I have one of these and changed it out heavily. TP6 tailpiece. Tonerider Alnico 2 pickups. Treble Bleed circuits. CTS pots. Switchcraft switch and jack. And most importantly a real Varitone. Now it’s a BB King.
@@dmmedic34 Me too, DeLisle varitone, post 2013 Epiphone Alnico Classis Pros zebras with Alnico 2 magnets swapped in, the Epi Traditional Pro IV harness that came with the pickups, and tuxedo'd it, swapped all the gold for nickel, Kluson light weight stop bar, API locking studs, and an API Pinnacle CNC bell brass bridge. FF locking tuners off another FF338.
I’ve got an old Gibson Lucille which I’ve owned for at least 27years. After trying all the varitone positions the only position that I liked was the bypass one.
Another great video, so detailed and helpful. I bought the same guitar and the bridge is on the right way (typical FF chaos). I really don't like the sound of the pickups and definitely want to replace all the electronics. I have some pups I got on amazon I want to try in it, however where did you get the wiring harness? Thanks!
Which pickups did you get? Mine were sold together, the Epiphone Alnico Classic Pros and harness, from the fellow that pulled everything out of his Traditional Pro IV. Magnet swap to sandcast alnico 2s. See the mods video, link in comments. Had to replace one volume pot, luckily they're available. The phase reverse pot is not. The DeLisle Varitone switch is not bad. Depending on the amp it's handy. The guitar body lacks resonance (I don't think the center block is maple, wrong grain.) It can be shrill rather than bright, candidate for flat wounds perhaps Needs an amp with solid lows and low mids, the Pinnacle bridge helped but not quite enough. The DeLisle is noisy, switch body needs grounded and the output wire needs replaced with shielded wire. I would pick the Kingtone Duet on a do-over, kind of wish I had 1st time around.
Also, the FF pots are pretty good. The jack and the pickup switch are cheap, under duress I'd change the jack and perhaps wait for the switch to break. I think the pickups are decent. Not great but okay. At least they need a nickel steel backing plate which will change their character, and I'd pull the brass covers also. It depends what finish you want and if you're keeping the gold hardware. The Gibson Lucille has 490T/490R pickups which are pretty strident. The FF ones are a bit mushy because of the brass backplates and covers.
@@DMSProduktions Yes, on a typical 335 the lower f-hole is the access to the wiring harness, in some guitars the center block allows access at the bridge pickup. As the Lucille copies have no f-holes they need back control covers similar to LPs and SGs. Epiphones and Gibsons have a better fit, the cover is flush and has it's own designed shape. This FF cover is likely an SG cover w/a bevelled edge rigged to fit. It happens to reveal a junk wood center block in this one with unpeeled bark, voids and so forth, the defects are in the bridge pickup route as well. Doubt it's maple, likely basswood or some Asian species. This guitar isn't as resonant or acoustically loud as my other 338. Wouldn't recommend it, stick to the f-holes versions.
Naw,that access cover not being flush with the back is an obvious cost cutting move Cmon fire fly you have done better than this Got three FFs last year Gold top p90s Black with red racing stripe in the center And the resonator Couple of mods and I am happy with my purchase for what it’s worth
Doesn't bug me much tho I agree with you. Pulled all the Lucille gold (resell as a set) everything is nickel now, zebra Epiphone Alnico Classic Pros w/A2 magnets swapped in, the Epi harness with coil splits and phase reverse push pulls, lightweight stopbar and locking studs, Pinnacle CNC'd brass/brass/bell brass/bell brass Nashville bridge, locking Grover type tuners from the other 338 I'm redoing. Need a good Varitone, likely the De Lisle, maybe the Kingtone Duet, maybe a surplus Epi Lucille stereo PCB. Likely De Lisle. Solid instrument now but not as resonant as my f-hole 338, center block is too soft for even soft maple (the species.) Guessing basswood/linden which would be disappointing. Already have too many budget basswood guitars and basses, the harmonics are all over the place, poplar is better.
I have one of these and changed it out heavily. TP6 tailpiece. Tonerider Alnico 2 pickups. Treble Bleed circuits. CTS pots. Switchcraft switch and jack. And most importantly a real Varitone. Now it’s a BB King.
