# Modification: Epiphone SG G-400



## LexxLucius (Apr 26, 2015)

This was one of my first guitars. I bought it from a local dealer when I was sixteen years old. It was a standard SG G-400 from '00, with absolute weak tuners, and awful pickups and I played it several years, besides a Yamaha SC600 (wich I unfortunately gave away). Way much later, when I focussed again on my equip, I began to swap the worst parts. So I changed the tuning machines to Grover Rotomatics and the pickups to EMG 81 and 85. Because of using heavier strings and lower tunings, I came up with wanting an adjustable Earvana Nut, wich my former teacher built in, in some curious way. In that state I played the guitar another 6 years or so. I was never really satisfied with this guitar, changed strings, changed the setup tried lower or higher action, but never found it very fulfilling. So I decided to try some other guitars, ending up with buying a Schecter Omen Active 8 EX. That gave me some air to breath and I spend some time focussing on my 8-string.







After half of a year or so, I decided to pick up the SG again, but this time everything would be different. I absolutely disliked the gloss lacquer on the SGs neck. I always found it kind of sticky while playing. So my first thought was to refinish the neck - or more likely, to unfinish it. So on some evening I picked up the SG, stripped down all the hardware masking headstock and fretboard and began to sand. I decided to sand the whole guitar, while I found a picture of a Gibson SG in a translucient white color, finding it absolute adorable. So I started to take all the lacquer down with 60 grid sandpaper, by hand.






After a few spots having the wood shine through, I recognized that it wasn't mahogany, like Epiphone stated. The appearing wood seemed more like white Limba to me. Astonished I started to sand the neck and found it beeing maple - instead of mahogany either. On researches on the serial number: 'B0028453' I found out that it was built in '00 in the czech fabrik plant of Bohemia Musico Delicia, where the Korina Explorer were built. So obviously they decided to use the body wood for my SG too.
















The next days I proceeded with power tools - first experimenting with angle or random orbital grinder, I ended up usind a multi-grinder for the whole guitar and a Dremel and some sanding bits for the drill for some tiny parts.
In final result I decided to oil-finish the guitar for firing the grain and keep the custom pick guard off, I put on the other year. So here we go with the final outcome:


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## DancingCloseToU (Apr 26, 2015)

That looks awesome.

I really like that pickguard too, I'm trying to visualize what it would look like on the bare wood. I'm sure it would look killer either way.

Great looking mods, well done!


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## immortalx (Apr 26, 2015)

This is so much better than the original


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## JuliusJahn (Apr 26, 2015)

I've never wanted an SG so much since Pondman did that 8 string! I'll add this to my "personal build" list.


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## CaptainD00M (Apr 27, 2015)

JuliusJahn said:


> I've never wanted an SG so much since Pondman did that 8 string! I'll add this to my "personal build" list.



Agreed, this SG looks amazing.

Pondman's Stormforce SG made me want to build a baritone 7 String SG.


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## rockskate4x (Apr 27, 2015)

Korina and maple! that's an awesome discovery, man! i bet people would pay extra for those options, so it's wonderful that you discovered it in your old budget guitar. I have an epiphone SG from a similar year, so you have me wanting to see what i can find underneath the finish


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## immortalx (Apr 27, 2015)

^ Hint : Scrape inside the cavity first!


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## LexxLucius (Apr 27, 2015)

Thank you very much, guys!


DancingCloseToU said:


> That looks awesome.
> 
> I really like that pickguard too, I'm trying to visualize what it would look like on the bare wood. I'm sure it would look killer either way.
> 
> Great looking mods, well done!



Yea, I liked it too and it was a little hard to decide, whether put it back on or keep it off and close the holes.
Here is what it looked like with pickguard:


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## CaptainD00M (Apr 27, 2015)

That looks amazing!

Having just come back from Desertfest in Berlin this looks like a serious Doom Metal guitar now.

I would throw some telephone cables on that thing and tune it Bb or something and make some seriously grungy doom metal. But thats just me


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## Blue1970Cutlass (Apr 30, 2015)

Very nice 

If we're voting, I say throw that pickguard back on


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## Neilzord (May 1, 2015)

Such a massive improvement! Good work.


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