NGD: You'll Never Guess

[ImmortalSix]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

Everyone: yes. Thank you.

ratherdashing: glad tyou have had good experiences with these. The headstock of this one is stamped "USED," and the serial number is a sticker; a copper background and black numbers - no letters. It's dubious at best. I entered the number (311517043, I ain't shy) into every Epiphone serial number decoder on the net and all of them said my number was unintelligible.

The pawn shop I bought it from (MOJO +100) told me a story about how they have a contract with some company that refurbishes guitars, and that this one came to them directly after a refurbish at Gibson HQ in Nashville (which I do not believe at all), and that all of their refurbs are guaranteed as if new / have never been "owned."

That is very obviously shullbit, as the gold plating on this guitar's tailpiece is very worn, the pickups are aged, and there is buckle rash on the back and dings in a few spots. It's nothing if not a plain old used guitar.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

I'd say its a Chinese fake, but I don't think they make fakes of Epiphones, do they?

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

trevorus: exactly. I want to do gold covered Seths in this one. I have not played it plugged in enough to know what its natural tonal characteristics are yet - maybe 30 minutes so far of plugged in time, but I have to let that guide my decision. But I want god old fashioned Les Paul tone, and I think Seths would be good for that.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

I'd say its a Chinese fake, but I don't think they make fakes of Epiphones, do they?

I can't imagine anyone would. I'll send high quality pictures of the headstock, the stamp, and the obviously-not-stock serial number tomorrow.

Anyways, whoever made it did a great job. It makes me smile when I play it.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

I can't imagine anyone would. I'll send high quality pictures of the headstock, the stamp, and the obviously-not-stock serial number tomorrow.
.

Doesn't matter. we are too busy chasing the absolute tone here to actually play any of our guitars much anyway. Look at me. I own 20,000 worth of the finest gear money can buy, and i haven't played any of it to any appreciable extent ever. Just enought to check out a pedal or to evaluate and dial in a guitar I've put together. Nice guitar. get the perfect new pickups after painstaking research, get it set up with all the best parts , and put it in the closet.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some more tone-seeking to do.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

Doesn't matter. we are too busy chasing the absolute tone here to actually play any of our guitars much anyway. Look at me. I own 20,000 worth of the finest gear money can buy, and i haven't played any of it to any appreciable extent ever. Just enought to check out a pedal or to evaluate and dial in a guitar I've put together. Nice guitar. get the perfect new pickups after painstaking research, get it set up with all the best parts , and put it in the closet.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some more tone-seeking to do.

Don't project your neuroses onto the rest of us.

 

[JOEBACCA]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

Doesn't matter. we are too busy chasing the absolute tone here to actually play any of our guitars much anyway. Look at me. I own 20,000 worth of the finest gear money can buy, and i haven't played any of it to any appreciable extent ever. Just enought to check out a pedal or to evaluate and dial in a guitar I've put together. Nice guitar. get the perfect new pickups after painstaking research, get it set up with all the best parts , and put it in the closet.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some more tone-seeking to do.

Now it all makes sense. You're on the upcoming New Episode of Hoarding: Buried Alive.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

Don't project your neuroses onto the rest of us.

Thanks. Actually needed that slap in the face. I do hope to reach a point soon where I quit posting and start playing. i actually think I'm doing quite legitimate tone seeking here though for now. I've got to have everything in order..yeah, neurotic.
Anyway..you've got to be somewhat into it too, otherwise you'd be playing right now, instead of here.
Back to your guitar, I like it and its getting good ratings.pPay the hell out of it!

 

[Kam]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

A) Quote of the year in line 1!

Thanks, man.

B) My "HOLY SH!T" came after strumming unplugged. THe shopkeep asked me if I wanted to plug in (to a Roland Cube 60) and I said, "yes, but not right away," and I strummed a good old-fashioned 320033 G chord and said "holy sh!t!," because it just nailed what I have been thinking about, and trying to synthesize for so long.

