Home › Forums › Guitar Discussion › Guitar › Does anyone know anything about an Epiphone EW-1?
- This topic has 16 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 3 months ago by mac.
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November 30, 2006 at 6:16 am #23880macParticipant
I found this site while trying to locate some info on an Epiphone acoustic guitar I have. Strangely, I can’t even find a mention of the model on the Internet anywhere, so I’m hoping someone here will know how old it is, and maybe even how much it cost originally.
It’s got a beige sticker inside with dark brown lettering and border on it. The sticker identifies the guitar model as “EW-1”, and reads “Epiphone, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Made in Japan”. The serial number is 811213.
Any info would be appreciated…
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December 13, 2006 at 10:03 am #66964MichaelParticipant
1b is right on the money.
https://www.guitarsite.com/hotlicks/viewtopic.php?t=2861 -
December 13, 2006 at 9:54 am #669161bassleftParticipant
GNW – Guitar News Weekly, is right here on Guitarsite. From the main index, look down a bit and you’ll see the section to click on. The thread on your Epi is right there 🙂
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December 13, 2006 at 7:48 am #66957macParticipant
Very interesting! Thanks – I really appreciate the info! What’s the url for the GNW web site?
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December 12, 2006 at 6:27 am #66946Guitar ExpertKeymaster
A post from the GNW forum:
This is an early ’80’s Epi manufactured in Japan. This is the transition period when Norlin was moving production to Korea. However, the tan label is the giveaway.
Check Gruhn’s Guide 2nd edition page 28. I’ve had a ton of these cross my bench. BTW, these are pretty well made when compared to the Japanese production a decade earlier. -
December 8, 2006 at 8:32 am #669481bassleftParticipant
EDIT – I’ve just deleted a para on pic-posting now that I’ve seen Tim’s just covered it. On a bulletin board like Guitarsite, there isn’t a lot of image manipulation. The pic you select is the pic that appears here – and that goes for its size, too.
Secondly, I’d like to add my thanks to Syl for contributing so much to this thread. I try to help out with IDs where possible but acoustics are not my area and it’s a real pleasure to see “the knowledge” freely contributed. Hope you can stick around and chime in with other threads, Syl 🙂
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December 8, 2006 at 3:16 am #66922TimParticipant
No worries.
[quote=”Tim”]Look at photo, right click, select ‘Properties'[/quote]
Man, must have been tired when I wrote that!
I don’t know if this is the case but it looks like you’ve posted up the Thumbnails. If you go into the large pic then follow the steps you will get a different location address which will post the full size pics. Which is what I should have said originally instead of ‘Look at photo’ 🙄 sorry!
Needless to say huge pics are a hassle on the board but most are fine.
Tim.
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December 7, 2006 at 10:59 pm #66951macParticipant
Thanks, Syl. This DOES get “curiouser and curiouser”. I’m still interested in tracking it down as far as possible, so maybe I’ll get it to the guys at Gibson, if they have any old-timers around who might know anything about it.
I have a much better camera, so I can post better pictures, if it would help at all. Or, if I can take pictures of some other part of the guitar that would reveal anything, just let me know.
Thanks again for all your help…
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December 7, 2006 at 10:37 pm #66961SylParticipant
This has been a tough one. I can only guess it’s somebody’s clone of an old Epiphone FT-200 (currently, the model DR-200S…(see a larger pic at musiciansfriends.com). WHY anyone would have cloned that guitar is beyond me. However, Mac, (and I’m a Taylor person, too) I have an Epi of the FT series from the early 70s that also has great tone and is a dream to play.
There are so many things wrong with the picture:
The serial # for one… but because there are both “8”s and “3”s in it, it’s confusing. If it were a true 81xxxx series, it would have been made in 66 or 69. For even more confusion, go read about Epi serial #s here:
https://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/AGuitar/ASerialization.pdf
If anyone else wants to follow along, i’ve posted larger pics at:
http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r212/fstop1955/
Here’s what I’m seeing as “wrong with this guitar:”
The headstock is not finished in black, as Epis are and is missing the “slash C” Epi logo just above the nut. The same logo is missing also from the pickguard.
The rosette does not resemble the Epi model, either vintage or current.
The label is obviously fraudulent, and the site I mentioned earlier about serialization backs this up.
I really wonder what the story is behind this animal! This HAS been fun!
Best,
Syl
Thanks Tim for the Photobucket referral… Yahoo just screwed up their whole photo site. Photobucket took about 5 minutes to figure out and post the photos. Cool.
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December 7, 2006 at 6:39 am #66965
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December 7, 2006 at 4:45 am #66954TimParticipant
Syl or Mac, the sticky at the top of Guitar cat. explains all. But I’ve never had a problem with photobucket, basically:
Set up free account
Upload photo
Look at photo, right click, select ‘Properties’
Put your cursor in the text after the ‘Location’ title, hit ‘Ctrl A’ then ‘Ctrl C’
Then in your post click ‘URL’ button (‘message body’ section, just below title bar) hit ‘Ctrl V’ then click URL* (same section)
Hit ‘Submit’
Should do the job.
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December 7, 2006 at 3:07 am #66930SylParticipant
Check your inbox for address… I have to figure out how to get a photo on the board for all to see…
Syl
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December 7, 2006 at 2:47 am #66945macParticipant
Hmmm. It’s a very good job of faking a label, if so. That WOULD be interesting…
I’ve taken the pictures, but I don’t know where to post them so you can see them. Can I e-mail them to you, or what?
Thanks…
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December 7, 2006 at 1:34 am #66950SylParticipant
Very interesting indeed. Please post a photo and we can tell you what you REALLY have. Your label is a fake. Serial number 811213 belongs to a 1966 Epi Granada and you can view it here:
http://www.webcorral.com/Epiphone_Granada_fullfront.jpg
The serial number tells us it is from either 1966 or 1969, according to:
http://www.provide.net/~cfh/epiphone.html
Another discrepancy is that the labels of the Japanese Epis from the 60s and 70s were blue, according also to provide.net.
“Gibson made, rectangular label, blue paper, slashed C logo and “Epiphone Inc, Kalamazoo, Michigan”: 1958-1970.”
Please post a photo of what you have!
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December 5, 2006 at 7:04 am #66960macParticipant
Thanks, Michael!
I figure it’s either very, very rare and therefore priceless, so I’ll get rich selling it (HIGHLY unlikely), or very uncommon because it was considered junk.
In any case, it’s got a very decent tone. I’ve got a couple of Taylors, and I wouldn’t say it compares very favorably to them, but it sounds a lot better than an old Yamaha FG-300 I’ve got…
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December 5, 2006 at 6:34 am #66912MichaelParticipant
Mac,
Interesting. I’m gonna post a message in todays GNW and see if it catches anyones attention.
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December 2, 2006 at 8:38 am #66924macParticipant
Not only have I drawn a blank here so far, but I called Gibson and they don’t have any record of an EW-1 being produced. They suggested I call Gruhn in Nashville, but they don’t know anything about it either, mostly because they’re only interested in US-made instruments.
I just don’t understand how a major player like Epiphone could produce a guitar that nobody’s heard of…
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