Epi Probuckers: a closer look part 1

[LtKojak]

This is a series I've made a couple of months ago, so I thought that could be something to have into archives, so there you go!

Epi Probuckers: a closer look



This is the Alnico Classic Pro neck, 7.76K@68°F. This design has a coil offset of about 100 Ohms, being the slug coil the strongest.

I'd say this p'up is based on the '57 Classic design. To my surprise, polepiece spread is 49.2mm.

The baseplate is nickelsilver-made. The slugs are chrome-plated and have the bull's eye. The screws are chrome-plated as well, looking vintage-y, if you ask me.



As you can see, wax-potting is not over-the-top like with the older models.

This one is Zebra. ABS bobbins, 4-conductor, as the Epi ES-339 Pro, where these came from, had coil-cutting. The cover looks nice, and is nickelsilver made, nickel-plated.



This is the Alnico Classic Pro bridge, 8.48K@68°F. Both coils measure exactly the same. Zero coil-offset.

I'd say this p'up is loosely-based on the '57 Classic Plus design, just a bit wimpier.

***EDIT: polepiece spread is 52mm. *** The baseplate is golden nickelsilver-made; the kind of alloy used in fretwire-making.

The slugs are chrome-plated and have the bull's eye. The screws are chrome-plated as well, looking vintage-y, if you ask me.



As you can see, wax-potting is not over-the-top like with the older models.

This one is double-cream. ABS bobbins, 4-conductor, as the Epi ES-339 Pro, where these came from, had coil-cutting.

The cover looks nice, and is nickelsilver made, nickel-plated.



To my surprise, they use two maple spacers, assembling'em like they did in the Shaw-era.



That's a detail of how they're assembled using two maple spacers.

Also, the ground and the shield are soldered together, but the south start is NOT soldered to the baseplate. Each start and finish of each coil go each in a different lead. I think it's done so because of the connector found. Meaning that each p'up was connected to a pot having a little circuit board attached. Maybe in a LP is alright, but in a semi-hollow I just don't see the advantage.

[LtKojak]

The Epi verbatim says they use roughcast mags. NOT in mine, though.



While I'm at it, I might as well change the magnets; considering the p'ups' specs, I chose for this instrument the "Vintage Whisperer™" mag combo, which is an A3 for the neck p'up and an UOA5 for the bridge p'up, plus I'm converting this set to the classic braided wire, as this instrument won't be using the coil-cut feature.

Just to see what these p'ups can do, I've changed the screws, slugs and keeper, replacing'em with the ones some of the finest boutique p'up winders use in their products. I did it just because this set is a "hollaback", so I'm going to see for myself if this behaviour was due to not-so-up-to-pair alloys used by the chinese production, or the coils themselves being to blame. Next week, once the p'ups stabilize, I'll put'em through their paces and report the outcome.



This is how I normally set the screws as a starting point to level-out the sensitivity of each string. This is most important in the neck position. In the bridge position is not that important, due to the fact that the strings almost don't move in that position.



Here's the finished bridge p'up.



Job done.

[Phil Gerke]

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on what the component swaps do for these pickups. Thanks!

[SkinnyWire]

Great stuff. Interested in your results as well.

[David Schwab]

I bet those are made by G&B Pickup Co. in Korea.

[David King]

Pickups -G & B - KHL Co., Ltd. interesting link popped up -anyone deal with them?

[David Schwab]

Pickups -G & B - KHL Co., Ltd. interesting link popped up -anyone deal with them?

I bought a bunch of covers from them a few years ago. They had a regular webpage, but it's gone now. Since then I never got an answer to my emails, but other people I know have.

Admittedly I haven't tried in a while.

They make EMG Select pickups, and some others. They also make preamps, and had one that looked like the import preamp Spector uses.

I have one of their PAF style humbuckers here that came out of someone's guitar. I think I posted photos of it here once, it had a metal cover on it, and was caked with wax on the inside. I haven't tried it, but it looks well made, like the Epiphone above, but different.