Edwards LP owners, low profile frets?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kapo_Polenton
  • Start date Start date
Kapo_Polenton

Kapo_Polenton

Well-known member
So I got this creme/ off white ( it is aging to a more yellow) 2005 Edwards LP and the thing must have come off the same assembly line as Chubtone's because it is a good hefty chunk of wood. Very resonant though and I'd say apart from some uneven coloring on the body due to sweat at contact points, the guitar is in very good clean shape. Few scratches here or there from use but very low action and a smooth player. My question is, were a lot of these Edwards LP's trying to go for the Gibson Custom " Fretless Wonder" feel? I know Rhoads apparently liked these low profile frets and his 74' seems to have been a "fretless wonder". At first I thought the frets had been worn down and I bought a lemon from someone who hid this fact in the listing but they do not seem to have excessive wear. There was also very heavy gouge strings on the thing which I'd think would wear the frets down faster. So I am wondering, are the Edwards LP's generally fretted with low fast frets? I come across this observation a lot in my google searches. This particular Edwards also has a more pronounced neck angle and as such the bridge rides high. I found it strange at first but apparently a lot of older Gibsons also have this and I have confirmed that by looking at pics.

Setup wise I will have to get used to this thing but it is very fast and a breeze to absolutely shred on. I can see where Randy would have liked these types of specs because he wasn't the biggest guy and I find it is a small fretboard over all. I've attached a few pics, let me know if you think there is excessive wear on those frets. I was in the process of changing strings here before polishing fretboard and putting on new ones. Haven't decided if I want to throw some pickup covers on the humbuckers and a black scratch plate to make it an RR style LP. I don't think I want to drill into the body. What do you guys think?
 

Attachments

  • 20220829_140224.jpg
    20220829_140224.jpg
    7.2 MB · Views: 154
  • 20220829_140256.jpg
    20220829_140256.jpg
    6.9 MB · Views: 119
  • 20220829_140246.jpg
    20220829_140246.jpg
    7 MB · Views: 125
I don't know about the frets but I have been keeping an eye out for an Edwards Custom. Will pay attention to any answers that you get because ever since I had my LP refretted with jumbo stainless, I am having a hard time going back to the frets on my other LP Standard.
 
fek said:
I don't know about the frets but I have been keeping an eye out for an Edwards Custom. Will pay attention to any answers that you get because ever since I had my LP refretted with jumbo stainless, I am having a hard time going back to the frets on my other LP Standard.
Click to expand...

For sure, I don't need jumbo but I like the frets on my USA Explorer and Edwards Schenker V. The LP is fast but i feel like it slips a bit under my fingers. I want to dig in. That said my vibrato seems really good with these low frets. Also, Fret jobs around me are now 400-500$. At that price I should have just bought something USA and used. The whole purpose of an Edwards is more for less. Not more for less but then MORE.
 
I can do small narrow frets on a thick 59 neck but I cannot do the low fat fret less wonder frets on a skinny neck LP. I’ve refretted every LPC I’ve gotten to ss jumbos and wouldn’t change to a smaller fret on standards ever. I find setup is just as important to fast playing than fret height, as is a light touch when needed.
 
glpg80 said:
I can do small narrow frets on a thick 59 neck but I cannot do the low fat fret less wonder frets on a skinny neck LP. I’ve refretted every LPC I’ve gotten to ss jumbos and wouldn’t change to a smaller fret on standards ever. I find setup is just as important to fast playing than fret height, as is a light touch when needed.
Click to expand...

This one at least has a good chunky neck. It's just a feel thing I need to get used to.
 
glpg80 said:
I can do small narrow frets on a thick 59 neck but I cannot do the low fat fret less wonder frets on a skinny neck LP. I’ve refretted every LPC I’ve gotten to ss jumbos and wouldn’t change to a smaller fret on standards ever. I find setup is just as important to fast playing than fret height, as is a light touch when needed.
Click to expand...
This is part of the reason I didn't bond with my Edwards LPC. Neck was narrow and skinny and reminded me of the old Wendy's commercial, "Where's The Beef". I like a wider neck with a rounded profile with some shoulders. It was a beautiful guitar, but felt funny. Had some weight, and a toothpick neck.
 
napalmdeath said:
This is part of the reason I didn't bond with my Edwards LPC. Neck was narrow and skinny and reminded me of the old Wendy's commercial, "Where's The Beef". I like a wider neck with a rounded profile with some shoulders. It was a beautiful guitar, but felt funny. Had some weight, and a toothpick neck.
Click to expand...

