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EL-00 advice please as unusual headstock


conn4000

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I can’t pull up your photos.

But, without seeing them, I will comment that all EL-00s sell for an inexpensive price.  New for $299 to $349 in recent years.  Possibly less in some distant prior years.  I traded a $125 guitar I bought some years back for a used EL 00 Pro about 5-6 years ago.  

I know there was at least two versions of the EL-00.  One had  a slightly narrower nut and was not acoustic electric.  And, one is called the EL-00 Pro and has a slightly wider neck and is acoustic-electric.  That is the more recent one.  There also apparently once was an EL-00 with a slightly different shaped body from what I have heard.  And, I think there has also been an all mahogany EL-00 Pro.

My EL-00 Pro is an exceptional guitar.  It ranks in one of my favorite 4 of all the guitars I own.  And, that is in the company of high priced Gibsons.  My EL-00 Pro plays great, sounds great, and is super responsive to fingerpicking.  It amazes me how such a low price guitar can be so good.  I did put in a tusq saddle on mine that has a great break angle.  I also use a Fishman Rare Earth Humbucker sounds hole pickup if I play it through an amp rather than it’s built in pickup.

Without seeing its photo I can’t say much more, but even with a photo I am not too sure I could say much specifically about its authenticity as at times Ephiphone’s practice of using overseas manufacturers to produce its  guitars, sometimes results in some variations of models.  But, realistically, it is a bit hard to fathom that anyone would spend the time and effort to try and counterfeit what to begin with is a low priced guitar.  (Seems to me they would try to counterfeit a high priced guitar Gibson L-00, not a EL-00, but who knows.)

Just my comments without being able to pull up the photos and on the one I own.

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by QuestionMark
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Cheers for the advice everyone it’s looking like an early jap model round shape,. What are people’s views on the difference in tone etc with the jap model and say the new pro models

the serial no is R0500003 I cannot seem to find where it was made 

thanks in advance

 

Edited by conn4000
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I’ve heard only good things about the early EL-00s.  I’ve played both the early EL-00 and the EL-00 Pro.  Both are very good.  The only difference I found was the non-Pro version had a slightly thinner nut than the Pro’s nut.  Plus, the Pro has electronics, although I use a soundhole pickup on mine, not the built in electronics.  When I traded for mine, I actually thought it was not the Pro version because I didn’t realize it’s electronics (battery and controls) were in the soundhole.  I have been happy to have either the non-Pro or the Pro when I traded for it.  As mentioned I do not use my Pro’s electronics.  

Both are solid spruce top guitars.  Both are very good IMHO.

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

 

 

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The design in the middle of the headstock in the photos is indeed different that any I’ve seen, but everything else about the guitar,  headstock, pickguard, sunburst looks the same as my EL-00 Pro, except the one in the photo’s pickguard is missing the removable E.    Exact same Epiphone lettering on the headstock and the exact same headstock shape.  As well as tuners, washers.  Except mine has  the same shaped truss rod cover plate, but mine only has an E on it, something I’ve noticed differs from most other EL-00 Pros I’ve seen.  Go figure.

 Unless the label inside the sound hole indicates it’s some different variation of an EL-00 Pro/VS, I suspect it’s design in the middle of the headstock just somehow got through Ephiphone’s quality control somehow.  Or, maybe even could have been added on by an engraver post production.  Not sure what else to think.   Any one have any theories?

Maybe try sending the photos to Ephiphone’s customer service to see how they respond.

QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

 

 

 

Edited by QuestionMark
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18 hours ago, conn4000 said:

well it seems it was just a sticker so I carried on looking into a second hand el-00 and found this baby on bay I purchased for half the price of a new el-00 pro 

https://www.use.com/editset.pl?set=63649a9656e3de523994&p=2 

it’s immaculate looks like it’s never been used so I’m very happy

 

Congrats!  Looks like a beaut!   Best to you, playing great music on it!

QM aka  “Jazzman” Jeff

 

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