Epiphone "Custom Shop"?

[steve_man]

I have a 2003 Epi LP Studio in transparent wine red and gold that says the same thing. I assume they apply that if it's not a full production guitar.

 

used to have that same guitar!

[cratz2]

 

used to have that same guitar!

 

 

Love the HELL out of it. I've owned one real Les Paul and one Gibson LP Double Cut and I absolutely prefer this to either of those. Or the Faded SG. The pickups in this one were the 'Hot 57....' which were only OK. I had some Fat PATs in it for a while and they were too hot as well. I kept looking for a good deal on some low output pickups... ended up getting a pair of 490s and a pair of Seth Lovers, but they were both chrome, so I went with a pair of Zebra GFS Alnico IIs. Definitely better than the stockers or the Fat PATs.

 

I got the guitar for $100 out the door at GC because the neck pickup didn't work (bad solder joint) and $40 for the pickups. Not too shabby at all for a $140 guitar.

[guitarded84]

I had a limited edition guitar of the month epi sg special in late 2006 early 2007. The only difference from the standard model was the finish on it.

[steve_man]

 

Love the HELL out of it. I've owned one real Les Paul and one Gibson LP Double Cut and I absolutely prefer this to either of those. Or the Faded SG. The pickups in this one were the 'Hot 57....' which were only OK. I had some Fat PATs in it for a while and they were too hot as well. I kept looking for a good deal on some low output pickups... ended up getting a pair of 490s and a pair of Seth Lovers, but they were both chrome, so I went with a pair of Zebra GFS Alnico IIs. Definitely better than the stockers or the Fat PATs. I got the guitar for $100 out the door at GC because the neck pickup didn't work (bad solder joint) and $40 for the pickups. Not too shabby at all for a $140 guitar.

 

 

Sold mine to a friend who was coming out of a rehab program. Amazing guitar player, but hocked all of his guitars....so he bought this one from me. Still kinda wish I had that one!

[MichaelSaulnier]

I'm still very happy with this guitar.

 

Here's a clip that shows off the bridge pickup.

 

ThatsNotJazz.mp3

 

Don't mind the playing, but check out the tonez... with a bit 'o effects!

 

M

[dcooper830]

Here's me with my "Custom Shop" Epiphone

 

[Special J]

The Epi custom shop is where they put the extra hard-working little kids that build their guitars. It's kind of like a talented and gifted program for sweatshops. J/K, enjoy!

[cratz2]

I absolutely LOVE how the aged binding looks on those!

 

I think that guitar, with zebra pickups and gold 335 type knobs is the best looking LP.

 

Here's me with my "Custom Shop" Epiphone

[richey888]

Custom shop is generally used for things that are not regular production models if I recall correctly. EG

 

 

Like this!!:

 

 

Epi Custom Shop decal on the back. DW serial number.....

[hillml]

Found this on the Epiphone Forum:

To find the i.d. of your Epiphone either:

1. Use the "keys" and factory letter/number identifiers below or,

2. use the guitar dater project ---disclaimer: the guitardater project does not keep serial # log files of Epiphone products, it is simply a decoder program that uses the same codes keys as below to decifer the number entered by a user and as such it cannot verify the authenticity of any Epiphone guitar

link --->guitar dater project website

if the link fails, then copy/paste into your address bar ---> http://www.guitardaterproject.org/epiphone.aspx

 

the four serial # code keys

 

YYMMFFRRRRR -- new model codes, no letter prefix

Beginning 2008-09 models are appearing w/o a letter prefix to i.d. the factory. Based on what is reported so far, it appears that the serial code may be:

YY = first two digits = year of manufacture

MM = second two digits = month of manufature

FF = third two digits = factory i.d. where made -- the factory code #s identified so far are shown in red print below

RRRRR = remaining digits = ranking number

-- example 08121520333 was made in December 2008, factory 15, 2 unknown significance, 0333 unit produced

[NOTE - pre 1993-94 productions also frequently omitted factory letter codes and appeared as all numbers e.g. 023849354 -- these are Asian made (Korea, Japan, Indonesia) but again the exact factory origin is not usually available from guitardater project or other sources.]

 

FYYMMRRRR

F = factory code (this can be 2 letters as well)

YY = year of manufacture (this can also be just 1 digit for '90s models)

MM = month of manufacture

R = ranking number (may be more or less digits, not necessarily indicative of total units produced)

Example - S02021234 was made in Feb. 2002 from the Samick Korea factory, unit 1234.

 

Another code used on some current Epiphone models

FYYMRRRR

F = factory code

YY = year of manufacture

M = This will be a letter code corresponding to the month (A=January, B=February, etc...).

RRRR = ranking number

Example - R03D0263 was made in April 2003 at the Peerless Korea factory, unit 0263.

 

Epiphone Elite/Elitist models

FYSSSS

F = factory code (this code will be an "F" or "T")

Y = year of manufacture (2 = 2002, 3 = 2003, etc.)

SSSS = sequential ranking number

Example - T41234 is a 2004 Elitist model made at the Terada factory, production rank 1234th unit.

 

FACTORY LETTER CODES

For Epiphone serial numbers that begin with a letter(s), this list identifies the factory (& country) where produced:

B Boh

[Poltergeist]

what an awesome guitar!

[lp_junkie]

Epi's "Custom Shop" is a decal, reserved for special run guitars that go to places like GC, Sam Ash, Sweetwater, MF, etc. There is no actual shop, they are production line guitars with either a special finish or hardware layout.

 

Not really custom.