The Gretsch Pages: Discussions: Other Guitars: Modifying My Epiphone Emperor

Modifying My Epiphone Emperor

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- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 9, 2008 7:41 p.m. Dan:

Updates...
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 9, 2008 7:42 p.m. Dan:

Ever wondered what a Charlie Christian pup looks like from the bottom side?
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 9, 2008 7:43 p.m. Dan:

Check out the spruce grain from the underside view
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 9, 2008 7:45 p.m. Dan:

No more holes to drill/rout! 8 holes and two pup cut outs so far
- Rated: 25 ↑
Apr 10, 2008 4:31 p.m. Scott:

When you get it done you HAVE to post sound clips!

So far it's looking fantastic.
- Rated: 48 ↑
Apr 10, 2008 5:33 p.m. dmanlow:

That couldn't have been an easy chore getting those springs sandwiched between the base plate and body. Nice work. Great photos as well.
- Rated: 19 ↑
Apr 10, 2008 8:57 p.m. CnW:

Roy Clark also made hay with that pickup combo in more than 1 Gibby Byrdland. That's the sound on every track of his 1965 "Guitar Spectacular" album.

Dan you are the man!
- Rated: 11 ↑
Apr 10, 2008 9:31 p.m. wenis:

Are these laminated tops? The Epi site says "select" spruce.
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 11, 2008 12:43 a.m. Dan:

Dmanlow- It was tough getting that pick up down the throat of the small slot opening...and better yet-

Drilling the holes that would align with the adjusting screws once I had the pickup in position to screw it down... It worked, I'm luckier than I am good :-)

thanks Scott...will try to get some sounds recorded when I can.

CnW: Thanks

Wenis: The tops are laminated ...Hope it shows in this photo.
- Rated: 11 ↑
Apr 11, 2008 8:40 a.m. wenis:

Thanks Dan, really nice project. How do these guitars work for mostly unplugged flatwound Jazz chording and comping?
- Rated: 45 ↑
Apr 11, 2008 8:52 a.m. Tsar Nicholas :

That's really fabulous. Inspirational stuff!
- Rated: 17 ↑
Apr 11, 2008 10:21 a.m. Jim Selvaggio:

Great work Dan. Beautiful guitar.
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 11, 2008 3:51 p.m. Dan:

I appreciate the compliments guys!

When I get finished with this project I'm going to upload (somewhere) the info I've learned...as I've not been able to find zilch-regarding technical information for these CC pups.

One would think as long as they've been around, there would be tons of info available. IE: Pot and capacitor values...pup adjustment procedures...perhaps a stencil for the cutout and adjusting/mounting screw holes...precautions etc/etc. NOTHING found :-)

The CC pup I ordered was built by Seymour Duncan (I've heard by him and/or his son, personally). This pup checked out at 3.74K ohms, and supposedly that reading is consistent with the factory resistance range of the CC pups made in the latter 1930s.

I did find this ES 175 (CC equipped) drawing at the Gibson website, I believe this drawing would be applicable to 1970s ES 175 Gibsons.

I also wrote to Gibson requesting help with perhaps a stencil and/or values of the 1930s controls for the ES 150s etc and did not receive a reply.
- Rated: 115 ↑
Apr 11, 2008 4:06 p.m. wenzel:

Dan, that turned out awesome! The routs look perfect too!!! You are a brave man and it turned out perfectly! Congratulations!

Chris
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 11, 2008 5:03 p.m. Dan:

Thanks Chris...But NO braver than you in comparison to your outstanding recent mods on the Green Machine.

Wenis: The Emperors have have decent volume (not as loud a most acoustics)

The volume is reduced further when holes start mysteriously appearing in the top side of the guitar :-)

For the most part, if you're sitting in your living room ---its plenty loud enough for practice. (But not a dynamic booming sound when unplugged--- with flatwounds)
- Rated: 11 ↑
Apr 11, 2008 8:57 p.m. wenis:

Thanks Dan. I'm looking for something to practice comping on in the Freddie Green vein, but nothing with a solid top is within my budget. I like the looks of these and they have the Art Decco vibe. I would mostly be playing it unplugged. However, your CC idea, is very cool!
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 13, 2008 12:17 a.m. Dan:

Thanks Wenis-good luck finding your new gear
- Rated: 50 ↑
Apr 13, 2008 7:46 a.m. jukebox:

Great job Dan! keep use posted with sound clips.
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 20, 2008 2:47 p.m. Dan:

Tailpiece/Bridge pup aligned ...ready to go. Getting ready to wire the controls. Here's an idea I used to make the harness assembly easier...

i) First, make a tracing of the holes for the controls

ii) Transfer the position of those holes to a piece of thick paper/cardboard. A reaming tool makes the task of putting the holes in the cardboard easier.

iii) Now install your components to the jig. This method will help make all your soldering for the project much easier and will also aid in keeping the harness neat. The completed harness should be the correct length and align to all the applicable holes.

Solder away!
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 20, 2008 2:48 p.m. Dan:

Front side of harness jig
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 20, 2008 2:50 p.m. Dan:

Rear view...adjust the length of the jack lines to assure a good fit.
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 20, 2008 2:57 p.m. Dan:

The pots and other components wont be rolling around...this alone will make the soldering job much easier, and you wont have to second guess the positioning for all the controls...

Make any desired notes on the cardboard.

Allow a little room for correct placement of the finished harness by adding a little more wire than you need (not much though, to keep the harness neat).

This harness will be completed with a safety feature...a capacitor/resistor wired in series on the tailpiece ground. I'll add a small paper label below the rear pup (fix it in place with a glue stick) to alert any future service techs that that feature has been included with this harness.

In the future, if whomever owns this guitar notices the guitar is humming a lot or has a lot of feedback...that feature most likely reacted (a guitar GFI) as designed and may have saved that person's life. The tech would simply replace the resistor/cap to restore the feature.
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 20, 2008 3:09 p.m. Dan:

Current state of mod...

To get the max height for the CC pup, I had to use 1/8" shorter screws (the two screws closest the the front of pup) and cut the rear spring in half.

For those that may be curious...the front screws adjust the height of the pickup from side to side. Actually, all 3 screws, when tightened will bring the top of the pickup closer to the strings...however...

One can adjust the height (either side of the pickup) of the pup, lower or higher by turning the bass or treble screws of the pickup mount. Turn either screw clockwise to raise the pickup on the side nearest the screw you're turning (the pickup can be set higher on the treble side than the bass side, or the opposite).

The rear spring also adjusts (overall) height...the further the screw is tightened, the closer the pickup will be positioned to the strings.
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 23, 2008 9:16 a.m. Dan:

Got it together! Now will need to fine tune everything...

The CC pickup sounds great...it's SUPER clear, resembles the sound of a P90--- but much cleaner and a more defined tone. Top strings are deep bassy sound (like the old Merle Travis guitars) but not muddy.

The front pup (even though it checked out at 3.72 ohms vs the P90 at 8.54 ohms) is perhaps twice as loud as the P90, set at the same string height. (Must be a result of the powerful magnet used on the CC).

When played with both pups on...it sounds like a big bodied Gibson acoustic. The P90 and CC blended sound remarkable! The bottom strings sound like Billy Byrd's or Hank Garland's guitars of the 1950s. It sounds like it should be 6" thick!

All in all...this mod produced a great result in the sound department. :-)
- Rated: 42 ↑
Apr 23, 2008 9:22 a.m. Dan:

Another view