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bobouz

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Everything posted by bobouz

  1. A few thoughts & observations: - Gibson and others have historically had hot & cold periods of production in their various factories. I currently have six Montana acoustics ranging from the year 2000 to 2015, and have owned & traded/sold many others within that time frame. Imho, build quality remained stable and high during those years (Ren left in 2012). Almost every complaint I've seen online within that time frame (& even to date), has had to do with smaller finish-type details rather than structural matters. By comparison, I continue to read at UMGF about recent Martins needing neck resets within a few years of purchase (as well as binding popping loose at the waist). These have included high end models such as their Authentic Series. Stuff happens, but I'd much rather have it be cosmetic as opposed to structural. - When considering a Gibson (or any guitar for that matter), perfection is very rarely attained - so it comes down to weighing all factors including the good, bad, & ugly. Perhaps the tone or playability is so spectacular that it cancels out smaller negative details, or perhaps a run-out top is such an eyesore that it becomes a deal breaker. We all have to decide for ourselves based on each individual piece. But to generalize based on a few examples is a sure way to miss a gem. - Gibson's Montana workforce may be in a phase where they are experiencing high turnover, or other production issues. This doesn't excuse, but could help explain less than stellar detail workmanship from time to time. If I were a betting person, my guess would be that Gibson's wage rate & benefits will not attract many long-term employees compared to the union days in Kalamazoo, where many workers spent most of their adult lives working for a company, honing their skills, and retired from said company. Think many people end up retiring from Gibson these days? Just a hunch, but I doubt it. Staff turnover can be a killer, and coupled with production quotas, the possibility of a down period re the final product becomes enhanced. - To the OP: You did the right thing by returning an instrument that was disappointing, but rather than tearing down the building, continue to keep one eye open for a Gibson (new or used) that touches your soul. Someday, it just might happen.
  2. Can’t help re the cases you referenced, but most classical-size cases should fit the LG-0. You might want to check Guitar Center’s offerings online, since you can order online but return items to your local GC if not satisfied.
  3. The guitar will still carry the original serial number, so it’s not like you’re trying to fool anyone. Similar to removing a stock pickguard & replacing it with one you find more appealing, this is a personal preference thing. Any guitar can be modified anytime by anyone - and of course we are not talking about a museum piece in this scenario. But personally, I value originality & try to stick to reversible mods whenever possible.
  4. Sorry Allan, I still couldn’t locate it. But based on your info, the serial number looks legit for a 2009 model, with #21 indicating the Unsung factory. I had a 2010, purchased new. At the time, I had seen many examples with off-kilter tuners (usually just one or two). The TRC was white with Valensi in script (I polished the name off of mine & now have it on an Elitist Casino). Hardware was chrome plated & well done. Overall build quality was high, but not quite up to Elitist or Gibson standards. For example, there was no kerfed interior lining, which kind of bugged me. On the other hand, it had a true one-piece mahogany neck. The neck profile was quite slim all the way up, and the nut was 1-5/8”. Now I like narrow neck profiles, but this was actually too narrow even for me & was the main reason I sold the guitar. The best part of the guitar was of course the Gibson P-94 pickups - just wonderful. Unfortunately in the past few years, I’ve seen a number of Korean Valensi Rivieras with the original P-94 pickups pulled & replaced. That would be a non-starter for me, because this model was all about the pickups, imho. A major step up from this model would be an Elitist Valensi made by Terada in Japan, but they are even rarer than the Korean version. Hope you find a good one!
  5. I owned one & could probably tell you quite a bit about the guitar in question, but it appears to be sold & gone (couldn’t find any pics).
  6. The first IB Texans were made in China, and then production was switched to Indonesia. I believe the AJ45 is made in the same Indonesian factory, so the two probably share very similar construction characteristics. The Texan is long scale, while the AJ45 will be a short scale. Whether the differences are enough to appeal to you is something you’ll only know by playing them. Enjoy the pursuit!
  7. Certainly not an expert on this from model to model, but I believe a 12” radius has been standard fare for most Gibson acoustics until recently - including roundshoulder dread bodies. As in this Music Villa listing, Gibson has been highlighting the change.
  8. You got lucky on that one! The inlays look great on there - definitely a mistake in your favor. Congrats & Enjoy!
  9. Perhaps, but the fuller Korean body shape, headstock logo style, TRC, and older Korean-issue bridge all fit into a timeframe hovering around 2000. The pickups could indeed have been modified.
  10. The Sheraton in question was made in Korea, most likely in the early 2000s, or late 1990s. The price is fairly typical for this model.
  11. Never have seen anything from Gibson like that. A previous owner or dealer’s add-on.
  12. Gruhn's only notation in Guide #2 regarding the J-200's body depth is: > 4-3/4" deep: by 1990s One would have to assume this notation was made because the body depth changed, but he does not give an earlier depth figure.
  13. Related to discussion in a recent thread, here’s some body depth info: J-185 > 5-1/4” deep (1951-1954) J-185 > 4-15/16” deep (after 1954) Everly/J-180 > 4-3/8” deep (intro 1962) Everly/J-180 > 4-3/4” deep (1970-1972) Info per Gruhn’s Guide #2. All are 16” bodies.
  14. My only first-hand experience with Gibson customer service was handled very professionally back in 2012. I dealt initially with an authorized Gibson repair person (as specified by the company). Sent him photos of a separated body glue joint on a five year old LP Double-Cut purchased new. He contacted Gibson, and they asked to have it sent to them in Nashville. I was given the contact info for a customer service rep in Nashville, and from that point on was in communication with him. The guitar was deemed not repairable by Nashville, so they offered me my pick of any current model of similar value.
  15. That's the exact model I have, and it really is a very nicely done version of McCartney's instrument. But the seller's listing is slightly off, as this model was technically never called an Elitist by Gibson/Epiphone. Officially, it was the Paul McCartney 1964 Texan, as developed for McCartney's Adopt-A-Minefield fundraiser. Indeed, 1,964 were built by Terada in Japan as he noted (and then there were the two Montana-built versions, also made for the fundraiser). All of that said, I have seen the McCartney model called an Elitist before, even by dealers. I imagine some of the folks who've listed it that way were trying to provide a build-quality frame of reference, as the Elitist moniker is well known and respected. Only problem with that is the possibility of some confusion, as there actually was an Elitist Texan model built by Terada! It was quite different in the details of it's construction, and had a notably different appearance because it was not built specifically as a copy of McCartney's original instrument. I can't recall it's initial release date, but it shows up in the 2004 Epiphone catalog along with a number of other Elitist acoustic models - all of which were discontinued within a few years.
  16. bobouz

