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Need Help Identifying This Guitar


caliban335

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I’m not certain what I have here, but I like it a lot. I purchased this guitar on eBay recently, primarily due to the 1.75” nut width. After I took delivery I realized it was a semi-hollow with body dimensions exactly like those for a Gibson Country Gentleman or Epiphone Country Deluxe. Although it has obvious cosmetic deviations from those two guitars, the only major structural differences are the use of master tone and volume controls. The original bridge and tailpiece were replaced with the Bigsby and bar bridge.

 

It has an Epiphone label inside that reads “CHET ATKINS-EB” for the model with the serial number space left blank. There is a sticker on the rear of the headstock which reads “891079”. There are no markings on the tuners. The paint is sinking into the wood, particularly on the top where grain striations can be seen in the proper lighting. If anyone has any information on this guitar I’d be grateful to hear back from you. This will be cross posted in a couple of forums, so sorry if you see duplicates.

 

CD_Front_Full.jpg

 

CD_Front_Headstock.jpg

 

CD_Rear_Headstock.jpg

 

Country_Deluxe_Label.jpg

 

CD_TailPiece.jpg

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I’m not certain what I have here, but I like it a lot. I purchased this guitar on eBay recently, primarily due to the 1.75” nut width. After I took delivery I realized it was a semi-hollow with body dimensions exactly like those for a Gibson Country Gentleman or Epiphone Country Deluxe. Although it has obvious cosmetic deviations from those two guitars, the only major structural differences are the use of master tone and volume controls. The original bridge and tailpiece were replaced with the Bigsby and bar bridge.

 

It has an Epiphone label inside that reads “CHET ATKINS-EB” for the model with the serial number space left blank. There is a sticker on the rear of the headstock which reads “891079”. There are no markings on the tuners. The paint is sinking into the wood, particularly on the top where grain striations can be seen in the proper lighting. If anyone has any information on this guitar I’d be grateful to hear back from you. This will be cross posted in a couple of forums, so sorry if you see duplicates.

 

(Photos snipped for space consideration)

 

If I was a man who wagered I'd say there's a great likelihood that the guitar in question is a Terada-made (Japan) Epiphone dating to 1988 and originally intended for sale exclusively within Japan. Possibly a limited run for a concern such as Yamano Music. I base this on the logo used and the serial number format. The serial number format is indicative of the Terada Epiphones and Terada was the factory of origin for the Japanese Gretsches, with which this guitar displays a great deal of similarity. Using the Terada serialization format, the guitar decodes to being made in 1988 and being an "Emperor-J"...similar to the Gibson Country Deluxe and also to the original Super Chet while retaining its Epiphone identity...then again it could just be an odd-ball Samick-made (in Korea) Country Deluxe-like guitar from 1998. My gut says "Japan" though...probable value: < $900 if Japanese...< $600 if Korean...but I'm still leaning toward it being Japanese.

 

Larens

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If I was a man who wagered I'd say there's a great likelihood that the guitar in question is a Terada-made (Japan) Epiphone dating to 1988 and originally intended for sale exclusively within Japan. Possibly a limited run for a concern such as Yamano Music. I base this on the logo used and the serial number format. The serial number format is indicative of the Terada Epiphones and Terada was the factory of origin for the Japanese Gretsches' date=' with which this guitar displays a great deal of similarity. Using the Terada serialization format, the guitar decodes to being made in 1988 and being an "Emperor-J"...similar to the Gibson Country Deluxe and also to the original Super Chet while retaining its Epiphone identity...then again it could just be an odd-ball Samick-made (in Korea) Country Deluxe-like guitar from 1998. My gut says "Japan" though...probable value: < $900 if Japanese...< $600 if Korean...but I'm still leaning toward it being Japanese.

 

Larens

[/quote']

 

If I was a man who wagered..I would say it is not made by Terada, I have a Terada made Epiphone Elitist Broadway and it is more true to form with the correct

trappings and configuration of a Broadway.

 

If it were a Terada made Epiphone Elitist, it would have a sticker with the serial

number inside and "ELITIST" in gold letter on the oval label as well.

If you notice the thumbnail marker for the 3rd fret is missing. The Elistist "Epiphone" logo is missing the dot on the 'I" and the headstock symbol

is very strange, Also for a Gretsch styled Epiphone the controls are wrong.

