This P/J hybrid offers Precision-like tone with a medium-scale build and small-scale price.
Recorded direct into Focusrite Saffire 6 interface into MacBook Pro using GarageBand.
Clip 1: Both pickups engaged. Flat EQ.
Clip 2: Slap riff with neck pickup soloed. Slight bass and treble boost.
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RatingsPros:A value-rich instrument for bassists of all sizes. Solid P-style tone, great playability, and awesome looks. Cons: Our test bass had fret issues. J-style pickup lacks characteristic bark. Street: $299 Ibanez SRMD200 Mezzo ibanez.com | Tones: Playability: Build/Design: Value: |
Thereās a certain level of fearlessness to Ibanezās designs. For decades, theyāve walked the line between function and form, developing basses aesthetically distinguished from the pack. Drawing the attention of NAMMās low-end attendees this year, Ibanezās showing ranged from the resurrection of the cult-classic AFR to a compact adaptation of the legendary Soundgear bass. The latter is called the Mezzo, and itās a fun hybrid of SR models with a few unique additions.
Built for Speed and Comfort
Ibanezās latest derives its name from the Italian word for āmiddle.ā Itās an appropriate moniker, since its 32" scale seats itself between the conventional 34" of the standard Soundgear models and the small footprint of the Ibanez miKro bass at 28.6". This reduced scale provides significant advantages in both playability and comfort.
The Mezzoās poplar body is offered in a spectrum of colors. We received what I think is one of the modelās most eye-catching combinations: seafoam pearl green paired with a pearloid pickguard. Matching the color on the headstock also enhances the look of this bass.
Despite the shorter scale and slightly smaller body, the Mezzo shares the same neck width, thickness, and radius as the standard Soundgear basses. Ibanez selected maple for both the neck and fretboard. Add 22 medium frets into the mix, and you have a neck ready for fast passages and comfy fretting hand activity.
Ibanez went with their proprietary electronics for this bass bambino, pairing their Dynamix P- and J-style pickups with a 9V preamp. The 2-band EQ offers boost and cut in the treble and bass, and there is no passive-mode option for the Mezzo.
Mezzoās Forte
With its stunning sparkle finish and pearloid pickguard, I was really struck by the looks of the Mezzo, which has an unexpected vintage vibe even with its characteristically contemporary shape. When I first pulled the bass out of the box, I noticed that several fret ends were protruding from the fretboard. By no means was it a hazard to play, but it could be a bit of a nuisance with an occasional scratch against the fingers.
Despite this, the playability of the Mezzo was quite nice overall. Iām a fan of short-scale basses, and I enjoyed traversing the extreme portions of the fretboard with effortless motion. Interestingly, the Mezzoās neck felt a bit more substantial in my hand compared to other members of its family, even though they share similar dimensions. It should also be mentioned that our test bass balanced wonderfully and held its position well while I was sitting or standing up.
I explored the Mezzoās tonal palette in my home studio with a Bergantino B|Amp head and HD112 cab rig, through which the Dynamix pickups produced pleasing tones. The neck pickup was powerful and produced P-style sounds that oozed from the speaker. There was initially a bit of modern zing (courtesy of the 2-band preamp), but dialing down the treble gave the Mezzo a mellow, mid-friendly growl. The bridge pickupās sound was a touch disappointing: It lacked the aggressive snarl that many bassists have come to associate with a J-style pickup in this position. I was, however, able to get closer to that authoritative tone at louder volumes and with a boost on the bass EQ. Balancing both pickups equally produced a tighter tone with a slight ding in the top end.
I also did some live experimentation in Nashvilleās Broadway bars, where bands play four-hour shows with no breaks. I took the Mezzo out during a double shift, and I ended up playing it for nearly eight hours. GK rigs were provided at both venues, with very little EQ enhancement.
Whether a country ballad or pop favorite, the Mezzo had the right tone for the song. Soloing the neck pickup was my preferred setting for most of the duration, with just a slight boost in the treble for presence. I did occasionally employ the bridge pickup, which had just enough bark for disco-style numbers.
With any other bass, eight hours of playing could have been physically taxing. Thanks to the Mezzoās balance and playability, I felt no fatigue in my shoulder, back, and hands. And itās safe to say that musicians would rather invest in a reliable instrument than their chiropractorās BMW.
