bobouz

On the original Gospel, the peghead had a standard Gibson logo along with a little dove in flight. Always thought that little bird looked cool, but typically the guitar didn't sound very good!

Well, like I said, the overall price would be a major consideration, but there are other factors that can end up as part of the equation, such as the overall build quality, historic connection, a unique tone, etc. Vintage Epiphone Texans made by Gibson with laminated sides command serious dollars. Vintage J160s with laminated tops, as well as reissue John Lennon models, are rather spendy beasts (yes, it's supposed to be plugged in). Occasional reissues as have been mentioned above, Guilds and a few Gibsons with laminated arched backs, Django's jazz boxes as noted above by Jerry, and more. Martin has had many laminated models (pre-Mexico models such as the DM), built in the USA, with the same high build quality as their solid wood counterparts - costing significantly more than a $300 Epi, and generally well worth it. All of that said, would I be interested in a used reissue Gospel? Nope, but a used reissue B-25? Just maybe.

Very interesting. My understanding is that the B-25 of the mid '60s had a solid back & laminated sides (which I confirmed on the sides of the '65 B25n I owned, as someone had drilled a jack hole in an LP position). The B25 lasted into the early '70s, and I'd guesss that at some point the specs changed to both the back and sides being laminated.

For me it would all depend on the price of course, along with the tone, playability, and other characteristics of the instrument. I would not out-of-hand dismiss an acoustic based on partial laminate construction. Guess we all have our own criteria, and where I draw the line is that the top must be solid.

Yes, the J200 Studio is now the entry level jumbo.

Mine is also a maple 2000 & similarly very light, with a natural top & dark back & sides (slight sunburst on sides). Beautiful tone that I haven't found elsewhere, especially on the bass end. Previously owned a mahogany '96 which was also very good, but the neck was a bit too clubby. Regardless, these can be stellar guitars in any of it's various forms.

It looks like the width is pretty normal, but the overall dressing of the fret ends was poorly executed & needs to be redone. As for the potential for things to significantly change down the road, it seems unlikely, imho. Your thoughts about modding an Epiphone is an avenue that has worked well for lots of folks, but consider that the money spent on mods is rarely factored in when you go to sell or trade down the road. Btw, the Epi Valensi Riviera already comes with Gibson p94 pickups. If you like single coils & skinny necks, it's very well built & represents an amazing value (but doesn't come in black!).

Additional thought - Try a few other examples of this model, and see if you run into the same thing. Hopefully, someone else on the assembly line will have done the fretwork!

My verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Of the many Gibsons I currently own or have owned, my Midtown Custom quite possibly has the most comfortable fingerboard and neck of the bunch. Unfortunately, yours is suffering from poorly executed workmanship on that particular instrument. It's unfortunate & shouldn't happen, but the fault does not lie with the basic construction method or the use of Richlite. I've experienced problems similar to what you're describing on Gibsons with rosewood boards as well.

Okay, I gotta admit, those clowns really creep me out, too! Don't much care for clowns to begin with, but a whole row of demented examples (sorry Bozo) really cranks it up to another level. I try to get past them as fast as possible!

To muddy up the waters even more, Sheratons are currently still being made in Korea by Unsung, while past Korean versions have been made by Samick, Saein, and Unsung. Interestingly, it seemed like production had completely switched to China, but now within the past few months I've seen new Korean Unsungs in stock at both Sweetwater & MF, along with the Chinese version. At Sweetwater, you can clearly tell the origin by looking at the Guitar Gallery photos (look for the 5-piece neck). At MF, the only way to know for sure is if the guitar's been returned & is being sold as used, with pics of that specific instrument.

Yes, there was a recently posted pic of an original HR that was fully acoustic. HRs are neat instruments, but market interest is small for a fully hollow one pickup guitar, and the round soundhole probably just "doesn't look right" to a lot of folks. Unless you're trying to sell, don't worry about it & enjoy the vintage vibe!

FWIW - The specs on the L48 changed many times. I used to own a 1948 L48 that had a solid mahogany top, with a flat and braced mahogany back! In fact, the back and sides looked like they were borrowed directly from a flat top acoustic.

Yes indeed, that is the Korean version.

Yes indeed. It was my intent in post #2 to point out the high quality of the AIUSA JLH models (vs the Korean JLH). The Elitist Sheraton is also extremely well made, coming out of the same Terada factory in Japan.

Well, it's the same generic Korean Sheraton II ($600 new, $450 used), with JLH's name scribbled on the front. How much more that signature is worth is debateable. Personally, I'd rather have it signed on the back where it would be less visible.

