Has anyone tried one of these yet?

[bobouz]

4 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Yep add a $3 dollar sticker and they jack the price up.

Okay, just for fun I dug out a Musician’s Friend insert from a catalog, circa ‘05-‘06.  Here are the prices for the three Adopt-A-Minefirld fundraiser Texans.  All came with the same case:

> The Terada-Japan “Paul McCartney 1964 Texan” w stamped signature label (1,964 made):  $2,398.

> The “Paul McCartney 1964 USA Texan w signed label” (250 made):  $6,398.

> The “Replica 1964 USA Texan, signed by Paul McCartney” (on the top of the guitar) & w Wings decal (40 made):  $40,000.

Bargain prices, for sure! 

[Sgt. Pepper]

36 minutes ago, bobouz said:

Okay, just for fun I dug out a Musician’s Friend insert from a catalog, circa ‘05-‘06.  Here are the prices for the three Adopt-A-Minefirld fundraiser Texans.  All came with the same case:

> The Terada-Japan “Paul McCartney 1964 Texan” w stamped signature label (1,964 made):  $2,398.

> The “Paul McCartney 1964 USA Texan w signed label” (250 made):  $6,398.

> The “Replica 1964 USA Texan, signed by Paul McCartney” (on the top of the guitar) & w Wings decal (40 made):  $40,000.

Bargain prices, for sure! 

I got 2 words for them. Blow Me.

That's one expensive sticker and signature.

Edited June 17, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[E-minor7]

1 hour ago, bobouz said:

Okay, just for fun I dug out a Musician’s Friend insert from a catalog, circa ‘05-‘06.  Here are the prices for the three Adopt-A-Minefirld fundraiser Texans.  All came with the same case:

> The Terada-Japan “Paul McCartney 1964 Texan” w stamped signature label (1,964 made):  $2,398.

> The “Paul McCartney 1964 USA Texan w signed label” (250 made):  $6,398.

> The “Replica 1964 USA Texan, signed by Paul McCartney” (on the top of the guitar) & w Wings decal (40 made):  $40,000.

Bargain prices, for sure! 

 

Then try to imagine the tag on the actual McCartney Texan. 

[fortyearspickn]

Paul is great.  But it was the synergy of all 4 of them that made them what they were.   His musical talent, if it hadn't been embellished by John, George and Ringo - would never have gotten him international fame and fortune.    His guitar - certainly sounded good. Studio probably helped.   And I'm sure these  re-issues sound really great.    BUT - I'm sure that our own TPbill has at least 100 guitars - various makes and models - that sound BETTER !      So, again,  I'm not seeing this as a viable direction to go if, as I suspect, Bozeman could have used the plant capacity to crank out an equal number of one of their classic, iconic models.  

Took me more than Sarge's  two words - but my thoughts are the same. 

[Sgt. Pepper]

13 minutes ago, fortyearspickn said:

Paul is great.  But it was the synergy of all 4 of them that made them what they were.   His musical talent, if it hadn't been embellished by John, George and Ringo - would never have gotten him international fame and fortune.    His guitar - certainly sounded good. Studio probably helped.   And I'm sure these  re-issues sound really great.    BUT - I'm sure that our own TPbill has at least 100 guitars - various makes and models - that sound BETTER !      So, again,  I'm not seeing this as a viable direction to go if, as I suspect, Bozeman could have used the plant capacity to crank out an equal number of one of their classic, iconic models.  

Took me more than Sarge's  two words - but my thoughts are the same. 

One word -Nostalgia.

One symbol - $

And I didn't even use my potty mouth on those.  It certainly seems TPbill has almost one of every acoustic guitar on the planet.

As you experts say it is a J-45 that is long scale. In your guys opinions, would that be a + or - ?

Edited June 17, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[fortyearspickn]

It would be an Advanced Jumbo.

[Leonard McCoy]

On 6/16/2020 at 11:19 AM, Jinder said:

As much as I love a good Texan and applaud Gibson for making this guitar, in my opinion (which is, of course, just one man's take), I feel as if it's an instrument that may have fallen between a few stools. There are a few reasons for this:

1) it's an iteration of the Texan that doesn't have a specific artist/iconic recording association-as Em7 said, Wizz, Paul and Al all played Texans with adjustable saddles and plastic bridges, not to mention the later headstock. This one is beautiful, but has no historic hook to hang its hat on.

2) Brand association is a powerful market force, and most off-the-peg guitar buyers associate Epiphone with solid, low-to-mid-price instruments, as do performers. Personally, I'm all about tone and function onstage, but plenty of people would rather put that money down for a J45 as an instrument to be seen with onstage (classic, iconic, has the Gibson logo, was featured on countless classic records and seen in the hands of hundreds of musical icons) than this, which will undoubtedly sound wonderful but still resemble a budget guitar to the uninitiated.

