New (to me) Sheraton

[dbirchett]

I just won an auction for a Black Sheraton on Ebay. I assumed that it would be a Korean model. I did not check before I bought it (my mistake, I know). The seller told me that the serial number began with UO07 ... (I am assuming the O or 0, they could be the same). I am assuming that this is a Chinese Sheraton made in 2007. Is this correct? I did get it at a pretty good price and will probably be doing some modifying of it.

 

Can anyone tell me where it was made and how those Sheratons are generally regarded? I have not played any Chinese Epis yet. What kind of pickups is it likely to have? It does have rotomatics on it.

 

Thanks for the help.

[Ricochet]

The U indicates it was made at the Unsung factory in Korea. Next 2 digits the year made(2000). I know next to nothing about archtops, but generally the Unsung quality is pretty good.

[RotcanX]

The pickups will be two Epiphone Classic Alnicos, adequate but not stellar. Fortunately they don't jack in a 'hot' bridge pickup so the sound through the treble setting is actually OK.

[cabeza]

I have an '07 Unsung Sheri, also. A "Used" at that. Dunno' what type of pu's are in there. They sound fabulous to my ears. Very growly, but the neck pickup is still smooth. I had intended to swap, but I'm digging the setup it has now. I've read that Gibson '57's sound nice on a Sheri, as well as GFS Mean 90's.

To my ears, the Sheraton is a versatile, dependable semi-hollow. I'm not a shredder, more of a rhythm player and it allows me to switch musical styles without changing axes. Nice cleans for blues, and really sexy with a little gain for dirt. I love it through my Fender Twin.. like buttuhz.

I hope it arrives safely and you enjoy it. I know how it is with getting an instrument through the mail. I've bought quite a few guitars through the 'Bay, and it can be terrifying. I've learned that the best way to go through any online transaction is to ask plenty of questions beforehand, even better if you can actually talk to the seller. Also, you can certainly expect the instrument to need at least a simple set-up when you get it. Check all aspects of that sucker.. electronics, bindings, headstock, etc.

There's no way to be 100% sure with buying a guitar online, but by having enough knowledge about the transaction before putting any loot down, knowing shipping and return options and such, you will know what to expect when that big box arrives.

Good luck. Post pix when 'ya get it!

[JefferySmith]

I just won an auction for a Black Sheraton on Ebay. I assumed that it would be a Korean model. I did not check before I bought it (my mistake' date=' I know). The seller told me that the serial number began with UO07 ... (I am assuming the O or 0, they could be the same). I am assuming that this is a Chinese Sheraton made in 2007. Is this correct? I did get it at a pretty good price and will probably be doing some modifying of it.

 

Can anyone tell me where it was made and how those Sheratons are generally regarded? I have not played any Chinese Epis yet. What kind of pickups is it likely to have? It does have rotomatics on it.

 

Thanks for the help.[/quote']

 

I have Epis from the Un Sung and the Samick plants in Korea. Very good quality.

[dbirchett]

Thanks for the responses. Not sure I was ready for a Chinese guitar for a variety of reasons although everyone seems to say that they are just fine. A couple of years ago, I would have said the same thing about Korean guitars. Thirty-five years ago I would have said the same thing about Japanese so go figure. Old predjudices die hard!

 

As I said, I got it for a good price so I feel good about it in any event. Its not the first guitar I have bought through Ebay so I have some idea of what I am getting into. It was a semi-impulse purchase so I didn't really do due diligence on it before I bought it.

 

To Cabeza, is your neck pretty similar to other Sheratons? Does the profile vary from mfr to mfr? The only Sheraton I have played for any length of time is an old Matsumoku and I really liked that neck although it seems a bit narrow. Also, how bad are the electronics. I have a Del Rey and ended up gutting it with all new electronics and other parts. Now it will have to go to make room for the Sheraton. I can't convince the wife I need a 9th guitar. I really can't convince her I need 8 (4 electrics and 4 acoustics0 which, as we all know, is a BARE minimum.

