bluzcatz Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 I bought a new Epiphone Montana in Houston,Tx in 1993. It was suppose to be a high end Epiphone to compete with their mother company Gibson. Built in Bozman along side Gibsons. It retailed in 93 for $1895.00. Does anyone else out there have one of these guitars? There was at least 7 of these built and maybe as many as 12 before Gibson pulled the plug. These got out and I have one. The only thing I changed in my Montana was the preamp and pickup. The original electronics where not up to the quailty of the guitar. I replaced my electronics with LR Baggs onboard preamp and pickup. The guitar has the best live sound on any accoustic guitar I have ever played live. It sounds as good plugged in as it does just playing it in your living room. I know this is a very rare guitar to be so new in age and I know someone that is a friend of mine who also has one on these. I would like to know the whole story on these guitars and what happened in Bozman to the guys thinking they had the OK to build these guitars.Email me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 I assume you talking about one of the Bozeman-made Frontier, Texan or Excellente reissues? Only thing I really know is they were a limited run back in '93 or '94. They are supposed to be fine little guitars. Not sure what you are getting at at the end of your post though about what happened to the folks in Bozeman who thought they had the OK to build the guitars. Whose permission did you think they needed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el capitan Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 What model-Texan,Frontier,EXCELLENTE? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooseguy Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 I bought a new Epiphone Montana in Houston,Tx in 1993. It was suppose to be a high end Epiphone to compete with their mother company Gibson. Built in Bozman along side Gibsons. It retailed in 93 for $1895.00. Does anyone else out there have one of these guitars? There was at least 7 of these built and maybe as many as 12 before Gibson pulled the plug. These got out and I have one. The only thing I changed in my Montana was the preamp and pickup. The original electronics where not up to the quailty of the guitar. I replaced my electronics with LR Baggs onboard preamp and pickup. The guitar has the best live sound on any accoustic guitar I have ever played live. It sounds as good plugged in as it does just playing it in your living room. I know this is a very rare guitar to be so new in age and I know someone that is a friend of mine who also has one on these. I would like to know the whole story on these guitars and what happened in Bozman to the guys thinking they had the OK to build these guitars.Email me Hi Bluzcatz: I own a 93 Bozeman Excellente-This is one great guitar Moose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie 63 Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 Hi Bluzcatz: I own a 93 Bozeman Excellente-This is one great guitar Moose I thought the rumour was, that the 1993 Bozeman made Epiphone limited run Texan,Frontier & Excellente models were built out of Japanese produced parts. There is a 94 Bozeman Texan on ebay at present which shares little construction wise with the original 60`s version. http://cgi.ebay.com/USED-1994-EPIPHONE-TEXAN-USA-REISSUE-62-500-OHSC-/180596464793?pt=Guitar&hash=item2a0c635c99 Check out the H/stock logo`s, one piece arched back(Probably laminated), the bridge(Which is like the one on the current IB-64 version), amongst other details. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 I thought the rumour was, that the 1993 Bozeman made Epiphone limited run Texan,Frontier & Excellente models were built out of Japanese produced parts. Steve. The Texan, Frontier, and Excllente reissues from 1993-95 were Bozeman made. An earlier line of acoustics was indeed made in the US from Japanese bodies and necks. This was the "Nouveau by Gibson" line (1986), which was re-branded "Nouveau by Epiphone" in 1987. This line included acoustic and solid body electric guitars. According to Gruhn's Guide, "Nouveau" acoustic models included the NV6, NV6R, NV6R-S, NVT, NV12, and NV185. There was also a C7 mandolin and NVJ archtop. The Spotlight, Spotlight CMT, X-1000, Firebird 300, and Firebird 500 were the "Nouveau" electric models. The Spotlight CMT, Firebird 300, and Firebird 500 were "Nouveau by Epiphone" models only; all the other models were badged "Nouveau by Gibson" before later becoming "Nouveau by Epiphone". The entire line was discontinued by 1989. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el capitan Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 The Bozeman Texan is obviously a cynical way of using up J55 or Gospel bodies. The Frontier used Korean rope'n'cactus scratchplates which were brilliant white paint on a cheap thick nothing like torty plastic. The Excellente was the real deal according to the Moose(& he should know!