Big Country1281734142 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Hey guys, I'm Mike. I'm new to the forum. I just ordered a Masterbilt AJ-500RE through a local shop, and I ended up getting a steal because he couldn't get me the AJ-500ME due to a 6 month wait. He knocked the price down to around $600 while it is everywhere on the web for $700. Not used, second, blemish, or anything. I'm real excited to see it. Any thoughts on the esonic 2 shadow pickup system? I also own 2 Seagulls, and an Epiphone acoustic older than me that my Dad passed down to me. I'll probably have plenty of questions and comments later, but I'll wait till I get my guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteWilson Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Howdy Mike! Welcome to the forum. Hope your new Masterbilt is all you hope it to be. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajsc Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hi Mike. Welcome to the forum, & congrats on a wonderful new Masterbilt. Got pics of that old,,,,(Vintage Epi) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country1281734142 Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Checking to see if I'm doing this right... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country1281734142 Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 There we go!! Here are a couple more... It is an Epiphone FT-140, it has a bolt on neck, wide flat neck, bridge that adjusts with two bolts on the sides of it, incredibly low action w/ no buzzing, amazing tone for a non-solid wood guitar, some dings and scratches but nothing more than expected. My Dad bought it before I was born in the late 70's and had it until my 30th birthday when he passed it to me (he got a Taylor). It is my standard "measuring stick" against which I measure all other acoustics. If it doesn't wow me the way this one always has, I don't like it. My favorite part is what I call the "handshake" on the back of the neck behind the 1st fret. The finish is worn down from my Dad's thumb in that spot, and it will always be there. Cool stuff... Made in Japan, serial # 352137. Anybody have any info on these? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Late version Norlin made FT dreadnaught. Most likely has the larger, white/tan Norlin: Lincolnwood, IL. label. The serial number is pretty much meaningless. The serial number / screw head cover plates were probably stamped enmasse, thrown in a parts bucket, then installed in a manner that was anything but serial. It's the less fancy sister of the FT145. Best part is the top strap button where it ought to be. Keep an eye on that neck block. If it's held this long, then it shouldn't be a problem. There appears to be a bit of a wrinkle around the strap button that has me concerned... could be the lighting though. How's the action? It's good that it is a late model as the earlier versions had some neckblock issues, like mine. I've repaired mine and will never part with her. I've thought about havin' a friend play a final tune on her over my casket, then ElKabonging her over my headstone and tossing the shards in the hole after me. If this is your yard stick, then the AJ Hog' you have on order should slake your lust for a while. I love that warm and woody tone that mahogany imparts, even if it is lamenated. Nice heirloom CB. Sounds to me like you have your head screwed on right about guit tars. Your daddy, on the other hand... A Taylor trash? We gotta work on that boy. [-(/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country1281734142 Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Nope, no wrinkle just light hitting the dust on it. After 30 plus years I think the wood has settled and is structurally sound. So this is a "Norlin"? Can you give me a little more info on what that means? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country1281734142 Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 By the way, mine has a blue label, with MADE IN JAPAN on the bottom right hand side below the black border of the label. Does that help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YerDugliness Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 By the way' date=' mine has a blue label, with MADE IN JAPAN on the bottom right hand side below the black border of the label. Does that help?[/quote'] Can you post a photo of the blue label, Mike? I've been hanging around this forum for quite a while and there always seems to be something special about the blue labels. Other will know more than that....... BTW, I really dig your Dad's "handshake".....it is my sincere hope that my only child will value at least one of my guitars once I pass over, at least value it as more than just something she can turn into $$ on eBay. Dugly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexygibson Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hey Big country, and welcome to the forum ! I see that you're from Greer; just right up the road. I am orginally from Gaffney but am in Rock Hill now. When folks refer to " Norlins " they are refering to Gibson or Epiphones that were built at the time that the Norlin Corp. owned Gibson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country1281734142 Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 OK, cool. Not sure if that applies here, but good to know. My Epi-lingo is not up to snuff. I'll try to get a pic of the blue label up soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 My favorite part is what I call the "handshake" on the back of the neck behind the 1st fret. The finish is worn down from my Dad's thumb in that spot' date=' and it will always be there. [/quote'] BC, That's really wonderful. I hope you're able to pass it on to your own kids someday. I think you'll love your Masterbilt. On the whole, they are excellent guitars, and easily the equal sound-wise of guitars costing much, much more. I'm crossing my fingers that you get a good one! Let us know... Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 By the way' date=' mine has a blue label, with MADE IN JAPAN on the bottom right hand side below the black border of the label. Does that help?[/quote'] Woah.. blue label? Boy I got that one wrong. When the company holding Gibson fell on hard times in the late 60's they sold off some or all of its assets. The company holding Gibson was, I think Chicago Music Instrument. They held some school grade band instruments, Olds, maybe Selmer and others as well. Among them, Gibson guitars and by extension Epiphone. A company from South America purchased the guitar assets. The name of the company was Norlin. Their claim to instrument manufacturing expertiese was that they were currently in the Cement and Beer brewing. Shortly after the purchase, the Epiphone product line was moved from Kalamazoo, Mi. to Japan. The very first flat tops had a "6xxx" model number designation. This was in 1971, by 1972, the FT model number nomenclature had been instituted. The 6xxx and early FT models had a blue label. The labels read, in part, "Kalamazo, MI". It is just the name of a place and has no relationship to where the guitar was built. These Flat tops had a weak neckblock joint. In routing out the pocket, through the soundboard, to accomodate the bolt-on neck, they took the meat out of the joint. Barely 1/4" of wood on either side of this pocket was all that was holding the necks in place against the tug of the steel strings. Many were repaired under warranty. Some weren't. Mine was broke from the day I got it, I think. I was young and unfamiliar with guit tar construction. I called attention to the fact that the fretboard extension was bearing down on the sound board to my teacher (at the shop where Santa bought the old FT). He said it looked just fine. High action, impossible tuning frustrated me to the point I put Epi down for near 20 years. If your neck is stable, then: A: Not all "Blue Labels" have weak necks or B: Yours was repaired under warranty. Since your pappy bought it new, he should know if that were done. Sometime in the late 70's the blue label was replaced with a larger, more square label that included the name of the owner of Epiphone, Norlin. BTW the FT nomenclature was borrowed from earlier Epiphone models the FT-79 "Texan" and FT110 "Frontier" These two are by no means anything like the Norlin FTs... not even close. They even borrowed the "Texan" and other model names for use on the Norlin FTs. Your FT140's label may say "Texan" like my FT145SB (See avatar). It is NOT a FT-79, which is highly prized model. The older pre Norlin FTs sell for thousands of dollars. Norlin FTs, like yours, great shape, well cared for, playable condition, stable neck.... probably worth a couple hundred bucks on the open maket. In your hands... Priceless. Search this site for "Norlin" Read Inconclast's posts for more and probably more accurate detail, he's the resident expert that pops in from time to time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country1281734142 Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Yep definitely a blue label... It does say Kalamazoo, MI on it, but not "made in". It only says MADE IN JAPAN on the bottom below the borderline. Never any problems with the neck, action, tuning, other than the plastic tuning keys cracking. The action is actually just about the best I've ever played. The only major shop work done on it was a re-fretting about 10 years ago. It's worth more to me than it would ever be to anyone else. My wife knows that in a house fire, I'd grab my Epi, then yell for her second. Thanks for all the info guys it really helps. Any idea on a specific year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckW Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Hey Mike -- glad to see someone else has one of these things sitting around. I have a white-label FT-140 that's a dead ringer for what you have in your pics that I bought in the early 70's when I was just learning to play. It's been a workhorse over the past 40 years for me -- I've slung it over my back touring all around, taken it to sea in sailing ships, taken it out into the deep woods, lugged it to more performances and rehearsals than I can count, and other than a few dings and dents, it's still one of my favorite instruments. It has a rich tone, low action, stays in tune, and is a joy to play. The Japanese Epiphones from the 70s may have a bad rep, but mine has been solid. Hope you enjoy yours, and pass it along to your kids some day. Incidentally, mine doesn't have a serial number on the back plate, just the words "Made in Japan". I think I paid something like $150 for it back in the early 70's; I have no idea whether its worth anything at all these days. I wouldn't part with mine anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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