 

One more question, the guitar needs a case. I found a great deal on a brand name "Mainline" through Woodwind and Brasswind. Anyone ever heard of Mainline? Opinions? Other good but inexpensive options?

[cabeza]

Thanks for the responses. Not sure I was ready for a Chinese guitar for a variety of reasons although everyone seems to say that they are just fine. A couple of years ago' date=' I would have said the same thing about Korean guitars. Thirty-five years ago I would have said the same thing about Japanese so go figure. Old predjudices die hard!

 

As I said, I got it for a good price so I feel good about it in any event. Its not the first guitar I have bought through Ebay so I have some idea of what I am getting into. It was a semi-impulse purchase so I didn't really do due diligence on it before I bought it.

 

To Cabeza, is your neck pretty similar to other Sheratons? Does the profile vary from mfr to mfr? The only Sheraton I have played for any length of time is an old Matsumoku and I really liked that neck although it seems a bit narrow. Also, how bad are the electronics. I have a Del Rey and ended up gutting it with all new electronics and other parts. Now it will have to go to make room for the Sheraton. I can't convince the wife I need a 9th guitar. I really can't convince her I need 8 (4 electrics and 4 acoustics0 which, as we all know, is a BARE minimum.

 

One more question, the guitar needs a case. I found a great deal on a brand name "Mainline" through Woodwind and Brasswind. Anyone ever heard of Mainline? Opinions? Other good but inexpensive options?[/quote']

 

Before getting mine, I had the chance to try out a few Sheri's, a '95 (can't recall the factory.. Samick?) and a more recent 2000 model. I also tried plenty of new ones, including some chinese made. The quality varied. The 95 was the best sounding to my ears, and the neck felt maybe just a bit narrower. I love the neck on mine. I have smallish hands and it fits comfortably. Upper access to high notes seems really good, but I'm not up there much.

 

The pickups sounded rounder, a little beefier, closer to Gibsons. The newer Chinese models ran the gamut. From poor workmanship on one (loose switch, crappy tuners, wiring on treble pu was bad) to another I played that was good all the way.

 

As far as electronics, I've yet to have any issues with the wiring on any of my Epi's, except my '96 Sorrento which is a 'lil scratchy on the treble side. I understand Epiphone doesn't provide the best as far as hardware and electronics, but it's really all in how much you play and maintain your instrument. And of course, what your playing demands as far as tone. I do play everyday, but nowhere near as much as working pros. It seems to be common practice to replace the wiring along with the pickups from what I've read on this forum. I may be the wrong chucklehead to ask, though, as I've only had my Sheraton for about 4 months now. All things considered, it's one of the best purchases I've made.

I know your pain, dude.. I'm to the point I just can't justify another guitar purchase to the wifey. Recently, I've been fiending on a Tele dlxe, but I know I'd have to give up one of the current posse.

I have bought from Woodwind and Brasswind, and was satisfied with their service. The item I ordered came very late, but that wasn't their fault, as it was on backorder. In buying a case, just make sure it fits the dimensions of your Sheri, as they have rather large headstocks.

[JefferySmith]

I have a Chinese Ibanez Artcore. Not impressed.

[lpdeluxe]

I assume that if U in the serial number means Unsung, then S means Samick? My MIK Sheraton II (probably a '98) has an SN beginning with S.

 

Very nice axe, I'm more than pleased with it, especially since I got it via a multiple trade at the local music store with very little cash changing hands.

 

Mine has a noisy neck volume pot and a noisy selector switch, so those will be replaced along with the pickups pretty soon. I have the "Anniversary" Seymour Duncan set (Jazz neck, JB bridge) for it and not replacing the cheapo electronics didn't make much sense.

 

I'm on my way to a friend's house pursuant to a musical project we're working on, and I'll take Sherry along to compare to his '70s Gibson ES-340. The Gibson has much nicer wood (natural finish bird's eye) but I'm interested in how the two compare otherwise.