If you've located one to consider for purchase, it would be important to provide some pictures. There are two very different Epiphone models using the JLH moniker: One is the highly regarded "Assembled in USA" JLH Sheraton I or II. Version one has a Frequensator tailpiece, version two has a stopbar tailpiece. These were made in Japan by the Terada factory and then shipped to the USA for final assembly with Gibson pickups & hardware. The other JLH branded Sheraton is a Korean made version which is very similar to the generic Sheraton II that has been manufactured for many years in Korean and now China. It's value is much less than the AIUSA version, and sellers frequently ask an inflated price for it.

Yes, and now according to a recent thread on the Gibson acoustic forum, Gibson plans to produce Epi Masterbilt acoustics at the old Garrison facility in Canada. A Canadian made Epiphone is something I'd like to see.

Not quite. Some Gibson acoustics have been made at the former Garrison factory in Canada.

I am not typically a defender of all things Gibson, but if the only issue with this instrument is a sloppy saddle, your reaction seems a bit over the top re "crap workmanship." Considering all the serious stuff that can go wrong, it sounds like you've got a very good one overall. Warranties are meant for such problems, and in all likelihood Gibson would have made it right if you'd gone to an authorized repair person. True, this may not always be convenient, but it would represent a rather small bump in the road for a guitar with keeper potential, imho.

Don't worry, it's okay. My 330L has the same number of digits, and also starts with 05. Btw, your guitar was made in 2010.

Anne - Have to add another two cents worth of discussion to this J100 lovefest. The one other catalog I have from this period was from the 2003 model year. By that time, the J100-Xtra no longer had the abalone rosette. The fretboard inlays became mop crowns, and the binding was now white. Also, the pickguard was not installed (don't know if it came with the guitar or not). The body remained maple & the neck mahogany. Interestingly, over the years there haven't been too many Jumbo Gibsons that sported a fully visible abalone rosette. For me, the understated appointments of the '00 J100 in conjunction with the beautiful rosette make it one of the more attractive jumbos I've laid my eyes on. It appears to have been a pretty narrow window for this particular combination of features. And like you, I've done virtually nothing to the guitar, but promise to get after it in about five years (retirement!). Which reminds me because someday I too plan to experiment with the nut & saddle: they say that bone saddles do not generally provide as even of a contact surface for under saddle pickups due to varying degrees of density within the bone itself. So in case you frequently use the Fishman, there's a chance it might change your plugged in signal strength from string to string..... Bob

Okay, just checked, and my label says 'J100 XT' just like yours. I'd have to say I'm 99.99% certain this signifies 'Xtra'. Mine was built in December of 2000. Btw, I also have the '99 catalog. 1999 was the year Bozeman revamped their lineup in a big way, with a nod towards many of their classic models from the past. The specs for the J100 Xtra are identical in '99 compared to '00, as is the catalog picture which shows the pickguard covering part of the abalone rosette. Mine is completely visible, as has been the rosette on every example of this guitar I've ever seen (and I actually saw quite a few during those years - all in natural except for mine). It could be that some early examples left the factory this way, and then they thankfully decided to expose the full rosette. I purchased my '00 J100 new, I believe, in April of '01. Later that year, I also purchased a new '01 J150. The two instruments had a very different tone, with the J100 having a stronger bass projection, while the J150 was very even from top to bottom. Neck material is mahogany on the J100 & was maple on the J150. The neck profiles were very different as well, with the J100 having a fast '60s feel. Also, this particular J100 is seriously light as a feather when compared to the J150 I had. Really two very different guitars in tone & playability, even though all the body bracing looked identical. Eventually the J100 ended up being the keeper, while the J150 became part of a trade that landed a natural finish ES 335. From those early years of the 2000s, I also owned a J50, WM45, and still own a '02 J45 Rosewood. Bozeman put out some super nice guitars in the first half of the decade, and the pricing at the time represented a very good value, imho.

Anne - Just checked my catalog. The finish designations for the "J100 Xtra" (this is exactly how it it written) in 2000 were AN for Antique Natural, and AT for Antique Walnut. Mine has the dark walnut finish on the back & sides with a natural top. Yes, the tuners are gold. Also the peghead logo & crown are inlaid rather than a decal. The many versions of this model vary significantly. For example, I previously owned an '06 J100 which also was called an 'extra' (I believe it retained the letter 'e'). It had a natural finish with mahogany back & sides, white body binding, standard rosette, and a decal peghead logo & crown. As for the label on my 2000, I'll confirm what it says tomorrow when I can get to it without waking up my wife (I'm a bit of a night owl!). I do know that at least one of these two guitars spelled the word 'extra' (or Xtra) out on the label.

FYI - The guitar in your pic is not a 2000 model. The 2000 version was called a J100xtra. It had black binding and an abalone rosette with a plain J200-shaped pickguard. It had a natural finish top, with maple back & sides in either natural or a very dark vintage antique finish. I bought one new and still have it (as well as catalogs from that peroid). Note that the first and fifth serial number numerals will tell you the year. This particular model has gone through many changes, both in appointments and materials. Regardless of the year, it appears that you did very well on the price. Enjoy your new guitar!