Golden Guitars · Carrollton, Kentucky

2002 Epiphone Les Paul

John Berry's 2002 Epiphone Les Paul gets nut and saddle attention, serviced controls, treble-bleed circuits on both volume pots and a full setup.

See before & after photos

Intake photo at Golden Guitars

Project Story

Turn It Down. Keep It Clear.

That golden figured top certainly knows how to catch the light. John Berry's 2002 Epiphone Les Paul brought plenty of good looks to the Golden Guitars bench, but buzzing and a lifeless feel were getting in the way of enjoying it.

The inspection pointed to several small details that needed attention: high nut slots, rough bridge-saddle grooves, scratchy controls and intonation that was off on a few strings. John also wanted treble-bleed circuits on both volume controls. A good-looking guitar deserves controls and a setup that work with the player.

Before & after

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Before

6 photos

John’s Les Paul at intake, before the nut, saddle and electronics work.

Epiphone Les Paul nut and string slots before setup corrections — The nut slots before all six were cut to the proper depth.

The nut slots before all six were cut to the proper depth.

Epiphone Les Paul bridge, tailpiece and controls before service — The bridge and controls before saddle smoothing, pot cleaning and the treble-bleed upgrades.

The bridge and controls before saddle smoothing, pot cleaning and the treble-bleed upgrades.

Epiphone Les Paul zebra humbuckers, bridge and pickguard at intake — The existing pickups and hardware documented before service.

The existing pickups and hardware documented before service.

Epiphone Les Paul fretboard and strings at intake — The playing surface documented before the setup and intonation adjustments.

The playing surface documented before the setup and intonation adjustments.

Epiphone Les Paul headstock and tuning machines before service — The Epiphone headstock as recorded at intake.

The Epiphone headstock as recorded at intake.

After

6 photos

All six bridge saddles were smoothed, followed by setup and intonation adjustments.

Epiphone Les Paul control cavity showing treble-bleed circuits on both volume pots — Inside the control cavity: a treble-bleed circuit added to each volume control to help retain clarity as the volume is reduced.

Inside the control cavity: a treble-bleed circuit added to each volume control to help retain clarity as the volume is reduced.

Epiphone Les Paul nut slots after their depth was corrected — The nut after all six string slots were cut to the proper depth.

The nut after all six string slots were cut to the proper depth.

String action being checked with a gauge during the completed Epiphone Les Paul setup — Checking string height as part of the final setup.

Checking string height as part of the final setup.

Close-up of the Epiphone Les Paul strings and action gauge during setup verification — A second action check while dialing in the playing feel.

A second action check while dialing in the playing feel.

Angled close-up of the Epiphone Les Paul nut after slot correction — A closer view of the corrected nut slots following the setup work.

A closer view of the corrected nut slots following the setup work.

Small Slots, Big Difference

All six nut slots were cut to the proper depth, and all six bridge saddles were smoothed. These are small contact points, but they matter to how the strings feel and behave.

The work focused on the specific issues found during inspection, preparing the nut and bridge for the final setup and intonation adjustments.

Giving the Volume Knobs More Room to Play

The pots were cleaned and lubricated, and a treble-bleed circuit was installed on each volume control. Both pickups now have the upgrade, so the neck and bridge volume knobs can each do their part.

A treble-bleed circuit helps retain brightness and clarity as the volume is rolled back. For a player who likes shaping the sound from the guitar, it is a useful little upgrade tucked away inside the control cavity.

Bringing the Setup Together

With the nut, saddles and controls addressed, the guitar received a full setup in E standard. The action was adjusted and the intonation set so the repair work and playing feel could be checked together.

The Last Check Is a Playing Check

The final checks covered tuning and intonation, action and relief, fret buzz and bends, electronics and controls, secure hardware, cleanliness and a play-test. Every completion check passed before the guitar was marked ready for pickup.

The close-up photos show where the attention went: the nut, bridge saddles, control cavity and string-height checks. Sometimes the most useful work happens in the details.

The Result

Golden looks, a dialed-in setup and volume controls ready to work. With every final check passed, this Les Paul was ready for more playing.

After playing the guitar, John said he liked the action, immediately noticed easier pull-offs and was stunned to hear the strings ring out as they should.

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

Customer Feedback

From the Player

After having it all these years and finally getting to hear the strings ring out as they should was stunning... You did an incredible job setting this up and completing the transformation of this instrument... I'm extremely pleased. I didn't want to put it down... super clean and smooth... if the conversation goes to guitar stuff, I will mention your name... thank you Doug...

John Berry, 2002 Epiphone Les Paul