pohatu771

Those are stock tuners on an LG-0 of that era. Made in Japan. I removed them from my 1965 when I got it about 13 years ago. StewMac's Golden Age Restoration Tuners (either three-on-a-plate version) will fit the holes and spacing, but need new screw holes. Their Vintage-style (closed back, white button Kluson-style) will also fit and are a perfect match for my 1964 Epiphone Cortez.

I have a 2001 J-45 and the 2020 Texan. It's hard to say I'm being objective when I say that I prefer the Texan, since $2500 spent a few months ago means more to me than $900 spent 10 years ago. I had two Texans to choose from when I bought mine, and played the third one that the store got a few weeks ago. There was definitely a difference between the original two, but the third couldn't be directly compared to another one. My Texan is a bit sweeter than my J-45 and does not have the boomy sound that was beginning to frustrate me. It's nice to have two very similar guitars that excel in slightly different ranges of the spectrum. The Texan, of course, is 25.5" rather than the 24.75" J-45, but I personally don't find that to be a major factor.

For historic record: I got a 2020 Wilshire (two of them, actually) in sealed Epiphone boxes from two different dealers. They only include the bumper sticker and vintage-style tag (complete with a note from Epi Stathopoulos, who died 15 years before Epiphone ever made the original Wilshire).

It definitely was a bit surprising to see it mismatched this way. It almost deterred me, but it is unique and I kind of like the "Two Face" look. It's less noticeable on the front, covered in the pick guard and controls.

My generous mother bought me a Wilshire for Christmas - I knew about it after she asked me what case to buy. It now lives in a Gator Journeyman "double cutaway" case, their description for a rectangular Strat/Tele case. Unfortunately, the one she received from an online store was bad. I'm surprised it made it through QC with all the issues: a misshapen truss rod cover, high frets at 5 and 7 (and potentially more) that made 4 and 6 unplayable, a pick guard that didn't sit flat on the guitar, and two P-90s installed at an angle. Fortunately, my local store had a fresh red Wilshire, still in its box, that I bought for less than the online stores. The original had a pretty basic grain pattern; the new one is completely mismatched, with flame on one half that makes it look a bit like Two Face.

I believe it's one of the earliest made, from 1986, but that doesn't do anything to the value.

You don't have a Telecaster, do you? I think these are roughly the size of a double-cutaway Telecaster, but I haven't been able to try a case.

I played the Wilshire and Crestwood a few weeks ago. I'm planning to buy a Wilshire when they get the red one in. What is anyone using for the case? Epiphone's product page lists the SG case, but a Sweetwater rep recommended a generic rectangular Fender-style case. My local store thinks they have one of the 2009 reissue cases hidden somewhere, but if that doesn't turn up, I need something else.

USA Casino officially launches on March 30; stores will probably have them in shortly before then. I heard the words "reconfigured," but I don't know what that means. Two new Bozeman-made Epiphone acoustics will be launching in 2021 as well.

I have no proof of this, but 2021 will bring Bozeman-made Excellente and Frontier models to the Epiphone USA lineup.

A little more late-night research found this job listing from the newly-arrived Epiphone in July 1952. 61 is still one of the bus lines that serves that intersection. Based on their walking directions, I now believe the factory was at 2 or 3 Rector Street.

Forgive me as well for replying to a very old post, but I've actually (almost) figured it out. @LesB3 was on the right track with old phone books, but was looking up the wrong company: May 1953 lists Epiphone Inc. at Rector and Main. Based on the city's property database and the size of the buildings, I suspect it is the building at 4236 Main Street, but I am still investigating. It doesn't have to be right on the corner, after all.

I'm glad the Riviera is actually a Riviera, instead of just a fancy ES-335. They have all the parts, let's get a proper Sheraton out again - maybe an early 60s version with the short headstock.

Remember when I was asking about about cases that would fit my Gibson LG-0, and I was strangely-intent on buying an Epiphone-branded case? Here's the real reason. I've been looking for a Cortez since the spring, and after missing a few, I've watched the price continue to rise. One night in September, though, I found this 1964 example on Guitar Center's vintage section. It had one photo, condition listed as "good," and disclosure of a lifting bridge. Not a shock for any mid-60s Gibson with a plastic bridge. It was listed for about what they sold for in the spring. I had it shipped to my local store (where it came in a nice Martin case that I'll re-sell). When I got home, though, I had some questions. There was a potential headstock break in progress, a top crack coming off one of the bridge studs, another one coming off the fretboard extension, and some internal rattling. I took it to my local luthier for an inspection, and that revealed at least two loose braces. Guitar Center's tech offered to send it to their specialist (a luthier in a nearby city), but a couple hours later called again and said they couldn't do it. I went back in to pick it up, and then to return it, but after a few phone calls to various regional managers, the store refunded me enough that I could get it repaired on my own. 45 days later, I picked it up again, with the complete list of repairs: replaced bridge, replaced bridge pad (the original was de-laminating), all top braces re-glued, one back brace re-glued, top cracks repaired, and the potential headstock crack found to just be two poorly-placed scratches. It's now about as close to a brand new guitar as you can get with 56 years of scratches. I removed (most of) the logo from the Masterbilt Century Olympic case and stenciled on the 60s logo. "

For future reference, so that no one stumbles upon this thread without a definitive answer in a decade like I often do... I ordered the Epiphone Masterbilt Century Olympic case. It's not quite as nice as I was hoping - it's a bit flimsier than the Canadian TKL cases and the fake leather feels faker. It's not a noticeable enough downgrade to return it, but I do occasionally wish I had just ordered the Gibson version for more money. The photos are often minimal on the different sites, so be aware that the interior lid has an Epiphone logo cut into the lining. My 1965 LG-0 fits. The upper bout is tight and the lower bout is loose, but with some time in the case the padding will compress and it will be a very secure fit. There are about three extra inches from the top of the Gibson headstock (unlike another case I have that fits the LG-0 perfectly, with no room for anything longer), so you could put whatever slightly-longer guitars you come across in it.

