[FT Models]

Welcome to the forums, Remellick!

 

....investigating some finds at an online auction I've been visiting obsessively...

 

Hmm. Obsessive auction searching. I'm thinking that's a pretty common affliction around here. That's surely how I acquired most of the Epiphones in my sig. I got sucked in, I tell ya. I mean, 200 bucks for a near new FT-79 IB-64 Texan cherryburst? Or a highly flamed trans black Performer ME? Crazy! Sucked in! So I take it you're not talking about ebay or reverb?

 

It is a FT-132 model having the (transition era) Kalamazoo blue label....

 

My brother picked up an FT-160 12-string back in the 70s (has that blue label), which I more recently absconded with (but I mainly play the Guild 12). The FT160 is a bolt-on neck, in great shape, basically unplayed, and the vagaries of the market tell me it's worth next to nothing.

 

....I am waiting, praying that it was a great deal I imagine it to be....

 

Haha, the anticipation. Good luck! I've had a lot of good luck acquiring guitars off the internet and having them delivered. No reason you can't too.

 

Unless the seller stated the guitar "just got a set-up," you may want to do just that. I have a local tech/luthier do it and take care of any repairs.

[Epiphone EJ160-E/VC]

I just bought a used Epiphone EJ-160E/VC. The serial # is 14012319984. How do identify when it was made and any other pertinent information? I would like this information so I understand its possible future value also. How many were made etc.

 

Congrats on your purchase of a very cool guitar! It was made in 2014 in Indonesia. Here's the Epiphone dater page. Prices on ebay are kind of all over the map. Completed listings for used EJ160E's show them going for anywhere from $250 to $660. New ones are on sale at GC for $350! but the new ones no longer have the John Lennon signature, which I think makes the older ones more desirable.

[Thoughts on guild d25m 70's]

I went with a New Hartford built jumbo Guild F50R. Love it.

 

["Waking up" new EJ200SCE]

I changed out the synthetic Nut and Saddle for Bone.

 

Yeah, that would make a difference. Also, sounds like new strings are immediately called for. But what really increases the volume and presence is when you plug her in!

[Dual action truss rod?]

Quadruple action would be perfect: back, forth, twist clockwise, twist counterclockwise.

 

I've got that on my Corona-built Guild JF30-12. It has two truss rods.

[Gibson vs Epiphone]

Well, it's pretty clear you get what you pay for.

 

Well sure, but I claim this was an unfair test! They picked models where the Epiphone entry was laminate back and sides, while the Gibbie was all solid. Of course that makes a difference, and that's the difference you're hearing, or at least a major part of it. I wish they would have compared Gibbie models similar to Epi's all solid wood Masterbilts. I bet the Gibsons still sound better, but by not as much.

[Epiphone Limited / Custom Shop]

The other day I was checking out some instruments, just looking for something new,

and I saw this pretty something-burst SG with a batwing pickguard...

 

Love that batwing pickguard.

 

....it had an imprint

in the back of the headstock - Epiphone Limited/Custom Shop.... what is the meaning of that mark, where are

these guitars made, or are these just limited production instruments? . . . Do these really have anything different or significantly better than a regular Epi? ...

do they keep a better value over time than a regular Epiphone?

 

Well, first of all, it's a good sticker to have on your guitar. It may even increase the price. Whether it really means much is another question. It could be as mundane as a marketing tool on particular batches, but I expect they're made in the same place and there's not a big difference from a regular fancy Epi.

[Angie .. is it in key of Am or C ?]

I'm thinking the key of a piece is the key it comes home to, not what it starts off with. Therefore, C.

 

Of course, C and Am triads share two out of their three notes.

[What is Richlite]

Looks like richlite has started showing up on J-45 as a fingerboard and bridge material. Is richlite wood?

 

No, not wood. But it's not plastic, either. It looks like unblemished black ebony. It's a man-made material probably a little harder than ebony. Watch that video in Rabs' post. The choice ebony on this planet is about used up. Of course, there are still ebony boards in the used market.

[Epiphone PR 755S]

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY WERE MADE ...

 

I think you could say they're rare. But not unknown - that epiwiki link has the specs on them. 1992-1996, fancy fret markers, bound headstock, "abalone accented" rosette... nice!

 

• Solid spruce top
• Rosewood back & sides
• Hand scalloped Epi-X bracing

As with all PR series, I believe, that's a laminate back and sides. The scalloped X system apparently does allow for a little more "give" to the vibes, so I can see that thing projecting some sounds.

[J45 meets Epiphone Texan]

Outstanding ! How does it sound?

