"Won" my first guitar off of Flea-bay today - Epi V.

[GAS Man]

Usually all my shopping has been through stores or online dealer, but this was my first purchase on "the bay".

 

I've been kinda wanting one of these for a while. I've been impressed with my Epi '58 Korina Explorer and I will now have a "matched set".

 

 

According to the seller: "This guitar is unplayed, mint condition and comes with a hardshell case."

 

Well, I don't know about all that, but since they sell for $500 without a case (and the cases sell new for $90), I figured $350 + $40 shipping: $390, is not bad for the guitar and case. That's about 66% of what I'd pay new from MF and probably still a bit better than going to a good bargaining store. Probably still maybe a hundred bucks ahead.

 

I like the way my Epi Korina Explorer has a fat tone, and I'm often not too thrilled by the scooped tone of a V, so I'm hoping this V will have a bit more resonance to it with the light limba body, as with my Epi Explorer which is very resonant sounding. We'll have to see how the pickups work out too. I like the ones that are in the Explorer because of their vintage voicing and flabby tone and I believe they're the same pups in the V. So it might make for a good bluesy V more so than a metal V.

 

Now I just have to hope it gets shipped and arrives close to "as described".

 

Think I did okay??

[Snambo]

Mmmmm...Korina......

 

 

Nice!

[EMG_GUY]

sweet catch!!!

 

[snaredrum]

good stuff, and welcome to fleabay! you got here just in time to see it all go to hell...

[GAS Man]

sweet catch!!!

 

 

Thanks! No one else was bidding on it. That made me wonder if I was "missing something".

 

The bidding was set to start at $350, so I just entered that in during the last minute.

 

There was some blurb about the selling having the right to cancel, but I'm thinking it's a done deal.

[GAS Man]

good stuff, and welcome to fleabay! you got here just in time to see it all go to hell...

 

That's what I've been reading here. What a shame.

[snaredrum]

but it's still an awesome find, and it'll go great with your explorer! good stuff mate

[GAS Man]

but it's still an awesome find, and it'll go great with your explorer! good stuff mate

 

Yeah, thanks.

 

Here's a pic of it's brother, although I often cringe posting this pic because the lighting made the poly finish look a quarter inch thick, but no worries, it's not that shiny and thick looking in person. Otherwise, I'd use it as a bar table.

 

[snaredrum]

mm... wet look! kidding, it still looks awesome. i think these are the best models epiphone have done so far for the historical geeks like us. although i could never get hold of one, i still love looking at them and knowing there were more that a hundred or so made this time

[DaleH]

Congrats:thu:

[figfuggo]

Nice job! Post the ngd pics when you get it!

[iansmitchell]

You'll wanna change the pups.

A V is pretty much the ONLY situation where I'd recommend ceramic pups over alnico. (alnico are stocked on the epis)

Because that's what's been in 'em since albert king picked one up.

[noizemakr73]

HNGD!

[GAS Man]

You'll wanna change the pups. A V is pretty much the ONLY situation where I'd recommend ceramic pups over alnico. (alnico are stocked on the epis) Because that's what's been in 'em since albert king picked one up.

 

(gosh, just got done with HP support, my home computer wouldn't connect to the keyboard and mouse - power drain finally got it up and going again )

 

 

Dunno about ceramics since I want a more Albert King tone. I have a friend at work that might consider selling me his Gibson Faded for $400 if I want the ceramic tone, but I had one of those in house before and it didn't work for me so I sent it back. But maybe this V might respond better to ceramics with the lighter limba.

 

But I was thinking more in terms of a Burstbucker 1 & 2 or Seth Lovers if I did an upgrade. I also have a 50th Commerative with the 57/57+, but I still wanted this Korina model. It will be very interesting to compare the two. Sort of like comparing royalty with pesantry but I have no preconceived notions of which I'll prefer. Maybe more like beauty and the beast.

 

This one is sex, but the Epi might be more me.

 

[iansmitchell]

(gosh, just got done with HP support, my home computer wouldn't connect to the keyboard and mouse - power drain finally got it up and going again ) Dunno about ceramics since I want a more Albert King tone . I have a friend at work that might consider selling me his Gibson Faded for $400 if I want the ceramic tone, but I had one of those in house before and it didn't work for me so I sent it back. But maybe this V might respond better to ceramics with the lighter limba.

 

HE USED CERAMICS. The flying V was released with ceramics in 1958. His custom job had the same pickups. Part of his signature sound.

 

Well, taking the pups from that one and putting some P-90 or PAF-ish HBs in the faded is a cool option, that way you have two Vs. A limba ceramic ala 1958, and a mahogany 1967 reissue style.

 

It just might. Limba is more like alder than mahogany, I've heard.

[GAS Man]

 

HE USED CERAMICS. The flying V was released with ceramics in 1958. His custom job had the same pickups. Part of his signature sound. Well, taking the pups from that one and putting some P-90 or PAF-ish HBs in the faded is a cool option, that way you have two Vs. A limba ceramic ala 1958, and a mahogany 1967 reissue style. It just might. Limba is more like alder than mahogany, I've heard.

