hithere Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Hey guys, didn't see a post about this yet, looks pretty cool. http://www.epiphone.com/Products/Acoustic/Ltd-Ed-Elitist-1964-Texan.aspx I have been wanting a proper Texan for quite a while, but I am left handed and the vintage ones have been out of my price range. This may be a good alternative to get converted at a decent price. Any word on how limited these are/when we will see them hits stores as well a get an idea for the price? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I've been trying to find pricing on this, too, just for curiosity sake. These Elitist are generally way expensive. These are handmade guitars, so this isn't going to be the normal inexpensive Epiphone deal. They sell left handed IB64 Texans in lots of places...very easy to buy online as well. You're probably better off going that route. I got an exceedingly good IB64 Texan, so I know for a fact they are out there. Mine is super loud and has incredibly beautiful tone. The action and intonation are both perfect as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharmedOne Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Cliff, I checked out one of those at GC today and I must say I was quite surprised. I love the size as well. For the price, the IB64 Texan is pretty hard to beat. ~CO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hithere Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share Posted August 26, 2014 I've been trying to find pricing on this, too, just for curiosity sake. These Elitist are generally way expensive. These are handmade guitars, so this isn't going to be the normal inexpensive Epiphone deal. They sell left handed IB64 Texans in lots of places...very easy to buy online as well. You're probably better off going that route. I got an exceedingly good IB64 Texan, so I know for a fact they are out there. Mine is super loud and has incredibly beautiful tone. The action and intonation are both perfect as well. Hey Cliff, I have read up a lot about the IB64, and many of your posts about it. Generally speaking I am fortunate enough to own some pretty nice guitars. I am currently selling my lefty Sheraton II because it doesn't really hold a candle to my more expensive guitars (not trying to bash Epi at all, just my humble opinion and based on the one I own). I have a friend who has a modded Dot and I think it is an awesome guitar. Very interested in their Elitist line in general, but as a lefty they rarely/ever offer anything involving Casinos/Sheratons etc. With that being said I did pick up and play a righty IB64 Texan within the year in the store and was impressed by it. Just interested in this new Elitist, a good portion of the time it is hard to even play/let alone compare a few of the same models in the store when you are left handed. If this new Texan was around the 1000$ mark and was a lifer to hold onto, I would be very interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Cliff, I checked out one of those at GC today and I must say I was quite surprised. I love the size as well. For the price, the IB64 Texan is pretty hard to beat. ~CO And if you get a really good one, you'll fall in love with it and find it hard to beat at any price! Several of us who post here regularly feel that way about our IB64 Texans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Hey Cliff, I have read up a lot about the IB64, and many of your posts about it. Generally speaking I am fortunate enough to own some pretty nice guitars. I am currently selling my lefty Sheraton II because it doesn't really hold a candle to my more expensive guitars (not trying to bash Epi at all, just my humble opinion and based on the one I own). I have a friend who has a modded Dot and I think it is an awesome guitar. Very interested in their Elitist line in general, but as a lefty they rarely/ever offer anything involving Casinos/Sheratons etc. With that being said I did pick up and play a righty IB64 Texan within the year in the store and was impressed by it. Just interested in this new Elitist, a good portion of the time it is hard to even play/let alone compare a few of the same models in the store when you are left handed. If this new Texan was around the 1000$ mark and was a lifer to hold onto, I would be very interested. Yeah, the left handed IB64 Texans are mostly to be found online. Unfortunately for you lefties out there, there are just not enough of you to make it worthwhile for most stores to buy product in the hopes that you'll come in. What you can do, though, especially at Guitar Center, is to go in and special order it to the store (it'll arrive in 3-7 business days). When it comes in, inspect it fully, play it and if you don't like it you don't buy it and they ship it back. As for the Elitist Texan...The MSRP of the Elitist Casinos is $3332 with a street price of $1999. The Texan will probably be priced similarly less the electronics. It's a completely handmade instrument from top to bottom. It just isn't going to be inexpensive. If I had to wager a guess, I'd probably put the MSRP in the ballpark of $2800-$2900 with a street price of $1700-$1800. It might even have the same street price as the Casinos...at least at first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 On the Epiphone website section for "Elitist guitars", It sits inbetween the Casino and the Limited Ed 66 Riviera, in terms of price (Although a price isn`t stated). Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 It's a completely handmade instrument from top to bottom. It just isn't going to be inexpensive. Cliff, VERY few guitars are completely handmade. A few boutique builders may build by hand to a large extent, but that's all. While there's a lot of hand work that goes into making an Elitist, many functions (especially those that are repetitive) are performed by CNC or other machines: neck blank sawing and shaping, side bending, brace cutting. etc. There's probably almost as much hand work involved in building the IB Texan as the Elitist. The difference is that the Elitist will be marketed to sell for four or five times the IB Texan. That means the makers will not only use better materials, but take more time per guitar to make it. Time spent making an instrument is the single biggest factor in determining price. Think about the finish: the IB Texan gets sprayed with poly, and its almost immediately ready to be sold. The Elitist will get several coats of nitro. They will require days to dry between coats. Each coat will have to be wet sanded, and the final coat will have to be buffed to a shine. All that additional time makes the guitar more expensive to manufacture and sell. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Great post, Red. What's your guess for its MSRP & Street Price? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byrds1965 Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Cliff, VERY few guitars are completely handmade. A few boutique builders may build by hand to a large extent, but that's all. While there's a lot of hand work that goes into making an Elitist, many functions (especially those that are repetitive) are performed by CNC or other machines: neck blank sawing and shaping, side bending, brace cutting. etc. There's probably almost as much hand work involved in building the IB Texan as the Elitist. The difference is that the Elitist will be marketed to sell for four or five times the IB Texan. That means the makers will not only use better materials, but take more time per guitar to make it. Time spent making an instrument is the single biggest factor in determining price. Think about the finish: the IB Texan gets sprayed with poly, and its almost immediately ready to be sold. The Elitist will get several coats of nitro. They will require days to dry between coats. Each coat will have to be wet sanded, and the final coat will have to be buffed to a shine. All that additional time makes the guitar more expensive to manufacture and sell. Red 333 Has anyone found out if these are for us? The 1966 Riviera we found out is Japan only and we can't get one. Anyone ask about the Texan yet? Hope this is not Japan only too. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Has anyone found out if these are for us? The 1966 Riviera we found out is Japan only and we can't get one. Anyone ask about the Texan yet? Hope this is not Japan only too. Thanks. Who sez? The Riviera is on the Epiphone US site... Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byrds1965 Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Who sez? The Riviera is on the Epiphone US site... Red 333 Both Jeffery and I contacted Sweetwater and both his rep and mine called Epiphone and was given the same answer I think CB got the same answer from his music store: Japan market only regardless of where they posted the thing. All three of us got the same answer so no one in the US is getting one of them, unless through ebay Japan. I am wondering if the Texan is the same deal Japan only? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byrds1965 Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 "Hi Dave, I asked my guitar guy to check with Epiphone. They are telling me that that guitar is only going to be available in Japan. Sorry. It looks like we are expecting the 63 model. Mark" There is the answer I got from them, not sure what a 63 model is I asked Mark and he is not sure what that is either just going on what Epiphone told Sweetwater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPS1976 Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Usually, guitars meant exclusively for the Japanese market will say so in the description (the Tak models for example). I would hold off on saying these aren't coming to the States. 9 times out of 10 (especially with Epiphones) no one knows anything about any of it until it is released. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Usually, guitars meant exclusively for the Japanese market will say so in the description (the Tak models for example). I would hold off on saying these aren't coming to the States. 9 times out of 10 (especially with Epiphones) no one knows anything about any of it until it is released. Agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byrds1965 Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Agreed. The answer is over on the Electric forum, Not for us Japan only. Posted my theory on the reason why over there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 There's one up on Ebay now: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Epiphone-Elitist-1964-FT-79-TEXAN-4-/151473189693?pt=Guitar&hash=item234481733d $2709 + $150 shipping! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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