The Verdict
In our quest for tone, itās nice to play an instrument thatās, well, fun! The Mezzoās comfortable design, cool looks, and practical tones could please just about any player. At $300, the price point also makes it a pretty guilt-free investment. Whether youāre looking for a portable workhorse or a cool beginner bass, saluta il Mezzo.
The venerable Pās latest incarnation brings some modern tweaks, but retains the versatility this classic is known for.
Clip 1: Neck (P) pickup only. Tone dial dimed. Fingerstyle.
Clip 2: Neck (P) pickup only. Tone dial dimed. Played with pick.
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RatingsPros:All P with some added spice. Great neck. Cons: Tones are not full-bore P tones, so some may not dig the updated sound. Street: $1,199 Fender American Performer Precision fender.com | Tones: Playability: Build/Design: Value: |
If a Fender P bass could talk, it might say something like this: āHi. Iām arguably the most popular bass design of all time. I have been on too many hit records to count, rocked a bazillion people throughout my history, and I am made in California not far from where I was born. Although I have been through a few mods in my day, including my latest incarnation, I can be identified with one letter and the entire bass community knows exactly what it means.ā
Fender has the luxury (and, some might say, curse) of owning the two best-known bass designs in the universe: the Jazz and the Precision. I call it a blessing because of the wonderful history and design of these basses, but also a curse, because with progress comes change. In the eyes of the Fender faithful, change can be the death of a historic design. (Dimension Bass anyone?) Classics doneed to be reworked on occasion, however, and thus the American Performer series was born. We recently tested the Precision in the series to see if it could capture decades of Fender magic at around 1,200 bucks.
You Down With APP?
Out of the included gig bag, the American Performer P feels the same, but, well, different. The neck is a hybrid between a P and a J and has what Fender calls a āModern Cā design, which means thereās no Louisville Slugger or broomstick vibe here.
The instrumentās arctic-white poly finish is fantastic. The other colors in the series include a three-tone burst, Lake Placid blue, and a bright copper-colored metallic finish that Fender calls "Penny." The black 3-ply pickguard offers a cool contrast with a little attitude, although Iād love to see the bass available with a tortoise guard against this gorgeous white finish. The APP doesnāt feel too heavy or cumbersome. Rather, it sort of feels like it hugs you with its belly scoop and light alder body.
The APP has crushing sustain unplugged, and did I mention this neck? The satin polyurethane finish provided just the right glide and slide, and the neck felt absolutely perfect in the back, with no anomalies or uneven spots. The taper on the neck goes from ā50s P to almostJazz at the nut, which provides an ergonomically pleasing experience in that I wasnāt fighting the instrument because of width or depth.
Itās PJ Time!
I plugged into an Eden Terra Nova head with a matching 2x10 cabinet. The APPās pickups are the Yosemite design, which means they have alnico-5 magnets and are shellac dippedārather than wax dippedāwhich, according to Fender, allows the pickups to ābreatheā more than wax models. The control layout consists of separate volume knobs and a Greasebucket tone-circuit knob, designed to roll off highs without adding bass.
I started out soloing the split pickup (neck position) with the volume and tone dimed. The punchiness of a modern bass hit my ears, along with a subtle nuance of the vintage vibe P basses possess. Iām not calling this pickup system vintageby any stretch, but rolling off the Greasebucket knob to the halfway point will mellow out this baby to a very smooth yet responsive zone. There is more breath in the Yosemite pickups in that the tones have a slight mwahto them, allowing them to track with this setting nicely.
Keeping the split pickupās volume up, I eased the J pickup from off to all the way on. And somewhere in the middle of that transition is where its tone kicked in it. So, when using the bridge pickup with the neck, itās sort of an on or off situation with little to no middle ground.
With all three controls dimed, the APP has a true modern vibe to it. Itās not an aggressive, harsh tone, though it does bring a hair more midrange to the table than other P models Iāve experienced. Itās an articulate punch in the mouth that really takes on a voice of its own. I like that our test model had a rosewood fretboard, since a maple fretboard (standard for the penny and Lake Placid blue finishes) would probably be a bit overbearing for me. I found myself playing this bass a lotand in many different styles, leading me to feel that I wouldnāt think twice about taking the APP to any gig, be it a backyard polka party or a Madison Square Garden show.