@@dmmedic34 Me too, DeLisle varitone, post 2013 Epiphone Alnico Classis Pros zebras with Alnico 2 magnets swapped in, the Epi Traditional Pro IV harness that came with the pickups, and tuxedo'd it, swapped all the gold for nickel, Kluson light weight stop bar, API locking studs, and an API Pinnacle CNC bell brass bridge. FF locking tuners off another FF338.
I’ve got an old Gibson Lucille which I’ve owned for at least 27years. After trying all the varitone positions the only position that I liked was the bypass one.
@@henryhunter5026 Getting the Kingtone Duet to replace the DeLisle
Another great video, so detailed and helpful. I bought the same guitar and the bridge is on the right way (typical FF chaos). I really don't like the sound of the pickups and definitely want to replace all the electronics. I have some pups I got on amazon I want to try in it, however where did you get the wiring harness? Thanks!
Which pickups did you get?
Mine were sold together, the Epiphone Alnico Classic Pros and harness, from the fellow that pulled everything out of his Traditional Pro IV. Magnet swap to sandcast alnico 2s. See the mods video, link in comments.
Had to replace one volume pot, luckily they're available. The phase reverse pot is not.
The DeLisle Varitone switch is not bad. Depending on the amp it's handy. The guitar body lacks resonance (I don't think the center block is maple, wrong grain.) It can be shrill rather than bright, candidate for flat wounds perhaps Needs an amp with solid lows and low mids, the Pinnacle bridge helped but not quite enough.
The DeLisle is noisy, switch body needs grounded and the output wire needs replaced with shielded wire. I would pick the Kingtone Duet on a do-over, kind of wish I had 1st time around.
Also, the FF pots are pretty good. The jack and the pickup switch are cheap, under duress I'd change the jack and perhaps wait for the switch to break.
I think the pickups are decent. Not great but okay. At least they need a nickel steel backing plate which will change their character, and I'd pull the brass covers also. It depends what finish you want and if you're keeping the gold hardware.
The Gibson Lucille has 490T/490R pickups which are pretty strident. The FF ones are a bit mushy because of the brass backplates and covers.
At LEAST FF put an access port on the back of guitars like that! (UNLIKE Gibson & Epi on the same type of guitar! )
Huh??? Every Lucille, genuine or copy, has a controls cover, there are no f-holes.
@@oldasrocks9121 I didn't know that! Never saw the back of 1!
@@DMSProduktions Yes, on a typical 335 the lower f-hole is the access to the wiring harness, in some guitars the center block allows access at the bridge pickup. As the Lucille copies have no f-holes they need back control covers similar to LPs and SGs.
Epiphones and Gibsons have a better fit, the cover is flush and has it's own designed shape. This FF cover is likely an SG cover w/a bevelled edge rigged to fit.
It happens to reveal a junk wood center block in this one with unpeeled bark, voids and so forth, the defects are in the bridge pickup route as well. Doubt it's maple, likely basswood or some Asian species. This guitar isn't as resonant or acoustically loud as my other 338. Wouldn't recommend it, stick to the f-holes versions.
@@oldasrocks9121 Makes sense!
Naw,that access cover not being flush with the back is an obvious cost cutting move
Cmon fire fly you have done better than this
Got three FFs last year
Gold top p90s
Black with red racing stripe in the center
And the resonator
Couple of mods and I am happy with my purchase for what it’s worth
Doesn't bug me much tho I agree with you.
Pulled all the Lucille gold (resell as a set) everything is nickel now, zebra Epiphone Alnico Classic Pros w/A2 magnets swapped in, the Epi harness with coil splits and phase reverse push pulls, lightweight stopbar and locking studs, Pinnacle CNC'd brass/brass/bell brass/bell brass Nashville bridge, locking Grover type tuners from the other 338 I'm redoing. Need a good Varitone, likely the De Lisle, maybe the Kingtone Duet, maybe a surplus Epi Lucille stereo PCB. Likely De Lisle.
Solid instrument now but not as resonant as my f-hole 338, center block is too soft for even soft maple (the species.) Guessing basswood/linden which would be disappointing. Already have too many budget basswood guitars and basses, the harmonics are all over the place, poplar is better.
Finished the upgrades, just posted the video
Mods:
ua-cam.com/video/WDjodOjyAO0/v-deo.htmlsi=YxSDtGRGCFfN8bUy