cliffenstein Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 The soundhole label says the following: Model: LTD ED 1963 J-45VS Serial: SI06101018 Seller says it was made in 2006 and the serial comes up as such on the online Epiphone Serial Dater. Seller doesn't know where it was made. Seller also says he believes it's a solid top. The pickguard is Epiphone's standard Texan/AJ200/AJ220 pickguard. Anyone seen any of these with a pickguard like this? Epi-wiki does not show Epiphone J-45 made in 2006. Photos sent to me this morning from seller: Thank you in advance for your assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharmedOne Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 This one looks like it. Serial number are close. All I could find so far. http://www.guitar-museum.com/guitar-19248-EPIPHONE-GIBSON-LIMITED-EDITION-1963-J-45-VS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted October 5, 2014 Author Share Posted October 5, 2014 Further research for exactly how to read these Epiphone serials reveals the following: SI06101018 - Samick Indonesia / 2006 / October / Unit 1018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted October 5, 2014 Author Share Posted October 5, 2014 This one looks like it. Serial number are close. All I could find so far. http://www.guitar-museum.com/guitar-19248-EPIPHONE-GIBSON-LIMITED-EDITION-1963-J-45-VS Yes, it sure does! The only difference there is the pickguard. I decided to take a drive to test this one...60 miles from my house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharmedOne Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Good luck! I hope it's a good one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 My first name is Jonathan and on November 6th, I'll be 45. So it was only appropriate that I went ahead and bought the Epiphone J-45...quite an excellent deal I got, too ($228 for the guitar with a hard shell case). Epiphone Wiki doesn't have the Limited Edition 1963 J-45 listed as being made in 2006, but indeed it was. This was the precursor to the 2010 run. The differences between them are as follows: 1. Pickguard shape (some, like mine, have the Texan/AJ200/AJ220 pickguard and others have the DR teardrop pickguard) 2. Headstock logo in gold instead of white 3. Aged keystone tuner buttons instead of white oval tuner buttons 4. Dark brown mahogany bridge instead of black stained mahogany bridge 5. 25.5 Longscale instead of 24.75 short scale 6. Missing 3rd fret dot marker (I really wish it had it, but I'm learning to live with it!) The 2010 run got the pickguard shape period-correct. Like the 2010 models, this 2006 model has a solid top, the wider neck (1.725 at the nut) and Grover Deluxe 18-to-1 tuners (and boy do they work great!). The fretboard is really close to being as dark as the one on my IB64 Texan. I wish it did not have fretboard binding, but there's poly finish covering it so I won't have to worry about it coming off in the years to come. The action is too high for my taste so next month I'll take it in to get the nut/saddle upgraded to bone and have a setup done as well. The poly finish is not heavily applied, so there's no tone-killing going on here. The shoulders are a bit wider than my Texan and the body is 1/4 inch deeper. This guitar weighs about a pound lighter than my Texan, but feels every bit as substantial. The stamp on the back of the headstock reads "Limited Edition Epiphone Custom Shop." The original owner inexplicably wrote "1/2 turn" on the back of the body with a black sharpie. Anyone know how I can clean that off without ruining the finish? The 2006 Epiphone Limited Edition 1963 J-45 was a wonderful find, it's in exceedingly good condition, is beautiful and loud and sounds great. I'm glad I made the 60 mile drive to check it out. PHOTOS: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffmac Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 My first name is Jonathan and on November 6th, I'll be 45. So it was only appropriate that I went ahead and bought the Epiphone J-45...quite an excellent deal I got, too ($228 for the guitar with a hard shell case). Epiphone Wiki doesn't have the Limited Edition 1963 J-45 listed as being made in 2006, but indeed it was. This was the precursor to the 2010 run. The differences between being them as follows: 1. Pickguard shape (some, like mine, have the Texan/AJ200/AJ220 pickguard and others have the teardrop pickguard) 2. Headstock logo in gold instead of white 3. Aged keystone tuner buttons instead of white oval tuner buttons 4. Dark brown mahogany bridge instead of black stained mahogany bridge 5. 25.5 Longscale instead of 24.75 short scale 6. Missing 3rd fret dot marker (I really wish it had it, but I'm learning to live with it!) The 2010 run got the pickguard shape period-correct. Like the 2010 models, this 2006 model has a solid top, the wider neck (1.725 at the nut) and Grover Deluxe 18-to-1 tuners (and boy do they work great!). The fretboard is really close to being as dark as the one on my IB64 Texan. I wish it did not have fretboard binding, but there's poly finish covering it so I won't have to worry about it coming off in the years to come. The action is too high for my taste so next month I'll take it in to get the nut/saddle upgraded to bone and have a setup done as well. The poly finish is not heavily applied, so there's no tone-killing going on here. The shoulders are a bit wider than my Texan and the body is 1/4 inch deeper. This guitar weighs about a pound lighter than my Texan, but feels every bit as substantial. The stamp on the back of the headstock reads "Limited Edition Epiphone Custom Shop." The original owner inexplicably wrote "1/2 turn" on the back of the body with a black sharpie. Anyone know how I can clean that off without ruining the finish? The 2006 Epiphone Limited Edition 1963 J-45 was a wonderful find, it's in exceedingly good condition, is beautiful and loud and sounds great. I'm glad I made the 60 mile drive to check it out. PHOTOS: beautiful I think after the upgrade and set up your Texan might get lonely, not for long though, I did find a sight that had one but it was a 2007. Again congrats if you happen to find another let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisB643 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Does anyone know how many were made during the 2006 run? