Epiphone Ea250 1972-1974 missing badge on headstock

[Zoot Mo]

Hi 

I wonder if anyone has any info to help me.

This old guitar belonged to my late father and has huge sentimental value, though I appreciate not so much commercial value.

I seem to remember there being a badge on the headstock when I was a kid in the 70’s but as you can see from the pics it is missing.

There are two tiny screw holes which held it in place. I was wondering if anyone would know what it looked like (as I can’t remember) or where I might find out. Ideally finding a replacement would be good.

Funny thing is the other examples I see online don’t have a badge, but a printed decal instead.

Thanks in advance

Steve

 

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2020 by Zoot Mo
Duplicate pictures

[pohatu771]

This is actually a 5102T, not an EA-250. The EA-250 has more traditiona, Gibson-style humbuckers, while the 5102T has these "double-coil" pickups.

That said ,this one isn't actually an Epiphone. These were made by Matsumoku under a variety of brands, including Epiphone when Gibson first sent production to Japan. Epiphone models had a wider headstock, and the logo was screened on. I've seen Aria, Lyle, and Dio brands, but the only one with a screwed-on badge roughly the size I've seen is Aria Diamond.

[Buddy West]

P is right, it probably is an Aria Diamond.  It is has the potential to be a really nice playing and sounding guitar if some problems are fixed.  I have about 10 of these and have learned a lot about them.  There is a serious problem with the Japanese bolt on neck hollow bodies like this and similar, made by several different manufacturers.  The neck pocket is weak, supported only by the thin laminate sides and back.  It is barely supported at all where it meets the body on top.  What you end up with is a hinge effect with that neck pocket and over time string tension will pull it out.  The action gets higher, you lower the bridge until it cannot get lower and finally you start removing the neck and shimming it.....eventually you run out of adjustment room, the binding starts detaching and catastrophic failure looms.

We studied this problem a lot and came up with a solution, a 2nd truss rod running through the meat of the neck pocket and into empty space inside the body.  Then we brace the truss rod and spread the force of a considerably large area.  This stops the neck pocket drifting and also seems to transfer sound vibrations into the body.   That is a side benefit.

Once the neck pocket bracing is done you can proceed with other obvious upgrades.  I recommend replacing the neck pickup with a high quality single coil, like a Duncan Phat Cat.  You have to work with the pickup mounting ring a little but the Phat Cat in humbucker size can be squeezed in.  This improvement alone takes this guitar's game up awesomely.  I think you can keep the original bridge pickup in place.  It does a decent enough job in that position.

Other improvements are at ones discretion.  This could mean new tuners, a different bridge of some kind, pots and caps if desired.  In the end you get a really nice player, frankly when upgraded right I like this model more than the regular Epiphone Casino or standard Gibson.  With those models the P90 in the neck is great but I don't think it quite works in the bridge.  You are better off there with the cheap humbucker that comes with the Aria 5102T/Epiphone EA 250/Univox Coilly, etc.  Those are all the same guitar made by Matsumoko and sold under various names.

[mihcmac]

Epiphone did make an EA-250 in the 70's and usually had the Epsilon on the nut Cover and Pickguard,  I think Matsumoku did use other Brands on this same guitar..

Below a Matumoku with an Aria badge..

Also whats referred to as a Lawsuit Matsumoku Aria below

Edited July 28, 2021 by mihcmac