Lefty Bill

Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting the clear and concise wiring diagram and also the pickups showing the labels.. nice job. Bill

I think the statement/disclaimer "specifications subject to change.. (without notice)" is what has happened for this situation, Crow's new 339 model. The "without notice" part probably means that the company won't reissue or publish/make known the updated changes of original specifications. Manufacturers have been including this disclaimer for decades, however, the question isn't regarding a small design change or minor parts substitution.. the specific pickups used for a certain model are a main purchasing factor. I'm convinced that company execs (or anyone else) in the USA rarely ever know for certain what's taking place in China.. which can be a source of serious problems with specific info regarding various manufacturing factors. Even though the models for domestic US sales may pass thru Nashville, it doesn't mean that new models are checked to confirm the specific internal parts. I was curious about Epi1's reply yesterday, so I read the ProBucker "marketing descriptions" (not actual manufacturing job tickets). The Probuckers were announced in 2010 and had a few material specs that the common Epiphone pickups don't have. 2010 ProBucker Announcement Link OK, I realize that most folks won't want to disassemble their new pickups, but if the p-up frame/base plate isn't silver-color, then the p-up likely isn't (couldn't be) a ProBucker or Alnico Classic Pro. Same goes for the signal lead, if it's not a 4-wire cable. These are just the easily recognized external p-up features. Since Crow's 339 was tagged as a PRO, it should have PRO parts and features, IMO, regardless of if it was a 2011 or 2012 model. Actual model years can be different than the manufacturing date, since the Chinese models spend a lot of time being warehoused/stockpiled at various points before they pass thru Nashville for the "USA inspection and setup". My 2009 SG has a 2008 serial number (applied at the factory) but a 2009 date on the printed-out model label on the neck tag. I don't know if this applies to other countries. Epiphone seems to be doing business in a way that is somewhat non-traditional. They announce new products, release sales info to all the dealers, accept pre-orders, then later begin distributing products (sometimes after long waiting periods). There was a manufacturing process introduced a couple decades ago referred to as JIT Just-In-Time, where OEM manufacturers wouldn't need to stock large inventories of parts, but instead, have the parts produced as they were needed to meet production demand levels. If the Epiphone production model is supposed to be JIT, it isn't working out very well.. but I don't suppose the process is intended to be a JIT model, but something altogether different. BTW, as far as p-up characteristics.. Les Paul Pro or other PRO models may not have "premium" p-ups in them. I bought a set of p-ups from a LP Pro/FX and they have brass (not silver-color) back plates and are labeled BRIDGE PICK UPS BHC and NECK PICK UPS BHC, with the now commonly applied RoHS (lead-free) stickers, and 4-wire cables. I'm just mentioning this so it's clear that all PRO models don't necessarily include the premium/special materials p-ups. Bill

There is an announcement thread at the top of the Epiphone Electric forum list entitled I.D. Your Epiphone Here.. The serial number on the neck plate will indicate where and when the guitar was made (assuming that the plate is original to the guitar). Your serial indicates Indonesia and 1998 for your guitar. You may wish to determine what the body material is, by looking inside the back controls cover or removing the neck at some point. The body may be solid wood or possibly laminated. Newer models are made in China. As for the value of the guitar, well.. it's worth however much someone will pay for it, realistically. When I was looking at used Les Paul Special II models last year/early this year, I looked for the lowest prices available for new ones.. and there were a couple of US dealers that were selling them for $165-$170 including shipping. That would mean (to me anyway) that a used LP Special II would have a used value of approximately $100 maximum. There are some unique characteristics of older guitars, but nothing that makes then especially valuable, such as your hardware may be chrome instead of nickel found on newer models. I have both solid mahogany and laminated body Les Paul Special II models, and as far as value, the solid mahogany may be of slightly greater value, but not much. The real value is IMO, that they're great knock-around guitars that don't need to be cherished as a valuable possession.. they can sit around and be handled or played without worrying about getting a scratch or ding. They make good carcasses for building custom or modified guitars.. bare bodies can sometimes be found for about $25, but then some lucky stiffs find whole guitars in playable condition for about the same price. The builders that make counterfeit guitars generally make fakes of higher priced guitars. Bill

Oh, oh.. I know this one. This is the Wine Red Les Paul Special II, came with black hardware, open 650R/700T pickups, single volume and tone, bolt-on neck with dots and was only available as a right-hand model.. and it could be a mahogany body, if it's an Indonesian version. The other LP Special II color finish versions had bright hardware (nickel or possibly chrome) and some (all, maybe) were available as left-hand versions. Some of the LP Special II bodies are laminated/ply construction, depending upon year or country of origin. The necks are likely the same as many of the bolt-on models.. mahogany with rosewood fretboard, and dots. The tuners are likely to be the typical old style (being attached with 2 screws each), and probably not the sealed/diecast types found on slightly higher priced models (as far as I know). The neck plate may have a plastic "gasket" under it, and the screws may be a larger diameter that most neck screws (maybe #10 instead of #8). Goth versions (black finish) had the uncommon headstock and 12th fret markings. Regards, Bill

It's definitely useful to have some tools and a workbench for modifying or improvising hardware for guitars. You might be able to drill/ream/enlarge the hole in another strap button to be able to use the existing long neck screw. You could possibly use a short length of spacer bushing and a washer to improvise a more secure strap attachment. As for fabricating new parts, that can get expensive very quickly.. a mini-lathe costs $400+USD, but you could make custom stainless steel strap buttons with a small lathe. A drill press and files can also be used to fabricate small round parts. There are a lot of products available for plating metal parts, and some are electro-less (nickel for example), so an actual plating setup isn't required. http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/index.html You didn't mention what year this SG model was made, but there may be other differences in hardware or construction, as I found out recently when I purchased a 1998 Ebony G-310 SG MIK Korean model recently. http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/67853-epiphone-sg-g-310-1998-korean-plywood-body-misc/ Regards, Bill