pohatu771

1964 Epiphone Cortez 1965 Epiphone Bard (newly purchased, on the way) 1965 Gibson LG-0 1983 Gibson Spirit II 2001 Gibson J-45 2001 Epiphone Casino 2007 Gibson Melody Maker 2009 Epiphone MM-30E 2020 Epiphone USA Texan 2020 Epiphone Wilshire 2020 (2021) Epiphone Emily Wolfe Sheraton Stealth 2021 Epiphone USA Casino I'm fairly sure I don't have anything else from another Gibson brand, during the time that they were a Gibson brand.

Yes, things can be replaced, but when everything appears to have been replaced, and other details including the actual shape of the guitar are wrong, everyone but you can agree it isn't real.

Here it is. Thanks to the high-quality images, it's one of the most obvious fakes I've seen in years. That's what you've chosen as the supporting document in your disagreement with everyone else who thinks the original guitar in question is fake. And yes, I would say that in court. Wrong headstock shape Incorrect serial number font and ink fill Cheap truss rod cover No fret nibs (on its own, not necessarily an issue due to refrets, but combined with the rest...) Rosewood fretboard (also not an issue on its own, but wrong for 2005 that the serial number states) Wrong body shape Wrong pickguard shape (also could be a replacement... but all these possible issues add up) Wrong bridge Incorrect knob placement The strap button isn't even centered

If you actually have this in-hand, I'm interested in seeing more picture. I can figure out modification much easier with multiple references.

I must have overlooked that it has a set neck, but that's strange. Is there a serial number? From what little I can see, I expect it to be 2004 or later, but that's still a wide range.

It's a basic 2015 or later SG Special that someone has heavily modified. The badge is added, the pickguard is added, and the paint is added. The knobs are replacements. Otherwise, it's feature-identical to the SG Special E1 that is current available at Guitar Center for $200. It was definitely not made in Japan. It also doesn't have an open book headstock.

It's very obviously fake. The only way it isn't is if they hired someone new and gave them free run of the factory with a guidebook but no live training.. and let them bring parts from home.

It is a 1966 or 1969 Broadway. The fretboard isn't standard, which suggests to me it was either custom ordered, or was made in 1969, near the end of Kalamazoo production, when they got a little sloppy and put an Excellente fretboard on an unfinished Broadway. Sunburst was the standard finish, so it was offered throughout the entire production, but the E252 model didn't designate a finish. In many cases, the shipping numbers included the cherry finish as well as sunburst, while E252N indicated natural. 82 were produced in 1966 and 9 in 1969. In-hand, the year could be narrowed down further, but this is as specific as I can be from a single photo. Since it has a 17.5" lower bout, you can probably get away with a case designed for a Gibson J-200, though they are "only" 17". Epiphone actually markets their J-200 case for the modern Broadway. You need something with an arched top. The Access Stage 3 Jumbo may be a good fit; they tend to oversize compared to TKL, and this is actually 17.5" case.

I don't see anything suspicious. I wish I'd seen it (and actually had the money), because it looks like a great deal.

I'm very aware of what is inside a guitar. I'm just curious what "interesting stuff" is inside this particular series that I'm expected to scour the internet to find a single, unnamed YouTube review to learn about. I'm beginning to remember why I took an eight-year hiatus from this forum.

I have played the G-Songwriter and G-200, as mentioned earlier. The G-Songwriter was a fine guitar, if not to my taste. I'd happily recommend it to someone if it met their preferences and budget. I wish the G-200 hadn't been damaged. I'm simply curious what surprises are inside, as someone who actually looked inside one.

Repair prices vary wildly by region. I'd expect to pay about $150. You might pay more. I doubt less.

I guess I'll just go look for a 26-minute review by "a guy." That really narrows it down.

I'm also curious about this discovery. I played a G-Songwriter and G-200 last week. The G-200 had been slightly crushed in shipping. The soundport made it very easy to me to see the cracked brace, but nothing else looked out of the ordinary. I even commented how much easier repairs would be on this series.