3) Resale is going to be a major issue. Many of us chop and change our instruments from time to time, and this is bound to be a tough sell as a used guitar. Hell, if they're not selling new, they will be a tough go to shift secondhand without losing a LOT of money. 

That said, I want one. It's a great guitar to own as a keeper, and the fact that the resale would be a kicker would force me to keep it and bond with it on a long term basis. I don't care about branding...I play a guitar because I like it. 

These concerns have been lingering in the back of my mind as well. While I didn't particularly like my old Texan (its bass was deafeningly loud and unbalanced), I would definitely not shy away from giving these Bozeman-made Texan-styled Epiphones, which just look stunning by the way, a try. 

A long-scale J-45 style guitar may look a bit funny at first due to its elongated neck, but it definitely has a place in recordings (it cuts right through the mix). I think, given enough time and the right push with releases of new models, there can be a market for modern high-end Epiphone guitars again.

The real question then becomes, once you have thrown those concerns overboard, whether or not one should be getting a Bozeman Texan over an actual vintage Texan. The answer is not clear to me at all given that vintage Texans in good condition should be at about the same price point. The nut width of vintage Texans is usually narrower at 1.6875" (or even lower?) as compared to the Bozeman reissue (1.73"), which should still be managable to most players and favored but by a few. Vintage Texans may be built primitively but they work, and apparently lasted, well and long enough.

 

Edited June 18, 2020 by Leonard McCoy

[E-minor7]

On 6/15/2020 at 10:43 PM, E-minor7 said:

 

It's almost as if it's my job & duty to remind the Board-members/audience of the fact that McCartney's Texan had the plastic bridge - like Wizz Jones's and A- Stewart's by the way. . 

All 3 drove hollow plastic bridge with ceramic saddle. In fact W.J. stil does - hasn't changed his acoustic since the mid60s. . 

 

I hereby have to change the had in the line above to has. 

Seems the fix didn't go all the way but only counted a ceramic switch. 

The old Texan got a new saddle-insert - yet kept the plastic bridge.

 

[livemusic]

That Epi Leonard posted above sounds real good.

[pohatu771]

I actually put a 30%-ish deposit on one the other day. Store had two (a natural and a sunburst) and I claimed the natural. It will be a nice complement to my J-45. They  actually sounded quite different from each other, and both had their factory strings and had barely been touched, sitting in the display case for about three months while the store was closed. The natural was brighter, while the sunburst sounded more like my J-45. The necks were slightly thicker than my 2001 "not-a-standard" J-45, but not thick enough to disqualify the purchase. I actually prefer the New York-style Epiphone headstock to the Kalamazoo version.

For the price, I was considering vintage examples, but all would require shipping and not being able to try it, or investment in a road trip through one or more states with different pandemic restrictions for a guitar I might not like. A not-insignificant decision was getting a Gibson warranty. I've just put quite a bit of money into repairs on three other Gibsons and would like to avoid that in the future if possible.

I'm not terribly concerned about resale value since I've only sold one guitar in my history, and it's easier to find a vintage Texan for sale than any of the vintage-inspired Elitist, McCartney, or USA versions of the past 25 years.

Edited June 23, 2020 by pohatu771

[Jinder]

On 6/23/2020 at 3:21 AM, pohatu771 said:

I actually put a 30%-ish deposit on one the other day. Store had two (a natural and a sunburst) and I claimed the natural. It will be a nice complement to my J-45. They  actually sounded quite different from each other, and both had their factory strings and had barely been touched, sitting in the display case for about three months while the store was closed. The natural was brighter, while the sunburst sounded more like my J-45. The necks were slightly thicker than my 2001 "not-a-standard" J-45, but not thick enough to disqualify the purchase. I actually prefer the New York-style Epiphone headstock to the Kalamazoo version.

For the price, I was considering vintage examples, but all would require shipping and not being able to try it, or investment in a road trip through one or more states with different pandemic restrictions for a guitar I might not like. A not-insignificant decision was getting a Gibson warranty. I've just put quite a bit of money into repairs on three other Gibsons and would like to avoid that in the future if possible.

I'm not terribly concerned about resale value since I've only sold one guitar in my history, and it's easier to find a vintage Texan for sale than any of the vintage-inspired Elitist, McCartney, or USA versions of the past 25 years.

I'll be really interested to see how you get on with it...they look and sound stellar in the videos.

[kelly campbell]

I have never understood why they made it and called it epiphone and charged Gibson money for it??  Why not just go ahead and put the gibson name on it..I have played it and it was nice but not that much nicer...Sorry but just a waste of money to me..

