weird epiphone sheraton...

[astrozombie]

I saw it for sale locally and thought it was fake since it had that weird epiphone by gibson logo on the head stock... well...










I guess not!

It seems like at one point during the 80s Epiphone also stamped the Gibson name on the headstock.

I've wanted a Sheraton or a Riviera for a little while now, and I'm tempted to jump on this since my amp will soon be in good working order. The guy wants $700 OBO... I'm thinking $400 at MOST. does that seem like a decent deal? I have no idea what these Sheratons are even worth, though all the accounts i've read online by owners of this specific model praise it and say it looks great and sounds great.

I know I post a lot of these threads, but I do it with the intent of finding out more about what I'm chasing, getting some insight. A lot of the people who post videos and such online are ignorant and they don't know how to describe what they're playing or hearing too well. I post here because this is fully interactive and I know this to be a forum that knows tone and quality.

[St_Genesius]

I had one. Very pretty guitar. Very bland sound. It was my pre-pickup swapping days. I could probably make it better if I hadn't sold it.

But hey, I got to play it for a couple of years and then turn a small profit.

[Funkfingers]

That is what the early ones looked like. I sourced one for my brother in 1989. He still has it. On his example, the neck is extremely sensitive to string tension. (Euphemism for the truss rod is sh!te.)

EDIT - AZ, if you are seriously thinking about getting another Epiphone thinline, check out the B. B. King Lucille model. It has the advantage of a removable plate behind the controls. This makes swapping the pickups a cinch.

[astrozombie]

That is what the early ones looked like. I sourced one for my brother in 1989. He still has it. On his example, the neck is extremely sensitive to string tension. (Euphemism for the truss rod is sh!te.)

EDIT - AZ, if you are seriously thinking about getting another Epiphone thinline, check out the B. B. King Lucille model. It has the advantage of a removable plate behind the controls. This makes swapping the pickups a cinch.

You know that's a great idea, though its very... black and has no F holes. makes me sad...


this might be a stupid question but does the lack of F holes affect tone?

[astrozombie]

Made to play the blues, the Epiphone B.B. King Lucille Electric Guitar features 2 humbuckers with stereo output and a Varitone control that give you single-coil sounds as well as the throatier humbucker tone. The body is laminated maple. The neck is maple and has a rosewood fretboard with block inlays. Body, neck, and headstock are bound. TP-6 tailpiece allows precise tuning. Gold hardware adds another classy touch, and Lucille's name is prominently displayed on the headstock to remind you never to run back into a burning building.

what??

edit:

im pretty sure I could swap the pickups on a hollow or semi with no back compartment. I've seen a few videos online and to be honest, it kind of looks Like id screw it up a few times and grow frustrated but I think i could nail it.

[ImmortalSix]

and Lucille's name is prominently displayed on the headstock to remind you never to run back into a burning building.

what??

I figure you can do the math on that on your own.

[Funkfingers]

The burning building reference comes from the early career of Mr. King. (Look it up.)

The website product blurb that you have copied and pasted is being a little economical with the truth.

The OEM pickups were single con + shield. They connect to the Vari-Tone PCB in a single con + shield manner. There is no provision for coil splitting or phase reversal.

The Vari-Tone is a switchable filtering network. One of the positions reminds my strongly of the so-called Michael Schenker "cocked wah pedal" tone. Originally, I expected the VT to be a useless anachronism. It turned out to be extremely useful. A bunch of tones that I recognised from classic records - but which my other guitars could not replicate - was right there.

does the lack of F holes affect tone?

Mainly by slightly delaying the onset of feedback.

im pretty sure I could swap the pickups on a hollow or semi with no back compartment. I've seen a few videos online and to be honest, it kind of looks Like id screw it up a few times and grow frustrated but I think i could nail it.

Go for it.

[astrozombie]

I just read the Lucille story, and I think I want one now

[blueman335]

I've wanted a Sheraton or a Riviera for a little while now, and I'm tempted to jump on this since my amp will soon be in good working order. The guy wants $700 OBO... I'm thinking $400 at MOST. does that seem like a decent deal? I have no idea what these Sheratons are even worth, though all the accounts i've read online by owners of this specific model praise it and say it looks great and sounds great.

