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"Epiphone by Gibson" headstock Sheraton owners club


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Any body know what sort of finish was used on these guitars? They feel a bit like Nitro but I suspect they are some sort of poly.

 

I have two recently acquired Sheartons, a blond and Vintage Sunburst and a MIJ Emperor which is a L5 copy probably from a bit earlier?

 

In spite of what I read here the details of the Korean Sheratons I have are not the best executed but have very nice necks and seem to be functionally well put together. For example the f hole on one is not really round but a series of straight lines approximating a curve. On both the multiple binding does not exactly match at the corners. There are a few ripples in the neck binding top etc. That said the frets cleaned up and leveled very nicely and the finish is well applied and in great condition.

 

The Japanese Emperor is pretty much flawless. They all sound pretty good.

 

I have seen several of these guitars on EBAY recently that would seem to be increasing in price if not value.

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  • 2 weeks later...

And another one. I purchased this girl 'round 10 years ago, in a little shop in Amsterdam. Because I could not find any markings or what, I got in touch with the Gibson Custom Shop, and they helped me out on this. Furthermore, they congratulated me with this guitar.

 

Mine differs a little from many others: Shallers in Kluson style, working fine, and a different bridge, a wide-travel tune-o-matic, I don't know why the former owner put that on, but it works.

 

Mentioning the former owner, if the story is right, but don’t hit me for that, you can see my EbG Sheraton at a Jim Hall Workshop, played by Martijn van Iterson, who later won the Thelonius Monk Price, presented to him by Pat Metheny. Nice history, if it’s true!

 

A slight buzz at strumming an open g-string (no, no second thoughts!, it's about guitars!), but only hearable when played acoustic. Great sound through the 57 Classic and ’57 Classic Plus (also by Gibson).

 

Excellent playability, very low string action. But, as always, I want to change and improve, though there is no great necessity to that. She looks like a workhorse (see back of headstock), but sounds like a prima donna. The hardware (bridge, tailpiece, mounting rings) will be changed in due time. Any suggestions for best quality for this specific Sheraton? And where to purchase, as it is supposed to have non-Gibson measurements?

 

And finally, a new American Built harness, with 500 CTS pots, good caps, all in all, an update. Sound means more to me than history! Any questions, do reply. I attached some pictures, but they are not very well. Sorry ‘bout that!post-27899-049039100 1387985858_thumb.jpg

 

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Hello all,

 

until I was noodling around on the Internet today I had no idea that Sheraton 'Epiphone by Gibson' headstocks were in anyway rare. I've owned the guitar below for nearly 20 years having bought it second hand in Norwich, UK. I think I was going through a jazz phase and thought it might fit the bill. It was in stock condition, if memory serves, albeit missing the pickguard. Most of the gold hardware was tarnished and I replaced the bridge and stop and possibly some or all of the tuners. It plays OK but is a real bugger to tune which I think is down to the nut. The nut seems a little narrow for the neck - is this normal?

 

I'd be a liar if I said that it's my favourite ever guitar. I find it a little dark (I'm basically a Strat man, I think) but I've resolved to give it a fret dress and a new nut this year to see if a little love won't pay dividends with the sound.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

I just stumbled across this too. I have the exact same guitar as nstrug above, bought in 1987 ... and hardly played really (I'm a bassist).

 

I just bought a 1963 Hofner President bass and I think I need to release some capital to pay it off, so the old "Epi' by Gibson" might have to go. I guess anyone reading this forum already has one ... but if you want another then watch this space!

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So, as an addendum to this, I finally got my EbyG Sheraton set up properly (about 25 years late!) by the excellent Fleetcroft Guitars

and the tuning is now rock solid - I've been hacking at Comfortably Numb which has massive bends in it and it is not budging a cent.

 

I've started playing again after a hiatus of about 20 years, so I'm basically learning again from scratch and it really is a lovely guitar.

 

By chance, I was in Andertons yesterday and had a look at a modern Sheraton II and the quality is nowhere near what these old ones are - mismatched wood on the sides and top, crappy stick-on 'E' on the pickguard, wonky binding on the side of the fretboard, poor inlays.