 

It should have a master volume in the cutaway and a trio of 3 controls around

the f-hole and the pickup switch should be located in the upper treble bout.

The two controls and two pickups doesn't make a lot of sense..while it may

work for the neck or bridge selected..how does it work when both are selected

in the middle position? Both pickups paralleled on the same volume..or do

we have two ganged together volumes and two ganged tone controls?

Also the "Chet Atkins-EB" model does not make sence as Gibson/Epiphone

general use "EB" to indicate that it's an Electric Bass.

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If I was a man who wagered..I would say it is not made by Terada' date=' I have a Terada made Epiphone Elitist Broadway and it is more true to form with the correct

trappings and configuration of a Broadway.

 

If it were a Terada made Epiphone Elitist, it would have a sticker with the serial

number inside and "ELITIST" in gold letter on the oval label as well.

If you notice the thumbnail marker for the 3rd fret is missing. The Elistist "Epiphone" logo is missing the dot on the 'I" and the headstock symbol

is very strange, Also for a Gretsch styled Epiphone the controls are wrong.

 

It should have a master volume in the cutaway and a trio of 3 controls around

the f-hole and the pickup switch should be located in the upper treble bout.

The two controls and two pickups doesn't make a lot of sense..while it may

work for the neck or bridge selected..how does it work when both are selected

in the middle position? Both pickups paralleled on the same volume..or do

we have two ganged together volumes and two ganged tone controls?

Also the "Chet Atkins-EB" model does not make sence as Gibson/Epiphone

general use "EB" to indicate that it's an Electric Bass.

[/quote']

 

Did you happen to see the word "Elitist" anywhere in my post? Are you aware that Terada made Epiphones for ten years (beginning in 1987 for Yamano Gakki Music in Japan after the contract with Matsumoku to make Epiphones in Japan ended) before anyone even thought of "Elites" or Elitists"?...I said it was a Terada-made "Emperor J"-based Chet Atkins model which is similar to the Gretsches also made by Terada. No, this isn't an Elitist or a Gretsch. It's an Epiphone likely made by Terada who also happen to make those Gretsches and Elitists and was intended to suggest the Gibson-made Chet Country Deluxes...and by the way...the Elitist Broadway resembled the original Epiphone Broadway in only the most-vague of terms and this particular guitar resembles a contemporary Asian Emperor which is essentially what the contemporary Asian "Broadway" resembles...and "EB"? that stands for "ebony" which is another word for black...also, the Yamano Epiphones usually only had five digits (first number = last digit of year, second digit indicative of model and last three digits the production run number) in the serial number but it's the format that is most-similar to the guitar's serial number format that also makes any sense...

 

Larens

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Did you happen to see the word "Elitist" anywhere in my post? Are you aware that Terada made Epiphones for ten years (beginning in 1987 for Yamano Gakki Music in Japan after the contract with Matsumoku to make Epiphones in Japan ended) before anyone even thought of "Elites" or Elitists"?...I said it was a Terada-made "Emperor J"-based Chet Atkins model which is similar to the Gretsches also made by Terada.

 

So "J based" means for the Japanese market..and they don't have to closely

resemble any of the US based models?

 

No' date=' this isn't an Elitist or a Gretsch. [/quote']

 

I didn't think it was. However, if Terada made other models,

besides the Elitists and Gretsches, then I suppose it could have it origins there.

 

 

It's an Epiphone likely made by Terada who also happen to make those Gretsches and Elitists and was intended to suggest the Gibson-made Chet Country Deluxes..."

 

Intended to suggest a Gibson made Chet Atkins model...ok, this makes

a more sense, as it's not a direct copy of the US model, but an asian interpretation for some specific market.

 

and by the way...

the Elitist Broadway resembled the original Epiphone Broadway in only the most-vague of terms and this particular guitar resembles a contemporary Asian Emperor which is essentially what the contemporary Asian "Broadway" resembles.

 

Yes, the Elitist Broadway has the headstock design of an Emperor and the

cutaway/switch style of an L5...the original Kalamazoo produced Broadways

were maple tops and had the mini-buckers as well as the switch in the upper

treble bout..ES-175 style.

So as you mentioned, the Elitist Broadway is certainly a departure in

styling from the 1967-69 Gibson produced Epiphone Broadway.

 

..and "EB"? that stands for "ebony" which is another word for black...

