dougg330 Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Hey - Anyone out there have an Epi ES-175? What do you think? I love my China-made Casino and wonder if 175's made in China differ from the Indonesian-made model I played at a local store. All help is appreciated. Dougg330 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunriver Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 I recently purchased an Epi ES-175 from M123 as a blem model. It was built in Indonesia (it has an SI serial number and a sticker on the headstock) and it is just great. I can't find any flaws other than a small crack about one half inch in the finish around the input jack. The stock pups sound pretty good, on a par with my Joe Pass. The build quality is really pretty good in comparison with all of my other Epi's. With the discount for the blem designation, I think I got a pretty good deal. I bought this model because I am planning on modifying it quite a bit. The tuners on it are a little loose, so I am going to swap out for some Grover deluxe tuners. I also want to upgrade the pups to Gibson 57's. I upgraded my Joe Pass to GFS 59's and they are pretty good, but I wanted to see what an Epi would sound like with some high end pups. Other than the Joe Pass, I have left all my guitars stock. This will be my first attempt at modding something this radically. I don't know if Epi makes any hollow body guitars (like the ES-175 or Zephyr Regent) in China. Mostly I think they were made in Korea until recently, and the manufacturing was moved to Indonesia. Perhaps someone else knows more about the history of manufacturing places for these models. If you haven't bought one yet, I would put my two cents worth in and say go for it. They seem to be a real bargain for what you are getting, especially if you can get some kind of a deal on one. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougg330 Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 Thanks, Rich. The one I saw was made in Indonesia, and looked and played great. I've seen EE serial numbers on EBay, and I'm told those are made in China. I know that Gibson built the Epi plant in China, and I am really happy with my Casino, which came from there. I was just curious what an owner's experience might have been with the Indonesian product. Sounds like you're happy with it. I'm going to go back this weekend and snap it up. dougg330 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdgails Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 generally, the indonesian epis are the worse, dont know about now though, it may be ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bob Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Bought the Epi 175 a few months ago - was unsure about the Indonesian origins at first, but have had no problems with the quality of the finish or quality control. Better, in fact, than an ES137 I bought last year. Have exchanged thoughts with other owners in previous posts, and we all seem to agree on the problem of cracks in the poly finish around the output jack. The wood here is thin and flexes more than the finish itself. I put a dummy jack plate on (like a big washer to spread the load) and that has both limited flexing and covered over the cracks. A mod like this should prevent accidental damage to the wood itself. Agree too about the tuners - they may say 'Grover', but I upgraded to Grovers from WD Music which are far superior. The bridge on mine (the wooden 'foot') was poor too, but I've upgraded that as well. AND - I've upgraded to Gibson 57's. The original pups were quite good, but I bought the Epi with a view to carrying out a few upgrades. Thing I like most - is that it plays well. It just feels great to play - in terms of overall size, dimensions etc. The strings were worse than the tuners so I changed those to flats, but have since gone back to round-wounds as they seem to be better 'balanced' tone across all six strings - just my preference. All this may sound like a lot or work, and maybe expense, but I'm pleased with the results and enjoyed carrying out the work myself. Ended up with a guitar that's very like the original, but for a fraction of the cost. Sounds to me like you'd be pleased with it too. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougg330 Posted March 16, 2008 Author Share Posted March 16, 2008 Arrrrrrgggg!! He who hesitates etc. Went back to grab that 175 this weekend and it was sold. Was this a sign that I have enough guitars already, or just a challenge to keep looking? dougg330 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afterimage289 Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I had the same problem as Bob with the wood around the input jack, except mine split and the jack fell inside!!! I had to put a plate that I removed from an Epi Les Paul over the hole for the jack to fix the problem. At first I had a problem setting the bridge, and when set, the bridge would move around when I would put it in it's case ( I've got a tight fitting case). Having a father who is a barber, I got some hair-piece tape and stuck the bridge to the guitar. Now the guitar sounds and plays great. I'm not sure if mine is Indonesian or Chinese made? I haven't been able to decode the serial number which is located inside the guitar on a thin white sticker where the serial number is supposed to be on an orange oval sticker - 311444148. If anyone could help decode it for me, that'd be wonderful. I have been thinking about replacing the original bridge with a tune-o-matic, but decided "If it ain't broke, Dont fix it!" I've owned a Les Paul, Sheraton and an ES - 335 Dot in the past, and I would rate this #2 out of the 4 Epi's I've owned, with the Sheraton at the top. Based on craftsmanship and playability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carverman Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I'm not sure if mine is Indonesian or Chinese made? I haven't been able to decode the serial number which is located inside the guitar on a thin white sticker where the serial number is supposed to be on an orange oval sticker - 311444148. If anyone could help decode it for me' date=' that'd be wonderful. I have been thinking about replacing the original bridge with a tune-o-matic, but decided "If it ain't broke, Dont fix it!" [/quote'] Congrats on owning one of those "old man archtops", they are great! As far as the "serial number" on the white sticker..fugataboutit! That's not the real Epi serial number. It's a inventory number that "they" put on "used" guitars when it is resold to dealers. My Terada made Epiphone Elitist came with a similar sticker starting with "311.......". I could not get any decoding done on that number either. The real serial number (at least part of it on mine was T605xxx was obliterated on the back of the headstock and scratched off the label inside. The crack in the top relegated this beauty to "used" (no warranty status) was expertly repaired, and you know..it doesn't make a bit of difference to me...I love her just the same. The pedigree, looks, workmanship and tone can tell it all. As far as replacing the stock bridge with t-o-m, go for it. I've replaced both my Emperor IIs (also bought used), with GFS t-o-ms. It DID make a difference to the tone over the stock wooden bridge, at least for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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