Korean Epiphone Sheraton Serial Numbers

3.5) The Epiphone serial number decoder currently supports 12 serial number formats from 25 factories. Vintage numbers from 1932 to 1970 are supported. Serial numbers from 70' and 80's era Epiphone guitars made in Japan are not supported. The reason for this is that there is no reliable documentation from this.

Part II ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F-Serial used on LP Std'59/'60 models and Tribute/Plus models This newest serial number system used by Epiphone is not yet completely deciphered. 'F' doesn't refer to 'Fine, Korea' - nor to 'Fuji-gen, Japan' - New 'F' models are made in China. This serial number system doesn't exactly tell the year - and doesn't tell the month at all. • Beginning with F300000 in late 2009 used on LP Std'59/Std'60/Tribute models • Continued around F310650~F311050 in spring 2012 on Tribute-Plus models • Continued around F305000 in 2011 • Continued around F310000 in 2012 • Continued around F317000 in 2013 • Continued around F324000 in 2014 • Continued around F330000 in 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Epiphone Japan Serial Numbers 1998-Current The Yamano Gakki Epiphone Japan serial numbers from 1998 onwards are in a YMMPPP format. Y = Year of manufacture MM = Month of manufacture PPP = Production number The serial number letters used by the Terada and Fuji-Gen guitar factories are: • J = Terada • T = Terada, • F = Fuji-Gen • No Letter = Fuji-Gen Example: J902123 = Terada / 1999 / February / unit 123 Example: T902123 = Terada / 1999 / February / unit 123 Example: F902123 = Fuji-Gen / 1999 / February / unit 123 Example: 902123 = Fuji-Gen / 1999 / February / unit 123 1987-1997 For Yamano Gakki Epiphone Japan semi acoustic models from 1987 to approximately 1997, the serial numbers are in a YCPPP format. They were made by Terada and usually have an Orange Epiphone label.

Click to expand.that looks undoubtedly like a later model, likely 2000-2004ish if it is Peerless. Giveaways are that the pickguards on the earlier models weren't so thin to see through them, and until I dunno maybe 2004 or a bit later the TRC would say Gibson instead of the epi E.

To be completely honest, since the sunburst is a really good indicator of the factory, the finish is making it tough. From those pics it looks like it could be a brand new, chinese model, much as he's claiming otherwise.

Also love that he directs you to UK Ebay to gauge the price, as if it's relevant to his Epi in Portland? Marvel Ultimate Alliance Wii Ntsc To Pal there. Get the serial and be sure.

Even if it is a peerless model, i wouldnt pay much more than $450 for a black one. I paid just over $500 for my 97 sunburst Peerless with the OHSC. To your other question, Samick made a damn good epi in its day. Here's one in action by Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups. That looks undoubtedly like a later model, likely 2000-2004ish if it is Peerless.

Giveaways are that the pickguards on the earlier models weren't so thin to see through them, and until I dunno maybe 2004 or a bit later the TRC would say Gibson instead of the epi E. To be completely honest, since the sunburst is a really good indicator of the factory, the finish is making it tough. From those pics it looks like it could be a brand new, chinese model, much as he's claiming otherwise. Also love that he directs you to UK Ebay to gauge the price, as if it's relevant to his Epi in Portland? Get the serial and be sure.

Even if it is a peerless model, i wouldnt pay much more than $450 for a black one. I paid just over $500 for my 97 sunburst Peerless with the OHSC. To your other question, Samick made a damn good epi in its day. Here's one in action by Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups YouTube Link. I've read that the Japanese made Sheratons are higher quality than those from Samick & Peerless, etc. But I don't have any personal knowledge.

I owned both a 2007 UnSung Sheraton and a 1999 Samick Sheraton, both being Korean factories. The Samick was superior in build quality.

The headstock on the UnSung was huge. It looked like a canoe paddle and made the guitar slightly neck-heavy. I eventually sold both. To me, the biggest problem with Epiphone product over the past 25 years is the constant shift of production to different factories and subsequent changes in specifications that are not documented. Neck width and contour are particularly important to me and there's no way to know what you're going to get until you hold the guitar in your hands.

You might want to solicit opinions from this web site: Good luck in your search. Click to expand.I didn't say it was impossible! The Asian economic downturn in the mid to late 90's caused a lot of concerns, especially for the likes of Epiphone and others that operated out of one country. From what I know, Epiphone wanted to keep up amidst financial insecurity and began utilizing other factories (Peerless, Saein, Samil) around that time. Samick declared bankruptcy in 98, I didn't know that Epi had moved some of the production as early as 94 though. Dez let's see your sherrie!

