NLPJD - New Les Paul Jr. Day (DONE!?)

[fitz]

Got my $99 Maestro LPJ today.

Not in bad shape, actually looks better than the fuzzy pics from the Reverb listing.
Still has the scratch guard film on the rear cover.
Fugliest color ever IMO, but not for long...
If I wasn't going to tear it down to component parts in 15 minutes, I'd oil the fretboard and put some new strings on it.
Here's a shot of the new parts.

GFS Soapbar 180 humbucker (P90 size), quick-plug wiring harness with p/p coil tap on the tone pot, 1 ply LPJ pickguard, correct style knobs & new wrap around bridge.
Sitting on a wood scrap with a test coat of primer / gold / gloss.

Here's what I'm going for as a final result.

Hoping to bring it in under the $4,600 Gibson Custom Shop price.

 

[fitz]

Stripped all the parts & pulled the bridge posts.
Didn't expect a plywood body, but I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.
Got a piece of poplar glued in to resize the pickup hole to P90 size.
After that sets, I'll break out the router and "adjust" the width.

 

[lespaul339]

Can't wait to see the final result! Going to be killer!

 

[Sapient]

Lookin' tits, fitz! Beautiful color too! Kind of a gold/yellow.

Congrats, bro!

 

[AlvisX]

Cool , I find they can be a lotta fun

I went nuts and bought a few of those guitars , bodys n necks last summer when they were very cheap
They screwed the SG by putting the pickup too far away from the bridge ....The SG had a neck that was like a 59-ish LP profile . I noticed they got it right on the Les Paul body , so I started looking for them
Got a couple ,and a couple complete guitars . I still have yet to run across another neck like that one though .

After goin' thru a few combinations of parts , this is the one that ended up being THE guitar !





A great place for that real Badass



Next to the 56 for good measure

 

[fitz]

Cool , I find they can be a lotta fun

I went nuts and bought a few of those guitars , bodys n necks last summer when they were very cheap
They screwed the SG by putting the pickup too far away from the bridge ....The SG had a neck that was like a 59-ish LP profile . I noticed they got it right on the Les Paul body , so I started looking for them
Got a couple ,and a couple complete guitars . I still have yet to run across another neck like that one though .

After goin' thru a few combinations of parts , this is the one that ended up being THE guitar !







Next to the 56 for good measure

I had you in mind when I bought it @AlvisX .
Now I just need some of those strap locks...

 

[fitz]

Used the P90 template from my recent Tele upgrades.
Router - quick and done.
Just a little wider than the old HB post wells.

Scuffed the gloss with some 400 and mounted on my spinny guitar painter thingy.
Blueberry burst, ba-bye.

That's gotta dry, and fill any little dings, and another coat of primer.
Then the gold.

 

[fitz]

While the glue was drying on that pickup hole patch, and the frozen pizza was in the oven, I did a little fret job on the neck.
I'll sum up the process with one pic.

1. fret shield & sharpie across each fret.
2. leveling file to bring down the high spots.
3. edge dressing file.
4. 12" r. sanding block w/ 400 grit.
5. fret crowning file to smooth off the flat spots from step 2.
6. Nomad F-One oil (slathered on - ate pizza - completely soaked in...)

 

[ibmorjamn]

Going to be sweet !

 

[Clifdawg]

Looks awesome! Can’t wait to see the finished product!

Weird observation: why is Gibson pathologically averse to using its headstock shape on Epiphone guitars but totally cool with using it on its ultra-cheap department store sub-brand?

 

[GregM]

Happy new project day!
Looks like fun!

 

[ricksdisconnected]

Looks awesome! Can’t wait to see the finished product!

Weird observation: why is Gibson pathologically averse to using its headstock shape on Epiphone guitars but totally cool with using it on its ultra-cheap department store sub-brand?

the Epi is actually a better design. better string tracking from nut to tuners (angle).
and the degree of tilt on the headstock is less than Gibsons.
all together better at staying in tune and less headstock breaks.
i believe its Epi's idea to not use the gibson design when offered whay back.

 

[Adieu]

Plywood?

 

[fitz]

the Epi is actually a better design. better string tracking from nut to tuners (angle).
and the degree of tilt on the headstock is less than Gibsons.
all together better at staying in tune and less headstock breaks.
i believe its Epi's idea to not use the gibson design when offered whay back.

I'm not a history expert.
When did Gibson buy Epiphone and when did (did they?) stop making Maestro?
Was the Maestro headstock thing just prior to Epi and no one cared?
I always kinda thought the Epi headstocks were made different just to be different?

 

[fitz]

Plywood?

Tone is in the plywood, or something like that.
Vin will back me up on that.

Vin?...

Vin?...

Vin?...

Vin?...

 

[ricksdisconnected]

I'm not a history expert.
When did Gibson buy Epiphone and when did (did they?) stop making Maestro?
Was the Maestro headstock thing just prior to Epi and no one cared?
I always kinda thought the Epi headstocks were made different just to be different?

history is a AlvisX thing. but i believe it was 1957 that gibson bought epi for a whopping 20K.
if i remember correctly i was once told that Gibson wanted the Epi to
have their headstock way back. Epi didnt want it because they realized the problems with it.

but the epi design is much better. thats why you dont hear issues of tuning as much and hardly
at all after a good nut is installed. the string break angle is less because of how far the sides
of the headstock come towards eachother. Gibson uses a 17 deg angle where epi uses a 7 or a
5 degree i believe it is on their headstocks. this is why you seldom hear of a epi headstock snapping.
it happens but its very rare.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

Tone is in the plywood, or something like that.
Vin will back me up on that.

Vin?...

Vin?...

Vin?...

Vin?...

if im correct, kramer and carvel/jackson also did this for a limited time.
the guitars were heavy as hell though.

 

[AlvisX]

the Epi is actually a better design. better string tracking from nut to tuners (angle).
and the degree of tilt on the headstock is less than Gibsons.
all together better at staying in tune and less headstock breaks.
i believe its Epi's idea to not use the gibson design when offered whay back.

You mean these ,Rick ? I didn't find 'em much better , kinda slight in the neck dept
I used to buy one every year for a raffle at an event I play. Most come, with a way too hot ceramic pickup , some come with one about 9k ,which can sound real cool with a magnet change ....pots / gears are also sh*t. The people who got mine ,got a good setup , new pots ,an A5 magnet and maybe a bone nut if I felt real generous . Before the raffle , I would tune 'em up ....just because
I hate that damn headstock. I have an Epi special that I cut into a Melody Maker headstock

 

[lespaul339]

I also hate the Epiphone headstocks. The newer ones look much better IMO. I like the open book look.

 

[fitz]

Well, it's gold now.
I brought it in from the garage where it's a little warmer.
Gonna let that cure for 48 before the clear.
Have a nice Thanksgiving everyone!