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smips65

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    Gibson Maestro SG?

    in Epiphone Electrics

    Posted

    It's a total crapshot-

     

    My local Costco has those, by the dozens, and whipped around in the warehouse by kids driving forklifts.

    It's a low level budget entry instrument for parents that want to indulge their children, cheaper than a piano, and much easier to dispose of.

     

    I'm not knocking them, but realize what they are, is all I'm saying.

    i.d. your Epiphone here -- serial # key, guitardater link + factory codes... a worldwide guide >part 3

    in Epiphone Electrics

    Posted

    Hi' date=' I've been looking for a nice epiphone lp online and came across this. I've read the first post but have no idea how to decode this serial. Obviously J means it's made in Japan but from there I have no idea.

     

    The # is J11513936

     

    thanks for any help[/quote']

     

    I think that the Japan made instruments are from the Terada Plant, and have a "T" for the serial #

    I tried the dater, and your number was not recognized.

     

    Peter will confirm, but I would keep looking.

    Real Difference Between the Dot, Sheraton, Casino & Riviera

    in Epiphone Electrics

    Posted

    Great thread guys... but it raises a nagging question I've always been a bit too scared to pose to the Epi-head Fraternity:

     

    There are loads of posts on this forum re Sheraton II' date=' but was there ever &/or what constitutes a Sheraton I?

     

    eggmuffins

     

    [/quote']

     

     

    As you can see in Brian's post, the Sheri I has small humbuckers, the top one has the New York pups, the second one has the regular hum pups. That and the freaky tail piece are the main differences.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Plow: If the LP is easier than the Hummingbird, then you may want to go in the direction of the Sheri, or the Casino.

     

    Your observation about being able to reach around the neck is right on.

     

    The length of the neck, will be a reflection of the scale the guitar is, so the Hummingbird will have a scale of 25 1/2 while the LP has a scale of 24 3/4, meaning the frets are closer together. Nut width has some significance, if you play there a lot, the smaller the width, harder it is to get clean notes. Depends on your fingers really, what works for your wife, may not work for you.

     

    Necks can be wide, but very thin, top to bottem, you'll read threads here about v-necks and c-necks, what it all boils down to is what is the most comfortable for you.

    Real Difference Between the Dot, Sheraton, Casino & Riviera

    in Epiphone Electrics

    Posted

    Thanks for your input Brian. Unfortunately I live out in the sticks of west Texas and a real city of any size is 2-3 hours drive so I don't have a "local" guitar center which is why I do LOTS of research on the net. Also' date=' as I mentioned, I am new to guitar, literally a beginner so I would feel a little uncomfortable in a guitar shop trying out guitars with the 2 whole chords that I know...lol! Well, it's not quite that bad but I just don't know enough about guitars or amps to ask the right questions let alone judge them by anything I can play at the level I am at right now.

     

    As far as my playing environment, I have no plans for anything more than playing for personal pleasure. Hopefully the wife will progress along with me and we can have fun strumming together for the next 50 years, assuming we live to be 100!

     

    It does sound like making upgrades to the electronics will be a snap so it seems a fellow could buy a Dot or Sheraton, upgrade the electronics, maybe the tuners as well and end up with a guitar that has the guts of a Gibson for the price of an Epiphone + the cost of the upgraded parts.

     

    It looks to me like the [b']Sheraton is just a glorified Dot with gold hardware and a fancy headstock and neck.[/b] I can't tell them apart otherwise. I guess the bottom line of all this is I don't want to buy a Dot and then wish I had bought a Sheraton or Casino. Or buy a Casino and find that a Dot would have been just as good. BUT I guess I'll never know unless I actually pick one up and play it! I was just wanting a little insight from more experienced folks like yourself such as if there was anything inherently wrong with the Dot or Sheraton, etc.

     

     

    There are some differences as has been stated. The necks are significantly different. It really comes down to what feels more comfortable to you. With that said, the acoustics that you have as compared to the Lester, which neck feels better to you? This could help with your choice.

     

    The Sheri has a three piece neck, and is generally thinner, than the one piece neck on a dot. If your planning on changing the electronics anyway, then discussing the differences between the two is mute.

     

    A Casino is a full hollowbody with P-90 pups, and wouldn't require much modding.

    Others here could chime in, but in my experience the neck on a Casino is similar to the Sheri.

     

     

    The fuller bodied archtops I mentioned would be enjoyable plugged or unplugged, if you have no amp, or don't know yet what your looking for.

     

    However, they usually have a thicker chunkier neck.

     

    So in the end, since electronics are not an issue, playability and comfort is the key concern here. Since you have a solidbody electric, and a couple of acoustics... your hands should be able to guide you in the right direction.

     

    If you like the Les Paul Studio better, then a Sheri might be the one

     

    If you like the thicker wider neck on the acoustics, then the Dot might be a better fit.

    Real Difference Between the Dot, Sheraton, Casino & Riviera

    in Epiphone Electrics

    Posted

    All we ask is that you post pics of your selection and the upgrades as you go so's we can learn from your efforts.

     

    Good luck!

     

    PS: Full hollow are more susceptible to acoustic feedback' date=' so semis can venture into hgh volume territory more easily. [b']If you're not into LOUD, then a full hollow is kinda nice[/b], you can sit on the couch, no amp, and get some good tone out of it.