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted December 12, 2010 Share Posted December 12, 2010 The Bozeman Texan is obviously a cynical way of using up J55 or Gospel bodies. The Gibson J-55 (1973-1982 version, not the 1930's original) and Gibson Gospel were square shouldered guitars like a Hummingbird. While I agree the Texan in the link above does not seem to have the correct shape for a Gibslon round-shouldered model, it certainly does not share the J-55/Gospel body. The lower bought looks similar, though. Maybe they added round shoulders to the Gospel's rims. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el capitan Posted December 12, 2010 Share Posted December 12, 2010 My mistake-I didn't notice the round shoulders.I still think these Texans are a poor show with undersized decal names & Gibson style scratchplate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluzcatz Posted December 13, 2010 Author Share Posted December 13, 2010 Sorry for the delay. The guitar is a Montana. That is the model. It is a cutaway. It doesn't say Gibson on the truss cover, it says Montana. It is a solid top with rosewood sides and back. It has a arched back. The tag inside says made in Bozman. I will post the serial number and a pic later. The guitar was meant to highlight Epiphone for a quality guitar so Gibson is not named anywhere, not even on the tag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluzcatz Posted December 14, 2010 Author Share Posted December 14, 2010 Here are some pics of my 1992 Epiphone Montana. Model EM-30. Does anyone know the history of how this guitar didn't get mass produced. The music store I bought this from told me that He got 7 of these and the rep tried to sell him 12. There might be 12 out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluzcatz Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share Posted December 17, 2010 I forgot the pic of back of headstock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie 63 Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 My mistake-I didn't notice the round shoulders.I still think these Texans are a poor show with undersized decal names & Gibson style scratchplate. Sorry, but that wasn`t the best example of a Bozeman made 90`s Texan to show you, here is one with the original pickguard! http://www.12fret.com/used/Epiphone_Texan%2094.jpg Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluzcatz Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share Posted December 17, 2010 Sorry, but that wasn`t the best example of a Bozeman made 90`s Texan to show you, here is one with the original pickguard! http://www.12fret.com/used/Epiphone_Texan%2094.jpg Steve. Steve, The Texan is pretty close to the Montana, but the Montana is a cutaway and made in 1992.I would like to get a value of the Montana so that I can list it on my home owners and find out more history of the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted December 18, 2010 Share Posted December 18, 2010 Sure would like to see the label of that 1994 'Texan'. This might have been about the time they made that Nova or Noveau. EO-1 and EO-2. One of them had a butterfly between the bridge and sound hole. It too had an arched, unbraced, back. Like this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted December 18, 2010 Share Posted December 18, 2010 I bought a new Epiphone Montana in Houston,Tx in 1993. It was suppose to be a high end Epiphone to compete with their mother company Gibson. Built in Bozman along side Gibsons. It retailed in 93 for $1895.00. Does anyone else out there have one of these guitars? There was at least 7 of these built and maybe as many as 12 before Gibson pulled the plug. These got out and I have one. The only thing I changed in my Montana was the preamp and pickup. The original electronics where not up to the quailty of the guitar. I replaced my electronics with LR Baggs onboard preamp and pickup. The guitar has the best live sound on any accoustic guitar I have ever played live. It sounds as good plugged in as it does just playing it in your living room. I know this is a very rare guitar to be so new in age and I know someone that is a friend of mine who also has one on these. I would like to know the whole story on these guitars and what happened in Bozman to the guys thinking they had the OK to build these guitars.Email me It sounds like you have an EM30 A/E. Gibson built a limited number of three Epiphone models in Bozeman in 1993: The mahogany EM10 (51 made), the rosewood EM20 (57 made), and the EM30 A/E with cutaway and Accu-Voice piezo system (16 made). EM stands for Epiphone Montana, hence the Montana on the truss rod cover and sound hole label. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted December 18, 2010 Share Posted December 18, 2010 Sure would like to see the label of that 1994 'Texan'. This might have been about the time they made that Nova or Noveau. EO-1 and EO-2. One of them had a butterfly between the bridge and sound hole. It too had an arched, unbraced, back. The EO-1 and EO-2 (the one with the butterfly) were made in Korea. