Epi '56 Gold Top revisited

[Tone2TheBone]

Here's what a '56 Gold Top looks like without a pickguard...

View attachment 1164

I couldn't let Voodoo have all the fun. Not after I'd been drooling over his! LMAO Got this one today after running into it yesterday. These guitars are the best of Epi's LPs IMO.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Well, AWRIGHT!!!

 

[Iago]

These guitars are the best of Epi's LPs IMO.

Agreed! Makes me remember of Freddie King and Danny Kirwan (ex-Fleetwood Mac) I'm just G.A.S.ING for one of those.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Agreed! Makes me remember of Freddie King and Danny Kirwan (ex-Fleetwood Mac) I'm just G.A.S.ING for one of those.

It's your turn brother it's never too late.

 

[ted s]

Beauti-nice machine there Tone-

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Beauti-nice machine there Tone-

Thanks man. I'm now part of the elite crowd of P-90ers. I can't wait to get home after work today and burn some blues.

 

[ted s]

p-90's... (rubbing hands together..) hmm.. maybe I should put those in my Turser Strat ?

 

[warren0728]

very nice tone!

those p90's should scream R

ww

 

[Tone2TheBone]

very nice tone!

those p90's should scream R

ww

Thanks War. I might have a few P-90 adjustment questions for you experts. For one...is there foam backing underneath them to help raise them up off the body to adjust? I'm thinking there is.

 

[duhvoodooman]

I might have a few P-90 adjustment questions for you experts. For one...is there foam backing underneath them to help raise them up off the body to adjust? I'm thinking there is.

Well, I sure don't qualify as a P-90 expert yet, but I'm pretty sure that you can't adjust their height like you can with a humbucker. They screw right into the body, so you would have to "shim" them with something to raise them up. See THIS THREAD on the Epiphone users forum. You can change the height of the pole pieces, though....

** EDIT **

Well, now I'm not sure. It looks like that posting is talking about dogear P-90's, not the soapbar style. So I guess you should be able to back out those two mounting screws and raise the pickup height that way....

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Well, I sure don't qualify as a P-90 expert yet, but I'm pretty sure that you can't adjust their height like you can with a humbucker. They screw right into the body, so you would have to "shim" them with something to raise them up. See THIS THREAD on the Epiphone users forum. You can change the height of the pole pieces, though....

Thanks for the link and the heads up my friend. Going to check that out right now.....

Edited: Ok I read those posts. Have you personally shimmed the bridge of yours Voo...or anyone? I'll unscrew the bass end side and see how long that screw is. It seems to want to be raised just a little more than it is now. The treble side is higher on the bridge pup. Hmmm maybe the backing shifted over to the treble side or something. And what about pole piece heights. Does that make any difference? Right now they're flush with the pickup cover like they are on a humbucker.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

I've read that some people have used small pieces of wood as a shim for the bridge pickup. I still think there is some foam or rubber behind the pickup because you can push down on it with your fingers and it's "bouncy". When I unscrew the bridge pup adjustment on the bass side it starts to lift from the pup cover so that tells me that I could put something underneath to make up the difference. I've also just read that about 3/8" or so is a good distance from the strings? I notice on the neck pup the distance is about 1/4" and it sounded really good there. I'd still like to get the bridge/bass end side up just a tad higher. Level with the treble side.

 

[duhvoodooman]

3/8" seem awfully high--I'd expect about half that or even a little less. between 1/8" and 3/16" would seem about right....

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Really nice looking Tone! You guys are going to have to chip in for some keyboard cleaner over here! Where are those droolies!

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Thanks Steve. After a minute of trial and error I figured to loosen the side of the pup screw I wanted raised then push down on the other side of the pup...then tighten the screw on that end and pull up on the pup to height back on the low side and it works. Even pickup heights all around.

 

[Lev]

Oh that's soooo sweet - major GAS now, what are the chances of my wife letting me buy two guitars this year?

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Oh that's soooo sweet - major GAS now, what are the chances of my wife letting me buy two guitars this year?

Hey Peter you never know man. I just bought my 50s Classic Strat not long ago and had no idea at all I was going to buy another guitar let alone one of these until the day before yesterday. I literally RAN into this guitar on a used guitar rack and since I'd been admiring Voodoo's '56 I started figuring out how to get this one. I'm going to sell my MIM Standard Strat. I don't want 2 similar sounding Strats but I DID want 2 different sounding Les Pauls. That's how I reasoned this purchase but it was all due completely to G.A.S. and it's all Voodoo's fault. R

 

[Robert]

Congrats! I missed this thread - Tone is being so politely subtle!

Now let's hear this baby roar!

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Congrats! I missed this thread - Tone is being so politely subtle!

Now let's hear this baby roar!

You know me. Subtle is my middle name. LMAO

Oh man I can already hear how it's gonna sound recorded. I'll try and work something up with it.

 

[marnold]

OK, so why is it that I wouldn't dream of getting a gold colored guitar, but I think that goldtop Les Paul's are just plain hawt? If I were ever to get an LP, it would most likely be a goldtop or (preferably) a three-pup Black Beauty.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

There's something incredibly sexy about a Gold Top and mahogany back and sides along with cream binding all around. That did it for me.

 

[SuperSwede]

Wow.. P90´s... GOLDtop...mmm.. Well, I might just check out one of those for myself. Congrats Tone!

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Wow.. P90´s... GOLDtop...mmm.. Well, I might just check out one of those for myself. Congrats Tone!

Thank you my friend. I recommend this guitar to you. You would look and sound way cool playing one. R

 

[SuperSwede]

Thank you my friend. I recommend this guitar to you. You would look and sound way cool playing one. R

Opps.. the retail price on that one was quite high here. They have a "deal" for 934 usd !

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Congrats! If I didn't already have 3 P-90 gutars (and in general way more guitars than I could ever need) I'd sure consider the Epi goldtop. They're sweet.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Congrats! If I didn't already have 3 P-90 gutars (and in general way more guitars than I could ever need) I'd sure consider the Epi goldtop. They're sweet.

Thanks Brian!

 

[Spudman]

If anyone is jonesing for a gold top Rondo has a blem for less than two bills.
http://www.rondomusic.net/product1106.html

 

[Tone2TheBone]

If anyone is jonesing for a gold top Rondo has a blem for less than two bills.
http://www.rondomusic.net/product1106.html

Hey quit highjacking Epi threads! I picked this one up for $299 used. I've seen and played the Agile Gold Top once and the paint job on that one I tried was too....I dunno...glittery. Big chunks of glitter in the paint. Reminded me of a bumper car.

 

[Spudman]

Hey quit highjacking Epi threads! I've seen and played the Agile Gold Top once and the paint job on that one I tried was too....I dunno...glittery.

Sorry. Once a pest always a pest. My bad.

Ya, I haven't seen their paint up close. But the Epi's do look nice.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Watching two Gibson gold tops being played at the same time by Crowded House on PBS right now. These look to be humbucker equipped though. I do like that look! Esp. when they are standing there holding them in front of a bunch of what look to be Vox AC30s. :drool: Neil Finn and Mark Hart did some pretty fair playing on those goldtops!