[Sgt. Pepper]

On 6/30/2020 at 12:40 AM, kelly campbell said:

I have never understood why they made it and called it epiphone and charged Gibson money for it??  Why not just go ahead and put the gibson name on it..I have played it and it was nice but not that much nicer...Sorry but just a waste of money to me..

Because they have to pay American workers American wages, and not 17 cents an hour.

Edited July 1, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[kelly campbell]

53 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Because they have to pay American workers American wages, and not 17 cents an hour.

I get that but it just doesnt seem worth it ..resale wont carry the value as a Gibson etc..I will be happy with the Gibsons I have and would not go there. Just me.

[Sgt. Pepper]

1 hour ago, kelly campbell said:

I get that but it just doesnt seem worth it ..resale wont carry the value as a Gibson etc..I will be happy with the Gibsons I have and would not go there. Just me.

I got all I need...now want...that's something else.

Edited July 1, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[kidblast]

it looks like a decent axe  but for 2,700 apples....  I'm with Kelly, I'd just buy a J45 and not look back.

[Sgt. Pepper]

19 minutes ago, kidblast said:

it looks like a decent axe  but for 2,700 apples....  I'm with Kelly, I'd just buy a J45 and not look back.

Yeah I can think of about 5 guitars of the top of my head I would rather buy with 27 hundo. 12 to 13  and I might consider it. 

[uncle fester]

4 hours ago, kidblast said:

it looks like a decent axe  but for 2,700 apples....  I'm with Kelly, I'd just buy a J45 and not look back.

It's the long scale that would draw me, but then if I went on a search - would have to see how it measures up to an AJ or D18.  I would definitely give it a look though.

[pohatu771]

Well, I've had mine in-hand for a few days. Maybe it's the longer scale, maybe it's the combination of these specific pieces of wood, maybe it's that I spent $2500, but I'm beyond pleased with this one. In the past six months, I've played my own J-45, a few other J-45s, an Advanced Jumbo,  a very vintage J-35, a J-29 Rosewood, and a half-dozen J-45-inspired copies by other companies, and this one has the best of them all. It's full, but it's sweeter than my J-45 without the  "thud" bass that I've been frustrated with lately.

I can't find a finish flaw on it (the sunburst I considered had a speck of finish on the nut, but nothing else I could see). The neck is microscopically bigger than my 2001 J-45. The only changes I would make (which would only reduce its vintage accuracy, which Gibson doesn't make any claims about) is to embed the Epiphone logo through pickguard rather than applying it to the surface. The inlays have great texture, with a lot of detail without adding non-white coloring.

 

I'm even pleased with the serial number - stamped February 14, with an appropriate production number of 79.

 

I've seen plenty of people complain about the price - questioning who would buy an Epiphone for the price of a Gibson, or insisting that Gibson should be able to make a guitar at Bozeman for the same price as an imported Epiphone (though in their defense, the G-45 Studio is only slightly more expensive than the Masterbilt Excellente). I don't regret this for an instant. The Japanese Texans sell for more than their original retail price now, and the 1994 USA model might as well be a myth, because I've never seen one for sale.

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by pohatu771

[Leonard McCoy]

That figuring in the top wood, perfectly evenly spread out, is a sight to behold. And the classic blue Epiphone label brings back memories. That's one hell of a review, thanks.

[bobouz]

Yes, that is a flat out gorgeous top - love it!

Congrats & glad it's working out so well for you.

[Holiday Hoser]

Just got back from Montana on vacation and for grins went by the Bozeman shop. Shut up tighter than a nuns panties. Last year when I went by and  the closest I got to a tour was bending some girls ear who was on break smoking a cig out by the dumpster. (She let me sniff her sawdust apron!) But really 2700??? I laughed at my buddy when he came back from a George Strait concert with this for a grand. 

Edited July 29, 2020 by Holiday Hoser

[Sgt. Pepper]

3 hours ago, Holiday Hoser said:

I laughed at my buddy when he came back from a George Strait concert with this for a grand. 

The funny thing is it's on an Epi and George is playing a Taylor on it. Nice advertisment.

That rivals Martin's D-16 with Croz on it. 

[pohatu771]

On 7/29/2020 at 12:30 AM, Leonard McCoy said:

That figuring in the top wood, perfectly evenly spread out, is a sight to behold. And the classic blue Epiphone label brings back memories. That's one hell of a review, thanks.

 

On 7/29/2020 at 4:08 AM, bobouz said:

Yes, that is a flat out gorgeous top - love it!

Congrats & glad it's working out so well for you.

 

There is some subtle silking in the top. If I am completely honest, the sunburst version I played might have sounded very slightly nicer, but the top on this one was much more striking and I weighed them against each other.