Three P-90s and a Bigsby remake a jazz box into a rockabilly raver.
I’ve always liked the look of the Epiphone Joe Pass model, but not being a big fan of humbucking pickups seemed to keep me from getting one. That is, until I came across this one on eBay. It’s a Korea-made 2005 Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor II model with several significant modifications. The seller removed the two stock humbucker pickups and installed three StewMac Golden Age P-90 pickups. In addition, he also replaced the original trapeze tailpiece with a Bigsby vibrato and removed the pickguard. It went from being a jazz guitar to a rockabilly monster. Honestly, the P-90s had me at hello! That was all I needed.
The seller also mentioned in the listing that “it might need to be rewired,” and I believe that scared off many potential buyers. That concerned me, too, so I contacted the seller about it and he responded that it was difficult to wire up, but believed all of the pickups now worked correctly. My gut told me to go for it.
Here’s a close-up look at the modifications that transformed this guitar from a jazz box to a rockabilly ripper. The new appointments were immaculately installed.
Bottom Feeder Tip #357: When you’re on the fence about a guitar, never be afraid to ask the seller some questions. The answers can either help to persuade you or dissuade you from buying the instrument. Also, never discount your gut feeling.
I kept an eye on the guitar, then made my move and snagged it for $250 plus $34 shipping. I wasn’t sure what to expect when it arrived, but to my surprise I discovered the guitar came packed in a really nice hardshell case. I opened the case and there it was … just winking at me as if to say, “Come play with me!”
The elegant and truly classic Epiphone “tree of life” headstock inlay has appeared on some of the company’s top models since the 1930s.
First thing I did was plug it into a small practice amp to test the pickups. All three pickups sang out loud and clear. Whew! That was a relief. And the pickup installation and wiring were excellent. It was wired just like the triple P-90-equipped Epiphone Riviera P-93s that I am very familiar with. Basically, there are volume controls for all three pickups, and a master tone knob. The 3-way switch gives you the neck and middle pickups; neck, middle, and bridge pickups; or the middle and bridge pickups. So, the middle pickup is always included with the 3-way, but you can also turn off the middle pickup with its volume control and use the 3-way to give you neck, neck and bridge, or bridge individually. And if you turn down the neck and bridge pickups, you can get the middle pickup by itself for a total of seven different pickup combinations.
Another thing that struck me was how low the action was. It was a joy to play. So, is it a keeper? Yeah! For now, anyway. You know how that goes. Check out my MP3 recording of this guitar at the PG website. It can really swing or rock out with the best of them. I’ll probably keep it with low action, because it forces me to play a little differently, which I really like.
The final day is here! Enter Stompboxtober Day 31 for your last chance to win today’s pedal from Keeley and finish the month strong!
Keeley Octa Psi Transfigurating Fuzz Pedal with Polyphonic Pitch Shifting
Meet the OCTA PSI Transfigurating Fuzz – The Ultimate Combination of Pitch-Shifter, Octave Generator, and Tri-Voiced Analog Fuzz! Key features include: Instant Effect Order Switching, Flexible Output Configuration, Momentary or Latching Octave/Pitch, and more! Each pitch shift mode includes an up, down, and dual setting, resulting in 24 different modes.
A 1000-watt speaker cabinet crafted for musicians who demand power and precision. Sunn Amps intends to reinvent the standard 4x12 configuration with the introduction of this new cabinet.
The Sunn Amps DoomBox is built to accommodate both guitar and bass, offering an impressive 1000-watt handling capacity—making it the first commercially available 4x12 cabinet with such high power handling. With four specially designed 12” drivers rated at 250 watts each, this cabinet provides clean, unrestrained sound levels that can maintain power integrity across all frequencies, ideal for high-volume performances.
Inspired and developed using feedback from artists and bands who rely on the depth of lower tunings and high volume genres, the DoomBox was engineered to meet the unique demands of professional musicians looking for a robust, high-efficiency cab that can translate the raw power of their sound without compromise.
Premium Craftsmanship and Materials
The Doom Box cabinet is crafted from solid finger-jointed Baltic Birch plywood, ensuring both durability and tonal clarity. Each cabinet is constructed by hand in the U.S.A. using original 1930s machinery, the DoomBox reflects Sunn’s historic commitment to quality, contrasting with some of the mass-produced, MDF-based cabinets on the market today. The cabinet’s aluminum basket, ferrite magnet, and custom Sunn weave Tolex with a custom grill design complete its professional-grade build.
Technical Specifications:
• Power Handling: 1000W
• Inputs: 1 x ¼”
• Impedance: 8 Ohm
• Drivers: 4 x Sunn 12S250
• Construction: Marine Grade Baltic Birch
• Dimensions: 29.25” X 30” X 14”
• Weight: 107 lbs
• Price: $2399.00
With clear low-end punch, even sound response, and ample air movement, the Doom Box ensures that every note reaches the audience with clarity and power. This cabinet is a game-changer for musicians who need high-performance, road-ready equipment that enhances their unique sound.
Does the guitar’s design encourage sonic exploration more than sight reading?
A popular song between 1910 and 1920 would usually sell millions of copies of sheet music annually. The world population was roughly 25 percent of what it is today, so imagine those sales would be four or five times larger in an alternate-reality 2024. My father is 88, but even with his generation, friends and family would routinely gather around a piano and play and sing their way through a stack of songbooks. (This still happens at my dad’s house every time I’m there.)
Back in their day, recordings of music were a way to promote sheet music. Labels released recordings only after sheet-music sales slowed down on a particular song. That means that until recently, a large section of society not only knew how to read music well, but they did it often—not as often as we stare at our phones, but it was a primary part of home entertainment. By today’s standards, written music feels like a dead language. Music is probably the most common language on Earth, yet I bet it has the highest illiteracy rate.
Developed specifically for Tyler Bryant, the Black Magick Reverb TB is the high-power version of Supro's flagship 1x12 combo amplifier.
At the heart of this all-tube amp is a matched pair of military-grade Sovtek 5881 power tubes configured to deliver 35-Watts of pure Class A power. In addition to the upgraded power section, the Black Magick Reverb TB also features a “bright cap” modification on Channel 1, providing extra sparkle and added versatility when blended with the original Black Magick preamp on Channel 2.
The two complementary channels are summed in parallel and fed into a 2-band EQ followed by tube-driven spring reverb and tremolo effects plus a master volume to tame the output as needed. This unique, signature variant of the Black Magick Reverb is dressed in elegant Black Scandia tolex and comes loaded with a custom-built Supro BD12 speaker made by Celestion.
Price: $1,699.