 

I really think I was damn lucky to buy such a great guitar all those years ago and definitely think these will become collector pieces in the future.

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  • 2 months later...

So I have a stunning Epiphone by Gibson Sheraton for sale. Has the capital "E" and the offset "by Gibson logo", I understand it may be rare the serial number is 6075831 she doesn't have a scratch plate but wondered if any one was interested? I'm in the UK.

 

my email is andrew_bladen@hotmail.com

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I thought there were quite a few owners of these Samick built Epiphone Sheratons with the

 

ebg.jpg

 

headstock on this site.

 

I was wrong.

 

We have 6,677 registered forum members and have had 5,389 visits to this thread.

 

Astounding........still only have 9 proven owners of "Epiphone by Gibson" Sheratons on this forum.

 

1986 E-by-G's

NaturalScience2112 (E-by-G Sheraton owners club # 2 (tobacco, sn:6066698))

Musikron (E-by-G Sheraton owners club # 1 (natural, sn:6094580))

 

1987 E-by-G's

JoeSamick (E-by-G Sheraton owners club # 3 (tobacco, sn:70105418))

StevieD (E-by-G Sheraton owners club # 8 (tobacco, sn:71107775))

Albannach (E-by-G Sheraton owners club # 6 (tobacco, sn:71108446))

 

1988 E-by-G's

Toredown (E-by-G Sheraton owners club # 5 (tobacco, sn:80202658))

hilleri(2) (E-by-G Sheraton owners club # 9 (natural, sn:880603292)

slawek (E-by-G Sheraton owners club # 4 (tobacco, sn:880802010))

 

 

missing serial therefore 1986 to 1988 E-by-G's

hilleri (E-by-G Sheraton owners club # 7 (natural (yellowed), sn:XXXXXXXX)...probably 1988

 

who own "Epiphone by Gibson" Sheratons (samick build 1986-1988) with the

 

ebg.jpg

 

Headstock

 

Please if anyone else knows of anyone else who owns one, or sees one for sale, drop me a line.

 

to be included in this list we need photographs of your guitar especially the headstock back and front

I own a epiphone by gibson sheraton. I think it is a 1987 but not too sure. I will upload photos if anyone wants to see it. it is in fantastic condition and still has the number sticker on the rear of the headstock.

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Hi there.. Thought I might add myself to the club with some pics of my Sheraton (shot off my phone, so they're not the best).

 

She's Korean, made c. July 1988, from production run 04777. I've owned her from new, and bought her from a music shop in Cambridge, UK.

 

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I swapped out the pickups around 2000, and put in Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers, which sound great. This year, I got my local luthier to sand the varnish off the back of the neck, as I always found that too sticky, and it really helped speed the neck up.

 

Playing wise, she's seen better days, and although I gig with her, she's not the easiest to play, and is in need of a refret, which I'll do this Autumn.

 

She's also badly balanced, as the headstock is really heavy, but a wide strap helps, and I may try weighting the body end near the strap to see if that helps.

 

Aside from that, after 26 years, she's definitely a guitar you'd have to prize out of my cold dead hands!

 

Cheers,

 

 

Nick

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Hi there.

Here's another one 8-)

Ser# 80202277

Fotos see https://fotos.gmx.ne...6aF4tq1dAQ98701

 

I bought it here in Berlin/Germany about 20 years (January 1994) ago, as it was my late wife's present for my 40th birthday. The shop was Checkpoint in Kochstr, people told to go over to the States frequently to bring some seleceted guitars to Berlin - happy me. There I paid 1.600,- D-Mark which is now about 800,- Euro or about 1.000,- US Dollar Perfect condition except the owner before scratched small marks next to the potis - why to do such a thing ...? The electric was somehow special (original??) as the two volume potis were push-pull setting the respective PU out-of-phase. I really liked that sound. Last year I got the electronics replaced to "vintage" by Berlin guitar maker Nick Page, what kind of "opened the sound curtain". And lately I got the PUs exchanged with handmade PAF-style by the Berlin craftsman Frank Deimel, warm and round and with a smack. As I wanted to retain that out-of-phase sound he explained that by slightly turning one vol down the effect disappears anyway so I've got them OoP and continue to enjoy that sound, especially for clear picking patterns. The only problem I have is that the e'-string is very close to the edge, so sometimes I slip the string off the fretboard, but that just needs a bit more controlled movement than some others.

