Vintage Japanese Epiphone Info Needed

[RobinTheHood]

Hello... who was ripping who here

 

 

 

What is that? Its pretty cool, whatever it is.

The Japanese Olympic that I posted actually has some basic similarites to the original 1960's Olympic. Mainly the short, pointy horns and the wide, round lower bout. The one you posted looks kind of Genesis-like.

[RobinTheHood]

Ok, I'm not the only one who sees the Genesis similarity.

[straybeat]

Ok, I'm not the only one who sees the Genesis similarity.

 

Eggmuffin's is the old Yamaha SG series from the mid-70's. It's what Santana endorsed and used before the PRS was invented. They are sweet guitars and came in SG-1000, 2000 and 3000.

 

 

The funny thing to me is that the SG-1000 was the cheap budget model and nearly as good as any Gibson LP. It was heavy and had a very solid feel to it like an LP Custom. The only thing you can argue is it needed better pups if you're the picky type who wants a certain sound? If you're lucky enough to find one now they go between $700 to $1500 for the 1000 up to the 3000.

 

Edit: I just read a thread where they are still building them in Japan. In 2004 a 3000 anniversary went for $4000. I also noticed they had like 300's, 700's and 800's. Never saw those before, but they appear to have rosewood fretboards instead of ebony. Probably the typical cheaper pups and all too?

[RobinTheHood]

Very interesting guitar. I love those old Japanese models. The Olympic is from the same era (1975-1979), but the original Olympic had the body style first. I think that it is actually Gibson's design as the Olympic began production in 1960, a few years after they bought Epiphone.

[straybeat]

Very interesting guitar. I love those old Japanese models. The Olympic is from the same era (1975-1979), but the original Olympic had the body style first. I think that it is actually Gibson's design as the Olympic began production in 1960, a few years after they bought Epiphone.

 

What's even funnier to me is here is my 1981 Carvin DC-150, which is kind of a Melody Maker copy, but in between the others;

 

 

Too funny! The switches on it give it coil splitting and in/out of phase. I was a machinist in 1981 and copied a Les Trem. That is my manufacture.

[jonnyg]

Where are you getting Yamaha from in eggmuffins pix? That's an Ibanez Artist from around 74 - 78.

[straybeat]

Where are you getting Yamaha from in eggmuffins pix? That's an Ibanez Artist from around 74 - 78.

 

Looked like a Yamaha to me?

 

 

I guess, looking at the headstock and tailpiece, it IS different. But the Ibanez's came from the same factory too... along with a dozen other guitars.

 

Either way, Epiphone was first roughly 14 years before.

 

Here is a 1974 Ibanez Artist;

 

[jonnyg]

It's an Ibanez Artist from the Artwood series. Here's an old pic of its twin neck kin

[straybeat]

It's an Ibanez Artist from the Artwood series. Here's an old pic of its twin neck kin

 

I recognize the tailpiece definitely, but I find it odd that the horns are pointed? Here is the 1978 models and they were still rounded;

 

 

But then I never paid any attention to Ibanez back then, so I wouldn't know an Artwood if you hit me with it?

 

Although, Epiphone, Ibanez, Yamaha and a host of others all came out of the same factory. I always joked that all they did was change necks for production that day.

[RobinTheHood]

Although, Epiphone, Ibanez, Yamaha and a host of others all came out of the same factory. I always joked that all they did was change necks for production that day.

 

That seems to be about the gist of it, eh? Change the neck tooling and roll out the Ibby hardware bin! They still do similar things these days. The PR4-E acoustic is the same guitar as the Ibanez IJAE. The only differences are the headstock and bridge. It even comes in a starter pack like the PR4-E...and at one point, an almost identical shipping box.

 

That Carvin is awesome. Love the birdseye maple. Those pickups are something else as well. What are those? I've seen them on a older Epiphone Scroll, but I dont know if they were stock or an upgrade. They look pretty mean though.

[straybeat]

That seems to be about the gist of it, eh? Change the neck tooling and roll out the Ibby hardware bin! They still do similar things these days. The PR4-E acoustic is the same guitar as the Ibanez IJAE. The only differences are the headstock and bridge. It even comes in a starter pack like the PR4-E...and at one point, an almost identical shipping box.

 

I worked in manufacturing for over 40 years and when it came to making a number of products for different companies, you are totally correct in that we would roll out the cart with those particular parts on it.