     

     

     

    I'll second this thought...

     

    Plow, you mentioned in the beggining that your looking for an archtop, are you set on the skinnier models, such as the dot sheri, casino?

     

    There is also the Joe Pass, Broadway, ES-175 reissue, and of course others with fuller bodies, that most certainly play well unplugged....

     

     

    As Brain suggested, there are gems to be found on the local Craigslist.

    "Epiphone by Gibson" headstock Sheraton owners club

    in Epiphone Electrics

    Posted

    Thanks hungrycat that is indeed an E-by-G acoustic first time i have ever seen one of those' date='

     

    [/quote']

     

     

    I thought this was a Sheri E by G deal here...

     

     

     

    I saw a Peerless acoustic E by G,.... 2-3 months ago, thinline 140, cutaway, with 2 electric outputs.,1986 I believe.

     

    Had the epi year layout inlay at the 12th fret.

     

    guess I should have shot a pic....[biggrin]

    Sheraton neck cracking - should I panic?

    in Epiphone Electrics

    Posted

    :-k

     

    Step One:

    Take it in and have it verified, crack in wood, or crack in finish.

     

    If the wood is cracked, the repair may not be as difficult as appears. Musikron helped me with my acoustic repair.

     

    Step Two:

    If it turns out to be a wood crack, pilot holes and needles only work so well. You'll need to stress the crack open further, very gently, and work watered down glue into the crack. Without movement, the glue only works into the crack just so far, and you'll end up with an incomplete glue joint.

     

    Now your crack being at the body end of the neck takes me out of my experience, others here may know how to create that open and close you'll need to get a proper glue joint.

     

    When I made my repair, I used thin strips of mylar that could be worked into the crack.

     

    cracksq.jpg

     

     

     

     

    Just some thoughts...

    "Epiphone by Gibson" headstock Sheraton owners club

    in Epiphone Electrics

    Posted

    Here are a few pics I took today..... I haven't played this one in a long time.... It needs a little work.... Last time I played out with it' date=' I busted out the bridge pickup ring.... Other than that it is a real dream to play....

     

     

    [img']http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/2616/img0149te.jpg[/img]

     

     

     

    These streaks running down the neck, camera flash, or some bad finish work?

     

     

    Nice git.

    About the Plywood thing..

    in Epiphone Electrics

    Posted

    Actually' date=' I think that Home Depot plywood gets a bad rap. It's the OSB (Oriented Strand Board/chipboard) that REALLY sucks! [thumbdn']

     

     

     

     

     

    You know what bluesman, you are exactly right about that, I'll just bet thats why my VOX doesn't sound right.

    About the Plywood thing..

    in Epiphone Electrics

    Posted

    Bluelake thanks for sending that link. The desription makes sense in many ways' date=' but it's hard to attribute what the Epiphone response actually was, and what was written by the poster, as no quotes are used. I believe the quote describing the top as "laminated" is the is the posters, based on his understanding of the term (or possibly misunderstanding as it is used in instrument manufacturing).

     

     

    That description makes sense to me, as it would be a technique a manufacturer would use to keep the guitar affordable: a veneer over a soild top. Epiphone still gets to call it "solid," even though "nearly solid" or "solid with an asterix" might be more descriptive, huh.

     

    I will take the pups off and look again, and see if I can confirm a veneer.

     

    Thanks for the link.

     

    Red 333[/quote']

     

     

     

     

    I don't think you even need to take the pup off. Just the fact we're talking solid spuce should be indication enough. You have a mighty nice collection Red. Look at a solid spruce acoustic, then the "solid Carved Spuce arch, and that should tell the story. Grain Pattern is the givaway.

     

     

    Just my 2 cents worth.

    About the Plywood thing..

    in Epiphone Electrics

    Posted

    The Elitist Byrdland and Elitist Broadway both have solid spruce tops.

     

    The regular production Broadway has a select (laminated) top.

     

    Red 333

     

     

    That factoid I'm quoting is from this very forum, an owner of a byrdland specified there was a veneer on his "solid spruce top"

     

     

     

    therefore, not solid, not plywood, a laminate if you will.....

     

    Not trying to create an argument, just suggesting don't let the wool be pulled over thine eyes.

    About the Plywood thing..

    in Epiphone Electrics

    Posted

    [biggrin]

     

     

    As the owner of one of those X1 series Martins, I like the neck on it. Have read much opinion on the contruction and looks. Found out it is the same material as rifle stocks. The HPL composite and laminated neck, do give it a bulletproof feel. I know I've whacked it too many times against the table, counter, my head, and so on. Temperature changes and the like really don't seem to effect it too much.

     

     

    Getting back to the original thread, I read somewhere that even the Epi Elitist Byrdland has a "select spruce top"

     

    which is a laminated plywood so to speak. So there really isn't getting away from the plywood construction on archtop guitars.

     

    As Hungrycat suggested, carved tops are gonna cost you so much, you're really going to have to consider the cost vs payback part of that scenario. Most of the musicians I know are so deathly afraid of taking something like that anywhere, much less a crowded smokey, could get damaged enviornment, the guitar never sees the light of day.

     

     

    Just some thoughts....

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