rjames1973 Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Hi, A couple of weeks ago, I posted a message regarding an issue I had with a new Epi Les Paul Standard Plus Top that I ordered from Musician's Friend. I received a new Epi today, and I noticed something interesting about the wood on the back. It is a lighter color than the wood on the Epi that I had to return. Both guitars are the honeyburst color. Is this due to the lacquer (or finish) on the back of the guitar, or does the wood that is used for the backing on these guitars come out darker on some of them? Just curious about this, as I am not an expert on this subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjames1973 Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 I'm also suspicious that Musician's Friend gave me a refurbished Epi -- not a brand new one in return. This guitar does not look new to me for several reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingfrets Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Out of curiosity, why would you buy online when you could easily have "test driven" a few at a dealer and decided which one suited you best...before comitting to purchase? Most reputable dealers can & will match online pricing if they want your business (and most of them do). I'll buy online occassionally, but only a guitar or bass that I can't find locally (custom/rare/OOP/vintage, etc). Bought a Ric 4001 a few years ago since none of my local dealers had any (and if they had, it would likely have been the only one they had in stock). Found a beautiful '76 fireglow I liked and made arrangements to call the owner. We talked several times and negotiated a sale we both were happy with. My point is that if you're buying online, the burden of knowing and understanding the guitar in question is on the buyer. Questions need to be asked before you agree to buy. If the the seller can't or won't answer a direct question, or you feel there's something shady afoot, you need to walk away from the deal. With standard production guitars that are readily available, IMO, you're far better off making a trip to a local dealer. Places like GC generally have a dozen or more of the same model in every shade of the rainbow waiting for you to try. And you have the huge advantage of being able to look them over carefully before you open your wallet. Just a few cents worth of free advice... So, why do you think you got a refurb? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjames1973 Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 Rest assured that I did my homework before ordering online. I played many of them prior to the order, but I did not want to purchase something used off the rack at a GC. I am hesitant to purchase any guitars at GC, at least the one where I live. The guitar in question has a badly scratched pickguard, which MF is going to replace with a new one (free of charge). Also the toggle switch looks different from the one I had on the Epi that I returned. It is hard to describe, but it is not smooth around the top of the knob like on the other. The wood on the back of the guitar near the neck was slightly worn, as if it had seen some action already. MF gave me some money back because of these issues, as I decided to just hold on to the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingfrets Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Sounds like it all worked out then. If you like the guitar (and got a few bucks back on the deal to boot!), you did alright. The last Epiphone I bought (honeyburst LP Std), I got from GC. I'd been playing it for about 45 minutes and decided I was seriously interested so I started looking it over closely. Fit & finish were really nice, but I saw what looked like a hairline crack along the neck/fingerboard near the nut. So I asked what happened to it. Was told the fingerboard had indeed partially seperated, but it had already been repaired. I know their tech pretty well (strange guy, excellent work though). Since he did the repair, I asked him if he could do anything about the remaining crack in the finish. He agreed...at no charge...and they took $100 off the purchase price. Bottom line is I love the guitar, you can't tell it was ever damaged or repaired and I only paid $399 for it. I'd have never noticed it online and I doubt I'd have been able to push for the deal I got from an internet vendor though. Glad to hear MF tried to make it right. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjames1973 Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 Thanks, flyingfrets! Yes, MF did me right in the end. I'll probably do a little work on the new Epi over time (e.g., new nut, new pickups), but I'm happy overall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyGoose Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 What is the wood used on Epi Les Paul Standard Plus Top s/n EExxxxxx Body - 3 to 6 piece solid mahogany (I've scanned one, no chambers or weight relief) Cap - ?? (maple?, something other than maple?) with a flamed maple veneer Neck - 3 piece mahogany (heel, main neck, headstock) Anybody know what the main cap wood is for sure? I've read some reviews that say it's maple “the Epiphone's stylish flame-maple top is actually a veneer (a thin layer of wood) glued to to non-flame maple” Epiphone’s website http://www.epiphone.com/reviews.asp?ProductID=45 I've seen some people on the internet say that it's alder. “Description: Body Wood: Mahogany/Alder Top Wood: Flame Maple” GBASE.com website http://www.gbase.com/gear/epiphone-lp-standard-plus-tops-2008 If you answer I would like to know the source of the information please. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeper Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 You do know musicians friend IS guitar center right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 The back wood on my EPI 56 re-issue Goldtop is a different (lighter) shade than my EPI custome flametop. The Goldtop is a lighter, redder shade. Both are very nice to look at. I think that each piece of veneer (which they all are) is slightly different and can vary widely as veneer is peeled from the tree trunk. The finish stain may be exactly the same, but appears different due to the grain and density of the wood. Not a problem, IMHO. It's just the way that wood works. I have a sample book that shows the same red ink on about 15 different types of paper that I use to show customers why their color prints look different if printed on different papers. None look the same and some aren't even the same color. The shades vary from Fire Engine Red to "rust on iron". Paper is wood, just like veneer is wood, and the stain will vary quite a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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