All in all this guitar served me well in any condition and is the "Great Lady" of my collection, though sometimes a simple SG is the first choice to play around for a moment.

And thanks to you folks to show your other guitars, always nice to see beautifull guitars. Is it that the nature one has a slightly thicker body or is just the light?

 

Let the music flow

manojit aka Michael Hackenberger

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  • 3 weeks later...

Add me to club here in Portland, Oregon USA. Guitar was bought in Texas though.

 

Serial #880610217. June of 1988 in Korea (obviously!) I took the pickguard off at some point because I liked how it looked better, and pick guards aren't necessary for my playing style anyhow. Thought I'd post this as I'm about to make some serious changes to the guitar's pickups, wiring, etc. I've bought many more expensive guitars after this guitar, and I just keep selling them and coming back because it plays/sounds better than all of them. (Grestches new and vintage, vintage Guilds, vintage 355s, and the list goes on).

 

I also have a mid-90s Sheraton II, and it's insane how different the guitars sound/feel. The EbG version is way darker, way more buttery feel on the neck, and is just far and away a better guitar. If ANYONE ever wants to sell their NA version, hit me up. I'd get rid of my mid-90s in a second for another EbG!

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Hi I own an epiphone by gibson archtop. I think it is the earliest one I have seen here, the serial number is 6013779, January 86.It is tobacco sunburst and very clean.

Will try to post pics but have been trying for ages to join this forum without much luck.Has anyone got an earlier one than this?

Also, the headstock lettering is different than I have seen anywhere else.

It would seem that it was changed soon after production began.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 months later...

Just a heads up, there's one on eBay right now. Its in good shape, but not quite good enough for what I was looking for. The seller emailed me some more photos showing two decent dings on the back. I'd have bid on this one if it only had scratches. The bid is $400 right now. It ends Saturday. http://www.ebay.com/itm/mid-1980s-Epiphone-Sheraton-II-with-Seymour-Duncan-SH-1s-Hard-case-included-/261787179823?pt=Guitar&hash=item3cf3bb5b2f

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Hello from Austria.

 

Bought this beauty around 1991 in Styria.

No serial number.

Playing almost every day

 

Can anybody tell me more about the "B.B.King" - lettering?

I have never seen this on a Sheraton.

 

Thanks, Georg

 

Sheraton%252003.jpgSheraton%252001.jpgSheraton%252004.jpgSheraton%252002.jpg

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  • 6 months later...

Hello all of you

 

I've decided to sell my Epiphone by Gibson Sheraton. I first post it on this forum to give the priority to the Epiphone by Gibson owners club". If no one of you is interested I will post it on eBay or similar on the next few days.

 

This Sheraton is in excellent condition, all parts are original (except strings). Very comfortable to play, and it gives me a pretty nice sound when I plug it on my old Marshall JTM (almost as old as the guitar). However I'm non longer using it, having 4 other guitars (Gibson and Fender on electrics, and a wonderful Martin HD28 on acoustic). I haven't found the serial number, even under the pickups, I've probably lost several years ago the S/N label that Samick glued behind the neck.

 

The guitar can be seen and tested in France, not far from Paris.

 

Regarding the price, when I look on similar guitar on sales on the web, I can see price tags such as 800 to 1000$ in the US, and one that as been recently sold in England at 400£ (550 €). Since I would prefer selling it to people aware of the quality of that guitar such as the people reading this forum, I'm proposing it at 500 € (not counting shipment).

 

Please let me know should any of you is interested.

 

Note : I can send by email more and higher quality pictures than the ones I'm attaching to this post.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mine's still for sale. It's 1986, blonde, hardly played since bought from new by me.

I'm a bassist, so this little beaut is largely ignored.

 

Had it on ebay for a while, low stupid offers ... still looking for offers up to £550.

 

London

 

I guess everyone in this thread already got one....

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