Epiphone by Gibson 1986-1988?

[mesmerized]

Howdy,

 

Does anyone know anything about Epiphones produced between 1986 and 1988? The seller claims that his Epi was made in a Samick factory and that those models were produced for two years only. On the headstock, it says "Epiphone by Gibson". Any info on those guitars?

 

Cheers

[sparquelito]

There were a lot of models of Epiphones made in the Samick factories in the late 1980's.

 

Can you detail which model is under discussion?

 

(Les Paul style, SG, Explorer, Dot, Casino, etc???)

 

[Lord Summerisle]

It's a bit like the occasional ad you see in which someone describes the 1989 Honda Civic they're selling as a "classic car" or "collectible."

 

Here is the "E by G" thread, started years ago by a chap called Joe who used to be on these forums: http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/49639-epiphone-by-gibson-headstock-sheraton-owners-club/ You'll likely find good information in there, especially if its a Sheraton.

 

With Epiphones, buy them because you like them, and judge them on play-ability not collect-ability. With a few very rare exceptions, the only Epiphones that attract a collectible value are the 1960s American-made ones, the Japanese Elitist models, etc - not the common or garden Asian manufactured guitars.

[mesmerized]

There were a lot of models of Epiphones made in the Samick factories in the late 1980's.

 

Can you detail which model is under discussion?

 

(Les Paul style, SG, Explorer, Dot, Casino, etc???)

 

 

Oops! My bad! So sorry！The one in question is a Sheraton.

[sparquelito]

Oops! My bad! So sorry！The one in question is a Sheraton.

 

Okay, too easy then.

 

By your description, that guitar was indeed made at the Samick factory in Korea, and it is a model known as the Epiphone Sheraton II Reissue (model ETS2).

 

The seller's claim is partially-accurate;

 

Though that model has been made from the mid-1980's on until present, it was only in the first couple of years that the 'Epiphone By Gibson' badging was present.

 

Great guitar!

 

 

What does the seller want for it, by the way?

 

:)

[kidblast]

it's simply additional bling for the head stock. The seller is reaching... There is nothing different from that to another samick produced sheraton..

 

in fact, for those looking to buy a sherry, they'd be better off with a new sheraton pro II out of the box for what is probably the same money ppl are trying to sell mid/late 80s sherries for. Hardware and pickups on the Pro II are superior to anything you can find stock from that same time frame.

[bobouz]

it's simply additional bling for the head stock. The seller is reaching... There is nothing different from that to another samick produced sheraton.. in fact, for those looking to buy a sherry, they'd be better off with a new sheraton pro II out of the box for what is probably the same money ppl are trying to sell mid/late 80s sherries for. Hardware and pickups on the Pro II are superior to anything you can find stock from that same time frame.

I totally agree with this.

 

See my related comments in the recent John Lee Hooker Sheraton thread.

[Bad penguin]

I totally agree with this.

 

See my related comments in the recent John Lee Hooker Sheraton thread.

 

I have to kindly disagree with the above.

 

I feel the hardware, including the pickups, are FAR superior to the modern ones. My Sheraton II, madein 95 by Samick, has the Schaller looking bridge, and a nice heavy tailpiece. Pickups are killer, perhaps better then the Burstbuckers in my ES139, and it's one of the rare guitars, I wouldn't change a thing on.

 

But back to the original topic.... The badging means nothing. You buy it, if it feels right in your hands and sounds good to your ears.

[bobouz]

I have to kindly disagree with the above.

I feel the hardware, including the pickups, are FAR superior to the modern ones. My Sheraton II, madein 95 by Samick, has the Schaller looking bridge, and a nice heavy tailpiece. Pickups are killer, perhaps better then the Burstbuckers in my ES139, and it's one of the rare guitars, I wouldn't change a thing on.

But back to the original topic.... The badging means nothing. You buy it, if it feels right in your hands and sounds good to your ears.

Indeed, the hardware on your '95 most likely is superior to the hardware on the '80s versions. The consensus seems to be that pickups & hardware have slowly but consistently been improved through the past three decades. But with tone being such a subjective thing, it's difficult to say one pickup is tonally better than another. We can however try to characterize that tone. Based on a consensus of opinion over the years, Korean humbuckers up through the early 2000s have frequently been described as somewhat muddy. In the past, I've owned two Korean Sheratons & a Dot, and that was my experience as well.

 

But I would imagine parts suppliers varied over the years, and each instrument has the potential to be different. I agree that a guitar will stand on it's own merits. If the player likes the tone, it's all good - you just don't want to overpay because of a claim that rarity equals greater value. The "Epiphone by Gibson" Sheratons are good guitars - they're just not inherently superior to other Korean Sheratons made by Peerless, Saien, Unsung, and of course Samick.