# Epiphone Japan Limited Lacquer finish



## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Just ordered an Epiphone Limited LQ SG-61 (or something like that), ebony, from Ishibashi. It's in the mail. It's made in Japan. It's got the Gibson shaped headstock, lacquer finish, and, I'm not sure, Japanese hardware. The regular price is 99000yen, but they have some available for nearly half price in their 'Epiphone outlet store' (my guess they have small blemishes...I bet I'll never known). With delivery and taxes, I figure it will cost me somewhere around 650$. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Japanese Limited series is the Elitist produced for the Japanese market. Same guitar, but with Japanese hardware (maybe).


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

The Elitist series has their own headstock shape. They use USA hardware as opposed to made in Japan. I believe they have discontinued the 61 SG Elitist because it is too good.


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

ne1roc said:


> The Elitist series has their own headstock shape. They use USA hardware as opposed to made in Japan. I believe they have discontinued the 61 SG Elitist because it is too good.


Right, I meant that I think it's the for Japan equivalent of the Elitist. I figure that if it's anywhere as good as my CIJ Fender, I've just scored quite a guitar.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

1. You WILL post pics when it comes.

2. Would you post the link to Ishabashi for your axe? Thanks.


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Robert1950 said:


> 1. You WILL post pics when it comes.
> 
> 2. Would you post the link to Ishabashi for your axe? Thanks.


1. I will.

2. http://www.excite.co.jp/world/engli.../webshop/guitar/index.htm&wb_lp=JAEN&wb_dis=2

Click on the 'Epiphone Outlet' banner near the middle of the page.

The Limited Edition LQ are the ones finished in lacquer. I think the rest are just the regular Chinese models. Right now it looks like they only have some red LP special and red LP junior left with the lacquer finish....But, I'm sure they'd have some more if you emailed them (it's just the largest chain of music stores in Japan, after all)... I just wouldn't expect the outlet price. I've seen the Limited Edition SG LQ at some other Japanese sites for about 66000 yen. My guess is that's probably what they would quote you for that guitar now.


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## bluezombie (May 7, 2007)

It looks like an ordinary G-400?


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

bluezombie said:


> It looks like an ordinary G-400?


The bottom ones, yes, those are regular Chinese Epiphones. I got one of the made-in-Japan (by Fuji-gen, I believe) ones that are finished in lacquer and have a Gibson-style open book headstock. They are currently sold out. Notice the difference in suggested retail price between those, the Tony Iommi, and the G-400...99000 yen for the Japanese, 78000 yen for the Tony Iommi (I believe it's made in China and fitted with expensive US made pickups) and 50400yen for the standard Chinese made G-400 (and that's probably bit high because of the high Japanese customs taxes).


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## bluezombie (May 7, 2007)

NB-SK said:


> The bottom ones, yes, those are regular Chinese Epiphones. I got one of the made-in-Japan (by Fuji-gen, I believe) ones that are finished in lacquer and have a Gibson-style open book headstock. They are currently sold out. Notice the difference in suggested retail price between those, the Tony Iommi, and the G-400...99000 yen for the Japanese, 78000 yen for the Tony Iommi (I believe it's made in China and fitted with expensive US made pickups) and 50400yen for the standard Chinese made G-400 (and that's probably bit high because of the high Japanese customs taxes).


Ah i see, well nice find :smile:


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Thanks. 

I wasn't even shopping for an SG. That was going to be my next guitar, or maybe the next one after. I was actually shopping for an LP junior (I thought a P-90 guitar would have been nice for a change), preferably a Japanese made instrument (I cannot stress how amazed I am at my CIJ Fender). Ishibashi only had red ones left in the price range I was willing to pay, and red isn't quite my favorite colour. So, I decided I would wait until I'm in Canada to get a second-hand Gibson LP jr. in a colour that I like and bought the SG instead. It just couldn't miss out on that deal.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

This a bit of a hi-jack,but it help if Excite could get their translation software working a little better. This is for an Edwards Les Paul Custom

_"Res Paul custom that has continued to leave many brilliant scenes for history of electric guitar. Hereafter, the body of an artistic form of the impression tightened blacking it will keep carving a new history of the lock guitar. Moreover, it reproduces that it is the wind combination peculiar with overflow the vintage taste that gives a peculiar vintage processing to hardware, and uses Raccar for the closing phase of the painting process. Power to approach in the original is felt by me."_


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

This a bit of a hi-jack,but it would help if Excite would get their translation software working a little better. This is for an Edwards Les Paul Custom at Ishibashi.

