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tweed2

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Two Epiphone 50th Anniversary Projects, which one to sell?

 

I've been on a guitar purge, the last several weeks. I'm finding that I don't play enough these days to justify keeping 9 guitars. While I'm not getting out of the game, I've decided to narrow things down to 4 guitars. I've sold two in the last week, with a Guild 12 string going off later today, on everybody's favorite auction site. That leaves one more to go. It's down to one of these two. I'm asking for some help deciding, because I'm literally on the fence, could go either way. So vote for one, the one that has the best chance to sell, the widest appeal.

 

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I'll start with a description that covers both, since they are similar in many ways. Both are 50th Anniversary models. Both are what were deemed "used", or refurbished. I've owned 3 of this type and it's my belief that the only reason these were "tagged" were finish issues on the hardware or, in the case of the 50th's, purchased for the Gibson mini-humbuckers, which were then replaced with SD mini's. I could find no other reason to tag 'em. I got these at a time when the prices had bottomed out on both models and they made great modding platforms. Prices since, on the 50th's, have headed back up. They both come with the factory case. The both have had the McCartney strap pin mod. Both have had pickup upgrades (in my opinion) along with the usual Tweed Mods, black guard, Schaller strap pins and knobs. Now the differences.

 

Up first, an Epiphone Sheraton 50th Anniversary "modded". I decided to go a little different direction on this one, Firebird pickups. Not pole-less mini-hums, but actual Firebirds. I had been talking to Zhangbucker about building me mini-hums and it was his suggestion. He makes beautiful pickups and his take on it was right on. Open sounding Firebird, almost into angry Telecaster territory. The neck works great for those Neil Young solos. Which is the reason that I added the vibrato, can't do Neil without one... I did have to shorten the selector switch knob to allow clearance for the vibrato arm swing. Sounds good, looks great, fits into the "family". Thinking around $600.

 

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I had so much fun with the Sheraton project, I decided to try one that I'd been thinking about for years, a modern Harmony Rocket. Alright, I can hear the "WTF's?" already, those pieces of &%@#? The Harmony Rocket was my first guitar, I played one for 4 years before moving up. Lots of draw backs, I know, but those DeArmond-Rowe gold foils were something special. I will say, there were enough negatives on that guitar that I'll never own a red guitar again, because of it. I found a pair of DAR gold foils, in good shape on auction and chose the 50th Anniversary Sorrento as a platform to mount them on. Very similar in basic construction to the Rocket, full hollow body, trapeze tail, floating bridge, but much better build quality. With a little Dremel work, a set of mini-hum mount rings were modded to accept the slightly different sized DeArmonds and I think that they look like they belong on this guitar. This thing sounds great cranked through my '49 Valco/Jensen clone (ain't too bad through the piggy-back DeLuxe, either). Controllable feedback, smooth, grinding overdriven chords, takes me back. Light weight and nasty when it needs to be. Backed off, almost jazzy. Thinking $525

 

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So, I can only keep one. Not getting rid of my Casino, Ric 12 string or Epi Texan, so one of these two has to go. Which one will sell the easiest? I built these for me, and I'm not sure which one will have the widest appeal to "normal" people. What do you think? Thanks.

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I'd have difficulty choosing. There's still a lot of interest in the Gold Foils, Americana bands and rootsy slide players (can you say hipsters now without it being derogatory?) The Sheraton is almost equally desirable to me, but I would guess you would get more interest in the Sorrento. If I had to choose to buy one, or you were going to give me one out of the kindness of your heart, it would be the Sorrento.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Still there. http://www.ebay.com/...984.m1555.l2649

 

You can always tell if it's mine by the tweed wall behind.....

 

Thanks, I can see it via your link now, but it's not appearing if I put Epiphone Sorrento into the search. I've tried it with a VPN with a USA node and used ebay.com, not just ebay.co.uk. I wonder if your title is confusing ebay's search, having the two words separated out? Have you tried searching Epiphone Sorrento yourself? You could be losing views.

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Thanks, I can see it via your link now, but it's not appearing if I put Epiphone Sorrento into the search. I've tried it with a VPN with a USA node and used ebay.com, not just ebay.co.uk. I wonder if your title is confusing ebay's search, having the two words separated out? Have you tried searching Epiphone Sorrento yourself? You could be losing views.

Thanks for the heads up, but when I search both Epiphone Sorrento and Epiphone 50th Anniversary, it pops right up (second one listed, both ways). So, I'm wondering whether it might not be an international thing. I'll check the settings and see if maybe because I've excluded so many countries from my selling list, it automatically doesn't list in those parts of the world?

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Thanks for the heads up, but when I search both Epiphone Sorrento and Epiphone 50th Anniversary, it pops right up (second one listed, both ways). So, I'm wondering whether it might not be an international thing. I'll check the settings and see if maybe because I've excluded so many countries from my selling list, it automatically doesn't list in those parts of the world?

 

 

Edit: yes there it is, sorry, ebay must have been looking at my cookies rather than my IP address.

 

PS Darn, wish I hadn't read your listing, got GAS now but I can't afford it, I've got other guitar & amp spends coming up.

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Edit: yes there it is, sorry, ebay must have been looking at my cookies rather than my IP address.

 

PS Darn, wish I hadn't read your listing, got GAS now but I can't afford it, I've got other guitar & amp spends coming up.

I think that it'd be going to a good home, if that was the case. What is the other upcoming purchase, if I might ask?

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I have a USACG strat build underway. I've bought the body and neck and all the hardware, although I think I'm going to change the pickups. The body and neck are currently with a paint shop as I've never done a finish and didn't want to start with this one. It's kind of a special build for me, my ideal strat, no compromises in the spec or the cost, and possibly a less common custom colour if the paint shop can do it, like a coral pink; I think they are nearly there. I've had the idea for ten years, then my little girl came along and finances took a major downturn. Now things are a bit easier I'm going ahead with it. So I still have the paint job to pay for when that's done. And what is going to be quite a large expense, I've had Fender Custom Shop 54's in my current strat for some years now, and I was happy with them. Then a little while ago I worked on a friend's strat with Amalfitano pickups in it, their 'SP' model, and oh my word. I have to have a set of these for the new build, I've just decided today. I have that strat here on loan and I've spent two hours today playing it alongside my CS54's to decide. No contest!

 

And a friend of mine has a couple of contacts in music stores, both of whom sent him a Boss Katana 50W combo at a discounted price, so I'm having one of those off him. I want it mainly for the headphone out and aux in functions so I can spend more time practising after the little girl has gone to bed. I've heard good reports of them, but I'm not expecting to be converted from tubes!

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