pohatu771

That's as far as I went, too. I did see that Sweetwater has their own photo for Vintage Sunburst, but not in stock.

Yeah, it's been on their site (and available to order) since March 30. I haven't seen anyone who has actually done it, though.

The Inspired by Gibson acoustic line was rebranded shortly before it was released. The shipping boxes (and even some interior labels) refer to them as Masterbilt models. They are the same guitar. Every example I've seen is from Indonesia.

Yeah, that's a pretty typical mid-60s burst. I was slightly wrong in saying that the names are retroactive solely based on how the finish has aged, since the colors did vary throughout the decade. The mid-60s were lighter than the dark brown of the late 50s, to the point that they are sometimes burnt orange. All versions would just be called sunburst (or, in this case, not called anything since it was the default finish). While this catalog doesn't have the ES-330, you can see the variety of finishes all simply called "sunburst." In the acoustic section, you'll find "cherry sunburst." https://acousticmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Gibson-1966-Catalog.pdf

That's just sunburst. "Tea burst" is a name retroactively given to vintage Gibsons due to variations in how they fade over time, some losing more red or brown than others. The only alternative burst Gibson used in the 60s was the cherry sunburst on the Hummingbird. Epiphone models also had different patterns and colors.

It wasn't a dumb question, and a person who is actually interested in being helpful instead of just derailing every thread would appreciate it. I've never seen a breakdown of left-handed versions. According to GuitarHQ.com, Gibson shipped 2,000 ES-330TD (sunburst) and 1,151 ES-330TDC (cherry) models in 1966, but no more specifics. Another source (that I can't find again) was more detailed about Epiphone records from the same era, indicating Bigsby or Tremotone options, so maybe there is a Gibson source for that.

That describes about half of all Epiphone acoustic guitars ever made. The PR series (many different models) was offered in the late 90s. Many were available with satin finishes, and most had dot inlays. Was this a new guitar when you got it, or used?

You got a guitar, and its back and sides are made of mahogany. That's not misrepresentation. Epiphone didn't tell you it was solid mahogany, you just assumed that. Misrepresentation would be describing the guitar as "plastic." Laminate guitars have been produced for 100 years, by Epiphone, Gibson, and many other brands. I've never seen complaints about top, back, or sides de-laminating. What would you expect Epiphone to do? They are responsible for publishing the specs, not for making sure you understand them.

Mine is 8 pounds, 10 ounces. 8 pounds, 8 ounces seems to be the average weight for ES-335 types. It's much heavier than my Casino, which creates a bit of a disconnect after playing that for so many years.

Only the Elitist 1965 Casino (with nitro finish) was advertised as 3-ply. The Lennon and regular Elitist Casino (and Dot) should be 5. Otherwise, I have heard that the very first thinline ES models were 3-ply, but they are a small minority among vintage models.

Inner layers are typically poplar. Gibson (and Kalamazoo-made Epiphones) are traditionally four-ply. Modern Gibsons and Nashville-made Epiphones are three layers, with the middle being twice as thick. Import Epiphones are five layers and are inconsistent between eras and factories. The inside layers might be birch, or every layer might be maple. The one exception is the Elitist 1965 Casino, which is three layers.

From your description, you're vastly overthinking this. You're replacing a Kluson-style white-button tuner with a Kluson-style keystone tuner. The actual machines will be the same and screw into the same holes. The screw isn't providing any structural support to the crack. As long as you aren't over-tightening the screw into solid wood with no pilot hole, there is no way it is going to cause any problem.

This will be tough to replace. This is a nearly 50-year-old guitar made by a company that doesn’t exist anymore (Matsumoku), who changed parts on the same model based on what was available. Your best bet is to find a broken guitar with the same bridge and salvage the parts you need. Otherwise, someone with a machine shop could probably make you a pair of compatible replacements by modifying bolts with the same thread, but it might be expensive. A luthier would recommend replacing the bridge altogether, because those adjustable saddles create a pivot point and increase belly bulge on the guitar.

I’ve been playing this one for a few days and am blown away. It’s been hard not to share it until the embargo lifted today... but I also couldn’t manage to take daylight photos, so these will have to do.

Indoor photos with average lighting often have a yellow tint. You can see how different the color is just between the three photos; the last one looks very TV Silver to me. I'd ignore the seller claiming it's a 2014. The serial number dates to August 2012, and the TV Silver series was announced in January 2013 (which also included a Les Paul Standard, Les Paul Custom, G-400, Wilshire, and Thunderbird IV).

It's a tough position. Ignoring the importance of 1959 to you, a 1964 is a second-tier option for the LG-0. You have the disadvantage of a plastic bridge, but no apparent warping that they often cause, but still have the wider nut of a pre-1965 model. A fair price is probably about $700 for that year with that headstock break, but the value on these has gone up quite a bit over the past year.

The plastic bridge was used between 1962 and 1966, and it seems unlikely that someone would install one if it didn't come from the factory that way. That serial number would make it an early 70s model, which also seems incorrect. I found one listed as a 1959 that recently sold on Reverb, which I assume is the one you bought. From the images, it's definitely a 1962-1966. I can't make out the serial number on the headstock to confirm. [EDIT} I think the serial number is 106073 or -8, which would be correct for 1963.

Epiphone did make one Les Paul Custom model with chrome hardware, including these Grover (or Grover-style) tuners. But tuners are just as easy to replace as any of the other parts. The hardest part of this modification would be routing it for that third pickup, which is why I think it is originally a Black Beauty.

I believe it's been heavily customized, and started off as a three-pickup "Black Beauty" model. The truss rod cover is obviously a replacement. The two bottom screws not being right up against the nut matches where an original truss rod cover would be for a 1999 model. It's fairly easy to turn a gloss finish to a matte finish and replace all the parts, including pickups. It's hard to tell from this photo whether the bridge and tailpiece are replacements or just worn gold after twenty years.

That is an Epiphone S-300 from made in 1986 or 1987. In good condition, people are asking, and getting, much more for these than I think they are actually worth as instruments; about $300-400. It's hard to tell from this photo what would need to be repaired on yours aside from a missing knob, but even if you replaced all electronics, you could do it with equivalent or slightly upgraded parts for less than $100. These are an interesting novelty - and historically Fender-style guitar made by Epiphone - but they are not great guitars. If you want a Stratocaster, Squier's excellent Classic Vibe series is $430; a used model would be well within your budget.

They aren't based on a 1959. They have all the specs of a 1962, but with the headstock badge that was used until 1961. It's entirely possible that a few were made in a transitional period that match these exactly.

If you're still deciding what to do with it and think that Bigsby has devalued it, I'll generously take it off your hands and cover what you put into it so you can put this whole experience behind you.

That's not good, but it's also not bad enough yet. The solution is a neck reset, which is a very expensive repair. I wouldn't do anything until it impacts the playability of the guitar. If you bought it new, you could start a warranty claim right away.

I've seen quite a few of these, but this is the first in sunburst. I'm surprised that it's a Gibson-style teardrop, rather than Epiphone's typical (at least in the Kalamazoo era that these were meant to replicate) edge burst

For reference, my USA Texan has a date stamp of February 14, 2020, and was on the shelf at my local store around March 10. I assume that means the Casino is farther along the process than my Texan was at this stage, since the stamp happens before finishing.