 

Not bashing Gibson -- I have a Les Paul that's my main electric -- but Epi does a pretty good job with these Sheratons.

[Ricochet]

I assume that if U in the serial number means Unsung' date=' then S means Samick? My MIK Sheraton II (probably a '98) has an SN beginning with S.

[/quote']

 

Yes

 

[paste list of factories]

 

DW = DaeWon (China)

EA = Gibson/QingDao (China) Acoustics

EE = Gibson/QingDao (China) Electrics

I = Saein (Korea)

MC = Muse (China)

R = Peerless (Korea)

S = Samick (Korea)

SJ = SaeJun (China)

U = Unsung (Korea)

B = Bohêmia Musico-Delicia (Czech Republic)

F = Fine Guitars Plant (Korea)

[JefferySmith]

B = Bohêmia Musico-Delicia (Czech Republic)

 

Damn! A Bohemian Epiphone? It's not Greece, but I'll bet those Czechs were also persecuted by the Turks. Close enough.

[dbirchett]

Well the guitar arrived today in great shape. I can see why the seller sold it, it really needed a set up. The tuners needed tightening as they would not hold tune. The neck had a pronounced bow in it and the bridge was set too high. Twenty minutes later, the thing plays really well. I will probably put some D'Addario half rounds on it. Those are what I use on my Guild X-170T.

 

The seller packed it in an oversized box and surrounded it with a ton of styrofoam popcorn. The gig bag it was in was stretched by the long peghead.

 

Not wild about the bridge pickup. I have a pearly gates and JB that may find their way into it but I will need to find covers for them. The pickguard and knobs have got to go. I will put a 335 style guard on it with the 335 bracket. While it will probably be black, I am also thinking about black pearl. Black knobs with gold reflectors.

 

That should do it for now. I will post pictures later.

[frpax]

DB's Black Sheraton has the "Official frpax Seal of Approval"! LOL! It is a really nice guitar (with the possible exception of the bridge pickup). I took my old Matsumoku Sheraton (the one he has played before and HEAVILY influenced his decision to buy one!) over for comparison. I have a Pearly Gates in the bridge and a '59 in the neck. I'm trying to convince him to swap out the gold hardware for Nickle, but he's a stubborn old codger!!

[dbirchett]

I have had a little more time to spend with the guitar and it just seems better and better. It had no fret wear to speak of and was like new, other than the aforementioned problems with the neck bow and the tuners. I had originally planned to replace the pickups but after playing them today with my Deluxe cranked a bit, I think I will hang onto them for awhile. The bridge was too harsh but lowering it a bit tamed it. At first I lowered it almost flush with the surround but ended up raising it up a bit to balance the neck. Not an overly bright guitar but my Tele with Fralin SPs can cover that territory.

 

Thanks to all for your comments. It is a sweet guitar. I am in the process of getting a few cosmetic upgrades: New Black pickguard, new black/gold domed knobs and a few other minor things. I will post a picture when I am through.

[shartom]

Glad to hear you spent some time playing your new guitar. It takes time to really evaluate the sound of the instrument. A lot of folks talk about replacing the pickups before the guitar has even arrived.

Pickup height can make a huge difference. Experiment until you are happy with the sound.

Your amp also plays a really big part in the sound you get. Robin Ford recommends playing the guitar for at least six months. I've had my Sheraton for about a year and a half. It is still all original and I gig with it on a regular basis. I have a Gibson LP Studio. Down the road I may put Gibby pickups in the Sheraton. It would then become a 335 on steroids.

[dbirchett]

Well, I have just done the first couple of Mods to this already beautiful guitar.

 

First of all, I just didn't like the semi-transparent tortoise shell pickguard, even though it was bound. So I had a B-W-B-W-B one made to fit. Although I don't really have anything against the Epi shape, I prefer the Gibson, so I had it made in a more Gibson shape. I also used a 335 style bracket.

