Epi Japan LP/Joe Bonamassa "Skinner Burst" Replica

[DennyB]

Hi everyone;
As a fairly new member that hasn't done much yet in the way of posts I thought I would share with all of you a project I have been working on.
As a big Bonamassa fan but also a person of limited fundage(lol)I went about making my poor man's copy of Joe' beloved "Skinner Burst"-a real '59 sort of honey burst.
It started life as a 2006 Epiphone LQ LP.The LQ series were made by Epiphone at the Fujigen plant(where the Elite/Elitist series were made) under Gibson license and meant solely for the Japanese market as unlike most of the Elite/Elitist' they had the regular Gibson open book/mustache head stocks.
They only made them for a couple of years so they're fairly rare.I got mine in trade for a Tak Matsumoto Elitist I had.
As with the Elites and Elitist' they have real mop fret inlays,long neck tenons(like the Historic'),bone nuts,etc.But unlike the others they featured full nitro finishes thinly applied and solid tops-no laminates-and usually have more 50's like profile necks.
Mine is honey burst and because of the nitro the finish is beginning to age nicely-especially the binding.
Here are the mod's/upgrades I have made so far:
-aged Kluson tuners
-.015 & .022 Vitamin Q pio tone capacitors
-S.D.Joe Bonamassa Signature pickups
-Amber switch tip
-Faber Hybridge aged(brass saddles and Titanium saddles)and steel studs
-Faber '59 aluminum tailpiece with locking studs-also aged
Planned upgrades(soon):
-RS Guitarworks Premium Vintage kit
-Switchcraft switch and jack
-Aged amber switch tip
-Fake58 replica tuners(like Joe's)
I only have four guitars-counting one I have for sale-but when the upgrades are all done I doubt I'll be buying anything else for a long time to come-can't afford it and I seriously doubt I could ever get back the money I put into it if I were to try and sell it, and even if I did I also seriously doubt I could find as good playing and sounding guitar for the money= she's a keeper.
So here she is thus far-I call her Norma Jeane.
Cheers all!

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss29/olwanger/031.jpg

 

[spikeymikey]

Wow!, thats really nice - any more pics?

 

[DennyB]

Wow!, thats really nice - any more pics?

Thanks Spikeymikey!I've added a few more for you.The last few were taken before the mod's and upgrades: S.D.Bonamassa pickups,aged Faver hardware,aged Kluson's,etc.
I've never spent this much before to upgrade a guitar but always wanted to IF the right project guitar came along-which it did with the LQ and happy to say it's been well worth it.Maybe it's just my imagination or something but it seems every time I play her she sounds better and better; finally almost nailed that "sound/tone" in my head plus the added sustain and resonance-shhe just sings.
In the initial post I said she was to be a a poor man's copy of Bonamassa' Skinner Burst but I got that mixed up.He has two '59's-the "Skinner Burst" and "Magellan".The Skinner Burst has some flame but it's Magellan I was thinking of.
Anyways,glad you like her-
Cheers!