Warranty or not, don't bother with the adjustable bridge. The Japanese adjustable bridges were not made to the same spec as the Kalamazoo-made adjustable bridges nor modern Bozeman adjustable bridges. The adjustment bolts, which go completely through the top of the guitar, are not going to be in the same position, which requires filling and drilling of new holes. That's not going to have a positive impact on the sound of the guitar. Most people who own an adjustable bridge, myself included, are happy to replace it with a fixed bridge anyway.

Full block inlays on a Standard is already an issue. There are a lot of little details I don't like. Of course, "screenshot of a photo" isn't the best format to judge anything.

That is bizarre. In regards to the case, the Casino is supposed to come with a Chinese-made grey/blue Epiphone case. You seem to have received the typical Canadian-made (or sometimes Costa Rica) TKL Gibson case. It is a better case, but doesn't match. The label is strange, because "Gloss" shouldn't be an option. It's "Style E230TD," and "Epiphone Casino."

That label was used for Japanese models starting around 1980. This is not a model I've seen documented anywhere, though. The bridge is shaped differently than any other Epiphone of that era.

It's not too many digits for any (electric) guitar made in mid 2005 or later. They switched to nine digits then, and even though they changed formats between 2014 and 2018, they still used nine digits. Removing the first digit leaves you with a guitar made on the 810th day of 2000. That does work out to March 20, 2002, but it's obviously wrong. Between 1977 and 2005, the format was YDDDYPPP - Y is the third and fourth digit of the year, D is the day of the year, and P is the production number (which has its own signifigence in different eras, but doesn't matter here). In 2005, Gibson USA and Memphis added a batch number, YDDDYBPPP, starting at 0 each day. In 2014, they switched to a new format, YYPPPPPPP, with the last two digits of the year and a total production number. In 2018, they reverted to the 2005 system. That serial number has nine digits, so under the 2005/2018 system, it is from 2020, the 281st day, and the 255th guitar made in the first batch. In the 2014 system, it was made in 2022 and the 8100255th guitar of the year.

I played a G-Songwriter today. It was a nice guitar. I liked it much better than either of the (earlier) G-45 models. It was super light weight and sounded nice. The edge inlays are a little weird. I kept mistaking them for the frets when I was playing, but they look nice. This example had a very stripey fretboard and even back wood. I don't need it, but I would happily buy it. I also played the G-200, but it had been damaged in shipping and that severely affected the sound. Ignoring the (severe, but mostly-invisible) damage, both of them were really well-made guitars. I don't think I found them to be any louder than my own J-45 or Texan, and probably quieter. They would probably be nice recording guitars.

It is the 255th guitar stamped on October 7, 2020. That doesn't tell you anything about authenticity, though. Since it's less than a year old, it's fairly safe to assume you are the first owner. Did you buy it from an authorized Gibson dealer for approximately MSRP.

I use Martin Retro (12s) on my 1965 LG-0. They are a little woodier and not so bright.

2010, Memphis, number 1502 for the year. The first digit is the last digit of the year (2000, 2010, or 2020), the second digit of a six-digit Custom Shop serial is the factory (0 for Nashville or 5 for Memphis), and the remaining four digits are the production number. The ES-339 wasn't introduced until 2007, so that rules out 2000, and Memphis closed in 2019, ruling out 2020.

Plenty of people in Kalamazoo care about selling guitars. None of them have worked for Gibson in almost 40 years. Your experience is not unique. People have a hard time getting guitars right now. That's customers, dealers, and Epiphone themselves. Everyone is hurt by it. It's not even unique to the guitar industry, it's a problem with finished products being imported as well as raw materials being imported for US manufacture.

I suspect there are many people out there that would much rather have the nickel covers on a Vintage Sunburst, and with proof it was done at the factory, you may even get a premium if you sell it.