Ronjo1

Cheers, thanks for the tip re the sunbeams - i'll have to get hold of some. I checked with the epiphone serial number decoder website : My Serial number : 123023110869 - "Your guitar was made inIndonesiaon March, 2012Production Number: 10869" Your serial number : 12032310993 - "Your guitar was made inIndonesiaon March, 2012Production Number: 10993" The '23' after the 1230 is the Samick factory in Indonesia. Both made in March and I suspect, sent in the same shipment to Australia. As I think serial numbers list is shared by all models as the guitars are completed - our guitars may even be from the same batch of EJ200's, I did read you had found this one in Hobart?, im in Melbourne . I'd forgotten how pale it looked when I bought it. I dont have a case so its just on a guitar stand, in room which is sometimes bright and I figure the light has darkened it a bit. seems to be the top, which is a different wood, I've read its Spruce. the maple sides dont seem to have changed much. Anyway I dont mind, but I will get a case at some point. Thanks for your response - have a great night.

Hi Brucebubs, I also have a 2012 EJ200. By the time I started looking for a natural non cutaway one (about 2014) , they'd already stopped making them. I came across this one in Melbourne of all of in things the music shop that I'd bought my first guitar in 1982 , just happened to walk past the section that had the cheapies on guitar stands on the floor and saw it from the corner of my eye. Imagine my surprise, put it on layby that minute. - (it did have a bit of dust on it :) I've replaced the bridge with a bone one and after trying various string types (the standard jumbo gibson strings hurt my ears it the compression was that loud), I settled on d'addario silk and steel - which for me is quite fine. It records very well and quiet finger picking has a nice bass depth) - and is fine for strumming. Mine is a solid top (I can see the grain on the edge of the soundhole. (apparantely all the last ones made in 2012 were). I didnt like the pickguard though, tried a few alternates and was lucky enough to find a genuine one. I've included a pic of the guitar when I put the new pickguard on and one today - the wood seems to have yellowed a bit (which I like). I've also replaced the truss rod cover. Happy to see that the new ones in 2020 now finally have nice pickguards too :) (I know my pickguard is lifting ... thats my next project). Have a nice day :)