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midiman56 Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 The Epiphone Noueaus started life about 1986 as the Nouveau By Gibson and was at first its own line of flat top models that were made in Japan. In 1988 they added a line of very PRS-like electrics The brand morphed into the Noveau By Epiphone line by mid 1988 and was gone by 1989 because Paul Smith probably had a big problem with the PRS-like electric models designs.. A couple years later (1990) Epiphone came out with the "Epiphone Montana" line of acoustic which the component parts were made in Japan and assembled here. There were at least four models I'm aware of: The E-SJ (Southern Jumbo-Rosewood AJ) The EM-EB (Everly Brothers), The EM-DR (Rosewood dread- I'm not sure if this was a numbered series IE: DR-1 or DR-100 (??) but it was a square-shouldered dread) and the EM-GP (or GS?) (a mahogany square-shouldered dread based somewhat upon the Gibson Gospel) and there were probably more models. They weren't exceedingly rare (I'm not certain from where these exceedingly low production numbers that have been quoted came- I recall them being in the music shops in the early 90s ) though still uncommon (they didn't sell all that well) and because they were only mid-tier instruments, they've never had any great monetary value. This line lasted a year or two (maybe three) or so and then in 1993, Epiphone, to celebrate Gibson's one hundred years of ownership changes, came out with a domestically made and material sourced, limited production line of guitars. The original plan was 250 Texans (The label says "of 500" but I've always heard it was a run of 250- perhaps 250 naturals and 250 in sunburst?)), 250 Frontiers 250 acoustic Emperors and 250 Excellentes from Bozeman and 500 Rivieras (250 sunbursts, 250 in red), 250 Sheratons and 250 electric Emperors from Nashville. The guitars were fairly high quality but short of the Custom shop level that was initially promised. I don't think they hit the 250 quota on anything but the Riviera and they probably doubled the 250 (Of each finish burst or red) on those because they ended up coming out with sunburst, cherry red as well as black and natural versions of it with the black and natural being somewhat rare. I currently own one of the sunburst Rivieras. I had two of them up until 2008 but I was offered $3K for it and couldn't resist (they're worth maybe $2K on their best day). There still are some Texans and Sheratons out there that come up for sale but the other models have become very rare though not impossible to find (and the Texans aren't that great of a guitar and quite removed form anything Kalamazoo). I heard that they only made twelve of the Excellentes (most of which ended up in Japan as a Gibson Custom Shop model) and ten of the acoustic arch top Emperors (I have no idea what became of them) so they're going to be hard, if not impossible to find....so...there are Gibson/Epiphone Noveaus 1986-1987: (which I can't find a photo of the label but I know I have one somewhere-found it): The Epiphone Montana Series:(1990-1993) (There's a later version of the label with mountains etc in the background of which I don't have a photo) and the Epiphone Anniversary Series (1993-1994) That should explain things...or not.. The Nouveaus (Often confused with the "Nova" series of which both Japanese and Korean versions exist) and Montanas (assembled in Bozeman from Japanese parts like the Martin Shenandoah models, which were what they were intended to compete) are somewhat common. Some of the Anniversaries (1993/1994 made in Bozeman and Nashville) are incredibly rare (esp. the Excellente and acoustic Emperor), some are rare (The Casinos, The Frontiers) and some are "uncommon" (The Riverias, Texans, Sheratons)...hope that helps rather than further clouds the issue....I just saw the label from the "Montana Series" (EM-10 etc.) that says "made in Bozeman" and I have to admit that's a first for me...I have no idea about those particular guitars...the other Montana Series and the Noveau and Anniversary Series, yes...no clue about the "made in the USA" Bozeman guitars...to be honest they don't look high end...but I don't actually know...The serial number on the OP's guitar dates it to August 24, 1993 which would make it a contemporary of (or just before) the Anniversary models so now I really don't know but as far as value I'd say $650-750 was being more than optimistic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluzcatz Posted December 20, 2010 Author Share Posted December 20, 2010 It sounds like you have an EM30 A/E. Gibson built a limited number of three Epiphone models in Bozeman in 1993: The mahogany EM10 (51 made), the rosewood EM20 (57 made), and the EM30 A/E with cutaway and Accu-Voice piezo system (16 made). EM stands for Epiphone Montana, hence the Montana on the truss rod cover and sound hole label. Red 333 Red 333, Thank you for your research. Mine is a EM30. The pickup system in the guitar was not what you would expect from the Bozman plant but I changed out mine with a LR Baggs element with onboard pre-amp. As you can see for some of the wear on the guitar from some of the pics that I used to play this guitar out but have since put it in storage. It has the best sound on any guitar I've recorded with or played live. Same sound. Anyway Thanks Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.