The Verdict
Say what you want about Fenderās designs, redesigns, reintroductions, etc. Simply put, the American Performer Precision really impressed. Granted, the bass isnāt a trueP, but the tonal options would make it appeal to just about anyone. If I had to choose one thing that made this bass special, it would be the neck, because it was such a true joy to play. A close second would be the aforementioned tonal variations that are suitable for a lot of different music. This bass was built for everything under the sun, and for a U.S.-crafted instrument with this attention to detail and playability, youād be hard-pressed to spend the same money elsewhere and get the same results.
Watch the Review Demo:
How to transform four affordable axesāa Gretsch Jet Club, an Epiphone Les Paul SL, and a Squier Vintage Modified Jag and Precision bassāinto absolute gems.
As a working musician, thereās never been a better time to be alive and wanting. Thereās a near-boundless array of instruments, pickups, pedals, and amps for just about every budget, not to mention the increasingly convincing digital paths to previously out-of-reach tones now made available by modeling, profiling, and impulse-response software. In fact, as time goes on it often feels as if the lower end of the price range is where the real values are.
Some might mutter under their breath at that notion, and I get it. When I was coming up as a guitarist in the ā80s and ā90s, the more affordable models were almost universally shunned. Most players felt they simply werenāt up to snuff and were replete with tuning problems, inconsistent quality, and uninspiring tonal and visual aesthetics.
However, things have certainly changed in the modern era. Computer-aided manufacturing and other industry developments (such as boutique pickup builders developing improved designs for budget instruments) have streamlined production, broadened the types of instruments available, and greatly reduced variances in quality control. As a result, there are killer deals to be had in the sub-$500 range no matter what your taste. Whether youāre looking for your first instrument or one you can take to the pub in place of your irreplaceable 1960s custom color No. 1, thereās a guitar or bass out there that will scratch your particular itch with a price tag thatāll make your jaw drop.
But besides the killer deal that many of these models present in and of themselves, if youāre into moddingāor having someone do mods for youāthese more affordable designs can represent the perfect low-commitment value: For a few hundred bucks, you can often end up with a customized axe that, in many ways, is essentially on par with much pricier instruments, or you can explore unconventional new sounds on a familiar platform without having to worry about whether, say, adapting new hardware or expanding pickup cavities will devalue your high-end version. Whichever persuasion you hail from, breathe easyāyouāre among friends!
For this yearās annual DIY issue, PG asked me to take a look at four of these common, low-cost modelsāthree 6-strings and one bass purchased from an online retailerāand walk you through how Iād recommend turning them into more reliable stage and studio mainstays. (Before I get started, I want to give a big shout of thanks to Dan Michael of Rawton Customs for letting me make a mess of his workspace.)
If youāre new to modding, visit premierguitar.com/soldering101 for our comprehensive guide on soldering techniques and tips.
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Gretsch G5426 Jet Club
$299 street, gretschguitars.comInitial Inspection
The Jet Club comes in a flashy silver finish with enough chrome accoutrements to force a second glance. Itās an attractive instrument that begs to be playedāand luckily it plays great right out of the box. Admittedly, itās more or less a Gretsch-ified Les Paul, but it somehow fits the companyās classic aesthetic.
The G5426 has a gorgeous rosewood fretboard, and itās fun to play thanks to the maple neckās medium-C shape and nicely rounded shoulders. In defiance of conventional sentiment regarding bolt-on construction, it also delivers thick sustain. Thereās even some midrange airiness, thanks to its chambered basswood body.
Like a lot of affordable instruments these days, the original hardware isnāt anything to write home about, but itās also acceptably functional. The tuners turn smoothly, although to me they donāt feel super solid. Tuning stability could likely be improved by swapping them for upmarket units. In addition, Iāll look at dressing the synthetic bone nutās slotsānot because theyāre particularly rough or disappointing, but just to fine-tune performance. To be honest, most guitars these days, regardless of price, could use similar attention.
Plugged in, the stock Jet Club sounded a bit dark, but thatās fairly common with entry-level imports, as lower-grade electrical components comprise a significant cost-saving measure. Even so, the Clubās stock tone is loud and surprisingly bombastic, so Iām thinking that giving some attention to the pickups and circuit will bump up the clarity factor. This oneās got some soul, and I intend to bring that out.
The only complaint I had with the Jet Club was that some of its fret ends stuck out a bit too far, resulting in prickly playing in some positions. This is something I can fix on my own without much effortāand, in defense of Gretschās overall attention to detail, the leveling and crowning work on the frets was flawless. I couldnāt find any notes that choked or buzzed during my initial playing tests.
