pohatu771

It's post-2004. My first thought is the DR-100. The pickguard doesn't match, but that's also not a typical Epiphone shape, so it may have been replaced. The tuners also don't match, but those could also be easily replaced by someone who is serious enough to install a soundhole pickup. The lightness of the fretboard and bridge suggest it is a 2018 or newer example, when the switched from rosewood to Pau ferro or Indian laurel, which are typically a lighter color.

I did not, but it's not shocking. People seem to love that Sweetwater does the same thing, for some reason.

At a glance, it is a post-2004 Sheraton II, likely made in China, as you said. (Though most archtops were still made by Korean contractors until 2006) If it has push-pull knobs, it is probably a Sheraton-II PRO, which makes it 2015 or later. It's hard to tell, but it looks like it has a LockTone bridge (based on the size of the studs), which was also introduced in 2015.

I don't know if you can actually buy a "forever guitar." I don't like to get into the romanticization of guitars that so many people do, but an instrument will become "forever" after some time with it. Every guitar I own, I like. Sometimes I love one and sometimes I don't, and that's why I have multiple. If you told me to eliminate them all except one electric and one acoustic, my choice would be simple. If you can't decide, rather than buying and returning, just try in the store regularly. See what you go back to. I have a good relationship with my local store and have played practically everything they have, from $500 to $10,000. I know what I would buy if the money were handed to me. You have to take the pressure off.

I didn't expect such negativity, but that's because I've learned nothing in a decade at this forum. I like the color. I don't like it more than the Royal Tan I bought, or even more than the Vintage Sunburst that this one started as, but it's interesting. I'm curious at what point Gibson will reduce the price if it hasn't sold. Most stuff on their store sells pretty quickly, but most stuff isn't in increase over the original retail price.

It's a Les Paul-300 from 1990. Basically the Les Paul Custom version of the more common Les Paul-100.

You can use a Bigsby B5 (paired with a Vibramate V5-ST to avoid irreversible modifications and fit the large pickguard). The Dusenberg Les Trem replaces the stop bar. Similar to the Bigsby and Vibramate, you can get a Dusenberg Tremola and Tremola adapter.

The 2020 lineup of Masterbilt and Inspired by Gibson models I've played - multiple J-45s and J-200s, the Texan, and Frontier - are well-built, good-looking guitars. But they have all sounded tinny, like the strings aren't driving the wood at all. I've played several $500 models from other brands (some with laminate back and sides) in the same time period that I'd pick over these any day. The Guild DS-240 is a great J-45 copy.

I've never seen a video, but my own comparison shows that they are drastically different guitars that share a name and look. The USA model is lively, while the Masterbilt felt like the sound was trapped inside. I've heard many complaints about the strings shipped with the Inspired by Gibson and Masterbilt acoustics making them sound worse than they are, but that's the best comparison I can make short of buying both and using the same strings.

Here's an interesting modification from the Gibson Demo Shop. https://reverb.com/item/44384188-epiphone-casino-pony-boy-gold-modified

March 29, 2005, in Nashville. When determining a date by serial number, you have to put a little thought into it. If a guitar doesn't look like it's from the 70s, it probably isn't. A 1975-1977 model has an ink stamp or decal with the serial number, not impressed.

It is unlikely to be worth more, unless you found a buyer who wanted exactly that modification. If done well, it's probably not going to be worth less than an unmodified example (at least when talking about a Les Paul Studio and not a higher-end model). Your design seems good in my imagination, and your Flying V looks good enough that I'm not afraid of seeing what happens to the Les Paul.

Since 1977, Gibson has used three serial number formats, with some exceptions. 1994, being the 100th anniversary of Orville Gibson's first instrument, is one of those exceptions. From 1977 through 2005, the format was 8 digits. YDDDYPPP. Y is the last two digits of the year, D is the day of the year (1 = January 1; 365 = December 31), and P is the production number per day. The production number started at a different number depending on which factory it came from (Kalamazoo or Nashville early on; Bozeman or Nashville after Gibson Acoustic opened), but that doesn't matter here. In 2005, they added a digit, but kept the most important parts the same. YDDDYBPPP. The B is the batch number, starting at 0 each day. This only applies to Gibson USA, not Gibson Acoustic. In 2014, they changed to a new format entirely, YYPPPPPPP. Y is the last two digits of the year, P is the production number out of the entire year. Again, this is only for Gibson USA. In 2018, they reverted to the 2005 system. Since it starts with a 9, we already know it was made in the 90s, so it's the 1977 format. Following that format, it would suggest the guitar was made on the 401st day of 1990, which is... never. That means it is one of the 1994 models that used a different format: YYPPPPPP. Y, again, is the year, while P is the production number.

Based solely on that serial number, no. That would indicate it was made on January 30, 2011, but it is one digit short for a post-2005 Gibson USA serial number. But assuming you mis-typed, no one can tell if a guitar is authentic based only on a serial number. Gibson can tell you what guitar is supposed to have that serial number, and it might be a Les Paul Junior, but yours could still be fake.

If this were truly a $5,000 ES-345, the only person she would be spiting is herself. She could always claim to have sold it for $100 while enjoying the extra thousands of dollars.

From this single, low-resolution image, it doesn't look good. I am absolutely sure that is is counterfeit. That also makes sense for why someone who theoretically purchased this guitar within the past 15 years has no idea that it's worth more than $100 - unless it was $500 or less to begin with from some Chinese website. More pictures would back it up, but I don't like what I can make out in this one.

The current Tremotone (introduced in 2011 for the 50th Anniversary Casino, then again for the 2012 Crestwood Custom) is just a redesigned Bigsby.

It's funny; almost immediately after getting mine (which was one of the first, I saw on my local Craigslist someone selling theirs for $2400. Then I saw it drop to $1900, then to $1700, and now back to $1900. But on Reverb, people are asking $3000 or more for one (used). The local seller must not be trying to sell it very hard, or it's a scam.

It's definitely not a Gibson. It has Gibson/Kluson tuners, but that logo is a badge from a case. I don't believe it is homemade, either, though it has definitely been modified. I think it is a Jackson-Guldan.

That trapeze tremolo seems terrifying. I can't figure out in my head whether the hole is 1 inch diameter or depth, but either way that's a lot more invasive than two screws on a B7. I also can't find anyone who has actually installed one. If it's a deep hole, it's probably not even compatible with a Casino.

My guess is the Vibramate String Spoiler (which just attaches to a Bigsby to add string slots instead of using the pins). An alternative, to avoid drilling the hole in the top that a B7 requires, would be a B3 or B6 combined with a Towner tension bar.

It's extremely unlikely to be fake. They've even included a plastic bridge if it is.

You've stumbled upon a guitar that many people dream of owning. It looks like it's in great condition, and replacing the bridge will only improve the value. No one cares about keeping that original bridge.

This is actually a 1964 model. Like most Gibson (or Gibson-made) flattops from that period, it has a plastic bridge. You can get the replacement pretty easily. If you insist on it, I have one from another 1964 model I could sell you. But everyone, including me, will tell you to take it to a qualified luthier to have a proper wooden bridge installed. That's why I have a loose bridge sitting here, and you'll find many, if not most, guitars with that bridge have been replaced. The luthier may find that the bridge plate inside has delaminated, which is also fairly common. For about $200, you'll leave with a guitar that sounds much better, without hurting its $6,000 value.

You have a lifetime warranty, so they'll be waiting a while if that's the case. Have you tried talking to your local Gibson/Epiphone dealer?