Great Epi reissues, Gibson...

[charlie brown]

Since Gibson invested in a factory, in Qingdao, China...to produce ONLY Epiphones.

And, since they've (pretty much) constantly improved the quality, across the board,

of those guitars, and have gone back to "Gibson/Epiphone" spec's, and body shapes,

from the glorious Kalamazzo era, for those Epi's...why not go all the way, and put

in the Gibson-like Truss Rods, and 2-hole TRC's. I.E., keep true, completely, to

the original spec's, regardless of where they're made?! It's not being dishonest,

or trying to pass off, an Asian/Chinese made guitar, as USA built. It's just being

faithful, completely, to the original's. Like, why have 2 different "Sheraton"

body shapes, and spec's, one from China, and a more "generic" looking version, made

in Korea, still? It's ok, to have them still made in Korea, but why not require them

to have the same spec's, as the Chinese (more Epiphone Kalamazoo) versions?

 

I know I have reputation, around here, for being "anal" about this sort of thing, but

I just don't see the need, when you have dedicated factories, for only Epi's, to still

have spec, and/or body shape discrepancies! Seems, it would be better, and more cost

effective, to have the same (original) spec's, for every factory.

 

So, can EPI-1 exlain the need/desire, for the different spec's, and Chinese style truss

rods, and 3-hole covers?

 

CB

[Sleeko]

Since Gibson invested in a factory, in Qingdao, China...to produce ONLY Epiphones.

And, since they've (pretty much) constantly improved the quality, across the board,

of those guitars, and have gone back to "Gibson/Epiphone" spec's, and body shapes,

from the glorius Kalamazzo era, for those Epi's...why not go all the way, and put

in the Gibson-like Truss Rods, and 2-hole TRC's. I.E., keep true, completely, to

the original spec's, regardless of where they're made?! It's not being dishonest,

or trying to pass off, an Asian/Chinese made guitar, as USA built. It's just being

faithful, completely, to the original's. Like, why have 2 different "Sheraton"

body shapes, and spec's, one from China, and a more "generic" looking version, made

in Korea, still? It's ok, to have them still made in Korea, but why not require them

to have the same spec's, as the Chinese (more Epiphone Kalamazoo) versions?

 

I know I have reputation, around here, for being "anal" about this sort of thing, but

I just don't see the need, when you have dedicated factories, for only Epi's, to still

have spec, and/or body shape discrepancies! Seems, it would be better, and more cost

effective, to have the same (original) spec's, for every factory.

 

So, can EPI-1 exlain the need/desire, for the different spec's, and Chinese style truss

rods, and 3-hole covers?

 

CB

 

Works for me.

[bobouz]

I'd love to see it, too, CB.

 

And get the little things right like the size and shape of the F-holes, which are often much larger on current issue instruments than on the originals. For some reason, that one bothers me quite a bit, as a significant amount of elegance is lost, imho.

 

Also, assure period correctness. The recent Sorrento should have had a script logo & white pickguard to be true to a '62.

 

These details are not critical, but if you can get close, why not go all the way?

[charlie brown]

I'd love to see it, too, CB.

 

And get the little things right like the size and shape of the F-holes, which are often much larger on current issue instruments than on the originals. For some reason, that one bothers me quite a bit, as a significant amount of elegance is lost, imho.

 

Also, assure period correctness. The recent Sorrento should have had a script logo & white pickguard to be true to a '62.

 

These details are not critical, but if you can get close, why not go all the way?

 

 

Exactly!

 

CB

[tvguit]

why not go all the way, and put in the Gibson-like Truss Rods, and 2-hole TRC's.

 

I believe that the depth of the truss rod route comes in to play here. With the cover off of a Gibson you can see that there is a quarter inch of wood between the nut and the rod opening allowing for a screw to be placed directly over the rod. The Epi tooling has the TR opening directly behind the nut meaning that there is no room for a screw. They have to put 2 screws on either side of the rod.

[Aster1]

That looks right to me too! I heard you have to use something like a little eraser to hold the bottom screw in the TRC on a Casino Elitist if you get a 2 hold cover to use.

 

Aster

[charlie brown]

Well, my point was, for Epiphone to go back to the Gibson Trus Rod, as they did, originally.

Which, of course, would require a different installation, than the current version.

Not more difficult=costly, just different. The early Japanese versions had the

"Gibson" style truss rod, and 2-hole covers. So...???

 

I understand, that when Gibson contracted Samick, and others, to put the "Epiphone" brand,

and logo, on what was essentially Samick production guitars (that often had various brand names)

they wouldn't go to the trouble to completely redo the spec's. BUT, since Qingdao is a "Epipnone

only" factory, and they've really done a LOT, to bring back more original "Gibson era" Epiphone

spec's, and details, why not go the distance, and complete the accuracy process?

 

CB