All in all, this is a great guitar for the price. Iām looking forward to digging into this oneāand Iām thinking weāll go a slightly different direction with our mods, rather than try to turn this into the stereotypical āultimate Gretsch.ā
Photo 1 ā A Vibramate V5 Standard kit enabled us to add a Gretsch mustāa Bigsby B5 vibratoāto the Jet Club
without any drilling.
For the most part, the mods we chose for the Gretsch Jet Club couldnāt have gone more smoothly. Each bit of hardware, including the tuners, fit without any extra drilling or routing required. (The circuitry upgrades required a little extra work. More on that shortly.) The Vibramate V5 Standard kit made installing the Bigsby B5 vibrato (Photos 1 and 2) an especially painless exerciseāno more difficult than turning a few screws into place! (If youāre not familiar with it, the Vibramate is a U-shaped metal platform that lets you add a Bigsby to an instrument already outfitted with a Tune-o-matic-style bridge and stop-tail without having to drill extra holes. If you can change your strings, you can install a Vibramate.)
Photo 2
Photo 3 ā To ensure your new Bigsby has comfy, squishy action right out of the gate, place the spring on the floor and put all your weight on it 30ā45 times.
One thing I like to do with new Bigsby vibratos is eliminate the break-in period for the springāwhich can otherwise yield rather stiff arm action for quite some time. In the spirit of generosity, I pass this trick onto you: Place the spring on the ground and step on it 30ā45 times (Photo 3). Iām telling you, it works! Oh, and one more tipātoss the nylon washer thatās supposed to go under the spring in the trash, and use a penny instead. Itāll last longer and yield to pressure less.
The only Gretsch alterations that required some slightly more significant alterations were the potentiometer holes. I had to gently enlarge the existing holes to accommodate the new Emerson parts. This is a common distinction between most U.S.-made instruments and those made overseasāin fact, we encountered it with every instrument modded for this article.
Photo 4 ā As with most import electrics, the G5426ās potentiometer holes are a bit narrow to fit higher-end Emerson pots. I used a 1/4" drill bitāoperating in reverseāto very carefully widen the holes and minimize the likelihood
of unsightly wood tears.
With the Gretsch, making the pots fit required a 1/4" drill bit and a technique called reverse drilling thatās as self-explanatory as it soundsāāyouāre literally drilling in reverse: When the drill turns counterclockwise, it eliminates the chance that the bit will grab the wood and tear it out, which comes in handy when you need to get rid of a little wood in an area that may be partially visible. After only a moment, the new pots fit right in place (Photos 4 and 5).
Photo 5
For the wiring tweaks in all four of these instrument-modding projects, I prewired harnesses to make quick work of pickup installationāin this case, Curtis Novakās brand-new Guytone gold-foil humbuckers. Iām really excited to try out these pickups, which are based on the old Guyatone pickups but in dual-coil format.
Photo 6 ā The Jet Clubās original pickup rings had holes for three (rather than the standard two) height screws. To accommodate the new pickupsā two-screw setup, I drilled a new hole in the center of the two-hole side of each ring, then rotated the rings around so the unused holes would be obscured by the pickguard.
The one problem I ran into with the pickups should have been obvious from the start, had I been paying closer attention: The Jet Clubās original chrome mounting rings have three holes for pickup-height screws, not the standard two. Remedying the problem wasnāt too tough, though: I simply used a 3/32" drill bit to drill a new hole in the center of the side of the pickup ring that had two holes, then rotated the rings so that the side with the two unused original holes was hidden under the pickguard (Photos 6 and 7). Problem solved!
Photo 7
Once everything was in place, I restrung the guitar and put in some extra maintenance that often gets overlooked on trem-equipped instruments. Often the reason vibrato units get a bad rap isnāt because of any shortcoming with the whammy itself: Itās due to a poorly cut nut, bad stringing techniques, and bridge saddles that werenāt intended to have strings grinding away at their rough edges. A little filing of the nut and saddle slots, some lubrication in key areas, and the Gretsch G5426 Jet Club was good to go.
Post-Mod Thoughts
The guitar we started with was pretty good, but the one we ended up with had far greater depth and dimensionality to its tones and playing flexibility. Dressing the nut and fret ends made worlds of difference for playability, and the Curtis Novak pickups are fantastically dynamicāevery bit as vocal as any good gold-foil Iāve heard, but far quieter. The guitar now has a bright midrange character that just sings. Itās equally at home with clean tones and gritty fuzz. Honestly, this Gretsch may be the biggest surprise of the group!
Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar
$399 street, squierguitars.comInitial Inspection
As has been my experience with the whole of Squierās Vintage Modified line, the Jaguar offers serious bang for the buck. I really canāt say enough about the consistency of this series. Iāve owned and worked on several, and overall Iāve been really impressed with the fundamental aspectsāthe neck shapes, the average weight, and the fit and finishāof each.
The one thing Iāll concede often isnāt great on floor (or online-purchased) models of Leo Fenderās unique Jaguar design (as well as the similarly equipped Jazzmaster) is the setup. This holds true for the Squier VM weāve got here. Straight out of the box, all the familiar complaints you hear about āoffsetā guitars (a nickname for instruments with asymmetrical inner body curves like those on the Jag and Jazzmaster) were realized, from loose, rattling bridge saddles to poor tuning stability. This is because Jazzmaster/Jaguar hardware and construction peculiarities are often misunderstood by the average player and shop setup person. Optimizing Jaguar and Jazzmaster performance requires specialized knowledge that can seem foreign to players used to Stratocaster-, Telecaster-, or Les Paul-style instruments. Thankfully, the retailerās setup oversights and shortcomings can be corrected by following the Jazzmaster/Jaguar setup techniques I outlined in PGās May 2017 issue.
Iāll be focusing on two major areas in our Jag mods: electronics and hardware. Weāll be upgrading the bridge, vibrato, pickups, and lead-circuit electronics, but weāll leave the less-used rhythm circuit (the panel on the upper, bass-side bout of the guitar) alone. Thereās no reason to change out the tuners, as theyāre sturdy and reliable as-is.
If youāre enough of a Jaguar or Jazzmaster nerd to have tried installing a U.S.-made Jag/JM vibrato on Fenderās Japanese-made versions of either model, you very likely had to do some extra routing to make it fit. Luckily thatās not the case with these Indonesian-made Squiers. I suspect theyāre using U.S. templates, because the American Vintage reissue vibrato fits perfectly without any extra finagling. Even Fender American Vintage pickguards line up, just in case you feel like adding a more minty or parchment-y vibe to your Jag. Iām just in awe of how right they got all this!
Photo 8 ā Squierās Vintage Modified Jaguar is a modderās dreamāthe factory routes and screw holes allow easy, drop-in replacement of the most common components that offset fans like to upgrade.
Another bit of good news: The Jagās control-cavity routes were more than ample to fit full-size U.S.-made potentiometers. That said, the pot holes in the lead-circuit body plate (the control section nearest to the vibrato) did need to be drilled out in order to go from mini pots to the larger shafts in full-size ones. As for the switches, I often recommend upgrading them, but these ones felt solid enough.
Photo 9 ā The Jagās lead-circuit control panel after widening the pot holes and installing U.S.-made 1M potentiometers and a Mallory .01 Ī¼F capacitor on the tone pot.
Instead of completely rewiring the guitar, I built a harness for the lead circuit (the two treble-side panels, one of which houses three sliders, and the other of which has standard-sized volume and tone knobs) using solid-core, vintage-style cloth wire, Emerson 1M pots, a Mallory .01 ĀµF capacitor, and a 56k carbon-comp resistor for the āstrangleā function (a bass-reduction function engaged by the treble-side slider closest to the bridge pickup). I paired the wired-up harness (Photo 9) with Fenderās fantastic Pure Vintage ā65 Jaguar pickups, which are nice and deep on the low end, and bright but not tinny on the highs.
As I mentioned before, weāve tossed the VMās original vibrato in favor of a Fender American Vintage unit, which offers a serious upgrade in performance, thanks to more consistent manufacturing. While I have a personal preference for the playing response of actual vintage Fender Jag/JM vibratos, as well as Mastery Bridgeās JM-style vibratos, Iāve happily installed these American Vintage units for many a budget-minded musician without reservation.
Photo 10 ā With the new U.K.-made Staytrem bridge and Fender American Vintage vibrato installed, the Squier is starting to look more and more like an offset obsessiveās dream.
To remedy the Jaguarās usual loose/buzzy/unstable saddle situation, Iāve installed a Staytremāa popular upgrade for offset obsessives (Photo 10). Made in the U.K. out of solid stainless steel, the Staytrem is a more robust Mustang-style bridge that aims to retain the feel and sound of Leo Fenderās original Jag/JM design while also featuring deep grooves in its fixed-radius saddles to prevent strings from slipping out of place under aggressive attackāa common Jag/JM problem.