My goal was plugged in tone, which it also nailed (I can't say this enough - the plugged in tone is what made the sale, truly); but the "a-ha" moment was unplugged. YMMV.

This is excellent. I heartily endorse this sort of behavior. Especially the cursing.

Dammit, Kam, are you the most sigged guy here, cause I have to sig that one.

Ha! I actually have no idea, man. I haven't kept count or anything. I've been sigged a few times, I guess. I'll admit, my ego gets a little kick out of it whenever it does happen. Thanks, man.

:beerchug:

I can't imagine anyone would.

Actually, they do. We've had a few threads here about it. From what I've seen, it's been mostly the more obscure ones like the Zakk Wylde sig, or whatever. I have no idea if anyone's making copies of Epi LP Customs, though.

Not that it really matters, at this point. Sounds like you got a killer guitar, no matter where it came from.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

Cool score bro.

 

[oilpit]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

I'd say its a Chinese fake, but I don't think they make fakes of Epiphones, do they?

Actually...

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/epiphone-les-pauls/12286-fake-epiphone-thread.html

But this isn't fake, the knobs line up, the screws are in the right place. I can't see the headstock, but I seriously doubt that you found a fake Epi in a brick and mortar guitar store.

 

[JordanM82]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

If a guitar doesn't sound good unplugged, I put it back on the rack.

+1...

to OP, same thing happened to me when I went to buy my American Deluxe Strat, I left with a Road Worn (still one of my 2 primary guitars I play at gigs)... was totally not what I was looking for and didn't think for a second that was what I was going to get, but it happened... I couldn't put the guitar down.. so I bought it...

Also, that LP in white is SO classy... totally epic...

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

Yeah, the white LP Custom thing is getting to me.

I don't like opaque finished Gibson style guitars.

It seems like the execution of the 2 LP Customs (black, white), though, is about as good as you can do with an opaque finished G-style guitar. Except, of course, the goldtop :smokin:

 

[Kam]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

Yeah, the white LP Custom thing is getting to me.

I don't like opaque finished Gibson style guitars.

It seems like the execution of the 2 LP Customs (black, white), though, is about as good as you can do with an opaque finished G-style guitar. Except, of course, the goldtop :smokin:

Sand it all off. It'll probably sound better, anyway.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

Here are some more pictures, some of the headstock in particular, and the others just for fun, and for a LOL at how the shop owner said this guitar had "never been owned."

 

[JeffB]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

That is definitely a refurb- they are quite common to be stamped and serialed like that and they won;t show up under the original serial # tools online- as they are technically "destroyed" by the factory, and then thse refurb places buy them up and fix them. You see them on ebay all the time from a great # of manufacturers. I bought an Epi Les Paul classic quilt top like that once for a pittance, but I cannot imagine how bad the guitar was BEFORE the refurb cos it was awful afterwards for sure- needed tons of fretwork, bridge and TP holes were drilled slightly off, neck angle was incorrect, etc.

That said, they should *appear** fairly new with maybe a few odd cosmetic issues.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

There was a story a few years ago about how some Korean Epis were getting stolen from the factory and sold elsewhere. Is it possible you have one of these, which is a true Epi, but with bogus numbers?

Either way, nice gat. I came within an ace of trading my G&L ASAT tribute for one just like that about a month ago, but I just like the 25.5 scale length too much to have an LP again.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

Well, let me ask this: how are serial numbers put onto the Epiphones?

Are they stamped in, or are they a sticker only?

If they're just a sticker, the sticker from this one is gone, replaced with the copper background / black text one above.

I could be wrong; this copper / black sticker could be its actual serial number, but it looks and feels very "after the thought," and it doesn't link up with any Epiphone serial number conventions I've found online.

In this picture, you can kind of see the "USED" stamp on the headstock:

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

Would Epiphone keep a record of refurbished guitars?

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: NGD: You'll Never Guess

Would Epiphone keep a record of refurbished guitars?

Let's email them and find out!