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LOST EXCELLENTES


mooseguy

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Still wondering where the 141 Epi Excellentes ever produce have all disappeared to except for the two that I own-

 

Would really be great to hear from another owner of either an original or a reissue particularly if you have one for sale-ready to buy.

 

Moose

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Bruce Arnold of "Orpheus" fame had one, and still does as far as I know (Custom 64/65 model with a large Rosewood rosette, ordered through E.U.Wurlitzer in Boston). I have also seen him with another Excellente, with the normal rosette, but a martin type teardrop pickguard (Possibly same guitar, but modified later).

 

 

Then there`s Loretta Lynn. She has her name on hers, just in case she loses it, I presume. [biggrin]

 

 

That`s two of them accounted for Moose.

 

Steve.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Found some more images and videos of Bruce Arnold's Epiphone Excellente. I would be interested to know if the Excellente he is playing in this TV performance at The Bitter End in New York as well as the band images circa 1967/68 is in fact the same guitar he is playing in the 1969 video clip Steve posted above.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yit_TjDFiWE

 

Bruce Arnold / Orpheus circa 1968. Note smaller pickguard, soundhole pickup (with 1/4" input at lower corner), clear protective tape above fretboard plus typical-for-the-time upgrades like ebony saddle in place of the notorious adjustable unit and 16:1 Grover tuners.

 

BruceArnoldExcellente1968.jpg

 

BruceArnoldExcellente1968-2.JPG

 

The images below are Bruce and Co. circa 1969. Here you see an Epiphone Excellente customized with a floating P90 pickup and what appears to be a Brazilian Rosewood rosette complete with binding. Note the 1/4" input jack is located in the same place as the guitar above and the video Steve posted clearly shows Grover tuners. This tells me we may be looking at the same guitar. However that being stated, it's not unusual for a musician to have a preference and set up two guitars the same way.

 

BruceArnoldExcellente1969.JPG

 

BruceArnoldExcellente1969-2.JPG

 

Prior to the Epiphone Howard Roberts popularizing the look of an oval sound hole and floating P90, the renowned E.U Wurlitzer music store in Boston was a big Gibson / Epiphone dealer and known to special order Epiphone Deluxe and Triumph archtops with oval sound holes. The Excellente borrowed the neck from the big Deluxe complete with a true seven-piece construction, ebony fingerboard, mother-of-pearl cloud inlay and low jazz-style frets. Of course, the headstock featured different designs.

 

1967EpiphoneDeluxe1.jpg

According to Wiki, Arnold was from Worcester, Mass (just outside Boston) so there's no doubt he would've been very familiar with Wurlitzer and my guess is he probably purchased the Excellente there and either had Wurlitzer customize it with the floating P90 (along with a classical style rosette) or special-ordered another example with these features. He would've no doubt had the scratch for it as he wrote and sang the group's biggest hit "Can't Find The Time", which was in heavy rotation in '68 plus the group was playing regular gigs with Cream, Janis and The Who. If he, in fact, still own this piece (or pieces), he should be very proud.

 

BruceArnoldExcellente1968-3.JPG

 

- Pete

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Well if any of you were wondering whether Bruce Arnold of Orpheus still owns the Epiphone Excellente shown in the video from 1969, here's the answer. I found this on YouTube.

 

Note the redesigned ebony bridge. I thought it might have been from the Frontier but it appears to be a custom design. Very classy and certainly an improvement over the Excellente's original "flying brick".

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKSL471JQ40

 

BruceArnoldExcellente2010.JPG

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Judging from this fairly recent Van Lear Rose album cover:

http://www.pastarchives.co.uk/lynn.html

 

I'd say she still has hers.

 

Seriously? There were only 141 made?

 

Tommy K

 

-Loretta still has her Excellente and plays it on many TV shows

 

The total production of these guitars is reported to be between 139 and 141

 

What are almost as rare and as desirable are the the Bozeman reissues Excellentes made in 93-94

 

10 of these were made as a special order that went to a Japanese collector and the other 23 were sold here in the States before some

of these also ended up in Japan.

 

Moose

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Tommy K

 

-Loretta still has her Excellente and plays it on many TV shows

 

The total production of these guitars is reported to be between 139 and 141

 

What are almost as rare and as desirable are the the Bozeman reissues Excellentes made in 93-94

 

10 of these were made as a special order that went to a Japanese collector and the other 23 were sold here in the States before some

of these also ended up in Japan.