Amazing how different guitars are brand to brand but even model to model and year to year in the same brand. I guess my tastes are evolving with time. I had two custom strats done with Washburn N4 neck specs and i now regret it. Big board, lots of stretching. I guess Nuno has good sized hands after all. My fave feel right now is my Explorer. It delivers.
 
napalmdeath said:
This is part of the reason I didn't bond with my Edwards LPC. Neck was narrow and skinny and reminded me of the old Wendy's commercial, "Where's The Beef". I like a wider neck with a rounded profile with some shoulders. It was a beautiful guitar, but felt funny. Had some weight, and a toothpick neck.
Click to expand...
Yeah my older 76’s have a thin taper near the headstock and get beefy. When I put jumbo ss frets on it the neck balanced out well. Expecting my wine red to turn out the same.

I agree I like my traditional neck the most. Fat and round. I do wish the frets were a little bigger but not by much. That guitar requires effort to play lol
 
I have an Edwards LP Custom (a 2010 model) and it has pretty low frets, which I'm not a fan of. The neck profile is pretty flat up by the nut too, so it's not getting picked up as much. I'm gonna do a stainless steel jumbo refret soon see if that makes a difference.
 
GreatRedDragon said:
I have an Edwards LP Custom (a 2010 model) and it has pretty low frets, which I'm not a fan of. The neck profile is pretty flat up by the nut too, so it's not getting picked up as much. I'm gonna do a stainless steel jumbo refret soon see if that makes a difference.
Click to expand...
It does. It fills out the neck quite well.
 
Looks like perfectly normal Gibson frets to me, for the most part they´ve had pretty low and wide wire and definitely had them back in the 70s and 80s if that´s what Edwards is going for here. Proper fretless wonders are pretty rare and barely have any frets at all, super skinny and barely getting off the fretboard.
 
Dave L said:
Looks like perfectly normal Gibson frets to me, for the most part they´ve had pretty low and wide wire and definitely had them back in the 70s and 80s if that´s what Edwards is going for here. Proper fretless wonders are pretty rare and barely have any frets at all, super skinny and barely getting off the fretboard.
Click to expand...

I guess I just got used to higher frets and how they feel. Actually, after 2 hours on the Edwards I went back to my other guitars and it felt weird and like the action was too high. I like it though. Not sure I am crazy about the JB in this one and that would be the biggest gripe. A bit notched in mids and overdriven. Might have to look at something else in this after all. Either T Top clone or something slightly hot PAF. I am starting to like more articulate cleaner humbuckers with gain.
 
I've had a handful of Edwards guitars (3 were LP's), and while they weren't "Jackson-style Jumbos", they felt bigger than my 86 LP Custom. I'm pretty flexible on frets though - YMMV.
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
I guess I just got used to higher frets and how they feel. Actually, after 2 hours on the Edwards I went back to my other guitars and it felt weird and like the action was too high. I like it though. Not sure I am crazy about the JB in this one and that would be the biggest gripe. A bit notched in mids and overdriven. Might have to look at something else in this after all. Either T Top clone or something slightly hot PAF. I am starting to like more articulate cleaner humbuckers with gain.
Click to expand...
I have a Dimarzio Virtual Hot PAF in my Greco LP, I really dig it.
 
Chris O said:
I've had a handful of Edwards guitars (3 were LP's), and while they weren't "Jackson-style Jumbos", they felt bigger than my 86 LP Custom. I'm pretty flexible on frets though - YMMV.
Click to expand...

Crazy, how low are real Gibson frets?? Starting to think I'd have a hell of a time playing on a real Gibson Custom.
 
Dave L said:
I have a Dimarzio Virtual Hot PAF in my Greco LP, I really dig it.
Click to expand...

Looks like this one is discontinued.. was supposed to be replaced by the 36 anni but word on the street is that the Virtual Hot PAF was unique and better than the 36. The 36 is often described as having brittle highs and that's exactly my issue with it. It also lacks depth. The 36 anni neck is a beauty though. I'm surprised Dimarzio has moved on from the virtual PAF given it's popularity. they have so many pups though, guess it had to be replaced by something with a stupid name.
 
I bought a 2008 Edwards John Sykes a while back, had pretty low frets which I hate. Got it refretted with jescar 58118 and now it plays great! :)

1661959908607.png
 
Blix said:
I bought a 2008 Edwards John Sykes a while back, had pretty low frets which I hate. Got it refretted with jescar 58118 and now it plays great! :)

View attachment 133165
Click to expand...

I guess it is an Edwards thing! I'm guessing I will do that at some point as well. Nice guitars though no question. Is your neck angle also very pronounced with the bridge sitting higher because of it?
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
I guess it is an Edwards thing! I'm guessing I will do that at some point as well. Nice guitars though no question. Is your neck angle also very pronounced with the bridge sitting higher because of it?
Click to expand...
I'm not well versed when it comes to LP's, but yeah the bridge appears to sit pretty high.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top