .

Edit: Drilled bars are cooler looking than "Spoilers"

 

[Supersonic]

That is a great invention.

Yeah, that company is really good at coming up with stuff that make people wonder "Why didn't I think of that?"

 

[Darkness]

I've been on a trip for the last 10 days. I should be home Monday night. I can't wait to get home to hug my dogs, then jog upstairs to play a guitar.

 

[soulman969]

All I did was play it. A little this AM and a little more in the PM to come.

 

[neepheid]

Project LP bass bling progress...

 

[speedkills66]

Installed pickup covers. Makes the Classic look more classic, IMO

 

[JamesStrawberry]

Well it wasn't my Epi but I made my Esteban a husk.

 

[Noodling Guitars]

Installed pickup covers. Makes the Classic look more classic, IMO

View attachment 20518

Very classy!

 

[Raiyn]

Well it wasn't my Epi but I made my Esteban a husk.

We do have a "What did you do to your "Other" guitar thread"

What did you do to your "Other" guitar today?

Yup, totally original thread idea. Since I had the house to myself yesterday, I had planned on building another pedal. However, after sorting the parts and discovering a couple of missing resistors that wasn't an option. I ordered a mega pack, so this won't hinder me in the future, but I...

www.epiphonetalk.com

 

[imnotcreative]

I looked at it and smiled. I will not play it now as it is 2 am at the moment and i very much doubt it will be appreciated at this time. But after i wake up and before going to work there should be some time to make a little noise

 

[Kevan Tolley]

Installed some probuckers on my 2015 les paul standard.

 

[Noodling Guitars]

It was new tool day yetserday - got this:

StewMac Fret Kisser - StewMac

Fret Rocker-Kisser 4 in 1

www.stewmac.com

One of the Epi 60s standards I have at home had a couple of frets with high spots and scratchy frets. So played around with the fret kisser (it's SOOOO convenient for this type of thing and it's very precise too) and then gave the frets a full polish. The fret kisser is a bit pricey, but since a lot of import guitars suffer from similar issues, I just took the plunge. I used to use a 3 corner file and manually file and check with a rocker in increments, but this is almost like having a power tool for those odd high spots - definitely recommended if you're into tinkering with guitars and doing fret work.

 

[LP_SPC_1_P90]

Since I have a Guitar Center Epiphone LP Special I P90 with the Lightning bar, I removed the Chigsby B500 I had installed on it and went back as close to factory as the 4 holes for the Vibrato installation left visible. Didn't realize how good the P90's do a Tele Twang thing. You'd think that by 2023 someone would have a roller bridge that fits the Lightning bar center on center for a Bogsby Vobrato by now ? I was never going to plug & drill for roller saddle Tune-A-Matic so the Chigsby was all looks and finicky to stay in tune. Lightning bar stays in tune & intonates better.

 

[TConnelly]

Since I have a Guitar Center Epiphone LP Special I P90 with the Lightning bar, I removed the Chigsby B500 I had installed on it and went back as close to factory as the 4 holes for the Vibrato installation left visible. Didn't realize how good the P90's do a Tele Twang thing. You'd think that by 2023 someone would have a roller bridge that fits the Lightning bar center on center for a Bogsby Vobrato by now ? I was never going to plug & drill for roller saddle Tune-A-Matic so the Chigsby was all looks and finicky to stay in tune. Lightning bar stays in tune & intonates better.

Welcome to the forum LP!
I’m having a little difficulty understanding how this relates to Noodling Guitars post though.?
Cheers.………….Todd

 

[TConnelly]

It was new tool day yetserday - got this:

StewMac Fret Kisser - StewMac

Fret Rocker-Kisser 4 in 1

www.stewmac.com

One of the Epi 60s standards I have at home had a couple of frets with high spots and scratchy frets. So played around with the fret kisser (it's SOOOO convenient for this type of thing and it's very precise too) and then gave the frets a full polish. The fret kisser is a bit pricey, but since a lot of import guitars suffer from similar issues, I just took the plunge. I used to use a 3 corner file and manually file and check with a rocker in increments, but this is almost like having a power tool for those odd high spots - definitely recommended if you're into tinkering with guitars and doing fret work.

I’ve resisted the fret kisser temptation so far myself. I have never been 100% confident that what the fret rocker was showing as a high fret wasn’t really the adjacent one being low. I got a leveling beam instead.

Cheers………………Todd

 

[TConnelly]

Since I have a Guitar Center Epiphone LP Special I P90 with the Lightning bar, I removed the Chigsby B500 I had installed on it and went back as close to factory as the 4 holes for the Vibrato installation left visible. Didn't realize how good the P90's do a Tele Twang thing. You'd think that by 2023 someone would have a roller bridge that fits the Lightning bar center on center for a Bogsby Vobrato by now ? I was never going to plug & drill for roller saddle Tune-A-Matic so the Chigsby was all looks and finicky to stay in tune. Lightning bar stays in tune & intonates better.

Apologies to you LP, For some reason I had forgotten that this was the “What did you do to your Epiphone” thread. Welcome again!

Cheers………… Todd

 

[LP_SPC_1_P90]

Apologies to you LP, For some reason I had forgotten that this was the “What did you do to your Epiphone” thread. Welcome again!

Cheers………… Todd

Welcome to the forum LP!
I’m having a little difficulty understanding how this relates to Noodling Guitars post though.?
Cheers.………….Todd

It's an Epiphone LP, I installed a Vibrato, then uninstalled it, the question is "What did I do to my Epiphone ?" I also put a pickguard on that Epiphone LP, modding the arch top riser style pickguard on a blank & flat slab. For both the install & uninstall of the Vibrato, I used Gibson Les Paul silk ball end, pure nickel wound 10's too. I had to tweak the set up. So in between I played the guitar to ensure it played well again over the past couple of years. That's probably a lot more than what most did with any Epiphone in the past 24 hours ? My experiment with a Vibrato is actually a reversible mod. I can always put the Vibrato back on because the mounting points are threaded inserts and there's really nothing wrong with the Vibrato beyond using the Lightning bar as the intonated saddle piece.

The modded pickguard, the heart shaped dove tail was intentional, that location happens to be where the Volume dimes and it's a quick visual for what the exact dial number is set for Volume.

 

[Darkness]

I tried a set of these on my Casino last year and liked them. They bend easy but seem to hold tune well once I stretch them. Seems like they're softer than NYXL or Ernie Cobalt, and cheaper too. I decided why not throw a set on my Goldie, and I don't regret it.