    NGD

    Lovely instrument - Congrats & Enjoy!
  17. I’m guessing the headstock taper variations are just a matter of lens angles. Notice how even Boyd’s two shots of the same guitar look vastly different (front vs back).
  18. These tuners were 100% original equipment on many Gibson and Epiphone acoustics built in 1967, and they are of Japanese origin. In particular, I’ve seen them on numerous roundshoulders from that year (including Texans), as well as the B-25 and it’s Epi Cortez clone. Edit: Again, these were only utilized by Gibson for a period of time in 1967. If you’re lucky, the headstock hole spacing might not have been changed, and 3-on-a-plate Klusons might drop in - covering many of the holes. Hope it ends up being an easy swap!
  19. Glad they did the right thing & offered a full refund. Happy hunting in the quest for another ES-125!
  20. How very cool that you had such a fine instrument at the age of twelve (and still have it!). I was fifteen in 1966, but five years away from initially tinkering with the guitar. Currently I too have a '66 Epi acoustic - a Cortez (B-25 clone), which I dearly love for it's tone. The neck is 1-9/16" at the nut, but the profile is rather deep & makes it work okay for me. As for Texans, mine is a 2005 McCartney '64 Texan, made by Terada (the Elitist folks) in Japan for McCartney's Adopt-A-Minefield fundraiser project, and sports a 1-5/8" nut. The wider nut on this brand new Montana Texan model will certainly be appreciated by many players.
  21. ES-125s are plentiful on the used market. The lack of disclosure regarding the additional damage is not okay at all in my book. I'd return it in order to look for another, and ask them to cover the shipping cost since they did not fully disclose the instrument's condition. A sunken top & notable cracks are structural issues you should have been made aware of. I say this having previously owned a '50s ES-125, and currently owning a '66 ES-125T, so I know they can get under your skin in a good way & you might not want to let it go. In that case, asking for a significant discount would certainly seem reasonable -perhaps $200 or you send it back (which in all probability they really don't want to have happen). Again personally, I would not want to give the dealer a pass on this, and there are many other ES-125s out there. Hope it all works out to your satisfaction.
  22. Wow - Very impressively close! Thanks for posting, JC.
  23. Interesting - A different beast altogether. Thanks for the info.
  24. Fwiw - I have a maple CJ-165ce made in 2007, one of only two years where they made this model with a soundhole-mounted pickup control system (as opposed to the side cut-out mount). Tonally, I find it to be quite satisfying & very similar to my J-185 in it's well-balanced response, but with a little less depth to the overall sound (to be expected with the smaller body). Super nice couch guitar, imho. Aside from that, Dave I'm curious about the archtop on your wall, next to the Nick Lucas. I can see that the back is braced. I used to own a 1948 L-48 with a solid flat braced back & solid sides (all mahogany). The instrument's top was solid pressed mahogany. Anyway, I've never run across another similarly braced back on an archtop, so I'm very curious about what model you have there!
  25. I purchased a new natural finish 2006 figured-top ES-335 made in Memphis, and I do recall that some 335 models had been coming out of Nashville as well. If I remember correctly, these typically were intended to be more specifically detailed reissues of particular past models, and they were highly regarded.
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