willmak Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Hey I am planning on buying my first Epi Semihollow on saturday and I was curious if you guys can tell me whether ot not this is a fake. I am concerned because the seller can't find a serial # and the "E" on the pick guard looks different from what I've seen: If it is legit, what year do yiou guys reckon it is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fazeka Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Not sure why someone would fake a Korean-made guitar? Are these Korean-made Sheratons now selling for big bucks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willmak Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 Not sure why someone would fake a Korean-made guitar? Are these Korean-made Sheratons now selling for big bucks? lol good point. I always just thought it was wise to get a serial number before buying any used guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 It certainly looks real enough, but there should at least be an Epi label inside the f-hole. And they're not easy to remove cleanly unless left off during construction which would be unlikely. But there are a lot of "authentic" factory used, 2nds and parted up Sheratons floating around, just search ebay or this fourm for examples. As for the value of Korean made guitars, they are rising slowly and many are made quite well. No they don't have the cache of an American-made ES-33X, but they also don't cost >$3k, so Epis have become the workingman's collectable. That's me and most of the folks on this forum, working folks or "Joe quitar player", as Sarah Palin would say. In any case, I think that Epi is real, but if I were buying it, I'd want to know its provenance, if for nothing more than resale-ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I've never seen a pickguard with that shape "e" on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vomer Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Haven't yet heard of any Epi semi- or hollow-bodied fakes. There are plenty of Gibsons though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Summerisle Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I've never seen a pickguard with that shape "e" on it. I agree with Jeffrey. However, given the propensity of the foil 'e' to drop off at any given moment, I wonder whether a previous owner just fabricated a new one by some means or another... Other than that, the guitar looks fine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epinder Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I've never seen a pickguard with that shape "e" on it. Check out the other fake Sherry thread going!!! http://forums.epiphone.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=8757 Same "e" As to the other thread, they both seem to be very good looking older model Sherry's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Check out the other fake Sherry thread going!!! http://forums.epiphone.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=8757 Same "e" As to the other thread' date=' they both seem to be very good looking older model Sherry's.[/quote'] The name on the headstock looks better here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epinder Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 The name on the headstock looks better here. I'm sorry, I thought you were refering to the "e" on the pickguard. I knew that you've been around long enough to see that shape. You're right, the "e" on the headstock is almost a block style letter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I'm sorry' date=' I thought you were refering to the "e" on the pickguard. I knew that you've been around long enough to see that shape. You're right, the "e" on the headstock is almost a block style letter.[/quote'] I was (the pickguard e looks like the e on the previous suspect Sheraton, but the headstock logo looks better). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpiSheriMan Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I was (the pickguard e looks like the e on the previous suspect Sheraton' date=' but the headstock logo looks better).[/quote'] The pick guard is clearly not original but the guitar is real. Why do people thing that a someone who makes fake guitars would bother with a US$ 300 Sheraton when he can get far more money making a Gibson fake??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 The pick guard is clearly not original but the guitar is real. Why do people thing that a someone who makes fake guitars would bother with a US$ 300 Sheraton when he can get far more money making a Gibson fake??? That's a completely different question. He simply asked if this guitar looked like a fake' date=' not if we thought that was a bright strategy for counterfeiting guitars. But I have seen far more attempts to sell fake Epiphones than fake Gibsons. Only an idiot would buy a supposedly new Gibson on-line with the guitar shipping directly from China.[b'] The fact is, people do fake Epiphones.[/b] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 "Not sure why someone would fake a Korean-made guitar?" as Jeffery points out, it has been determined without a doubt that counterfeit epiphones exist...considering that the level of detail and workmanship is generally lower in the average epiphone as compared to a gibson, it makes perfect sense to produce counterfeits, as they can be manufactured cheaply and quickly...epiphone even has a link regarding the subject... "Haven't yet heard of any Epi semi- or hollow-bodied fakes. There are plenty of Gibsons though." although I don't think any fake sheratons have surfaced, there have been a number of obviously fake Joe Pass Emperor IIs posted here, and possibly even some casinos... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PP_CS336 Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Hey I am planning on buying my first Epi Semihollow on saturday and I was curious if you guys can tell me whether ot not this is a fake. I am concerned because the seller can't find a serial # and the "E" on the pick guard looks different from what I've seen: If it is legit' date=' what year do you guys reckon it is?[/quote'] EpiElitist, from what I've seen over the years, this looks like one of the Japanese manufactured Sheraton II's which had the Gibson TRC (Truss Rod Cover) and the Episolon like that on the pickguard. The earlier pickguards were either tortoise shell or more tortoise shell-like than the current Sheraton II's being made. Even the bridge looks more like the ones on the Japanese models than the Korean or more current Chinese models. If I remember from seeing earlier pictures of 60-70's models of Epiphone pickguards like this or on the Casinos, they had Episolons that look like this. Also, the guitar case you have (TKL made in Canada) looks exactly like the case I got with my Sheraton II, which is official. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o8jedi Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Since when have they put the Gibson-ized "Epiphone" on the headstock of Sheratons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 that style of the epiphone logo is fairly common on earlier MIKs, I believe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 what does that question mean? Not sure. It looks like an Epiphone headstock, so he must be referring to the "Gibson" on the truss rod cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I edited...I think he means the actual style of the Epiphone name... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 If it's a decent price, and has no real "issues"...Buy it, already! It's legit! Lots of folks like that era of Sheri, because of the smaller "f" holes, and excellent build quality. I'd say "Go For It!" And enjoy the Hell out of it! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willmak Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 EpiElitist' date=' from what I've seen over the years, this looks like one of the Japanese manufactured Sheraton II's which had the Gibson TRC (Truss Rod Cover) and the Episolon like that on the pickguard. The earlier pickguards were either tortoise shell or more tortoise shell-like than the current Sheraton II's being made. Even the bridge looks more like the ones on the Japanese models than the Korean or more current Chinese models. If I remember from seeing earlier pictures of 60-70's models of Epiphone pickguards like this or on the Casinos, they had Episolons that look like this. Also, the guitar case you have (TKL made in Canada) looks exactly like the case I got with my Sheraton II, which is official. [/quote'] You're telling me this is a MIJ sheraton? That's really good right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 probably MIK with that headstock logo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 That would be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vomer Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 [quote name=dubstar "Haven't yet heard of any Epi semi- or hollow-bodied fakes. There are plenty of Gibsons though." although I don't think any fake sheratons have surfaced' date=' there have been a number of obviously fake Joe Pass Emperor IIs posted here, and possibly even some casinos... [/quote] Sorry, I stand corrected, I was thinking of thinlines, and I hadn't heard of casinos yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronte Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Hey I am planning on buying my first Epi Semihollow on saturday and I was curious if you guys can tell me whether ot not this is a fake. I am concerned because the seller can't find a serial # and the "E" on the pick guard looks different from what I've seen: If it is legit' date=' what year do yiou guys reckon it is?[/quote'] Again...this guitar is 100% legitimate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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