dough1967 Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 There's one for sale in a local mom & pop, but I'm not sure of it's authenticity. Has anyone heard of a c. 1990 USA made Joe Pass? I can find nothing on this forum, the Gibson site, or the web in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carverman Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 I thought they were all made in Korea by Samick...if there was a USA Joe Pass model, it would have been the one especially made/set up by Gibson/Epiphone for JP when he was still living. They took the Emperor II and moved the selector switch from the cutaway to the upper treble bout where Joe like it to be, because he was used to playing an ES-175. Here's a rare glimpse of Joe playing a Epi JP. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nODlYylv2E Joe played many other guitars besides this particular Epiphone guitar he endorsed.. Here's a glimpse of him playing a custom made (JP20)Ibanez. an some more trivia on Joe's guitars and endorsements.. http://www.jazzguitar.be/joe_pass_guitar.html he also played a custom made D'Aquisto ,(the premier guitar luthier who worked under John D'Angelico), made for him. Since he died in 1994, it is highly unlikely that any were made in the USA. I have a '95 Korean made one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carverman Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 The current Joe Pass Emperor II ' date=' the new Emperor Swingster and the ES-175 are made in Indonessia (factory code 23) Peter[/quote'] Didn't Samick set up a huge plant in Idonesia a while back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Would a '90 model have the "Epi Inc. Kalamazoo" inner tag, causing much (honest?) confusion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Mallory Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 I just bought a new Joe Pass in February and the sticker on the back of the headstock says Made in Korea. The date (I presume of manufacture or inspection) on the warranty card is 1/12/2010. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Mallory Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 The serial begins with 0910. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Mallory Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 I just found the thread on this - it does look like Korea. The serial number starts with is 091021, which I would interpret as 09 (year) 10 (month) 21 (Factory Code - Unsung, Korea). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Mallory Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Here's a couple of quickie pics I took with my Blackberry. Notice they used the "E" TRC instead of the Joe Pass TRC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Mallory Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 I'm loving it so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dough1967 Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 Here is a photo, albeit blurry, of the back of the headstock. The serial number and "made in USA" are painted rather than stamped. Any thoughts? Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 I bought a 1997 Samick "Joe Pass" That guitar is now called "Annie Mae" a hollow bodied blues guitar....... Just waiting for a set of GFS Mean 90s when they come off backorder........ at the moment she sounds like this please excuse my bad playing a few chords played on the neck and lead on the bridge pickup....... recorded badly using garageband http://www.josephcooper.eu/audio/second.mp3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyscaglyc Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 @JoeS, You decided to do both PUs in the Mean90? I'm still very happy with just the neck PU switched out to the 90 but I can't say enough about the fit, finish & Sound you'll get with them. Here's to hoping for a speedy delivery for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dough1967 Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 Sorry about that. I'll try again... Here's a link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Sorry about that. I'll try again... Here's a link. here Dough this may help.... very bad photo but looks weird to me....... can you a sharp photo close up......... I need Carverman to see this.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carverman Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 here Dough this may help.... very bad photo but looks weird to me....... can you a sharp photo close up......... I need Carverman to see this.... I can see it inspite of the blurry SN. Looks like a "U" preceding the number.. doesn't the U represent Unsung in Korea? The tuners are typical Samick OEM issue. Mine had those as well. Hard to say if the sticker is legit..especially the "made in USA" part. Decals are easy to make and affix. Where are the rest of the photos of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dough1967 Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Thanks. I'm working on getting more info & photos from the seller, who is out of state. The serial number is UO-060305. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epinder Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Something looks funny to me: Chrome tuners on a JP? Could be the photo though??? The location of the tuners?? Here is a shot of my Samick (S0311...) JP: Looks a tad different Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dough1967 Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 A photo of the guitar: Click here. Sorry that I can't figure out how to post pics. Note the apparent absence of a sticker in the upper sound hole. The seller has told me that there are no other markings or identifying information on the guitar. Should the Asian guitars have a sticker inside the body? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Interesting. That guitar appears to have a spruce top, not maple like the Asian versions. You may very well be looking at one of the rare USA JPs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carverman Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Interesting. That guitar appears to have a spruce top' date=' not maple like the Asian versions. You may very well be looking at one of the rare USA JPs. [img']http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt163/brianehuff/Epi_Joe_Pass1024.jpg[/img] Brian, I have a 91 (Emp II) with the switch in the cutaway, and a '95 JP and they both have spruce tops with the "Gotoh style" tuners as shown in the original posters picture. Those came in gold as AFAIK. Now, here's the interesting part on this one..the t-o-m doesn't appear to have a wooden base, as it should on a "real" JP. Instead the t-o-m bushings appear to be set inside the top..and for a thin spruce top like a "genuine" Epi LP, that will barely hold in the bushings..unless of course the bushings have been glued in by someone. The original Samick made ones start with an S in front the SN. It is possible that Unsung was contracted out to make these for Epiphone..so the "U"...but I don't understand the "UO" . Looking to find a Korean factory (if that is the case) with a "UO" designation or some other factory that may have that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carverman Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Note the apparent absence of a sticker in the upper sound hole. The seller has told me that there are no other markings or identifying information on the guitar. Should the Asian guitars have a sticker inside the body? Both of my Emp IIs/(JP) MIK did not come with stickers inside the f-holes. Another great inconsitency with Epiphone over the years. IF this was a genuine USA made, I would expect a label inside indicating that Gibson/Epiphone crafted it in their custom shop. Now somehow I doubt that, because they would be too busy with custom Gibson orders. Another thing with these early 90 ones. It appears that the original Emp IIs made by Samick, Korea only had white stickers with SN on them and NO "S" preceding the serial number. The 95 JP, I have has a decal on the back of the headstock with "S" 502xxxx. This is a rub on decal that is covered with poly. It will have a "made in korea" decal below the frist set of tuners on the back of the headstock. Another thing about this one (even though its a dark picture) is that the block position markes seem to have a "abalone" V inside, similar to some of the elitist models. The regular production EmpII/Jp has MOT (plastic simulating a plain unfigured pearl) on the fb and came with a rosewood wooden bridge. Something is not quite right about this one..especially the bridge mounting and the "UO" "made in USA" decal. EDIT: I would say it is a fake made in Indonesia somewhere. Like I mentioned, the "made in USA" decal can be easily reproduced by anybody..just go to a commercial label/sign maker and you can make a bunch for yourself..so that is meaningless. There was a similar one for sale on a New Zealand "FleaBay" (with UO preceding the "serial number:. and it raised the same questions with buyers there. The Fakers are getting pretty smart these days to include misleading labels..so buyer beware as they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Just a couple of things, size of the f holes my 1997 Samick "appears" to have smaller f holes than this one and the photo of the more recent JP earlier in the thread. Just an observation. Dough I recently took an interest in a guitar called the Washburn Washington J9 which is a thinline full hollow but has a fixed bridge like this "JP". Could you look inside and see if there is not a full centre block but a small block just to accomodate the bridge that is what the Washington has. But is still classed as a full hollow. It is certainly strange seeing a "JP" with a fixed bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dough1967 Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Hey, I found another thread on this forum proclaiming another USA Joe Pass, with UO-xxxxxxx serial number to be a fake. I'm inclined to pass on this guitar. http://forums.epiphone.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=8363 Photos here, seems the same as the guitar I'm looking at: http://s700.photobucket.com/albums/ww4/maoriboy69/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Yeah the headstock inlay on that one is a dead giveaway. Another fake busted. But just out of curiousity, what are they asking for it? If it was $200, you could get it for a beater or modding platform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dough1967 Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 In was listed on Denver Craigslist for $600. The problem with these listings is that I want to believe they're real deal. Thanks all for the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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