Once the new hardware was in place, I restrung the Jag with .011ā.048 strings, since many enthusiasts find heavier strings to be a better option for the guitarās shorter 24" scale. I also took some time to appropriately shim the neck to assure adequate clearance and comfortable playing action with the new bridge (see the aforementioned Jazzmaster/Jaguar setup piece for more detail on this).
Photo 11 ā Because weāve increased the Jagās string gauge from the stock .009 set to an .011 set, filing the nut slots to match the new setās gauge is imperative for both comfortable action and tuning stability.
Because Jaguars come from the factory with .009-gauge strings, itās imperative that the nut slots be dressed to match the thicker gauge. Nut slots that are too small or poorly cut will grip the string, causing tuning problemsāespecially on a vibrato-equipped instrument. You can easily widen nut slots yourself, provided you have access to a decent set of files. Iāve been using the same Stew Mac files for years, but any gauged file with a rounded bottom will do just fine (Photo 11). After opening up the nut, the strings glide smoothly and stay in tune perfectly.
Note: When filing nut slots, remember to keep the file angled slightly down toward the headstock, so the highest point of the slot remains on the edge of the nut thatās closest to the fretboard. To avoid āsitar buzz,ā the slot must guide the string down toward the string post.
Post-Mod Thoughts
When all was said and done, I was blown away by how the Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar came alive. Besides having all the usual offset kinks worked out, itās got newfound brightness and depth on tap, as well as a wiry, tough, taut feel availed by heavier strings that are more reliably channeled and anchored by the Staytrem bridge and smoother-performing vibrato. Iād gladly take it onstage with meāthat I can say for sure.
Squier Vintage Modified Precision Bass PJ
$299 street, squierguitars.comInitial Inspection
As the only bass weāll be working with in this DIY round, this Squier Vintage Modified Precision PJ has a lot of pressure on it to bring home the bacon. Thankfully, the $299 instrument is actually quite good.
Iād have no problem recommending it to anyone in need of an affordable backup or a replaceable touring instrument. I love the color and the weight, and I was even rather impressed with the sound of the stock electronics. It plays pretty great, too. Honestly, if there werenāt a whole to-do about mods for this issue, Iād probably just leave it be. But whereās the fun in that?
The mods for the PJ were all pretty straightforward. The Babicz bridge is hugely popular with bass wizzes because its hefty aluminum construction and double-locking saddles tend to improve both sustain and intonation. But itās also a hit because it uses the same five-screw pattern as the original Fender Jazz and Precision bass bridges, making it a no-brainer swap because it doesnāt require any extra filling or drilling of holes.
The only area where I hit a snag was fitting the new full-size tone pot at the lower tip of the pickguard. Standard Precision basses have two knobsāa volume and a toneāwith a pickguard-mounted output. But since our Squier Precision PJ has two volumes and its tone knob is located where the Pās jack would normally be, the PJās output jack is mounted on the side. Unfortunately, the jack also isnāt far from the tone control, which means its inner portion comes quite close to the tone pot.
Photo 12 ā Before using a pin router to slightly expand the PJās control cavity to accommodate a larger, higher-quality tone pot,I marked the pickguard outline and the area that needed to be trimmed with a marker and masking tape.
On the bright side, using a pin router (80-grit sandpaper and a little elbow grease will work, too), I was able to remove enough wood from the cavity (Photo 12) to fit the upgraded tone pot. Even so, there wasnāt enough room to fit the sweetābut also very largeā.047 ĀµF Emerson capacitor (Photo 13). I had to substitute a thin metal-film capacitor instead.
Photo 13 ā Although expanding the control allowed the tone pot to t, the output jack was too close to accommodate the hefty Emerson capacitor. I had to swap it with a metal-film cap.
From there, things got easy again. The upscale Nordstrand pickups fit perfectly and wired up incident-freeāthough I was thankful for the āWhere Does the Small Gray Wire Go?ā info sheet, as I was in the process of asking that very question the moment I saw the wire. Thatās some thoughtful customer service, right there!
Post-Mod Thoughts
For its price range, the Squier Vintage Modified Precision PJ was already an impressive bass, but after these mods it became something quite different. Itās louder, more authoritative, and sounds positively enormous. Sure, it still has that vintage Fender bass midrange with the P pickup soloed, but the Nordstrand pickups excel when used in tandem. The bass now straddles vintage and modern sounds with ease, and itās also dead quiet no matter which pickup you favor. It loves fuzz, too!
