Having said this, there are a lot worse guitars out there, and as well as being historically important, the 1820 bass can certainly provide the goods when required. Over the course of the 70s, the Japanese output improved dramatically, and in many ways these early 70s models are a low point for the brand. These new Epiphones were based on existing Matsumoku guitars, sharing body shapes, and hardware, but the Epiphone line was somewhat upgraded, with inlaid logos and a 2x2 peghead configuration. This time I think it help hearing the nice acoustic tone that the pick-up also renders. The Matsumoku factory had been producing guitars for export for some time, but the 1820 bass (alongside a number of guitar models and the 5120 electric acoustic bass) were the first Epiphone models to be made there. another test video of this fantastic pick-up. It may not be a high end Gibson, but those are very good utility instruments.By the end of the 1960s, a decision had been made to move Epiphone guitar production from the USA (at the Kalamazoo plant where Gibson guitars were made), to Matsumoto in Japan, creating a line of guitars and basses significantly less expensive than the USA-built models (actually less than half the price). You can always do more research on that by checking completed ebay auctions, or looking at to see what dealers are asking.Ĭongrats, by the way. Obviously, the value is somewhat subjective, but your range seems reasonable. The old strings have no value, so the fact that one is missing is not a big deal.
GIBSON ES 125 WITH NO PICK UP HOW TO
Take the guitar to the nearest shop and have them put on some new strings (unless you know how to do that yourself). I'm not sure what to say about your tuners, as the photo doesn't show them. I would advise you to remove the pickguard and seek a replacement. As you can see from the appearance of the nearby metal parts (frets and pickguard bracket), there is a gas being released by this decomposition which is damaging the finish of the metal. The spot on the upper portion of the pickguard is caused by the decomposition of the material it's made from. Serial numbers were uncommon during and for a few years after WWII. The number is most likely a FON (factory order number). Like the ES-5, this model is a three-pickup guitar, but pickup combinations on the Zephyr Emperor Regent are accessed via a row of six push-buttons located on the body’s lower treble bout. That top finish is referred to as a "sunburst" (not starburst). Designed to compete with Gibson’s ES-5, The Zephyr Emperor Regent was Epiphone’s top-of-the-line archtop electric guitar during the Fifties. Can anyone give us there opinion on our findings? There is also one string missing.įrom all the research we have done, we are guessing it is a 1950 and valued any where from $875 - $1800. There is some weathering, a scratch on the side of the body, one of the tuner knobs is broken, the covers for the 3-in-1 line of tuners seems to be missing if there was one, and there is a mark on the pick guard of unknown cause. The guitar is in need of cleaning, but as we do not know how, we left it alone. The case is made by Geib but does not fit the descriptions that we found as far as the lining.
GIBSON ES 125 WITH NO PICK UP SERIAL NUMBER
Not sure if that is serial number or FON. Inside the f-hole we see the number 4359 17. It appears that the bridge is Braziliam rosewood. It has a starburst top, translucent dark brown back, gold silkscreen logo, dot fingerboard. My friend and I have what we believe is a 1950 vintage Gibson ES-125 w/single non-adjustable P-90 pick-up with dog ears and a raised pickguard.