Epi LP Custom, and my new found love affair with BKP.

[Khrusty666]

Hey all.

Just let me start out by saying that I have never felt so envigerated, by me stumbling onto these pickups (and this at this time at least) is BEFORE i have even ordered these.

I play a white Epi LP Custom that my beautiful wife bought me for my B'day a few months ago. I absolutely adore this guitar, and would not trade it for the world. Was looking at grabbing a Gibson in the near future, but it kind of feels like I am 'cheating' on the Les Paul.

Now I know the Epi is nothing to rave about, but its my baby. the guitar from tip to tail is just me.
I have a Schecter Hellraiser loaded with EMG 81/85's (which, lets be honest. really do suck). But since I got the LP I havent touched the Schecter.

So, in my ENDLESS search for pickups, I had in my mind to grab a Ceramic Nailbomb for the bridge, but the other thing I wanted for the neck is a sort of 57'ish tone for it. I know that sounds weird, but I dont really play to a 'style' more to how I feel. Sometimes I want to decimate all around me, sometimes I feel like some blues. I dont play live anymore, just record at home with my Line 6 HD POD, and a little Roland cube (which I actually kind of like.....yeah. I know). Blackstar HT5 to come.......

So I shot an email off to Tim, and he responded in less than 12 hrs (all the reports on excellent customer service were not wrong). And he suggested the NB in the bridge, with a MULE in the neck. He also suggested 550k pots for the tone control, and some Jensen caps.

So, here is my question. The LP I have has push/pull coil splitting on the volume (which I do want to keep). If I just grab the 550k pots and caps, leaving the stock Epi push/pull pots in there, will it be a waste of time actually putting in the tone pots? I know the Epi's tone pots ATM have 500k in them already, and I do realise that better pots would mean cleaner sound, but leaving the volume pots in there, would this adversely affect the new pots?


Sorry for long winded, cr@ppy post guys. Thanks in advance.

Looking forward to Flying the BKP 'flag'.


.....all the way from Australia.

Cheers guys.

[Cpt_Gonzo]

To be honest, I never felt the urge to split pickups on a Les Paul. Especially with Pickups as clear and articulate as the BKPs, quality electronics and fiddling around with the knobs (come on, the controls are there for a reason!) didn't make me miss a split coil option.

If you do want to have that, in for a penny in for a pound. Get some good Push/ pulls and not the junk epiphone uses.

But, again, If I were you Id simply use 4 550k CTS pots, 2 good PIO capacitors (dont have to be Jensens) and braided wire. That makes a difference imho.

[richard]

I go along with Gonzo. I can get some very Strattish tones from the neck pup of my RY set so I don't miss the split option (which I used a lot on other guitars) at all. BKs respond so well to volume and tone changes from the guitar that you have a multitude of tones at your fingertips. I used to hardly ever touch my tones and volumes at gigs but now I do it ALL the time because there are some great sounds to be had and it's a lot of fun.

[Alex]

I disagree with the others, I'd say go with the splitting option, as that is what you are used to anyway. If you didn't like the option to split them I doubt you'd have mentioned it here. You can get quality pots from many vendors in the UK. It is impossible to say whether they would make a difference over the ones you have in there currently, you can only find out by exchanging them.

[Deafcat64]

I would have to agree with Alex on this one. You obviously use your push pull pots, so I would recommend getting some quality 500k or 550k to replace the Epi stuff. The electronics in Epiphone guitars is really poor quality. The best thing you could do would be to replace all of the electronics. The Epi switches have a very poor reputation. If paper in oil caps aren't available or too costly, get some orange drops. Anything is better than ceramic caps, but PIO and orange drops seem to work best. Try to get CTS pots, but if you can't find them, Alpha and Bourns make push pull potentiometers that are ok. Not great, but they're better than the Epi stuff. I would just replace everything and be done with it. If not, the switch will probably be the first thing to break. Followed by the jack and the pots.

[Mr. Air]

Get some good pots for volume and tone and get some Seymour Duncan Triple Shot mounting rings. Then you'll be able to have series, split and parallel tones at the same time. Pretty need  :D

[Deafcat64]

Mr. Air has a great idea there! The SD Triple Shot mounting rings are said to be good stuff. That would certainly do the trick.

[Khrusty666]

just checking out the triple shots now. Never even knew they existed....... you youngen's with all your loud rap music.... back in my day all we needed was a guitar..... and you could buy a loaf of bread for 5c, and people said hello to you....

Sorry. Bad jokes.


Yeah, that is a really great idea. the triple shots. Its a wonder I have never seen them as OEM on anything yet (probably see them soon).


I think I am in two minds. Was recording some neck lead tones yesterday, and have the PU set to single coil, realised I actually didnt even like the tone, and had it on humbucker and adjusted pre-amp gain down to get tone I wanted. I think I may just go with the pots, and not worry about coil splitting. just roll off some vol & tone if I want.

Or, I can always change them later.



Thanks guys. Appreciate all your input. will order my PU's today. Really keen to get these going. Think it is going to sound HUGE!!!

[Telerocker]

I believe Hunter has the tripleshots.

[Khrusty666]

pickups, pots (standard not push/pulls) and PIO caps are ordered. Now I just have to wait for kindly Mailman to deliver (and being in AUS, that will take some time). Bringing back memories of chilhood christmas.

[Cpt_Gonzo]

So you just went with the CTS pots and the caps? You'll be surprised how much you can do with that. Good pots have a better taper than cheap ones and allow you to control your tone way better than cheap ones.

[Khrusty666]

yeah, the CTS pots and the PIO caps. The way I look at it, if I really miss the coil split, I can always change it later. But I feel that I wont need to. Its going to be weird having a guitar that is responsive, where I dont have to 'coax' certain tones out of it.


On another note, stumbled across the Supermassive P90's. Whoa. That pickup really did knock me for a six. Was not expecting that tone out of a Soapbar. Sounds absolutely brilliant with the overdrive. Thinking I might ditch the EMG's in the Schecter, and chuck one in it, with another cleaner Bridge pick up.