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Unfortunately you are correct. That is a fake Epi. They stopped using an alpha prefix to their serial numbers in mid 2008. The font is also wrong and you can see the headstock binding is double the thickness it should be and extends to the midpoint of the first fret. All signs of a certain counterfeit guitar. I would recommend that you send pictures and details on the purchase to Gibson/Epiphone Customer Support for their official confirmation before attempting to confront the seller to get your money back. Official confirmation is an absolute must if the guitar was purchased on line from EBay and paid for using PayPal.

Epiphone never stopped making guitars in Korea and Indonesia. Many models of Les Paul and others are made in these factories. The only models that seem to be exclusive to their Qingdao, China factory are the Tribute Plus and the various signature models they put out which are their top of the line products, save for the occasional Elitist model that they produce in Japan.

The above statement is 100% FALSE. No Epiphone guitar is made of layered wood. The only models that may be made of what is properly called 'laminate' would be the lowest end of the line with bolt on necks, and the double neck 1275. If you purchase any set neck Les Paul or SG, you have a true solid body guitar. Even more so than a Gibson as Epis are not weight relieved, other than the Ultra series LP which is chambered by design.

Those were a limited run for Best Buy. You see them come up on ebay now and then and even see them pop up on the Best Buy web site on occasion when they find a few in a warehouse somewhere. It's a beautiful guitar and I'd keep it and save up if I had GAS for something else.

Korean made guitars are of no better or worse quality than those made in China or Indonesia or other Asian factory. You can get a gem or a dog no matter where a guitar was made, even if it was made in the US. And yes, some models are still being made in Korea as well as Indonesia. To know where a particular guitar was made, you will have to check the serial number or the made in XXXXX sticker on the back of the guitar. Most signature models and the Tribute Plus models are made in the Epiphone Qingdao factory in China. A guitar should be judged on it's own merits, not on where it was made.

There are a number of different woods that fall under the term 'mahogany' and Epi has probably used most of them to make guitars over the years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahogany What is used in a Gibson LP is not what is used to make Epiphones. There are a number of reasons why you can purchase an Epi Standard for under $400 brand new and why a Gibson costs around $3000. The cost and quality of the wood is one of them.

Now that I realize it after seeing your guitar, my 2 screws in the TRC would not apply to that model of guitar. I was thinking of the more traditional headstock such as on a Les Paul or SG or Dot. On a 335 or a Casino, the TRC would indeed have 3 screws whether it was an Elitist, other MiJ or not. My apologies for any confusion I may have added to things.

My335, your serial number is too long to be a Fujigen sn, I have never seen one longer than 6 numbers. Is there a possibility that the first character is actually an "O" and not a "0"? Another thing to check is that Japanese guitars have serial numbers with "Made in Japan" under the number. Elitists lack the made in Japan. Japanese made Epis also have 2 screws in the TRC, not 3. If yours has 3, it is not MiJ. Here is an example of a Japanese 335 for sale on ebay right now: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110826067079&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

My instincts say fake. To be certain, we need to see a pic of the back of the headstock with the serial number and a side shot of the headstock where the binding meets the neck binding. If you cannot get better pictures, at least request the serial number. If it contains either EE at the beginning or if it is a numerical s/n and the factory code is 15 which indicates Qinigdao, it is a fake. $549 AU for that guitar used would be a great price from what I can gather. For a new guitar including case, it is one of those things that seems way too good to be true.

If it's a faded model, it definitely isn't from 2001 as they did not exist back then. The only problem I see with the serial number is that if we use the current method of sn it decodes to factory 18 which does not exist as far as I am aware. Are you sure that the 8 is not a 5?

Epiphones are good guitars. In my opinion for the price, they are a great deal .But you cannot seriously expect an Epi Standard which sells for $399, for example, to be the same quality as a Gibson LP Standard costing $2499. Now is that Gibson worth 6 times the price of the Epiphone version? For myself, and for my needs, the answer is a resounding NO. Only you can decide what you want and need out of a guitar. If you already have preconceived ideas that Epis are not good guitars, or not good enough for you, then spend your money elsewhere because you will always feel the guitar is not good enough, no matter how good it really is.

Pics would help a lot but just from your serial number, it would have been made in April 2010 at the Gibson owned factory in Qingdao, China with a production number of 11592. There is no way to determine what model it is from the serial number. As for a COA, the only Epiphones that come with them are certain signature models such as a Slash AFD. Hope that helps a bit. Welcome to the board and HNGD (happy new guitar day)!!!

You mentioned that you purchased the guitar through Ebay. Did you buy it new from a reputable, authorized dealer or did the advertisement state it would be shipped direct from the factory in China? I am not trying to get you worried but there are a lot of fakes being sold on ebay and I would like to rule that out as a possible cause. Can you post some pictures of the guitar you bought?

It is also missing the Zakk image on the back of the headstock.

The reason they replace the serial number with a sticker and remove the last few digits of the original is to prevent someone from removing the sticker and selling it as a new guitar instead of a used or factory second. Leaving the beginning of the serial number unaltered is probably to be able to track the date and factory where it was manufactured if necessary. And yes, the original number shows it was made in QingDao China in November 2003.