 

 

Interesting. I was wondering if that was what you meant. For some reason I didn't think there were ceramic pups back in the early Gibsons. I tend to associate them with more modern pickups, like at least 70s guitars.

 

I do happen to have a Yamaha SBG700S that was not working too well with its stock pickups or the '59/PG upgrade I gave it. But once I put a 500T in the bridge, it became worthy. So I've seen ceramics come to the rescue, but they're usually not my first thought.

[iansmitchell]

 

Interesting. I was wondering if that was what you meant. For some reason I didn't think there were ceramic pups back in the early Gibsons. I tend to associate them with more modern pickups, like at least 70s guitars. I do happen to have a Yamaha SBG700S that was not working too well with its stock pickups or the '59/PG upgrade I gave it. But once I put a 500T in the bridge, it became worthy. So I've seen ceramics come to the rescue, but they're usually not my first thought.

 

 

Yeah, most do, but they were out earlier. Ceramic magnets have been available and even used in pickups since the late 1950's.

Alnicos came out earlier, and were produced in larger quantities at the time of P-90s and PAFs. So cheaper.

Before that, they used horeshoe magnets. (hence the crazy hugeness of charlie christian pickups)

[leopardstar]

nice score GM

[GAS Man]

nice score GM

 

Thanks, I'll believe it when it gets here and is "as reported". I bought some items off of ebay before, but this is my first time buying a guitar from a private seller. This seller seems to sell off a few guitars here and there, but it doesn't appear to be a store. Maybe they are guitars that "fell off the back of the truck".

 

They are also selling this Tak Matsumoto. That an an Elitist Casino are about the only two other Epi's I've GAS'd for.

 

I just think that guitar would smoke with a BB2/BB3 combo.

[outtahear]

HE USED CERAMICS. The flying V was released with ceramics in 1958. His custom job had the same pickups. Part of his signature sound.

 

Uh.....

 

PAF Magnets.

From 1956 until 1961 Gibson used different Alnico magnets in their PAF pickups. Alnico magnets (alloys ALuminum, NIckel, and CObalt) come in a different grades based on their magnetic strength. Gibson generally used the same magnets (size/grade) which was available for their P-90 pickups. But Gibson randomly used Alnico 2,3,4,5 grade magnets in PAFs until 1961 (remember the higher the magnet's number, the higher the magnetic strength). This can often account for how two PAF pickups can sound quite different. In July 1961 Gibson began consistently using a smaller Alnico 5 magnet (smaller as in the flat top side of the magnets were smaller length-wise). Since inconsistency was king at Gibson during this time, Alnico 2 short magnets are sometimes seen too. By 1965 though Alnico 5 was the standard for all Gibson humbuckers.

 

The original PAF magnet length was 2.5" long, which was decreased by 1/8" to 1/4" to around 2.25" in July 1961. But the "short magnet" PAF can be seen as early as 1959 and is still original. Gold plated guitars (ES-345, LP Custom, etc) seem to use the short magnet PAFs before nickel plated guitars (like the ES-335, LP Standard, etc). Just from a consistency point of view, July 1961 is the date considered by most as when short magnets were the norm for PAFs. Generally speaking decreasing the length decreases the power of the pickups, but this was somewhat counteracted by the Alnico 5's added strength. When new, the shorter A5 magnet is more powerful than the longer A2 magnet. So do short magnet PAFs sound worst than 1957-1960 long magnet PAFs? NO. In fact, they may sound better in many cases. But there are lots of things that effect sound, with the magnet only being one piece of the equation.

 

Post '61 pickups..

 

After PAF pickups were gone, the patent# pickups were next and used from 1962 to 1965. Then from 1965 to 1975 (note overlap) the next Gibson humbucker is known as the "T bucker" or "T top". They are called this because of a "T" that is part of the molding on the front of the two pickup bobbins. These also had the decal with "Patent No 2,737,842" (still the patent number of Les Paul's trapeze tailpiece). The only way to see the "T" is to remove the pickup cover. A small change in late patent# pickups was white PVC bobbin wires instead of black (black was used on pre-1965 humbuckers). Also T buckers can use either slot or phillips head screws to hold the bobbins to the base plate. From 1976 to the 1980s they still used the "T bucker" but now they had the correct patent number stamped in the metal bottom plate (no decal).

 

So, unless Albert King, an illiterate 35 year old from cotton country,

grabbed a new '58 V, tracked down a visionary tech, and asked him to mod his pickups for "teh Bluetalz", he probably didn't have ceramic magnets.

[V-Type]

Thanks, I'll believe it when it gets here and is "as reported". I bought some items off of ebay before, but this is my first time buying a guitar from a private seller. This seller seems to sell off a few guitars here and there, but it doesn't appear to be a store. Maybe they are guitars that "fell off the back of the truck". They are also selling this Tak Matsumoto. That an an Elitist Casino are about the only two other Epi's I've GAS'd for. I just think that guitar would smoke with a BB2/BB3 combo.

My bud has that Elitist Tak model. Its a very smooth player and sounds :love:

He says it rivals his Gibson LP Standard Premium Plus.