 

Pretty darn good. Of course, I've only got Masterbilts to compare it to. Epifolks are real happy with 'em. :)

[J45 meets Epiphone Texan]

Here's my new (2014) Gibson J45 alongside my 1963 Epiphone Texan. I wanted a cherry sunburst Donovan signature J45, but that proved impossible in Australia....

 

Man, what a pair!

 

She's out of her league here, but with all the talk of cherrybursts, the Epi Texan reissue I picked up off ebay turned out to be quite the looker....

 

.

 

 

[ft-45 cortez]

Original case & tags! All adds value-do not throw away!...

 

Yes, I stand corrected too, thanks. I was a little exuberant in my suggestion about what to do with the case. But mine is like Dr.Roger's, who described it so well:

 

"...my original was cardboard (with fake alligator skin) with a very cheap and unreliable clasp... I wouldn't trust that case at all..."

 

Yeah, it's essentially an open-air case - no "shield" against exterior changes in temperature & humidity. So I strongly concur with Dr.Roger's suggestion:

 

...so you might want to save the case for future sale to collector (I also have that little booklet) but your Cortez is worth investing $100 for a hard shell case.

[ft-45 cortez]

If anyone needs to see the guitar here's a link to my Flickr. I tried to include the dings and scratches in the photos as well. Any thoughts about the condition of the guitar?

 

Hey Heather, welcome to the board. Nice guitar! There's not much to do about the dings and scratches beyond polishing. Around here, we say they just add to the guitar's mojo. :)

 

The case?

 

Throw it away! Get a new hardshell case (or the one dhanners suggests). Should be ~ $100. I had a similar case with my dad's 1939 Zenith. It probably harmed the guitar more than protected it. Your guitar's apparently worth $1,000-1,500 (per reverb.com). My dad's still living (at 93), btw, now playing a Gibson Les Paul Studio.

 

Epiwiki says the Cortez has an adjustable truss rod, so a little adjustment on that might straighten the neck out. Best thing to do is do a little research and find a local guitar tech or luthier with good reviews for a setup and new strings (that's what I do). If it needs more than that, he/she'll let you know.

 

Keep us updated!

[Epiphone PR-545MPL]

I'm not desperate to buy it, just had a mild case of GAS and this piqued my interest because it's something a bit different.

 

Yeah, it is different and interesting, but I think overpriced for a 30+ year old Norlin era laminate Epiphone. You can get a pretty nice brand new Epiphone in that price range (Hummingbird Artist?).

 

I haven't been following the currency market, but jeez, what happened to the euro? It has really dropped with respect to the dollar in the last year or so....

[Epiphone PR-545MPL]

I was just browsing around a Dutch auction site and came across an Epiphone PR-545MPL. From the photos it looks to be in reasonable condition and the guy is not expecting silly money for it so I'm half tempted to put in a bid.

 

It's not in epiwiki, but there is a PR-500 and 550 run in the 80s. The maple back and sides probably look nice, but I'm betting they're laminate. The spruce top might also be. Most of the PR's are all laminate, with a few exceptions with a solid spruce top. And the neck does look bolt-on, which is weird, but it's hard to see on the one photo of this model on the internet. Epiwiki says the 500 and 550 are set necks. The MPL is apparently fairly rare, but still not worth a lot, IMO. What few there were, apparently went to Europe, with some left in Japan. What's the serial no.?

[Current Gibson's with Ebony Fretboard and Bridge?]

Currently Gibson are using Richlite in place of Ebony on premium models....

 

... at least on many models, as is Martin, which has apparently gone 'environmental' in a big way. Richlite looks like ebony, and I've read some reasonably good reviews on it, Not unanimous, of course.

[Your Acoustical Performances!!!]

I've kind of gone minimalist lately. Here's a simple original, a blend of a couple acoustics with piano, and a sax I should have put a lot more reverb on. All synthetic, mind you. https://soundcloud.com/dccougar/april

[Epiphone's EJ212 jumbo 12-string]

I love my EJ212!

 

Here's an early 70s Epiphone FT-160 Texan. Probably has about 2 hours of play on it. Bolt-on neck (my luthier/tech says that makes for an easy setup). Anyway, after a setup and new strings, this thing really projects! I love playing this FT-160!

 

.

.

[Epiphone's EJ212 jumbo 12-string]

I literally could not help myself. I walked in and there she was sitting on a stand in the middle of the aisle saying, "Take me, take me!"

 

From your photos, that's quite understandable.

[Value of epiphone Masterbilt AJ500RNS]

Ebay completed listings shows one in excellent condition with soft case went for $390 on one bid, $50 shipping. Another one, with no case, and stamped USED, buy-it-now, someone bought it for $499, free shipping, add $60 for Epi hard shell case. So....

 

You don't see many on ebay.