 

Yes, I thought of that later while thinking about it..but I didn't correct my

post. That makes sense now. ..but..if this particular "Gretsch styled" model

was produced for the Japanese home market, would not the labelling have

some Japanese printing on it?

 

also, the Yamano Epiphones usually only had five digits (first number = last digit of year, second digit indicative of model and last three digits the production run number) in the serial number but it's the format that is most-similar to the guitar's serial number format that also makes any sense...

Larens

 

That's interesting..my Terada made Broadway has a "T" preceding 6 digits

first number = year, two digits= month and 3 digits = production number.

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So "J based" means for the Japanese market..and they don't have to closely

resemble any of the US based models?

 

 

 

I didn't think it was. However' date=' if Terada made other models,

besides the Elitists and Gretsches, then I suppose it could have it origins there.

 

 

 

 

[b']Intended to suggest [/b]a Gibson made Chet Atkins model...ok, this makes

a more sense, as it's not a direct copy of the US model, but an asian interpretation for some specific market.

 

 

 

Yes, the Elitist Broadway has the headstock design of an Emperor and the

cutaway/switch style of an L5...the original Kalamazoo produced Broadways

were maple tops and had the mini-buckers as well as the switch in the upper

treble bout..ES-175 style.

So as you mentioned, the Elitist Broadway is certainly a departure in

styling from the 1967-69 Gibson produced Epiphone Broadway.

 

 

.

 

 

Yes, I thought of that later while thinking about it..but I didn't correct my

post. That makes sense now. ..but..if this particular "Gretsch styled" model

was produced for the Japanese home market, would not the labelling have

some Japanese printing on it?

 

 

 

That's interesting..my Terada made Broadway has a "T" preceding 6 digits

first number = year, two digits= month and 3 digits = production number.

 

 

 

 

 

 

..and Terada has made a lot more guitars and used a considerable number of different serial number formats over the years than just the Gretsches and Epiphone Elitists...and Chet Atkins models were some of the first "Orvilles" they did (c. 1988) and later these were made under the Epiphone Japan brand...

Orville by Gibson

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Orville by Gibson guitar headstockOrville by Gibson (Japanese) ????by???? (also known simply as Orville (Japanese) ????) was a brand of guitars that was managed by the Gibson Guitar Corporation for the Japanese market during the late 1980s and most of the 1990s.

 

Contents [hide]

1 History

2 Models

2.1 Electric Guitars

2.2 Electric Bass Guitars

2.3 Acoustic Guitars

3 Serial Numbers

4 Retail Release History

5 Epiphone Japan

5.1 Epiphone Japan Serial Numbers

6 Sources

7 References

8 External links

 

 

[edit] History

During the 1970s and the 1980s, certain Japanese Guitar companies using brand names such as Ibanez, Tokai, Burny, and Greco were making high quality copies of Fender and Gibson guitars. Some brands were sold only on the Japanese market, but other brands, such as Ibanez were exported from Japan. Fender and Gibson opened Japanese branch divisions to make guitars in Japan using the Fender/Squier or Gibson/Epiphone brand names for the Japanese market.

 

Fender established Fender Japan in 1982 and contracted Yamano Gakki (Japanese) ???? and Kanda Shokai (Japanese) ???? to oversee the production and distribution of Fender Japan guitars in cooperation with Fender. Yamano Gakki (Gakki stands for musical instrument company) are one of Japan's largest musical instrument distributors/retailers and Kanda Shokai are one of Japan's largest musical instrument distributors. Gibson established Epiphone Japan in the early 1970s with the production and distribution being managed by Aria in cooperation with Gibson.

 

The Aria and Gibson Epiphone Japan partnership ended by 1986 and in 1987 Yamano Gakki obtained the Gibson and Epiphone dealership in Japan [1]. Yamano Gakki distributed Gibson and Korean Epiphone guitars and also produced a limited range of Epiphone Japan semi acoustic guitars in cooperation with Gibson. In 1988 Yamano Gakki decided to expand the Epiphone Japan model range to include solid body models as well as semi acoustic models.

 

Gibson and Yamano Gakki decided not to use the Epiphone brand name for the expanded model range and so the Orville name was chosen instead. Orville is the first name of the Gibson corporation's founder Orville Gibson. When the Orville by Gibson series was launched in 1988, Gibson was also selling American made Gibson guitars, Japanese made Epiphone guitars and Korean made Epiphone guitars in Japan. The Orville by Gibson and Orville series were distributed by Yamano Gakki and were priced midway between the American made Gibson guitars and the Korean made Epiphone guitars.

