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Golden Guitars · Carrollton, Kentucky

1994 Epiphone Les Paul

David's 1994 Epiphone Les Paul received a deep clean and hand polish, recrowned and polished frets, hardware and electronics service, an output-jack repair and a full setup.

See before & after photos
Finished 1994 Epiphone Les Paul after Golden Guitars restoration and setup
After service at Golden Guitars

Project Story

A Fresh Start for a Familiar Guitar

David's 1994 Epiphone Les Paul came to the Golden Guitars bench for attention inside and out. The job brought together a deep clean, fret recrowning and polishing, hardware service, electronics repairs and a full setup.

With an older guitar, the little things deserve time too. From the fret crowns and bridge saddles to the controls and output jack, this visit gave a familiar instrument some thorough care.

Before & after

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Before

12 photos
David’s 1994 Epiphone Les Paul at intake on the Golden Guitars bench
The Les Paul at intake, before cleaning, fretwork, electronics service and setup.
Grime on the figured top of a 1994 Epiphone Les Paul before cleaning
The figured top before the accumulated grime and residue were removed.
Epiphone Les Paul bridge, tailpiece and pickup before hardware cleaning
The bridge, tailpiece and pickup area documented before cleaning and deoxidizing.
1994 Epiphone Les Paul fingerboard and frets before service
The playing surface before the frets were recrowned and polished and the fingerboard cleaned and conditioned.
Back of David’s 1994 Epiphone Les Paul before cleaning and hand polishing
The back of the guitar as it arrived at the bench.
Epiphone Les Paul output jack before replacement
The original output jack before replacement and repair of its damaged lead.
Neck pickup, fingerboard edge and hardware on David’s Les Paul before cleaning
Grime and surface corrosion around the neck pickup and nearby hardware before service.
Corrosion on an Epiphone Les Paul humbucker and pole pieces at intake
A close-up of the pickup and pole-piece corrosion before careful cleaning.
Accumulated residue around the Epiphone Les Paul control shafts before cleaning
With the knobs removed, the control area showed the buildup that needed attention.
Grime on the back and body edge of a 1994 Epiphone Les Paul before cleaning
The back and body edge before deep cleaning and hand polishing.
Epiphone Les Paul headstock and tuning machines before cleaning
The headstock and tuners as documented at intake.
Removed original Epiphone Les Paul output jack and its wiring before repair
The original jack and wiring before the output-jack replacement and damaged-lead repair.

After

12 photos
Finished 1994 Epiphone Les Paul after Golden Guitars restoration and setup
David’s finished Les Paul after cleaning, fretwork, hardware and electronics service, and a full setup.
Cleaned figured top, pickups and controls on a 1994 Epiphone Les Paul
The figured top after careful cleaning and hand polishing, with the pickups and controls serviced.
1994 Epiphone Les Paul showing the finished body and serviced hardware
A closer view of the finished body and hardware after service.
Epiphone Les Paul bridge, saddles and tailpiece after cleaning and setup
The bridge, saddles and tailpiece after cleaning and reassembly, with fresh strings installed.
Epiphone Les Paul fingerboard and frets after recrowning and polishing
The cleaned and conditioned fingerboard with the frets recrowned and polished.
Close-up of serviced Epiphone Les Paul frets and fingerboard
A closer look at the polished frets and refreshed playing surface.
Angled view of the completed 1994 Epiphone Les Paul body
Another view of the finished figured top, cleaned pickups and serviced hardware.
Cleaned Epiphone Les Paul humbuckers and pole pieces after service
The pickups and accessible pole pieces after careful corrosion cleaning.
Cleaned front of the 1994 Epiphone Les Paul headstock
The headstock after cleaning, hand polishing and restringing.
Full rear view of David’s completed 1994 Epiphone Les Paul
The finished guitar from the back after cleaning and hand polishing.
Back of the Epiphone Les Paul neck after cleaning and polishing
The back of the neck after cleaning and hand polishing.
Rear of the Epiphone Les Paul headstock and tuning machines after service
A closer look at the back of the headstock and tuners on the finished guitar.

Cleaning from Headstock to Tailpiece

The body, back of the neck and headstock received a deep clean and hand polish. Both pickups and their accessible surface corrosion received careful attention too.

The bridge, saddles and tailpiece were cleaned and deoxidized, with removal and disassembly as needed to reach the buildup. The strap buttons were cleaned and their mounting screws addressed, retaining usable screws and replacing damaged ones as needed.

Attention to the Electronics

All four pots were cleaned and lubricated. The output jack was replaced, and its damaged lead was repaired to address the connection at the guitar's output.

These repairs may sit out of sight, but they are an important part of looking after the whole instrument.

Fretwork and the Final Setup

The frets were recrowned and polished, and the fingerboard was deep-cleaned and conditioned. That gave the playing surface its own careful attention before the setup.

The guitar was restrung with David's supplied strings, then given a full setup covering neck relief, string action, intonation and pickup height. The strings were stretched and the guitar was play-tested to bring the work together.

The Result

A deep clean, recrowned and polished frets, serviced hardware and electronics, and a complete setup brought this Les Paul project together. The gallery follows the work from intake through the finished guitar.

Thank you, David, for trusting Golden Guitars with your Les Paul. More playing. Less fighting your guitar.