 

What was really funny to me is that I made one product that came in a plastic box for $50 and you plugged your equipment into it. For $200 you got exactly the same product in a different box (a little more dressed up) and we added a knob to make the owner feel like he was doing something to control it. But you could have saved the extra $150 and bought the cheaper one for the same results.

[vomer]

Straybeat, love your machined trem.

[straybeat]

Straybeat, love your machined trem.

 

Thanks man. At the time I think Les Trems were like $80, which I didn't want to pay, heck I was a machinist! So I asked a guy if I could sit in his shop and measure one? He thought I was a yahoo and said sure. I measured everything off, spent the next bunch of lunch hours working on it. Had my buddy take it over to chroming, then went back to the guitar store with it and the guy freaked out!

 

Took it home and threw on my new Carvin and there you have it. 30 years old and works like a champ! I miss machining though. I used to make a bunch of friends disc brake calipers for their drag bikes around 1990. I got suckered on that one. I charged them like $200, then asked how much they normally paid and they said, "Oh, $650?" Damn. <_< It was okay though, I had a great time with them.

[jonnyg]

Although, Epiphone, Ibanez, Yamaha and a host of others all came out of the same factory. I always joked that all they did was change necks for production that day.

It was much less than the necks. All they really changed was the name on the headstock. In the UK there were three main makes of decent quality Japanese Gibson/Fender copies and they were identical down to the last screw. They were just rebadged for the different importers/distrubutors. If I remember correctly it was Summerfield for Ibanez, FC&N for Antoria and JHS (I think) for Maya. Even their catalogues were identical. Stupid thing is, when collectors are looking for these 70's Jap guitars these days they go wild for an Ibanez, maybe consider an Antoria but turn their noses up at the Maya.

[straybeat]

It was much less than the necks. All they really changed was the name on the headstock. In the UK there were three main makes of decent quality Japanese Gibson/Fender copies and they were identical down to the last screw. They were just rebadged for the different importers/distrubutors. If I remember correctly it was Summerfield for Ibanez, FC&N for Antoria and JHS (I think) for Maya. Even their catalogues were identical. Stupid thing is, when collectors are looking for these 70's Jap guitars these days they go wild for an Ibanez, maybe consider an Antoria but turn their noses up at the Maya.

 

That sounds exactly like a couple biz's I worked for. The salesmen were slick. They'd hit up a bunch of different companies, offering our products, then we just rebadged all of them for the particular company, but it was exactly the same product. Sometimes we would change the housing so that Company X's product didn't look like company Y's, but they were the same internally.

 

Now because of my experience, whenever I want to buy something, I'll look at the $50 one and the $500 one. I'll talk to the guys at the company and figure out they are the same and buy the $50 one. Then my friends will tease me until I prove it does exactly the same thing as the $500 one. They are always amazed.

[damian]

It's an Ibanez Artist from the Artwood series. Here's an old pic of its twin neck kin

 

Some of the guitars in this thread from the 70s are amazing in build and beauty....I love this double neck.....Darn, I was strictly a cork sniffin' Gibby player in the 70s.... ....

[straybeat]

That Carvin is awesome. Love the birdseye maple. Those pickups are something else as well. What are those? I've seen them on a older Epiphone Scroll, but I dont know if they were stock or an upgrade. They look pretty mean though.

 

Sorry RTH, I missed this part of your question? The Carvin is a hybrid DC-150/160, but it was sold to me as a DC-150. The 150's were the cheaper model with plain tops that looked like 2 X 4's and dot inlays. The 160's were the curly maple with block inlays and gold hardware. I was always kind of bummed though, I think the back looks better than the front?

 

 

The pickups are M22's and were Carvin's stock pups back then. They still sell them about $34 apiece and they scream. I'd put them up against a standard humbucker any day (well depending on your style of course, they're great for hard rock) and they have never failed or been adjusted in any way. Outside of my trem the guitar is bone stock from '81, although they replaced a bent tuner for me around '85.

 

They have a number of newer pups, developed since '81 of course, but I never liked them as much? I have owned about 4 other Carvins from '88 to '97 and this one is still my baby!

 

Here is their pups page;

 

http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/group.php?cid=82

 

The idea behind this design was that as you bend a string you don't get any fade-out between pickup poles with all of those allen screws covering them. I have never actually heard that happen, but I guess you can see it on a scope?