Replacing electrics on an Epi Les Paul

gubble

I've a 1999 Epi LP Custom that desperately needs new electronics and i'd like to do the job myself.

I've a new set of pickups and am wanting to buy the other bits. 

Are there any pitfalls with purchasing a pre-wired loom and just soldering in the pickups? There's a number of looms on ebay for around £20-£30 which look like they'd do the job.

I'm at a novice level in respect of the soldering and have done pickup changes before so i'm confident i can do this.

Currently the volume pots are rather crackly and it sometimes cuts out so a full overhaul is probably rather overdue.

OilCityPickups

20/30 quid will not get you a LP harness that has halfway reasonable pots. I will point out that I no longer make harnesses so I have no vested interest, but 'doing the job' is not the same as doing justice to the guitar with the electrics.

gubble

Thank you @OilCityPickups i shall take your advice on board there. 

It's a decent musical instrument so i think taking your expert (i mean that seriously) opinion on board i shall look to do the job properly.

Does anyone have any company recommendations for pre built harnesses?

Rocker

I seem to remember finding a company called East West Guitars who sell wiring looms for guitars.  Check them out at: https://www.eastwestguitars.com/index.html

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the company or no experience of dealing with them.

Kittyfrisk

This thread might help 
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/2211665/#Comment_2211665

ICBM

gubble said:

Are there any pitfalls with purchasing a pre-wired loom

Yes - standard US 3/8" pots, which almost all decent-quality pre-made looms will use, won't fit because the holes are the far-east 8mm size. You'll either need to ream out the holes or buy a kit with far-east pots. (I think CTS do now make 8mm pots as well.)

Personally I feel that enlarging the holes to take the best pots available is the better option.

TTBZ

It's easy to drill out the holes and well worth it for some proper ones. Did that on my Epiphone LP Custom and the proper CTS ones feel so much better than the cheapo ones that come as standard.

OilCityPickups

TTBZ said:

It's easy to drill out the holes and well worth it for some proper ones. Did that on my Epiphone LP Custom and the proper CTS ones feel so much better than the cheapo ones that come as standard.

Better to use a reamer than a drill ... a drill can split the top ... a reamer will cost you about a tenner.

prowla

CTS pots are about a fiver a pop, then there's the caps, the switch, and a Switchcraft jack socket.

Funnily enough, I'm in the process of re-wiring an Epi LP Special (white).

SteveRobinson

@sixstringsupplies makes excellent looms if you want to buy ready made

hollywoodrox

Checkout axesrus they are very reasonable , I had wiring from there etc

sawyer

Fake58 do them but delivery time isn't the best.

OilCityPickups

SteveRobinson said:

@sixstringsupplies makes excellent looms if you want to buy ready made

This ...

57Deluxe

if you do, don't take it to Andertons tech, he has to send off for the circuit diagram from Gibson USA and it takes them over 5 weeks to find one...

Funkfingers

OilCityPickups said:

doing justice to the guitar with the electrics.

Professional quality pots, switches and jack sockets can make an enormous difference to the usability of an electric guitar.

Through overdriven valve amplification, it should be possible to clean up the sound just by rolling off the guitar volume control(s). 

gubble

Thank you for all the advice guys - I've decided that for the sake of doing the job properly i'm going to take it to a local shop I've used before.
That way i know it will cost a bit more but the job will be done properly and i'll no doubt get much more enjoyment out of the instrument.

OilCityPickups

Funkfingers said:

OilCityPickups said:

doing justice to the guitar with the electrics.

Professional quality pots, switches and jack sockets can make an enormous difference to the usability of an electric guitar.

Through overdriven valve amplification, it should be possible to clean up the sound just by rolling off the guitar volume control(s). 

I find it a little insane that customers will phone me up and order a £200 set of pickups for their guitar ... then tell me they have put a cheapo £30 wiring harness in. The first thing they should have spent their dosh on was getting the harness up to the best spec they can afford. To me it's like buying a Ferrari and putting cheap brand, second hand tyres on it!

sixstringsupplies

@SteveRobinson @OilCityPickups thanks for the recommendations gents. It means a lot when professionals recommend your work.

gubble

Dropped the guitar off at the shop yesterday and picked it back up today. The pots didn't need replacing (just a good clean), so it's been given a good going over and with the new pickups installed i can't wait to get it back home and play it all evening.