Let’s see those Epiphones

[Instagator]

Here's a restoration that I did on a 65' Rivoli. It belongs to TN Woodman now.
1965 Epiphone Rivoli Save..Rebuild pics.. | TalkBass.com

You'll have to scroll to the first page after you click on the link.

 

[JIO]

I know, no picture, no bass, but I usually don't document the stuff I have, though I probably should. I have a reissue Rivoli II, a Cassady, a Genesis, an EB5, and my favorites, two Les Paul 5 strings, one in transparent black over flame maple, and one in tobacco burst over flame maple.

Also have this (see pic) Japan built 70's Epi that has been an on going project (very slow due to the amount of time I spend with my job that pays the bills.) The photo is how it was when I got it. The neck-through neck had come unglued from the body wings on each side near the neck. Luckily this one was assembled with wood glue and I was able to take the wings off, clean the old glue up and glue them back on. Also, the neck built so the fingerboard was sitting right on the body and there and one couldn't get the action low enough to have decent action, so took the fingerboard off, added a bit of height by adding some paper think maple veneer, replaced the maxed out truss rod with a new one from StewMac, and also added carbon fiber rods. It has been sanded, and has a clear coat over the entire bass. Know I just need the time to assemble it, which will include new tuners, bridge and pickups, though haven't decided between a pair of Schaller BassBuckers, a pair of dual blade guitar humbuckers, or a pair of dual lipstick humbuckers. Which ever I decide to use, they will include a coil tap option.View attachment 4158466

If you have pics of all the work you did, you could create a thread for it over in Luthiers Corner. It's a good project on a cool bass and folks there (like me!) would be interested for sure.

 

[Cricket55]

My Epi Ripper. A project bass given to me in a box including most of the necessary pieces. It had already been modified for the mudbucker. I assume it originally had a p-type pickup. Had a pick guard made, bought the missing parts, assembled it. I call it Thumpasaurus Rex.

Currently strung with precision flats and, with that mudbucker and some extreme eq settings, it gets a good Steve Swallow tone going. A bonus of the pickup in that middle position is it’s like a ramp... fun to play. Downside is l think the whole thing is solid maple and weighs a ton. Can’t have everything.

 

[blacktocomm]

View attachment 4158848 My Epi Ripper. A project bass given to me in a box including most of the necessary pieces. It had already been modified for the mudbucker. I assume it originally had a p-type pickup. Had a pick guard made, bought the missing parts, assembled it. I call it Thumpasaurus Rex.

Currently strung with precision flats and, with that mudbucker and some extreme eq settings, it gets a good Steve Swallow tone going. A bonus of the pickup in that middle position is it’s like a ramp... fun to play. Downside is l think the whole thing is solid maple and weighs a ton. Can’t have everything.

I never understood why they put P pickups in those reissues. It’s a much cooler bass with the mudbucker slammed in there.

 

[TDR1138]

I never understood why they put P pickups in those reissues. It’s a much cooler bass with the mudbucker slammed in there.

Because someone at Epiphone started reading all the “P basses can do anything/only bass you’ll ever need” threads on talkbass...?

 

[scuzzy]

I can’t believe what these are going for in the secondary market, but if you are looking for a great value play, what you have is one of the best of the bunch. It’s a solid bass.

Yeah, I got lucky. It has some finish cracks by the nut, so I got it for a song. Sounds fantastic.

 

[Ric5]

 

[Ric5]

 

[Ric5]

 

[Ric5]

 

[Ric5]

 

[Ric5]

 

[Ric5]

 

[Ric5]

 

[Ric5]

 

[RayWithFlats]

And an Epiphone 5120, also from Japan, from the early 1970s.View attachment 4157739 View attachment 4157739

I used to have the guitar version of this, it was in pretty sorry condition (couple of big cracks, trem tailpiece fused solid with mystery gunk) but it played better than it had any right to. Lovely slim neck with a super comfortable profile. Looked really cool, too. I don’t know about the basses but the guitar was made under a variety of brands, I’ve seen Ibanez and Commodore (IIRC) branded ones as well as Epiphone, all in the same red finish.

I’m not currently a member of Club Epiphone but I probably will be soon, I’m 99% sure my next major gear purchase will be a Casino.

 

[SMG]

If you have pics of all the work you did, you could create a thread for it over in Luthiers Corner. It's a good project on a cool bass and folks there (like me!) would be interested for sure.

I don't get a lot of time to work on stuff, and I have a boatload of projects like this in various states. I never thought what I do with these would be interesting to anyone else, so I have never really considered taking pictures of the process while I am doing it. I will try to remember the next time a cool project comes along (and I always have my eyes open for cheap, but cool, project guitars and basses, especially basses.) I have had a couple that I try to restore to original the best that I can, but ones like the aforementioned Epi, I want to make it into a good sounding, good playing instrument, so I won't use any of the original electronics or hardware.

 

[jon4lisasays]

I enjoy my Epiphone!

 

[west al]

The Epiphone Club is issuing membership numbers again. If you would like an Epiphone Club number, the

are simple. Just show us a photo, or photos of your Epiphone Bass, or Basses, and request a number. That's it.

Also, if you want to get those amp pics in, post those along with the Epi Bass pics.

 

[dalkowski]

No longer in my stable, but Allen here saw in the new year in the new, loving home of another TBer. We had many thumpy good years and good gigs together.