My 97 is unlike any other ive seen in terms of the finish, it's a weird combination of the dark tobacco burst and the bumblebee burst you see now. The pickups are alright, I'll swap eventually but they'll do for now. I love Peerless made stuff, also Samick made guitars. My friend has an early 90s Samick made Epiphone which is quite an instrument.

So much so, I looked for and found a Samick, a 90 SAT650. No idea whether Peerless made better examples, but the Samick made Sheraton was real sweet. The tricky part is that functional value and build quality don't mean much.

500 seems to be a practical limit on the Sheraton, short of some unique mods or something like that. You might be willing to pay more, but if you try to sell it you'll hit that ceiling as a seller. I've owned three Peerless made guitars, including the early Epi ES-295 I have now. Here's a case where I did pay a premium. You can buy these used if you're patient for under 500.

Lots more a bit above. The seller here wanted 700. It had some significant upgrades, including a Dearmond 2000 in the bridge spot, excellent TOM bridge, and Sperzel locking tuners. I walked in expecting to bargain down to 600 or even less. Download Discografia Cypress Hill Completa on this page.

Problem is, he was firm on price. Playing the guitar, I could see why. A wonderful instrument. Nothing cheap about it. So I paid up. Here's a case where yes I probably could find cheaper, but chose not to lose a superior instrument in search of a lower price. Interesting back story on the sheraton ii's (taken from the Gibson forum): In 1986 Henry J.

And company bought Gibson and decided to offer a line of Korean-made Epiphones. With bottom-line increasing cost-cutting in place, one of the first of these models was the 'Sheraton II' which was only offered with full-sized humbuckers and stop tail pieces and was named the 'Sheraton II' to avoid confusion with the Matsumoku-made Sheraton that was still in production. Another distinction was the use of the 'Epiphone By Gibson' headstock logos on the Korean-made Epiphones. This early Korean-made line was made by Samick. In 1987 Terada began to make the Japanese-exclusive line of Epiphones and their line also included a Sheraton model though again it was only offered with full-sized humbuckers. In 1993/1994 to celebrate 100 years of Epiphone and Gibson, Gibson made a limited run of some of the original Epiphone models such as the Riviera, Sheraton and Emperor and this time the Epiphone models had mini humbuckers. These were made in Nashville and Bozeman and had nitro-cellulose finishes.

Also in about 1994 Epiphone began to use contract factories in Korea such as Peerless ('R' alpha prefix in serial number) Saein ('I' alpha prefix), Unsung ('U' alpha prefix), as well as the original Samick production ('S' alpha prefix) though by 1998 Samick ran into financial problems and discontinued production for a few years while getting back on track. I've never seen a Peerless-made Sheraton but the other factories made them. There may be a slight superiority of the earlier Samick-made Sheratons but this superiority is negligible at best. In about 1997 Epiphone offered a John Lee Hooker Sheraton as part of their 'USA Series' which was actually made in Japan (and 'assembled' in Nashville). There had also been a Korean-made Hooker Sheraton with goofy graphics. The Terada-made Hooker Sheratons were offered with either a stop tail piece (called 'The '64 Sheraton II') or a Frequnsator tail piece (called The '64 Sheraton I) and came with a nitro-cellulose finish. Following the Hooker Sheraton Epiphone came out with the Elite (later the Elitist) Sheratons with mini humbuckers and Frequensators but with polyurethane finishes.

The contract factories continued making Sheratons into the early 2000's and now there's a transition to all-Chinese production of Epiphone guitars. So.for the most part the 'Sheraton II' refers to a Korean-made Sheraton. I didn't say it was impossible! The Asian economic downturn in the mid to late 90's caused a lot of concerns, especially for the likes of Epiphone and others that operated out of one country. From what I know, Epiphone wanted to keep up amidst financial insecurity and began utilizing other factories (Peerless, Saein, Samil) around that time.

Samick declared bankruptcy in 98, I didn't know that Epi had moved some of the production as early as 94 though. Dez let's see your sherrie! My 97 is unlike any other ive seen in terms of the finish, it's a weird combination of the dark tobacco burst and the bumblebee burst you see now. The pickups are alright, I'll swap eventually but they'll do for now.