 

There were a number of changes to the Orville by Gibson and Orville model range between their beginning in 1988 and their end in 1998 that are shown in the Retail Release History section. The Orville series were discontinued in 1998 due to Gibson and Yamano Gakki deciding to export an expanded Epiphone model range that included solid body and semi acoustic models. Gibson and Yamano Gakki ended their relationship in late 2006.

 

[edit] Models

[edit] Electric Guitars

Les Paul Standard

Les Paul Custom

Les Paul '57 Reissue

Les Paul '59 Reissue

Les Paul Studio Joe Perry Joe Perry (musician)

Les Paul John Sykes John Sykes

SG Doubleneck

SG Custom

SG '62

SG '61 Reissue

Les Paul Junior single cutaway

Les Paul Junior double cutaway

Melody Maker

Firebird

Explorer

Flying V '58 and '74

ES-175

ES-335 Dot

Byrdland

[edit] Electric Bass Guitars

EB-3

Thunderbird

[edit] Acoustic Guitars

J-200

Dove

J-45

J-160E

Hummingbird

Chet Atkins

L-1 Historic Series Robert Johnson (musician)

L-00

[edit] Serial Numbers

There were two Japanese guitar factories involved in all of the Orville by Gibson and Orville production and they were Terada (Japanese) ?? [2] and Fuji-Gen (Japanese) ???? [3]. The Gibson Les Paul Book by Tony Bacon and Paul Day (1993) [1] mentions that both the Orville by Gibson and Orville guitars, including the K Orville guitars (1989-1993) were made in Japan. When the Orville by Gibson series began in 1988, Fuji-Gen were concentrating on making Fender Japan bolt-on neck guitars and so the G serial Orville by Gibson and K Orville set-neck guitars were all made by Terada. Fuji-Gen began making Orville by Gibson guitars in late 1992 and also Orville guitars in 1993 after they established Fuji-Gen Hirooka Inc [4] in November 1991. After opening Fuji-Gen Hirooka Inc, Fuji-Gen resumed large scale set-neck guitar production. After Fuji-Gen were contracted by Yamano Gakki in late 1992, Fuji-Gen were assigned to make most of the Orville by Gibson and Orville solid body guitars and Terada shifted to its more traditional role of mostly making Semi Acoustic guitars .The production of the Terada solid body K Orville guitars and most of the Terada solid body G serial Orville by Gibson guitars were ended in 1993 as a result.

 

Fuji-Gen and Terada used different serial number formats (Orville by Gibson Terada decal box). Terada used a G or J letter at the start of the serial number and Fuji-Gen used a serial number consisting of only numbers and no letters. The Terada G serial number letter basically stood for "Gibson pickups" and the Terada J serial number letter basically stood for "Japanese pickups". When the K Orville guitars were made between 1989 and 1993, Terada were the only guitar factory making all of the Orville by Gibson and Orville guitars. The Orville by Gibson and Orville EB-3 SG Bass guitars which were priced at over 90,000 Yen were given G letter serial numbers by Terada. The lower priced (K) Orville guitars which were priced at 75,000 Yen and below were not given serial numbers by Terada. Serial numbers are not always essential when only one guitar factory is making all of the guitars, as the distributor (Yamano Gakki) knows exactly which guitar factory made the guitar even when the guitar has no identifiable guitar factory serial number. As Terada were the only guitar factory making all of the Orville guitars between 1989 and 1993, they did not need to serialize the (K) Orville guitars which were made more for the first time or intermediate player market.

 

When the (K) Orville guitars were released for retail sale between 1989 and 1993, Yamano Gakki applied a year dated (K) serial number sticker for warranty serial number tracking. The K serial number prefix letter stands for Kuramae which is where Yamano Gakki's wholesale division is located. The higher priced Orville by Gibson and Orville EB-3 SG Bass guitars were Yamano Gakki's and Terada's main priority in the early years and were made for the intermediate and professional player market and were therefore given serial numbers to be in step with Gibson's usual practice of using serial numbers on Gibson guitars. Different serial number letter prefixes are usually used when more than one guitar factory can be making the same brand and model of guitar at the same time. When Fuji-Gen joined together with Terada in making the Orville by Gibson guitars in late 1992 and the Orville guitars in 1993, serial numbers were used on all of the Orville guitars by both Fuji-Gen and Terada with Terada using a J letter serial number for all of the Orville guitars they made after the K Orville guitars ended in 1993. A 1993 75,000 Yen K Orville Les Paul and a 1996 75,000 Yen J letter serial numbered Orville Les Paul are basically the same guitars made by Terada.

