Maiden69 Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 I pln on redoing my LP and I did this in PSP, and I will like to have your opinions before I begin next week, or as soon as I get my strat together. I plan on relocating the pup switch since I have a tendency to hit it when playing. I don't know if I should do this or get one of the concentric switches an just place the switch on place of the neck vol knob... Well let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefm Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 redo??? that looks pretty good??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted July 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2004 I bought this guitar because they gave me a "good" price because they didn't had the one that I wanted... The sale price was $549 same as Musicians Friend and everybody else on-line, and the one I wanted was 449, but it had a damage, so he offered this one for 449, since it was a floor model I told him that I will pay 400 and after talking to the manager they gave it to me for 400. I don't lie traditional bursted instruments... make me feel my age. So I will be painting this one solid color, the duplicolor mirage, gold/magenta. And since it will be a solid I thought about changing the switch down close to the bridge. I don't know about the position I place it on that photo now since it's too close to the pick up and the body routings... plus I will have ot get a cavity cover for it, so I think about replacing the neck vol for the switch, and make a master vol, or a concentric one. If the maple was a real top I will be painting it blue burst, but Epiphone reply to my message and told me that the veneer was extremely thin and that the stain probably went all the way thru it and into the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted August 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2004 Ok, I decided how to do the controls, it will look like this. I won't do the other way because I will have to get a new control cover, and possibly paint the back, and I don't want to... I will only refinish the top. I have one question, I plan on pluggin the hole for the switch, is it ok to use epoxy or can I use fiberglass? I would do with a wood plug if I were to repaint the whole guitar, but I'm not... i'm just pluggin the top and maybe go about 3/4 " down just in case I ever decide to bring it back to that place. I will retain the round cover there... Any opinion would be welcome, I'm also contemplating in doing a string thru and remove the stop piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted August 1, 2004 Report Share Posted August 1, 2004 Nice scalloped neck . i think u should also do the string thru body too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted August 1, 2004 Report Share Posted August 1, 2004 Why paint that top black? I'd carrie burst it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted August 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2004 Why paint that top black? I'd carrie burst it. I can't, I would love to, but I can't ... I contacted Epi and the told me that the top is a very thin veneer and that probably the stain they used went all the way thru and that there was no way to sand it out, I planned on doing a blue stain or blueburt, or like the Jackson King V the blue flames on flamed maple blue and the rest on a solid-metalic finish. Right now I plan on doing kinda a burst... I'm playing in Photo Shop to see how I can do it, It will be Gold in the center, and the magenta-gold mirage from Duplicolor on the edges, I think the gold on the center will over power it, but I have a can of black see thru laquer that I might ure to hush it down a bit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted August 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2004 Ok, today I decided to try some combinations for the LP, so I used the RR copy body and here is what I tried, I used the Bahama Blue that I sprayed on my Strat, and then used the Magenta-gold mirage using Brians poor man burst technique... This is what came out the first try, a solid burst like almost not feathered. I slided the template a little farther away about 1/2" and this was the result Not exactly what I wanted but, the color I will be using as the inside color will probably be gold, then I took the body inside and took some more shots but this time without flash and then the mirage system took live... I cant wait until the next week end to get the gold color, (low on budget) and try that one... but the blue gives it a purplish tone to the mirage in some spots. For the people that had asked how a mirage system will look on other bases, I will have to say that it will be kinda like a really transparent pearl, I sprayed the top of the blue with it and you can't barely see it unless it is at an angle against light! This tone of mirage will do a great job by itself on the top of the LP, but I will like to do somenthing a little more wilder, ,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted August 2, 2004 Report Share Posted August 2, 2004 are metallic paints in every paint shop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted August 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2004 yes.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted August 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2004 Ok, today is point of no return... I rewired the guitar for 2 volume + 1 tone, changed the switch to the neck pup volume place, I must add that it's better here, I don't hit it when I play and is easy to change too. I used, (Don't scream...) Polyester fill, (BONDO) first I beveled the edge to a 45 degree angle, then masked from the front using masking tape with a plastic film covering where the hole was, then plugged the hole going into the control cavity with papar then masking tape pushing it inside the cavity a little bit in order to form a plug were the bondo will flow to to get kinda lkike a claw effect for the plug. After 5 minutes I checked the rear and it was hard and hot, so it's curing propertly, I took the tape out and this is the pic I took, see were the bondo flowed to the beveled area, this will hopefully aid in preventin the tell tale lines to come up in the finish... Still debating the colors. I got the Mirage, and a "gold" and a magenta with pearl to see what to do, I also have the see thru black, but I can't tell if it is nitro or acrylic since it was bought in Germany. The instructions are included in english but it doen't say what type it is... , This is a pic in case somebody from there knows, The placement of the switch looks almost like the Photoshop that I did on top, I guess thats the advantage of Photoshop, you know how it will turn out before its done, too bad I cant get the colors that I have here to see the finish product... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefm Posted August 4, 2004 Report Share Posted August 4, 2004 If the paint is going to look like the stuff in the picture that's going to be beautiful..... you should get a new veneer?