searching Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Hello. I wonder if you guys could please help me ID a Epi solidbody that I encountered 30 years ago. I was only 11 years old then, so my memory might not be perfect. I saw this guitar at a garage sale where I bought my first amp, a 1974 Fender Super Reverb. The guitar was not for sale, but the woman selling the amp let me use the guitar to test the amp. She told me it was an Epiphone, though I don't recall seeing a logo on it. The body was kind of like an SG shape, except the horns of the cutaways were rounded rather than pointed. The new '62 Wilshire reissue looks close, but the guitar I saw had no pick guard. It had two black humbuckers with no covers (they looked like DiMarzios), black knobs, a walnut body with a natural finish (or maybe very dark stained mahogany?) and a rosewood or ebony fingerboard. The fingerboard was a little wider than normal and the neck seemed thinner than usual. The string action was very low. The guitar was kept in a rectangular black tolex case. This guitar is my favorite that I've ever encountered. For years I regretted that it was not for sale. I would love to find out what it was so perhaps I can look for another one. Thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Could be an ET Series Epi..... See my avatar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searching Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Hmm, did those come in different colors and PU configurations? The one I saw had a bridge and saddle like the ones on the '62 Wilshire RI. The knobs were also in the same configuration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 They did (concerning the bridge) Google ET-290 or ET-290N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Is it an Olympic? Gruhn has a mid-60s model in their inventory now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 I was thinking an Olympic as well, but that's a 60's Epi...... well unless it's an Olympic with a bolt-on neck If the thread starter can tell us if the guitar was a bolt-on or set-in neck that could tell us what era it was built... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searching Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Thanks for the leads, guys. I have searched for the models you mention, and none of them look familiar. All of the pics I'm seeing show pick guards, which this guitar did not have. Also, the knobs were in a square pattern like SG knobs, not in a line or arc. As for the neck, good question. I don't remember. It's possible that this was a 1960s model that I did not encounter until the late '70s. In any case, I have a possible breakthrough. For all these years, I have remembered the name of the people who were holding the garage sale where I saw this guitar. The guitar, as well as the amp I bought at the garage sale, belonged to their daughter, who was in college at the time. With a little Googling, I managed to find these people, and I just got off the phone with the mom. She asked me to e-mail her the info about the guitar, and she will forward the message to her daughter. If her daughter remembers the guitar she had 30 years ago, then I could have my answer in the next few days. I will keep you all posted. I am dying to know what this guitar was. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Good Luck on your quest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Duane, I think you axe you played was a Genesis '79-'81. See my recent post and let me know if this is same guit fiddle. I have two, the one in the pics and one I'm restoring. They are hard to come by to say the very least. Stunnig and incredibly underated models. Sssshhhh. http://forums.epiphone.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=8190 http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/30U-13286.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordNelson2U Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Hello. I wonder if you guys could please help me ID a Epi solidbody that I encountered 30 years ago. I was only 11 years old then' date=' so my memory might not be perfect. I saw this guitar at a garage sale where I bought my first amp, a 1974 Fender Super Reverb. The guitar was not for sale, but the woman selling the amp let me use the guitar to test the amp. She told me it was an Epiphone, though I don't recall seeing a logo on it. The body was kind of like an SG shape, except the horns of the cutaways were rounded rather than pointed. The new '62 Wilshire reissue looks close, but the guitar I saw had no pick guard. It had two black humbuckers with no covers (they looked like DiMarzios), black knobs, a walnut body with a natural finish (or maybe very dark stained mahogany?) and a rosewood or ebony fingerboard. The fingerboard was a little wider than normal and the neck seemed thinner than usual. The string action was very low. The guitar was kept in a rectangular black tolex case. This guitar is my favorite that I've ever encountered. For years I regretted that it was not for sale. I would love to find out what it was so perhaps I can look for another one. Thanks for your help.[/quote'] Based upon your description my guess is a 1961 Wilshire..which is slightly different from the model they reissued...it does have a pickguard though: and the Olympic Double (as someone guessed) most certainly has a pickguard: as does the Crestwood Custom from this era : The Epiphone solid bodies that were made from 1958 until 1970 under-went subtle changes through those years so the minutiae does change so it could be a matter of a certain version of the basic available models of those years; the Coronet, The Wilshire, The Crestwood Custom, The Crestwood Deluxe, The Olympic models and then you have the bolt-on neck re-labeled Aria models of 1971-1978 which are a possibility but have the wrong knob configuration. If anything here rings a bell let me know and I'll try to find something that more-closely matches your recollections. Lord Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searching Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Wow, Lord Nelson, those are some great photos. Thanks! But they don't quite ring any bells. The closest resemblance I'm finding at the moment is this SG Special: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/closeup/ESGSCHCH--Main Imagine this in walnut with the sharp horns rounded off and deeper cutaways. And I'm pretty the guitar I'm seeking had four knobs rather than two. The body was very thin, like an SG's, not fat like a Les Paul's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searching Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Actually, on second look, that '61 Wilshire could be it if it had different pickups and no pick guard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 The thing that keeps making me think that it was a Genesis is the lack of pickguard and rounded horns. Also the era is about right. Genesis have both those attributes and were made in '79-81. What do I win if I guessed correctly? Does she still have the guitar and is it for sale? Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searching Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 Hi, Brian, thanks for the nice photos. As I mentioned, this guitar was thin like an SG, not thick like a Les Paul. It had rounded edges all around like the Wilshire and deeper cutaways than the Genesis. I'm still waiting/hoping to hear back from the woman who owned this guitar 30 years ago. I don't know whether she still has it. I'll let you all know if/when I hear from her. It is very possible that my memory is way off and that you guys have already correctly ID'd the model. Hmm, I'll have to think about a grand prize. Thanks for all your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.