Epiphone Les Paul SL
$99 street, epiphone.comI remember when Epiphone announced this model at NAMM last year. The moment I heard the ridiculous price I wanted oneāeven though I damn well didnāt need another guitar for literally any reason. The pickguard lines echo ā60s Gibson Melody Makers, and the colorsāwhich range from the black we chose here to a couple of bursts and a few candy-like pastelsājust drew me in. Somehow, though, I didnāt get a chance to play one until our project guitar arrived on my doorstep.
Initial Inspection
At the paltry sum of $99, the Epiphone Les Paul SL is far and away the least expensive guitar of our group, and it wears that price point on its sleeve. Itās rudimentary and uncomplicated, neither refined nor streamlined. And, to be honest, playing an unmodified specimen can conjure conflicting feelings: At times itās pleasant and enjoyable ā¦ at others itās uninspiring, even a little confusing.
But who are we kidding here? No reasonable person would expect a flaw-free experience at this price point, so minor finish issues and thin-sounding pickups shouldnāt surprise us. Given its dimensions and pedigree, itās no surprise that the poplar-bodied instrument is light, but to some it might even feel unsettlingly so. The mere presence of tuners seems to throw off its balance when worn on a strap, and in some ways the SL makes one wonder whether, long-term, it will handle the rigors of guitar life.
Considering all that, the question became: Can the SL be elevated by a few thoughtful alterations? I firmly believe any guitar can be made to play and sound better, so from this point on Iāll be treating the Epi the same way Ed McMahon treated daytime TV viewers in the 1980s: Little friend, you may already be a winner.
Iāll be swapping out the nut, electronics, pickups, pickguard, and hardware. And, since the fret ends were jagged enough to do some minor skin damage while unboxing the guitarānot to worry, I didnāt bleed on itāI put fretwork on the mod list as well.
Photo 14 ā To improve the Les Paul SLās tuning stability, I used a drill press to carefully widen the existing tuner holes to accommodate a set of smoother-operating TonePros machines.
As weāve discussed, lower-quality electrical components are one way manufacturers often cut costs on more affordable instruments. On a guitar as inexpensive as the Epi SL, hardware is definitely going to come into that picture, too. It was soon apparent that its tuners just arenāt worth salvaging, so I installed a set of white-button TonePros for a visual and functional upgrade. Because these tuners have a stabilizing lip surrounding the tuner shaft, I had to remove some material around the existing (unevenly drilled) tuner holes to make room. We used a drill press for a clean look, but you can get away with some careful reverse drilling (Photo 14).
As previously hinted at, fretwork was the SLās Achillesā heel. Notes were choked off in some playing positions, especially at the second fret. Using a Stew Mac Fret Rocker, I was able to pinpoint a number of frets that werenāt seated properly. Pressing them back into their slots with an arbor was the only optionānot exactly a job for a first-time modder, but nevertheless it was essential for our guitar. During this process, I was rather surprised to note that the neck wood (which is listed as being mahogany on the companyās website) was soft enough that slight to moderate pressure left a small depression in it.
Photo 15 ā The underside of the Les Paul SLās pickguard, prior to removing the stock pickups and electronics.
Perhaps the most valuable upgradeāāliterally and figurativelyāāwas the pickups. The stock single-coils sounded thin and lacked punch, so I chose pickups from the opposite end of the spectrum: Lollar MelodyMaker P-90s. The SLās pickguard had to be tailored to fit themāa job that can be done easily with a rotary tool like a Dremelābut I used a pin router and a makeshift jig that my friend Dan whipped up from scrap wood and tape (Photos 15 and 16).
Photo 16 ā To expand the pickup routes in the SLās pickguard to accommodate our new Lollar MelodyMakers, I used a pin router and a jig we made out of scrap wood and tape.
For the new wiring harness, I opted for a ā50s-style Gibson approach: two 500k pots, a .022 ĀµF capacitor, and one of Emersonās lovely treble-bleed networks to preserve high end with volume roll-off.
As a bonus, I threw in a spare kill switch that my tech friend Ed Dualetta gifted me years ago, which I thought might be fun. Itās wired between the volume pot and output jack, and sends the signal to ground when the button is pressed.