 

Moose

 

Where did you find this information Moose? I have done extensive research on the various reissues and according to the information I found in Montana's records, the division made a total of 23 Excellentes - nine examples in 1993 and fourteen in 1994 (as part of the 100th Anniversary Limited Edition Series). The Montana reissues were conceived by Luthier Ren Ferguson who personally built the initial nine examples (sometimes along with John Walker) for distinguised clientele. I know of at least two examples that are in the hands of Japanese collectors but have found no information pointing to one Japanese collector owning multiple examples and certainly not ten. I have provided information on these first series of Montana reissues below:

 

 

FT-120 Excellente (Gibson Custom by Montana Division)

  • Production year(s): 1993
  • Serial Numbers: 92213001 - 92213010
  • Made in Bozeman, MO by Luthiers Ren Ferguson & John Walker
  • Square-shoulder dreadnought body
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Indian Rosewood back & sides
  • Multi-ply binding on body & neck
  • 7-piece set Maple / Rosewood neck
  • 20 fret Ebony fingerboard with Mother-of-Pearl cloud-shape inlays (shorter space after 20th fret)
  • Standard size acoustic-style frets (Note: Not low wide jazz-style frets as found on original.)
  • Mother-of-Pearl bock inlay at 15th fret
  • Large Mother-of-Pearl inlay on single-bound headstock
  • Ebony "moustache" bridge base with inlaid Mother-of-Pearl dots
  • Pointed custom pickguard engraved with eagle & tree design
  • White plastic Kluson tuners with Gibson script
  • 25.5" scale
  • 1.725" nut width

Colors:

  • Natural only

Other distinguishing features:

 

  • No Epiphone Epsilon "E" on truss rod cover
  • Gibson label includes Luthier signatures
  • Brown Gibson Montana hardshell case with green lining
  • At least one example also had replicated adjustable Ebony bridge like original

 

Excellente1993MontanaCustomReissue.JPG

 

Excellente1993MontanaCustomReissueLabel.jpg

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That is just beautiful.

There is so much history with Epiphone and acoustics.

I wish they would start to take advantage of their history and start reissuing these again.

Solid wood with great appointments.

I love the '62 electric reissues, but come on Jim, a little more attention to the acoustics.

The EL-00, Hummingbird and Dove pros are nice, but they are Gibsons.

The Excellentes and Frontiers are what you should be focusing on.

Here's to new acoustics in 2013.

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There is so much history with Epiphone and acoustics.

I wish they would start to take advantage of their history and start reissuing these again.

 

One of the more interesting things Gibson has done in the past few years is put a pre-Gibson Epi style French Heel neck on that Keb Mo Bluesmaster.

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...and here is information on the final series of reissued Epiphone Excellente's from the Montana Division. The "100th Anniversary - Limited Montana Series" in 1994 was inspired by Ferguson's Custom Shop reissues and some say built to an even higher standard. The Anniversary series also included the Texan and Frontier, which were all given proper treatment as Epiphone's with more authentic and period-correct details. The Excellente, for instance, got the correct gold-plated Kluson tuners (the 1993 edition used the white tips), the Epsilon logo on the truss rod cover and a gorgeous "Deluxe Centennial" hard-shell case.

 

 

FT-120 Excellente (Gibson - Montana Division - 100th Anniversary)

  • Production years: 1994 (100th Anniversary Edition)
  • Production number: 14 (NOTE: Despite label stating a production total of 250, only 14 examples of the 1994 Limited Edition were produced by the Montana Division)
  • Serial numbers: 90244003 - 90244017
  • Made in Bozeman, MO
  • Square-shoulder dreadnought body
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Indian Rosewood back & sides
  • Multi-ply binding (body, neck)
  • 7-piece set Maple / Rosewood neck
  • 20 fret Ebony fingerboard with Mother-of-Pearl cloud-shape inlays (block inlay at 15th fret)
  • Standard size acoustic-style frets
  • Large Mother-of-Pearl inlay capped with cloud-shape inlays on single-bound headstock
  • Ebony "moustache" bridge base with inlaid Mother-of-Pearl dots
  • Pointed custom pickguard engraved with eagle & tree design
  • Gold-plated metal Kluson tuners with Gibson script
  • 25.5" scale
  • 1.725" nut width
  • Natural / Sunburst finishes (Note: Brochure indicates the availability of a Sunburst finish, however there is no evidence to date one was produced).
  • Other distinguishing features: Numbered Epiphone Montana Limited Edition 1994 label. Black hard-shell case with gold Epiphone script. Case features purple lining and a slip cover with a gold Gibson 100 Year logo.

Here is a scan of the insert included with the 1994 Gibson-Montana Sales Folder. These inserts are very rare and some accounts indicate they were left out of most sales folders - only being issued to a select number of distributors. Note the Excellente pictured has the white plastic Kluson-style tips. All production Anniversary units would come with the correct gold-plated tips.

Excellente1994MontanaCustomReissue-1.JPG

 

 

The last Anniversary Excellente produced by Montana (#14) was probably the most special example the firm created. According to Montana's documentation, the customer specified the following features:

 

1. Constructed with a special top-quality spruce top reserved for the most expensive Custom Shop guitars. Customer approved wood prior to construction.

2. Finished with no pickguard per customer (although one was included separately with the shipment).

3. Customer specified a special finish on the neck, which better replicated the light-to-dark finish on the original. (Note: Most reissued Excellentes had a dark finish on the neck, which almost completely hid the beautiful Flame Maple and seven-piece construction).