_"Res Paul custom that has continued to leave many brilliant scenes for history of electric guitar. Hereafter, the body of an artistic form of the impression tightened blacking it will keep carving a new history of the lock guitar. Moreover, it reproduces that it is the wind combination peculiar with overflow the vintage taste that gives a peculiar vintage processing to hardware, and uses Raccar for the closing phase of the painting process. Power to approach in the original is felt by me."_


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Robert1950 said:


> This a bit of a hi-jack,but it help if Excite could get their translation software working a little better. This is for an Edwards Les Paul Custom
> 
> _"Res Paul custom that has continued to leave many brilliant scenes for history of electric guitar. Hereafter, the body of an artistic form of the impression tightened blacking it will keep carving a new history of the lock guitar. Moreover, it reproduces that it is the wind combination peculiar with overflow the vintage taste that gives a peculiar vintage processing to hardware, and uses Raccar for the closing phase of the painting process. Power to approach in the original is felt by me."_


...and yet it makes total sense to me.


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## sneakypete (Feb 2, 2006)

just about every shop in ths city is selling those off now, prices are around $400.oo - $450.oo for new ones. There was two Elite SGs in one place that took months to sell...maybe just not popular in Japan...this is a Gibson city I think.
and the one you will get does have MIJ electronics from what I read.


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

sneakypete said:


> just about every shop in ths city is selling those off now, prices are around $400.oo - $450.oo for new ones. There was two Elite SGs in one place that took months to sell...maybe just not popular in Japan...this is a Gibson city I think.
> and the one you will get does have MIJ electronics from what I read.


Yeah, I would guess so. People will pay double for something if it's of a certain brand or if it has a sticker that says 'Made in USA'.

I believe they have been discontinued, which would explain the markdown. Epiphone Japan is probably going to come out with something different in a few months. In any case, the original price was quite a bit more than 50000 yen, something like 99 000 yen. So, even with shipping and duty, I feel it's a bargain as long as it's of equal quality as my CIJ Fender (which had suggested price of 78000yen, if I remember correctly).

Whether it has MIJ electronics or not doesn't matter to me given the price I paid. Besides, I've got made-in-Korea Kent Armstrong pickups in my Epiphone LP. I couldn't be happier with those. I took the time to adjust them properly. They now sound an awful lot like Seymour Duncans to me. So, I'm counting on the Japanese electronics to be quite nice. But, I'll probably end up changing the caps and redo the wiring with braided and cloth-covered wires like I did with my Epi LP (I highly recommend it).

PS. Did you try one out? What were your impressions?

PPS. Still waiting for the guitar.


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## sneakypete (Feb 2, 2006)

no...didn`t try any, I`m happy with my Edwards. Saw some Epi LP jrs today for 44,ooo yen but there are so many great Japanese makers these days to choose from here...might be one reason why they are discontinued plus Gibson ended their contract with Yamahno who was importing them ito Japan so could be, and this is speculation, there may be something going on...I heard from shop staff that Gibson will now be selling directly to shops over here...this is the time of year when new catalogs come out over here so I`ll see if I can find out whats going on with Gibson/Epiphone...still, shops are chock full of Epis now and I wonder if they don`t sell em before the new year...they might be priced way down for the start of the year sales this city is famous for. Keep youse all posted if I find out anything.


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Well, the one I ordered was supposedly made in Japan. Yeah, I would have gotten an Edwards SG, one of their 'Lacquer Taste' series, if I didn't go with the Epiphone. On paper, it seems to me like they are basically competing products.


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

I got the guitar this afternoon. All I can say is...Dude! Everything about it is amazing. The setup, the fretwork, the finish, the fretboard (really beautiful shades of coffee and chocolate), the tone, the responsiveness of the pots, the size of the neck, the width between each string, the way it stays quiet just plugged in...It's as if this thing was designed to be held in my hands. I'm really considering selling my Chinese Epiphone LP. I have all the same sounds and more in a guitar that has a cleaner tone (now I know how muddy my LP sounds), and that's in spite of all the upgrades I've made to the LP . The SG is also 10 times more playable than my LP.


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