Help ID'ing an Epi Sheraton II

[jbear]

Hey All,
It's
-blonde
-stripes on the back of the neck but they're lighter brown than I usually see
-Grovers
-No SN on headstock
-"Gibson" on trussrod cover
-bridge is not squared...it's a traditional Nashville shape
-Oval Orange Label that says:
Model: Sheraton II NA
Number: R98C 1066
Is this Korean? The lack of an SN makes me wonder about MIJ? It has mods...SD's and a fine tune tailpiece. They want 500 for it.
So...what do you think it is?

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Help ID'ing an Epi Sheraton II

R = made by Peerless in Korea; 98 = 1998. Good guitars IME, but not as good as the Samick made ones, and maybe not worth $500 if it doesn't come with a hard case. I've had three over the years. Two made by Peerless about the same time as the one you are looking at. One was white, and the other was natural. I also had an earlier model white one made by Samick in 1992. The Samick one was hands down one of the best playing and sounding modern archtops I've ever played. It had a very unique neck – skinny side to side (like a Fender), with very squared off shoulders and an almost flat back. The only problems were cosmetic, and they weren't even that bad. Just not the best binding work in some spots. It was stolen along with my Elitist SG. Ugh. Makes me ill. I got the Peerless one to replace it, but it was a later one, and it didn't have the same neck profile or radius. Still a fine guitar, though. I think I paid $375 to $450 for each of them. The two white ones came with cases.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Help ID'ing an Epi Sheraton II

A 14-year old guitar may have a good deal of fret wear (Asian frets are made of a cheaper metal than on Americans-mades and don't hold up as well); having that redone is not cheap. Have the seller give you some idea of fret wear. The fine-tuning tailpiece is something you'll probably never use, so don't pay extra for that. What model of Duncans? Make sure they're Seymour Duncan and not 'Duncan Designed', big difference in tone quality and cost. Many people confuse the two. With American-made Duncans, and in nice condition with little fret wear (and ideally not gigged with), $500 is reasonable. Keep in mind new ones, that come stock with Grovers and improved PU's, go for $600, and the quality is much more consistent than with Koreans. I've owned a bunch of Epi's over the years, and am least impressed by the 1990's Koreans.

Keep in mind you can get a used Dot for much less than a Sheraton, like half as much. You could do that, get a pair of used Duncans, and have $350 into it total.

 

[jbear]

Re: Help ID'ing an Epi Sheraton II

I appreciate the replies. I suspected that this was an MIK, but wasn't sure, so thank you for the help.
I had an MIJ that was quite the instrument, but that is long gone. I was just out and saw this one, and was curious. It was at Music-Go-Round. Pretty well-worn and the hardware was especially grungy. I didn't care for that fine-tune tail but I'd have changed it out. The PUP's are SD's not DD's. They didn't know which (newer...they had the SD name printed), but they did offer me a bench to pull them if I wanted to. I might have, but they were totally firm on the price. That seems strange, but...they gotta make money.
Thanks again!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Help ID'ing an Epi Sheraton II

Seymour Duncan pickups with a pad printed logo on the bobbin should also have a model identifying self-adhesive label on the baseplate. Inspecting this would be a simple matter of slacking off the strings and undoing the four screws that fasten the mounting surround into the front of the guitar.

The SH-1 has to be the obvious candidate. A Pearly Gates neck/Rhythm HB would suit me very nicely, thank you. Something a fraction hotter for the bridge/Treble position would be nice but a second PG would be fine.

Try subtracting the MSRP of the pickups from the package price. Now, does the guitar valuation seem more reasonable? Worst case scenario, remove the Duncans for yourself, fit Tonerider A2 Classics.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Help ID'ing an Epi Sheraton II

I appreciate the replies. I suspected that this was an MIK, but wasn't sure, so thank you for the help.
I had an MIJ that was quite the instrument, but that is long gone. I was just out and saw this one, and was curious. It was at Music-Go-Round. Pretty well-worn and the hardware was especially grungy. I didn't care for that fine-tune tail but I'd have changed it out. The PUP's are SD's not DD's. They didn't know which (newer...they had the SD name printed), but they did offer me a bench to pull them if I wanted to. I might have, but they were totally firm on the price. That seems strange, but...they gotta make money.
Thanks again!

The words 'well worn' and grungy' are turn offs for me. That means fret wear and gold hardware that is permanently tarnished. There are plenty of used Epi 335's for sale that have been nicely taken of and gently played. One of the big things about Sheraton's is the gold hardware, but you can get that on a Dot Deluxe for half the used price. Sheratons have big fret inlays, but Dot Deluxes have flame maple tops. I don't see where a Sheraton is worth a couple hundred dollars more. Regular Dots are nice and very affordable. Same materials and quality, just different cosmetics. I picked up a regular Dot used a couple years ago for $250, mint condition, in natural with a thick 1950's mahogany (not maple) neck. I put in a pair of Seth's, and am well under the $500 price of the Sheraton you're looking at; it's a nicer-looking and willing to bet a better-sounding guitar. That's the route I'd recommend.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Help ID'ing an Epi Sheraton II

$500 sounds a bit high to me. For a well-used, "especially grungy" 14 year old Sheraton I wouldn't pay a penny over $400 (perhaps even less). Like Blueman said, You can get a dot for half the cost. Not as fancy, but a good player. Use the saved $$ to upgrade the pups to exactly what you want.

 

[jbear]

Re: Help ID'ing an Epi Sheraton II

I figured on the outside chance it was MIJ...
The label didn't look like it, but no SN on the neck...figured I'd ask.
It's at the Lilburn, GA Music Go Round...have at it if you like.
I agree...plenty of nicer Sheratons out there for a lot less.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Help ID'ing an Epi Sheraton II

"By Gibson" / "Gibson" / etc. trussrod covers can be pulled off of barebones entry level Epiphone P-basses from the silly starter kit. Those things AREN'T EVEN WOOD (laminated who knows what layered like 10-12 layers thick, probably some weird plywood grade, but possibly WORSE) and often cost less than the tuning keys and potentiometers.... I'm sure I'm not the only one to buy one for pennies for scrap parts (just to always have stuff like an emergency replacement Gotoh-clone tuning key, pickguard and neck screws, knobs actually decent steel there, a neckplate, a spare volume pot, etc. - all for the price of like 2 tuning keys and 1 pot)