Comments on: Checking Out a Mystery Epiphone Guitar

By: Kenneth S Viar

Kenneth S Viar — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 00:35:47 +0000

I have a Epiphone Doublecut Les Paul with a Gibson style headstock too, Ive been trying to figure it out , although It does have a serial number ,so I guess I will lokk that up next !

By: Flicks

Flicks — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 22:34:38 +0000

Hi, anyone recognise this make? It’s a dump find! , I have restored it now and is being checked over by a Guitar specialist. But no one knows who made it or the age.the only clue is epiphone pick ups and three way switch, there are only two pots, the head stock is a strange shape and the truss rod cover !, there is a four screw back plate with with the first two numbers starting. 22.. see pics. HELP!!. Flicks.

By: Dave George

Dave George — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 12:53:59 +0000

Epiphone didnt make “Prototypes” that was strictly a gibson marketing strategy to sell guitars off price…the Spirit and Special were manufactured in USA in 1982/3 and used Shaw pickups and Gibson parts-this was a short lived attempt prior to going to Japan in the early 70’s….

By: chip morrison

chip morrison — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 19:01:34 +0000

hi my name is chip i am from salem mass. you had mentioned youre epi as being a proto. I was given given a gibson ES340 in 1994. i have had hard time finding out the exact year. this guitar was owned by my uncle but he has since passed away so i have very little info as to when it was purchased. i myself worked at daddy’s junky music…a kick ass used dealer…..sorry to say daddy;s went out of bussiness. iworked with two of the company’s vintage experts and they just could not pin point the exact production date. Like youre epi the pots were no help all i can tell you is that it has all it’s original parts. my friends at daddy’s did tell me that it could be a prototype.So i was wondering if you could help me out . all i can tell you is this is one beautiful guitar it is walnut and the neck was laminated to match the body.It is listed as excellant condition. I also aquired GIBSON FALCON AMP wich i just finished restoring any insight you may have would be deeply appreciated. Thanks

By: RTH

RTH — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 15:16:22 +0000

Paul, the SG that your linked to is also from the American Series circa. 1982. Very nice find!

Jim, the “Epiphone by Gibson” models were early Korean (1986-1988). I think that the imports you may be thinking of were the Bohemian-made Epiphones from the Czech Republic. They were very high quality and also short-lived. The only imports that I am aware of with a Gibson heastock were 1989-1990 Korean (Samick) guitars that were produced directly after the “Epiphone by Gibson” models. There were a couple of cross-over guitars with both the “Epiphone by Gibson” logo and a Gibson headstock. The SQ-180 was one of them. The only other Epiphones with a Gibson headstock, that I am aware of, were the Japanese Domestic Market guitars from the 1990’s – mid 2000’s, which included some standard-run models, the LQ Series and the Japanese-market (only) Elite/Elitists. Though, these were not actually imports because they were made exclusively for the Japanese market. Although, quite a few have made their way across the globe.

By: RTH

RTH — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 14:42:18 +0000

I agree that this guitar is either a prototype or a custom one-off. In 1982, Epiphone produced the American series (Spirit, Special & Map guitar) in Kalamazoo. These were meant to be lower budget, American-made guitars to compete with the higher quality Japanese imports…though, extremely high quality for the Epiphone brand. They had the same open-book headstock, two-screw truss cover and scroll Epiphone logo as this 335. Most likely they had nitro finishes as well. After poor sales, they moved production to Nashville to produce them as Gibsons and rebranded the remaining Kalamazoo-made guitars with a Gibson decal over top of the original Epiphone logo. There were several other one-off prototypes that came out of Kalamazoo during that time period as well.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 23:41:13 +0000

This Epiphone looks superb, I’ve just stumbled on another one from the same era possibly on eBay. It’s an odd take on the SG Junior.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VERY-RARE-1982-CHERRY-EPIPHONE-SG-JUNIOR-Made-in-USA-in-excellent-condition-/121008587020?pt=Guitar&hash=item1c2cac810c

By: vox

vox — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:00:46 +0000

That headstock/logo looks a lot like the same ones used on the Epiphone “Spirit” models…

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 08:31:27 +0000

All I can possibly suggest is that it is a Swedish import ,in the 90’s they used the Gibson headstock with the inlaid epiphone but mostly on acoustics , they would read epiphone by Gibson

By: Jim H

Jim H — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:31:01 +0000

Beautiful guitar, but (and I’m no vintage guru) I would hesitate to call this a true Epi or Gibson. Too many things just don’t look kosher: the shape and size of the Epi logo, the color of the finish, the control layout, the mounting of the strap button. I would guess a Japanese mash-up semi clone of some sort?

By: Bill Ruxton

Bill Ruxton — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:33:30 +0000

Very interesting specimen. I believe most makers don’t allow employees to put the brand name on personal instruments, so maybe that possibility can be ruled out. Was Gibson using Grover Rotomatics at that time? My initial reaction was that they must be replacements. The bound fingerboard is another elegant touch. Good detective work!

By: Jimi Martin

Jimi Martin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:20:57 +0000

First of all,the very first clue would be that this has an Gibson Headstock, not an Epiphone. All of the markings scream Gibson so I figure this is an experimental custom build to see what they could produce on a limited budget. I’d pay handsomely for this guitar because it is most likely a one off. Good job reearching the pickups and indeed it shows it was manufactured (the pickup) in ’82 but this may not be true with rest of this fine axe. A little prodding from Gibson themsleves may yield more info on this instrument.
In the meanwhile, can I have it just because I’m a faithful reder? LOL

By: Brian McClatchie

Brian McClatchie — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:09:44 +0000

Mike, I think this might be a pre-production Sheraton. I vaguely remember seeing a similar instrument marked Sheraton in the mid-80’s, and the overall package sure looks like my ’91 Sheraton…..

By: Mikey K.

Mikey K. — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:05:09 +0000

I think I’m in love. I also have a strong appreciation for the unusual and i’d rather have that than a new Gibson 335.
I’m dying to know how much he traded for that (essentially, what he “paid”).

By: John

John — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:47:57 +0000

Wow! Everything about that thing says “Nashville” to me. Interesting that it has a laminate mahogany body? What was the point of that? Looks like it has neck binding too. Do the plastic nibs cover the ends of the frets? I am assuming so. I have never seen that logo anywhere. Nuts man, good snag.