[jman]

I've had this guitar for the past 15 years and always assumed that it was a 60s or 70s Gibson ES of some variety. It was purchased by my grandfather at a garage sale so I don't know anything more about it's history.

I recently took it to a luthier who said when he saw it, "cool old ES335". Then as he started to look it he was less convinced. He said that the heavily cracked lacquer paint was indicitive of a guitar made between 50s and 70s, that the neck tensioning nut was right and worked and that it played like an old Gibson. But that the body was a 1/4" small width wise, it shouldn't have a 0 fret, that if it was a Gibson the tuners weren't right, the pickups weren't original and that it had been heavily modded with the extra knobs, switches, battery insert and pre-amp circuitry. His assessment was that its probably not a Gibson. Neither of us could find any numbers stamped into the wood or down through the F holes. Can anyone please confirm that its not a Gibson and maybe give an indication as to what it is? Were they making knockoff Gibsons in the 60s and 70s or was this something else entirely and somebody stuck a Gibson decal on it? I think its an awesome guitar either way but would love to know what I really have. Thanks!

[ksdaddy]

Not a Gibson at all. Not at all....

Japanese, 1970s. Could be a good guitar regardless but it's not a Gibson. Don't consider it a "knock off" or "fake", it's just a Japanese company's offering to that niche of the market, which was pretty popular in the late 60s/early 70s.

[BigKahune]

ksdaddy, on 31 December 2012 - 10:49 AM, said:

Not a Gibson at all. Not at all....

+1

"0" fret next to the nut - the luthier isn't very good at fake Gibson identification.


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[jman]

Thanks for the insight on the Japanese make. Would the Gibson logo on the headstock have been added by a previous owner? I was always a little surprised that it appeared to be wearing off.

[JimR56]

jman, on 31 December 2012 - 11:36 AM, said:

Would the Gibson logo on the headstock have been added by a previous owner?

Could have been added, or could have been placed there when the guitar was made, but it's obviously not a Gibson guitar. All you need to do is look at the body/cutaway shape to know it's not a 335. The luthier you refer to should have known better (hopefully he's learned since then).

[Jabberwocky]

Looks more like a copy of a Gretsch Double-cutaway. All those old pot holes in the top seem to point in that direction. The Gibson logo looks like a slide-on decal.

Hope your grandpa didn't pay too much for it.

I really wonder about a "luthier" who could even mistake that for a "cool old ES335".

And I got some heat for pointing out a fake Super 400C recently as in "How could anybody be fooled by such a poor looking fake?"

[jman]

Hahaha. Thanks. He picked it up for $5 bucks so I'm not too far behind on it : ). I appreciate the leads on what it might be. Every time I show it to somebody they say "that's so cool, what is it?" I would just love to be able to tell people something about it. Everybody that plays it loves it. Also trying to decide how best to cover those holes and make it look a little more presentable.

[Jabberwocky]

jman, on 31 December 2012 - 03:31 PM, said:

Hahaha. Thanks. He picked it up for $5 bucks so I'm not too far behind on it : ). I appreciate the leads on what it might be. Every time I show it to somebody they say "that's so cool, what is it?" I would just love to be able to tell people something about it. Everybody that plays it loves it. Also trying to decide how best to cover those holes and make it look a little more presentable.

Fretboard inlay dots, MOP or otherwise, help to fill in those holes.

$5! Who's crying now?

[jman]

In case my wife ever succeeds in talking me into parting ways with it... is a guitar like this worth anything?

[BigKahune]

.

If it plays well, as you say, someone would surely want a bargain ES copy (copy/fake should be stated in the sales text). List it at say around $200 or $300, and add "or best offer".


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[JimR56]

BigKahune, on 02 January 2013 - 02:49 PM, said:

.

If it plays well, as you say, someone would surely want a bargain ES copy (copy/fake should be stated in the sales text). List it at say around $200 or $300, and add "or best offer".


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Good advice.

[jman]

Cool. Thanks!