4. Customer requested special low and wide jazz-guitar frets that matched the ones used on the original guitar. (Note: As most of you know know that the Excellente and Deluxe Cutaway shared the same neck, fingerboard and frets).

5. Guitar was fitted with D'Addario Phosphor Bronze Light Gauge strings and inspected by no less than three Luthiers before shipment.

 

 

Here is an image of the label for the last Anniversary (and American-made) Epiphone Excellente produced by Gibson. I'm trying to track down the owner to obtain images of the guitar itself.

 

1994Label-1.JPG

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Hi Moose,

 

Can you do us a favor and edit your post to eliminate all the images and previous text. It will make it easier to read your response and not repeat the previous images.

 

Some questions:

 

1. What is the serial number of your 1993 Gibson Custom Shop Excellente?

 

2. What year did you originally purchase the guitar from the Japanese dealer and did he provide information on where he obtained it?

 

3. Was your statement about a Japanese collector owning 10 examples of the 1993 edition based on hearsay or were you told this by a credible source?

 

3. I'm curious to know what dealer found the same guitar for you a week ago.

 

4. Do you have the serial number of the sunburst 1993 Excellente offered by the Japanese dealer? Any images?

 

5. You state you also own "#7 of the 23 run". As I pointed out the "23" figure refers to the total number of Excellente's produced by Montana (9 in 1993 and 14 in 1994). Do you mean that you own #7 of the Anniversary edition (i.e. the label states #7 of 250)? If so, I'm curious to know the serial number.

 

6. You state that the #7 guitar is "not as fancy" as I assume the 1993 version. Please elaborate.

 

Feel free to send me a private message if you prefer.

 

Thanks,

 

Pete

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That's fine. As long you refrain from clicking the "quote" button for any future responses to posts with large images. It's makes the threads much easier to follow.

 

A pleasure to know you and the great interest we both share in Excellentes.

 

Regards,

 

Moose

 

P.S. please let me know if you locate # 14

 

My Email is d.dogs@verizon.net

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Here is another great Walter Carter article from Vintage Guitar that details probably one of the stupidist decisions any artist has made when it comes to product endorsement. The story of Sonny James and what would've been a special edition Excellente called the "Sonny James Southern Gentlemen".

 

If passing up on, as Orpheus leader Bruce Arnold puts it, "the perfect combination of a J-200's booming presence, a D-28's piano-like tone and a neck to die for" isn't bad enough, add to it that in the 1980's James traded his one-off Excellente to a Nashville music shop for...wait for it...two brand new Takemine's!

 

Shame on you Sonny.

 

http://www.vintagegu...one-excellente/

 

As Arnold would do a several years later on his custom-order Wurlitzer Excellente, Sonny requested a more subdued bridge in place of the Excellente's notorious "flying brick". Epiphone used the Frontier's bridge in addition to a modified version of the thin white plastic pickguard found on their Troubadour model.

94ad_12-1.jpg

 

sonny_james-roses_are_red-1.jpg

 

sonjames-1.jpg

 

 

 

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Hi Excellente:

 

 

 

Thought this would be of additional interest to you. Somewhere in the past I had an internet Nashville contact who told me

the Sonny James Excellente was purchased for $500 by a fellow musician friend of his.

 

A question:

 

Since you have a photo of my 93 Ecellente label-do you have photos of the rest of my guitar? If so, I would appreciate seeing them.

I will be sending you photos of the back headstock plack soon.

 

 

Regards,

 

Moose

 

Please use this Email for me: d.dogs@verizon.net

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Thought this would be of additional interest to you. Somewhere in the past I had an internet Nashville contact who told me

the Sonny James Excellente was purchased for $500 by a fellow musician friend of his.

 

Yeah, that's in the Vintage Guitar article I linked to. Thanks, Pete

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  • 11 months later...

Moose, I just purchased what I think might be a very important Excellente. #6803X...made shortly before Sonny James' guitar (68069).

 

And it has a Martin style bridge and tailpiece, both of which look original. I wonder if it was a prototype for Sonny?

 

Whatever it is, it sounds unbelievable and the Brazilian Rosewood is top notch. Know anything about it? Anybody got access to the shipping records?

 

11613225533_8cb2c4d789_b.jpg

 

11613761646_a6986a87c8_b.jpg

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Moose, I just purchased what I think might be a very important Excellente. #6803X...made shortly before Sonny James' guitar (68069).

 

And it has a Martin style bridge and tailpiece, both of which look original. I wonder if it was a prototype for Sonny?

 

Whatever it is, it sounds unbelievable and the Brazilian Rosewood is top notch. Know anything about it? Anybody got access to the shipping records?

 

11613225533_8cb2c4d789_b.jpg

 

11613761646_a6986a87c8_b.jpg

Hi Delorean:

 

Congratulations on this great find-you should contact Peter @hdvd@earthlink.co

This person is the real Excellente historian and should have the shipping records on your guitar

He also has a book coming out on Excellentes which should be very informative.Let me know what you find out.

 

Regards,

 

Moose

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