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted August 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2004 If the paint is going to look like the stuff in the picture that's going to be beautiful..... you should get a new veneer?? If I had a vaccum press I would, somenthing like the one that Brian sells, but I don't and to make a veneer comform to compound radius is hard to do at home... And the stuff is great, I have it on the taillights of my SUV, and it looks awsome. the taillights are Altezza clear and this is how they look after 3 coats of the paint... But the LP is going to be a solid color, I might do the see thru on the next one, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted August 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 OK, I got to work on the guitar on the last few days and this is what I have done to it... First I took it all apart, decided to give the control knobs a recesed area to live in, made this improvised routing jig, don't laugh I had to come up with somenthing, carving free hand was taking for ever and was not comming simetrical,then sanded the top coat from the bindings in order to ge tthe same look it got now and don't have any cherry show up underneath, primed with a high build primer, since I didn't had any sanding sealer, and it is going to be a solid color. sanded the primer and applied the base color, then sprayed a very thin clear coat to seal the base. Tomorrow Iwill decide what graphic style to use, from the flames, burst and lines like EVH. Here is a pic of the neck joint, I almost had a heart attack when I saw this. there is a space about 1/16 or larger between the neck and the body on the left side of the body. I also discovered that the body is not mahogany like they said, it's alder or some other yellowish looking wood, and is not very hard, the guitar sounds fat compared to the strat so Irealy don't know what kind it is. Also you can see where I plugged the cavity going to the switch area. More pics as soon s I get more progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivin Posted August 7, 2004 Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 Whoa, So, just so I can recap... your epiphone les paul has a maple neck, an alder body (or something similar), and a veneer top. I dont mean to sound like a naysayer... but doesnt that a lot of the 'les paul' out of it? I thought epiphones generally had a really good rap... as in, people would say they didnt think getting a gibson was worth it over the epiphones as far as value for money goes. im confused :| Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowser Posted August 7, 2004 Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 don't laugh no laughin here man, i realy think that that looks pretty good. The only thing i would have done different might have been to put the switch in the lower hole in case i wanted to do volume swells, make them a little easier. but i like the recesses and that paint you spayed on the Rhoads looked good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted August 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 Whoa, So, just so I can recap... your epiphone les paul has a maple neck, an alder body (or something similar), and a veneer top. I dont mean to sound like a naysayer... but doesnt that a lot of the 'les paul' out of it? I thought epiphones generally had a really good rap... as in, people would say they didnt think getting a gibson was worth it over the epiphones as far as value for money goes. im confused :| Dude, you are not the only one confused. I'm glad that it has a maple neck, since I planned on sanding it bare... and it gives the guitar a little brighter sound as told by Zakk Wylde... But then when I scuffed the switch cavity and found that the wood was a bright color and not the dark mahogany, I got mad... The outside is done in a very (VERY) good veneer because no matter how hard I look I can't see the difference... Don't get me wrong the guitar sound great, feels just like mi friend Paul, and with the EMG's I like the sound better than his Paul, but it leaves a lot to say about Epiphine, I will be writng to then to see the response. Still I think that Gibson are overpriced. the only thing that I wonder now is, what about that Elite, (or elitist) line from Epi.. what makes anybody think they are the real deal? The only thing i would have done different might have been to put the switch in the lower hole in case i wanted to do volume swells I have no need for this since I use a volume pedal, still if you have layd a paul and are use to it, the volume for the bridge is on the same spot so you should be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted August 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 Base coat was left to dry overnight to let it cure before taping. I try to do a few free hand flames, which one came almost decent, I transfered to a steccil the shape of the LP, and then copied to the other side to have a glimpse of what it will look like... and ... I didn't like it. So I decided to do the EVH route. I taped the body with 1/2 and 3/4 tape, I would have used the 1/8 but I was going for the VH look not a clone, besides I love th eeffect of the mirage system, and I didn't want to over power it with the gold. this pics I just took now after removing the tape. On the bottom one you can see were the tape pull a piece of the gold base , I don't know why but I guess that some contamination in that corner while taping the binding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted August 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 Any body else have a way to post pics, ever since photobucket changed their site the resolution have getting worst on the pics. The first opnes that I did were great, all the way to the strat, but about 3 weeks ago, they look like crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson Posted August 7, 2004 Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 NOOOOOO, what'd you do to that LP??? JK, I'm a big fan of sunburst and all those, but if you want a solid EVH type design, go for it. Can't wait to see the final pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted August 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 read the posts, I bought it because it was a good deal, (at least I thought t te moment!) and I really hate (not really) classic burst, ie sunburst classic bust, CHERRY burst I think they are boring, for the exeption to one that I saw on Myka's site, the one he is rubbing in, kinda a tutorial. I love the black to a color ones, Like blueburst etc... but the veneer was so thin here that I had no choice... Also I wanted to reposition my pup selector switch. Just finish 2 coats of clear, will wait till tomorrow to colorsand with 1000 to shot another 2 coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted August 7, 2004 Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 use fullservesite for a host Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLS Posted August 8, 2004 Report Share Posted August 8, 2004 Would Bear be the inspiration fro your LP 5150?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Executioner606 Posted August 8, 2004 Report Share Posted August 8, 2004 I must say i like the color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeAR Posted August 8, 2004 Report Share Posted August 8, 2004 Hey Maiden I love it, its definately something different. Cant wait to see it finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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