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger11 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 that's a great score Cliff especially with hardcase as well beautiful guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfish Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 That's a nice one Jonathan Glad I didn't see that one, as I live in the DC area These Epiphone's keep my higher end GAS in check Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 What a great deal! Score! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 OK, I am confused. Is this guitar supposed to be a representation of a 1963 J-45 or a Texan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Thanks everyone! I'll discuss this beauty again once I get it set up properly. Zomby...sorry for making things a bit confusing. I was referencing the Texan in my post above, because that's the other Epiphone that I own. I've written about my Texan a lot on this board and so I was using it kind of as a reference point for things I like about this guitar and things I found interesting (both slope shoulder guitars, but have slight body dimension differences). As far as this guitar, it's a Solid Top Limited Edition 1963 J-45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffmac Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 By the way they are on wiki http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fepiphonewiki.com%2Findex.php%2FJ-45&ei=k8oyVIv3GajLigLZ1YH4CQ&usg=AFQjCNGMXOgPVZ5MNHh29s8udsKF9tFCow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 By the way they are on wiki http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fepiphonewiki.com%2Findex.php%2FJ-45&ei=k8oyVIv3GajLigLZ1YH4CQ&usg=AFQjCNGMXOgPVZ5MNHh29s8udsKF9tFCow Not the ones from 2006 & 2007 as described above in this thread. I noted all the differences between these and the ones they came out with in 2010. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPS1976 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 looks like whoever had the guitar before you upgraded the tuners too. nice buy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 looks like whoever had the guitar before you upgraded the tuners too. nice buy! I don't know that to be true, as the 2010 models had the same tuners, just with white oval style buttons instead of the antique yellow/green keystone tuner buttons. The picture of that other 2006 model from guitar museum linked earlier in this thread has the chrome button tuners and the teardrop pickguard, so you may be right! I just got off the phone with a Gibson Customer Service rep and he looked up the serial and confirmed this was indeed made in 2006 in Indonesia with all the specs matching mine, including the "ltd ed 1963 J-45" model name and with "chrome hardware"...dunno if that extends to the tuner buttons or not. A lot of Epiphone guitars say "chrome hardware" but still have plastic buttons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPS1976 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I don't recall Epiphone using Grover Deluxe tuners back in 2006. who knows with the way they always change specs. yours has the correct AJ pickguard though. the one in the other pic has a DR style pickguard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agradeleous Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Sweet do we get to hear it ? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGgypsyboy Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 DUDE.....SWEET!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 I don't recall Epiphone using Grover Deluxe tuners back in 2006. who knows with the way they always change specs. yours has the correct AJ pickguard though. the one in the other pic has a DR style pickguard. Yes, but I'll probably get the pickguard replaced with the period correct one at some point...either that or with a modern day Gibson J-45 pickguard replacement. Then again, if the position of this pickguard is worn into the paint then I won't really have an option other the real 1963 J-45 pickguard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Sweet do we get to hear it ? :) I'll post something once I get it back after the setup and saddle/nut replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Very Nice! Good luck with it, play it a long time in good health! rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel_G Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Lovely guitar man!!!! [thumbup] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 I knew there was another run of these lurking about somewhere, but I couldnt pinpoint it. This thread helps alot. Thanks for the heads up. I'll start looking into it and get it on the wiki. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.