Photo 17 ā Although our replacement MojoAxe tailpiece fit on the SLās existing posts, there was a gap that could cause unwanted rocking with the bridge.
The MojoAxe bridge slid right on, although the stock bridge posts left some extra wiggle room (Photo 17).
Photo 18 ā A quick, easy way to rectify the rocking situation is to nab a couple of leftover pot washers, clip out a small section from each, then slide one into place on each bridge post.
One of my favorite, cheap fixes for this is to use the leftover washers that come with pots as fillers under each side of the bridge to keep it from rocking (Photos 18 and 19).
Photo 19
Use a pair of wire clippers to turn them into a C shape, push them onto the post, andāvoilĆ !āyouāve got a tight fit (Photo 20).
Photo 20 ā The clipped washers make our new compensated bridge fit snugly on the posts.
I went the extra mile and cut a fresh bone nut to replace the Epiās original plastic one. I just couldnāt help myself! My only regret here is that I absentmindedly copied the slim string spacing of the originalāI wish Iād spread it out a pinch. Ah, hindsight. For those inclined to dip their toes into the nut-making process, StewMac.com has some great resources for starters.
Photo 21 ā To improve the Les Paul SLās tuning stability, performance, and tone, I fashioned a new nut out of bone.
No tricked-out guitar would be complete without some thoughtfully applied shieldingāyour first, best defense against the sorts of unwanted noise that are more common with single-coil pickups like our new Lollars.
Photo 22 ā Aluminum-foil tape in the interior cavities helps decrease extraneous noise. Before removing the tapeās backing, I unroll a length of tape to estimate how much is needed, then press my finger along the cavity edge to create a line I can follow when cutting the tape. Applying tailored pieces of foil is then much easier.
As long as itās done right, itās super effective. I used a roll of conductive aluminum-foil tape that I picked up at the hardware store for a scant $6. Rather than address the copper vs. aluminum debate here, Iāll simply agree that, yes, copper is the better insulator, but Iāve never found it to be so much better as to justify the added expense. No matter which material you prefer, the most crucial part of shielding is that it must be comprehensiveāthat no interior surface is left unlined. Continuity is also vitally important, so itās best to use bigger pieces of tape instead of many small, overlapping bits.
Photo 23
To start, Iāll estimate the length of tape Iāll need, cut it, then gently trace the shape of the cavity with my finger to create an outline that I can cut out with a razor blade on a separate surface. Once the shapeās sorted, laying it down in the channel is a snap.
Photo 24 ā Notice that little strip of foil at the far right end of the body cavity? (It looks like blue tape because of reflections from the blue wall.) That ensures that the cavity shielding connects with the pickguard shielding to create a complete barrier against unwanted noise.
For the cavity walls, I use the longest piece of tape possible and affix it vertically around the perimeter with some overlap where it meets the other pieces. Be sure to leave a small overhang onto the body to make contact with the pickguard, which Iāve already lined with foil and trimmed to fit. BoomāFaraday cage!
Post-Mod Thoughts
So, was all of that work on the crazy-affordable Epiphone Les Paul SL worth it? For sure! Thanks to the new components and fine-tuning touches, itās a much more robust instrument but still retains its delightfully scrappy character. Especially with those Lollars, this could be the knock-around stage brawler of a post-punk rockerās dreams. It can do subtle, donāt get me wrong, but it seems happier when itās cranked up and thrown around.
Why Not Just Buy Better Instruments?
For a lot of playersāespecially those who arenāt particularly fond of projectsāthe most āobviousā question with all of this is, āWhy not just save up a little and buy a better guitar (or bass)?ā And sure, thatās valid for some people. For others, finances are simply too tight to get the combination of classic aesthetics, features, and tones they want in a higher-end instrument. Not to mention, the worth of a guitar canāt be strictly quantified in dollars and cents. Sure, you can throw down a few hundred more from the start and get a fine player, but being a musician and a tinkerer seem to go hand-in-hand. Never mind the fact that lots of us spend thousands more than we did here and still find ourselves wanting new pickups and swapping components. And, in all honesty, Iāve played instruments costing as much as four times what we spent on any one of these guitars, and I still felt like they needed many of the same mods we did for these instruments.
Just as importantly, at least for a lot of us, modifying these guitars was fun. To me, thatās priceless. Buy a cheap guitar, open it up, make some changes, and learn something along the way. Maybe youāll find that youāre more self-sufficient on the other side.