Interesting. The Wilshire, Coronet, Crestwood, and Riviera - all of what might be an Epiphone Originals collection, except the USA Casino that had already been announced - were removed.

I had just watched an older Riviera on an auction site a few days earlier. I'm almost definitely buying a Wilshire. I wish they did the white finish on it. The only way I'm not is if I can play a Crestwood and like it better. I wish I had a reason to buy one of the exclusive Casinos. I want that Worn Olive Drab version, but there's no reason to have that as well as my Korean Casino and the new USA version I'm buying as soon as it comes in.

Interesting about the Hummingbird. That one isn't on the site yet.

Double binding makes it definitely not an LG-0.

American Musical has new Fall 2020 models available on their site: Emperor Swingster (Delta Blue Metallic, Forest Green Metallic) Wilshire (Cherry, Ebony) Coronet (Cherry, Ebony) Crestwood Custom (Cherry, Polaris White) Joe Bonamassa Black Beauty Les Paul Custom Riviera (Sparkling Burgundy, Royal Tan) 1959 Les Paul Standard (Aged Dark Burst, Aged Dark Cherry Burst) Exclusive 1959 Les Paul Standard (Aged Southern Fade) USA Casino (Royal Tan, Vintage Burst Nancy Wilson Fanatic Like the USA Texan and Casino, which have the 1963 and earlier headstock, the other historic models are using an early headstock which Gibson inherited from New York/Philadelphia Epiphone parts. At NAMM, some Casinos had chrome covers and some had black, leading to some questions - it turns out, the Royal Tan gets chrome, while Vintage Burst gets black. They also have some new exclusives: Casino (Worn Ebony, Worn Blue Denim, Worn Olive Drab) - at a shockingly-low $450. ES-335 (Iced Tea, Olive Drab Green)

Where (and in which country) are you trying to buy it? In the US, Guitar Center and Musician's Friend have it in stock online and Sweetwater has a demo available at a discount with more on order. In the UK, Anderton's, Guitar Guitar, and Bonner's (the cheapest) all have it.

That model was made between 1970 and 1979, and the label reduces it to 1971-1975. They initially used leftover labels from Kalamazoo, which read "Union Made" and had "Made in Japan" added to them. Once those ran out, they printed new labels in the same style, with "Made in Japan" included.

Guitar Center only carries one I'm considering (and neither of the Epiphone models), or I'd do that. I currently have it in an inexpensive classical case that I think was sold as Musician's Gear (a decade ago). It did surprise me that Gibson markets their case as for the L-00 and LG-2, because the L-00 is bigger on the bottom and smaller at the top. It doesn't seem like one case would fit both comfortably. How long is the Olympic, compared to your LG-1 and Caballero? I know I'm overcomplicating this, but the case with my Texan is so much nicer than the cases I have other guitars in. I actually ordered the Gibson J-45 case (the same build, but different colors, as far as I can tell) to upgrade my J-45.

I'm on an unusual quest for a hardshell case right now, and, of course, it's something uncommon that isn't in my multiple local stores to test. After buying my Texan, I've come to appreciate the quality of the case. I'm now trying to upgrade the very basic classical-sized case of my Gibson LG-0, which has the same body as the recent Epiphone Caballero reissue. Gibson offers a case they advertise for the L-00 and LG-2, but it's a bit expensive and not in stock anywhere That one is a dark brown with black interior. The case Epiphone advertises for the EL-00 appears to be the same quality, but has a black exterior with a brown accent and a grey interior. I've seen people selling Caballeros in this case, and Gibson offers one case for their equivalent models, so I'm confident it is a good-enough fit. I've also just seen the Masterbilt Century-branded case for the Olympic model. From the photo, it looks like the same case with nicer decoration, and I know the lower bout of the Olympic is the same size as an LG/Caballero. Does anyone own, or have access to, this case and some Gibson or Epiphone LG-sized guitar to confirm that it fits? I would just buy it from Guitar Center and return in store if it doesn't fit, but they don't even offer it.

This is actually a 5102T, not an EA-250. The EA-250 has more traditiona, Gibson-style humbuckers, while the 5102T has these "double-coil" pickups. That said ,this one isn't actually an Epiphone. These were made by Matsumoku under a variety of brands, including Epiphone when Gibson first sent production to Japan. Epiphone models had a wider headstock, and the logo was screened on. I've seen Aria, Lyle, and Dio brands, but the only one with a screwed-on badge roughly the size I've seen is Aria Diamond.