Every serious guitar player should have a 335! Go for it. Yeah, offer him $400. I doubt he'll get much more than that in this economy.

[astrozombie]

Every serious guitar player should have a 335! Go for it. Yeah, offer him $400. I doubt he'll get much more than that in this economy.

You know, what I really want is a riviera, the mini humbucker one. but its out of the question, plus I just want a 335 vibe. i loved thje tom delonge model i used to have but disliked how tied it was to a specific artist. I hope this guitar will make me feel that airy tone I've been missing ever since I sold my semi hollow.

[ItsaBass]

$400 seems a bit high to me.

[formula73]

...though all the accounts i've read online by owners of this specific model praise it and say it looks great and sounds great.

Most people love the things they keep and, especially if they're cheap or underdogs in some way, will find justifications to keep them and/or sing their praises. I've read glowing reviews about guitars just to go play a few and be completely disappointed. Harmony Central is full of those guys.

Not to be a party pooper or anything.

$400 seems a bit high to me.

Me, too.

[gibson175]

A friend of mine has an old japanese epi with the same thing on the headstock. Its kinda like a joe pass model but with one pickup. It needed a lot of work on the fingerboard/frets and also had a pickup change. It wasnt bad at all after that.

The guys recomending Epiphone Lucilles are making a good recommendation for cheap tho, and the other one you might look at is the NIck Valensi Epiphone Riviera - it has humbicker sized pup holes, but p94 single coil pups - plus the groovy frequensator tailpiece like the JLH model. The valensi does not scream out "artist model" either.

NOw for some porn: check out the John Lee Hooker Epiphone if you like minis (i know its expensive but damn its sexy!):

[astrozombie]

A friend of mine has an old japanese epi with the same thing on the headstock. Its kinda like a joe pass model but with one pickup. It needed a lot of work on the fingerboard/frets and also had a pickup change. It wasnt bad at all after that.

The guys recomending Epiphone Lucilles are making a good recommendation for cheap tho, and the other one you might look at is the NIck Valensi Epiphone Riviera - it has humbicker sized pup holes, but p94 single coil pups - plus the groovy frequensator tailpiece like the JLH model. The valensi does not scream out "artist model" either.

NOw for some porn: check out the John Lee Hooker Epiphone if you like minis (i know its expensive but damn its sexy!):

I would happily rock either one of those guitars any god damn day of the week.

my local shop had this but at the time I couldnt spare the cash.

[astrozombie]

How does $400 seem high to you people? What would you offer?

[St_Genesius]

I paid $400 for a minty fresh, but used MIK Sheraton in 1999 and sold it for $450 in 2002. The new MIC ones are going for $600 MAP.

I think $400 is a pretty good deal, if you can get it.

[BluesDisciple]

Grab it. Make your best offer. I was able to find a new, Made in Korea Epi Sheraton II a few years ago. The build quality is excellent in mine. The older Japanese ones are now sort of sought after. Swap the pickups out for a pair of SD's or Gibson 59 Classics. You won't be disappointed.

[ItsaBass]

EDIT - AZ, if you are seriously thinking about getting another Epiphone thinline, check out the B. B. King Lucille model. It has the advantage of a removable plate behind the controls. This makes swapping the pickups a cinch.

Not to mention that you don't have to cover the f holes when playing loud. Best Epi archtop IMHO. Too bad it says Lucille on the head. Kind of a turnoff.

It also needs a b/w/b pick guard and truss rod nut cover BADLY...and to lose the bulky tailpiece...and to have keystone tuners.

Basically, I would modify it into an Epiphone copy of a 355, but with no f holes.

On a positive note, it is VERY cool that they included the proper Vari-Tone and stereo jacks. I almost always run two small amps at gigs, so that would be an interesting way to set things up, one pickup into each amp, with each amp optimized for it's own pickup. It is a much more tonally versatile guitar than a Sheraton or Dot. I was first exposed to that setup when I had my uncle's 345 on long-term loan for several years.

[astrozombie]

seller responded to an offer I made a few weeks back. i have to choose between this and the bass.... its probably going to be this guys.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

GO FOR IT !!!