 

The Orville by Gibson and Orville serial number format had 4 variations in the 10 years that they were produced. The Orville by Gibson guitars used ink stamped serial numbers and the Orville guitars used both ink stamped serial numbers and Yamano Gakki (K) serial number stickers.

 

Serial Number Format: 1988-1989.

 

From 1988 to 1989 a YYPPPP serial number format was used for the Orville by Gibson guitars and Orville SG bass EB-3 guitars.

 

YY is the production year, 88=1988, 89=1989.

PPPP is the production number.

For example G887013 is dated 1988 and was made by Terada.

 

Serial Number Format: 1989-1998.

 

Starting in 1989 a new serial number format of YMMPPP was used for the Orville by Gibson guitars and Orville SG bass EB-3 guitars.

 

Y is the production year, 0=1990, 1=1991 etc.

MM is the production month.

PPP is the production number.

For example G206135 is dated June 1992 and was made by Terada, J603523 is dated March 1996 and was made by Terada, 411264 is dated November 1994 and was made by Fuji-Gen. This format was also used for the ink stamped serial number Orville guitars from 1993 to 1998.

 

Reissue Serial Number Format: Late 1992-1995.

 

The Orville by Gibson 1957 and 1959 Les Paul reissue models (LPS-57C, LPC-57B, LPS-59R) and the Orville by Gibson 1961 SG reissue model (SG-61R) had two different serial number formats.

 

The first reissue serial number format was a YMMPPP format.

 

Y is the production year, 3=1993, 4=1994 etc.

MM is the production month.

PPP is the production number.

The second reissue serial number format was a YPPPP format.

 

Y is the production year, 3=1993, 4=1994 etc.

PPPP is the production number.

For example G3 6942 is dated 1993 and was made by Terada, 4 7345 is dated 1994 and was made by Fuji-Gen, G306385 is dated June 1993 and was made by Terada, 412562 is dated December 1994 and was made by Fuji-Gen.

 

The YPPPP Orville by Gibson reissue serial number format is the same format as the Gibson reissue serial number format. The reissue year is in the model number (LPS-57C = 1957) and the 1957 and 1959 Les Paul and 1961 SG reissue models were made from late 1992-1995 with some guitars having limited production runs.

 

K Serial Number Format: 1989-1993.

 

The Yamano Gakki K Orville serial number format is K 0YPPPP. The shortened K Orville serial number format is YPPPP, with the K letter and the first 0 having no year or date information.

 

Y=year with 9=1989, 0=1990, 1=1991 etc.

PPPP is the production number.

For example a K Orville serial number such as K 015113 = 1 5113 = 1991 and 5113 = the production number.

 

[edit] Retail Release History

Retail release information from Yamano Gakki catalogues [5].

 

The K Orville Les Paul Standard and Custom models originally retailed for 65000 Yen (Japanese) ? beginning in 1989 and in 1990 the Orville by Gibson and Orville model prices were increased. From 1990 to 1998 both the K Orville and ink stamped Orville Les Paul Standard and Custom models retailed for 75000 Yen. Orville photo flame models retailed for 80000 Yen. Orville signature models and Orville ebony fingerboard models retailed for 85000 Yen [6].

 

Orville by Gibson models retailed for over 90000 Yen and were introduced in 1988. The Orville by Gibson guitars featured nitrocellulose finishes and Gibson pickups. In 1995 the Orville by Gibson models were discontinued and only Orville models were continued until 1998. The Terada G, J and K serial number Les Paul guitars featured a mixture of medium, medium long and long tenon neck joints. The Fuji-Gen no letter serial number Les Paul guitars featured long tenon neck joints.

 

1989-1993: Terada K serial number Orville guitars with Yamano Gakki (K) serial number stickers.

1993-1998: Fuji-Gen no letter serial number Orville guitars.

1995-1998: Terada J letter serial number Orville guitars.

1988-1995: Terada G letter serial number Orville by Gibson guitars.

(Late)1992-1995: Fuji-Gen no letter serial number Orville by Gibson guitars.

