I learned everything about these G400 Vintage guitars from all of you G400 Vintage enthusiasts right here on Everything SG.
Yes, it is everything I had hoped that it would be. I saw the ones here on this web site, and I looked it up on that site that lists all of the different G400's, but you never really know what a guitar is going to be like until you hold it and start to play it. Now this was a couple of years ago when I picked it up but I had to show it here eventually. Yes it is a very very fine instrument. No scarf joint, fine mahogany wood for the neck, a different kind of mahogany for the body, quite a good fret board, very good frets, excellent chunky neck size and profile. The bridge pickup (patent number steel stamped T-top) came out of a friends 1975 Gibson Les Paul Custom with natural maple body and maple fret board, maple neck too. The friend asked me to install a Dimarzio Dual Sound pickup into the neck position of the Les Paul and I did, and he gave me the pickup, and I had been keeping it all of this time, and in it went.
Congrats. Here's mine with deluxe tuners, Maestro and 57 classsics. The original pickups are now in a very hot rodded Gibson LP studio, btw. The feel and playability of this guitar is great. The only faster, lighter action I have is on the SGJ. This one is my favorite to "show-off" on.
Biddlin, you are the Epiphone SG expert, no question about that. You have an awesome collection of great ones. I followed the process as you put that lyre vibrato guitar together. You did a remarkable job and it looks totally awesome. I bet that it sounds awesome too. These Epiphone G400 vintage's really hold up and put out really great sound and feel.
Merci, beaucoup @Franktone! I'm gonna try out one of the new ones with binding one of these days. As I've always said, Epiphones stand up on their own merits and with the improved pickups and hardware that should be more true now.
When I first joined this forum about ten years ago, Epiphone guitars didn't get much respect. I'm glad those days are over now. It seems like Epi guitars keep getting better and better, and I now own two and enjoy them both immensely. There is still some snobbery about, probably because guys have to act like the guitar they bought was worth the extra thousands they paid for it. Let them strut around, it doesn't bother me. I own Gibsons as well, and they are superb of course. But my Epiphone "Working man's guitars" don't give up much, and they sound great through my amps, and feel great in my hands.