 

Second, I changed the knobs to the black/gold reflector knobs. A vast improvement, IMHO, and somewhat more authentic (although if I was THAT concerned about authentic, I wouldn't have gone to a Gibson style pickguard, right?).

 

Anyway, here is how she looks:

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned for round two of mods, including a Bigsby B7G.

[delek 99]

liking your work man, im very interested to see how the bigsby looks i want to get one for my sheriton too. theres a few mods i want done, first of all i see you have the epi badge on the head i have a gibson one, i dont like it to be honest with you, i would prefer the original badge, ive tried to find one run out of places!!

aswell i want to change the pick guard and rythm/tremelo to white like a casino along with the bigsby b7 gold i think it would look very smart indeed, i have the antique burst sheriton with gold parts, would you be able to give me any ideas on picking up these parts?

Im sorry for hounding you but just one more question, does fitting a bigsby require a lot of work or do you need any extra parts for the completion of the bigsby?

I would be gratful for any help you could give[-o<

[lostindesert]

Sheriton ???? SHERATON

 

Peter

[JefferySmith]

I just won an auction for a Black Sheraton on Ebay. I assumed that it would be a Korean model. I did not check before I bought it (my mistake' date=' I know). The seller told me that the serial number began with UO07 ... (I am assuming the O or 0, they could be the same). I am assuming that this is a Chinese Sheraton made in 2007. Is this correct? I did get it at a pretty good price and will probably be doing some modifying of it.

 

Can anyone tell me where it was made and how those Sheratons are generally regarded? I have not played any Chinese Epis yet. What kind of pickups is it likely to have? It does have rotomatics on it.

 

Thanks for the help.[/quote']

 

Unsung makes very nice guitars. I have several, and they are top notch.

[Bender 4 Life]

I go along with Cabeza's input..........mines an 11/07 Unsung.......and both p'ups are staying in it, as is.

I play mine through a modeled F/Twinverb, and a Dumble O/D special, for my 2 "main" tones.

Both are truly a joy to my ears.

The only changes I have planned for it, are a set of "Super" Rotomatic tuners, with Imperial sized buttons,

and a 24k button on the 3-way.

 

Dbirchett........is that fretboard really as dry as it looks? mine was, it sucked in the 1st coat of lemon oil within about 2 minutes.

[dbirchett]

liking your work man' date=' im very interested to see how the bigsby looks i want to get one for my sheriton too. theres a few mods i want done, first of all i see you have the epi badge on the head i have a gibson one, i dont like it to be honest with you, i would prefer the original badge, ive tried to find one run out of places!!

aswell i want to change the pick guard and rythm/tremelo to white like a casino along with the bigsby b7 gold i think it would look very smart indeed, i have the antique burst sheriton with gold parts, would you be able to give me any ideas on picking up these parts?

Im sorry for hounding you but just one more question, does fitting a bigsby require a lot of work or do you need any extra parts for the completion of the bigsby?

I would be gratful for any help you could give[-o<

[/quote']

 

I made a number of posts about my upgrades. For part 2, I changed the tuner buttons to ebony and added a custom truss rod cover with my name. http://forums.epiphone.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=3605

 

Part 3 was the Bigsby and that thread should answer your questions on installing the Bigsby. If you have questions, send me a PM. There are a couple of other hot threads on the Bigsby right now. JC just put one on his beautiful sunburst Sheraton and seemed to do a great job. http://forums.epiphone.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=5665 Anyway, my saga is at http://forums.epiphone.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=3790

 

The last one was to change out the pickups to some GFS retrotrons (vintage alnico Liverpool models). http://forums.epiphone.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=4347 I love the way it sounds now. It is my cheapest guitar but it is also my main go-to guitar at this point.

 

If you have other questions after going through the threads, feel free to PM me and I'll see what I can do.

[dbirchett]

Dbirchett........is that fretboard really as dry as it looks? mine was' date=' it sucked in the 1st coat of lemon oil within about 2 minutes.

[/quote']

 

No, it just photographs that way. I have put fret-ease oil on it a couple of times.