1991-1993: Terada G letter serial number Orville by Gibson Acoustic guitars. Terada AG serial number, A = Acoustic.

[edit] Epiphone Japan

Epiphone Japan was first established by Gibson in the early 1970s with the dealership mostly being managed by Aria in cooperation with Gibson. The Matsumoku guitar factory in Japan was used to make the Aria Epiphone Japan guitars. In 1987 Yamano Gakki obtained the Epiphone Japan dealership and produced a limited range of Epiphone Japan semi acoustic models in cooperation with Gibson. The Terada guitar factory in Japan was used to make the Yamano Gakki Epiphone Japan guitars. After Gibson and Yamano Gakki ended Orville production in 1998, Gibson and Yamano Gakki produced an expanded Epiphone Japan model range including solid body as well as semi acoustic models.

 

Some of the Gibson/Yamano Gakki Epiphone Japan guitars were exported. The Epiphone Japan guitars that were intended for export do not have a Gibson style open book headstock. The Epiphone Japan open book headstock guitars were produced for the Japanese market only. The same Terada and Fuji-Gen guitar factories that made all of the Orville by Gibson and Orville guitars were used to make the Gibson/Yamano Gakki Epiphone Elite and Epiphone Elitist series with the Terada guitar factory mostly making the semi acoustic models and the Fuji-Gen guitar factory mostly making the solid body models. Gibson and Yamano Gakki ended their relationship in late 2006.

 

[edit] Epiphone Japan Serial Numbers

The Yamano Gakki Epiphone Japan serial numbers from 1998 onwards (after the Orville series was discontinued) are in a YMMPPP format.

 

Y=year.

MM=month.

PPP=production number.

The serial number letters used by the Terada and Fuji-Gen guitar factories are J = Terada, T = Terada, no letter = Fuji-Gen and F = Fuji-Gen. For example 903584 is dated March 1999 and was made by Fuji-Gen, J903584 is dated March 1999 and was made by Terada, F505693 is dated May 2005 and was made by Fuji-Gen, T505693 is dated May 2005 and was made by Terada.

 

For Yamano Gakki Epiphone Japan semi acoustic models from 1987 to approximately 1997, the serial numbers are in a YCPPP format. They were made by Terada and usually have an Orange Epiphone label.

 

Y=year.

C=model code.

PPP=production number.

Model Codes ©

 

1 = NVJ

2 = EMPEROR

3 = RIVIERA

4 = SHERATON

5 = CASINO

6 = Limited Edition

7 = EB-2

8 = ES-930J

9 = EMPEROR-J

For Example 34784 = 3 4784 = 1993 SHERATON.

 

The Aria Epiphone Japan models that were made by Matsumoku from the early 1970s and ending before 1987 do not have a reliable serial numbering system but can be approximately dated using their Epiphone label colours.

 

Blue label: early 1970s-1980

Light brown label: 1980-1985

Brown label: 1985-1987

[edit] Sources

Yamano Gakki Japan, Epiphone Japan, Orville by Gibson Catalogues.

 

[edit] References

^ The Gibson Les Paul Book by Tony Bacon and Paul Day (1993). GPI Books Miller Freeman Inc. ISBN 0-87930-289-5

[edit] External links

Terada Factory Tour

Fuji-Gen Factory Tour

 

Larens

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Fuji-Gen and Terada used different serial number formats (Orville by Gibson Terada decal box).

 

 

The Terada G serial number letter basically stood for "Gibson pickups" and the Terada J serial number letter basically stood for "Japanese pickups".

 

Ah that explains everything..obviously it seems so simple...

 

Serial numbers are not always essential when only one guitar factory is making all of the guitars' date=' as the distributor (Yamano Gakki) knows exactly which guitar factory made the guitar even when the guitar has no identifiable guitar factory serial number. [/quote']

 

Well, I'm glad that Gibson and the other USA guitar makers decided to

use serial numbers.at least you can decode the year it was made,

and production umber to determine the guitar's value.

 

 

As Terada were the only guitar factory making all of the Orville guitars between 1989 and 1993, they did not need to serialize the (K) Orville guitars which were made more for the first time or intermediate player market.

 

Maybe it was something to do with the Japanese tradition....if you get a samurai

sword..you don't need to know which factory/craftsman made it..

