Anyone else playing one of these?

[nrand]

I've been gassing for a 335 for a few years and last year I found an early 1974 Matsumoku Epiphone that was mint, but a bit too flexi in the neck pocket for regular gigging. I sold it to a collector and the search went on. Fnally I came across this one on ebay from a Japanese seller. Turns out, as far as I understand this is the same as the Orville by Gibson made at the Terada factory until 1998. I was originally thinking I might change out the electronics but after playing it I won't change a thing.

I have discovered that not too many of these would made and would enjoy hearing from others who play one.

[nrand]

What makes you sure, it is Terada made ?

 

The research I have read so far indicates firstly that 'J' indicates Terada.

Epiphone JAPAN: No letter or F=FujiGen, J or T=Terada.

This factory also made the Orville by Gibsons through 1998 and then OGB became just 'Orville' from 1999 and this model and others became 'Epiphone' with some minor cosmetic and electronics changes.

The Orville's as I understand from one source had Gibson Pups for example and these are Japan Epiphone Pups.

There are many more Orvilles produced that Epiphones and the Orvilles also had a few more factory options - see link below.

Both had the Gibson 'Open Book' headstock design not found on USA and other Epiphones. Otherwise I understand they are identical.

Here is the Orville:

http://www.guitargai.com/html_folder/gai_orvilleA.html#

 

This is as much as I have learned so far - I've only had it for a month.

[nrand]

What makes you sure, it is Terada made ?

Sorry to double up, here are the specific references.

There is a segment on Epiphones down the page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orville_by_Gibson

 

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 1983, Epiphone export production moved from Japan to Korea [7] and 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.

 

 

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.

 

 

So with the serial number J904146

My guitar was number 146 made in the Terada factory in April of 1999.

[nrand]

 

Hopefully Wikipedia is right

 

The guy who sold me the guitar formerly worked for ESP in Japan before setting up his own reselling business. His information was pretty much the same from within Japanese sources and has been confirmed to me by at least two others.

 

Another thread is here, on TDPRI where I posted the same question basically - Mark Davis is the guy who confirmed the Orville connection. A few other interesting comments as well.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/other-guitars-other-instruments/252326-any-one-else-have-one-these.html

 

 

And on the Tokai forum here

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=17879

 

I am a member of several guitar forums, most of which have similar posts by me on this guitar. So far I have not heard any conflicting information, but the information apart from Wiki is somewhat scattered.. Part of the trouble is that the Japanese players tend to snap these up and not many make it out of Japan - this from a Japanese source. I am yet to find another owner of one in English speaking land although I am sure there must be someone lurking on a forum somewhere. Hence my post here and elsewhere. The search continues.