...you just use it. :-

 

Epiphone Japan Serial Numbers

The Yamano Gakki Epiphone Japan serial numbers from 1998 onwards (after the Orville series was discontinued) are in a YMMPPP format.

 

Y=year.

MM=month.

PPP=production number.

The serial number letters used by the Terada and Fuji-Gen guitar factories are J = Terada, T = Terada, no letter = Fuji-Gen and F = Fuji-Gen.

 

T505693 is dated May 2005 and was made by Terada.

 

This is the 6 digit sn system I have on mine.

 

Y=year.

C=model code.

PPP=production number.

Model Codes ©

 

1 = NVJ

2 = EMPEROR

3 = RIVIERA

4 = SHERATON

5 = CASINO

6 = Limited Edition

7 = EB-2

8 = ES-930J

9 = EMPEROR-J

For Example 34784 = 3 4784 = 1993 SHERATON

Larens

 

Well if you read the sn sticker on the back of his headstock..it's

a 6 digit number 891079...so which digit is the model number..the "9"?

and why would they use a 4 digit production number if their sn convention is

as stated?

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I really appreciate all of the responses. If nothing else, I have learned a lot about Epiphone and guitar production in Asia. I purchased the guitar to get the 1.75” nut width and I’m glad I did regardless of the guitar’s pedigree. It’s obvious the person who modified the guitar knew enough about Gretsch and Chet Atkins to put a Bigsby and a bar bridge on it. I’m going to leave it as it is for the time being. TV Classics, Gold Tones or Lollar Imperials may be in it’s future. We’ll see…

 

A few comments on the Gretsch vs Gibson Country Gentleman debate. Chet Atkins left Gretsch and signed with Gibson in the early 1980s. He was not pleased with the quality of the Gretsch product at the time (15 years of Baldwin influence, much like that of CBS at Fender) and felt Gretsch was not working with him on ideas he had for guitars that bore his name. In his book “Chet Atkins – Me and My Guitars” he writes:

 

“The first Gibson Country Gentleman was built in 1981 by Jim Hutchins, one of Gibson’s top craftsmen. The Gibson factory was still up in Kalamazoo at that time, and Paul Yandell and I went up there to give them some input. I was impressed with their attitude. Rather than having to convince them about certain details of the guitar’s design, like I had always had to do with Gretsch, the Gibson crew went all out to make sure I was happy with the instruments that were going to carry my name. The Gibson CG was built sturdier than the Gretsch, and had the advantages of newer technology, so I think it’s a better guitar overall. A few years later, I think it was in 1985, I gave the original Gibson CG that Hutchins built to Paul.”

 

In that book there are also photos of the prototype Gibson Gent that was given to Atkins. It came with no fret markers, so he applied pieces of red tape to the bass side of the fretboard, a la Gretsch, beginning at the fifth fret. Paul Yandell’s web site

 

http://www.studio9kc.co.uk/paul/index.html

 

Includes this photo of Paul and his son with Gibson Gents with markers beginning at the fifth fret.

 

paulandmicah1large.jpg

 

I also own a Gretsch Nashville Classic (now named the Chet Atkins Country Gentleman) which was designed, with help from Paul Yandell, to be a reproduction of the Country Gentleman Atkins used so often during his career. It’s a very different guitar from the Gibson/Epi version The Gretsch has a sealed hollowbody with a 2.25” depth, while the Ginson/Epi is a semi-hollow with f-holes and a 1.75” depth. The Gretsch also has a zero fret, while the Gibson/Epi does not. The pickups, while both humbuckers, are very different. He's a photo of mine. The roller bridge has since been replaced by a bar bridge.

 

59GentFrontFull-1.jpg

 

Bottom line, I don’t think Gibson was trying to make a knock-off Gent. I think they made the guitar Atkins had been asking Gretsch to make for many years. They are both great guitars. You would not believe the tone to be gotten from the Gretsch G6122-1959 Gent. The Super’Tron/Filter’Tron combination is awesome.

 

Thanks again to everyone.

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  • 4 years later...

Sweet I have had one of these guitar since about 1992, never new what kind of guitar it was or its history being that I bought it from a pawn shop in Van. I can tell you that this guitar has the best sound out of my collection and whenever I have buddy's over it seems to be the first one they start rocking on. It would be great to find some more info out but looks like this thred did a pretty good job already thanks, mine seems to be a 1989 edition and came in a Gibson case that fits like a glove but other than that is a spitting image of the guitar this thred started on

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