New SG ?

[PermissionToLand]

This leads nowhere. I am talking from my personal experience or my close friends guitar player friends, i have bohemian SG epi and i spoke with the luthier from the company who worked there from 80s when they were making harmonicas ,violins or whatever and worked there after they stopped doing guitars for Epiphone. The plant wasnt that short lived. It was from 96 until 03.
On the other hand, do you have personal experience with the Czech made Epiphones, do you have one? I am from Slovakia i know how it works here we have been Czechoslovakia with Czech republic, i was born to Czechoslovakia.
And also on the other hand you just speculate.
Its pointless to continue because whenever i say something first hand, you "logically" try to debunk it.
Anyway, bees also doesnt waste their time explaining flies why honey is better than sh*t.
I am out of this sorry

I'm sorry logic offends you. I am not speculating any more than you are. Word of mouth is not evidence, especially from a source with a personal investment in the subject. If I've learned anything over the years in regards to guitars, it's that people love to exaggerate and weave stories. Every story you hear should be treated with skepticism because very few turn out to be true if you actually know what you're looking at. Reality is mundane and most guitars are just mass-produced. That's not a bad thing. Everybody wants their guitar to be special in some way but they rarely are.

 

[DrBGood]

Everybody wants their guitar to be special in some way but they rarely are.

AWWW ... come on, you're no fun.

 

[PermissionToLand]

AWWW ... come on, you're no fun.

Hey, I don't enjoy bursting people's bubbles, but when you see so many sellers weaving BS stories to try to fool some kid out of his hard earned money, you lose patience with it. You wouldn't believe how many people put a different pickguard on a bog standard SG and make up some story about how it was a custom shop prototype that a worker snuck out through the back door or something. "Proof? Come on man, believe me, my cousin works at Gibson!"

 

[DrBGood]

Hey, I don't enjoy bursting people's bubbles, but when you see so many sellers weaving BS stories to try to fool some kid out of his hard earned money, you lose patience with it. You wouldn't believe how many people put a different pickguard on a bog standard SG and make up some story about how it was a custom shop prototype that a worker snuck out through the back door or something. "Proof? Come on man, believe me, my cousin works at Gibson!"

I know very well, just pulling your leg.

 

[everdying]

Hey, I don't enjoy bursting people's bubbles, but when you see so many sellers weaving BS stories to try to fool some kid out of his hard earned money, you lose patience with it. You wouldn't believe how many people put a different pickguard on a bog standard SG and make up some story about how it was a custom shop prototype that a worker snuck out through the back door or something. "Proof? Come on man, believe me, my cousin works at Gibson!"

i wonder if there's any brand new 2021 LPs out there signed by LP himself...

 

[dub-setter]

 

[Von Trapp]

Not taking sides here but when it comes to the pickups on the Czech I'd say there's something to be said for the supposed hearsay. I took one of those pickups apart and they look like nothing I've ever seen, they sit on a piece of wood for instance and have wider pole pieces than many. So I'm prepared to believe at least that story. I also believe that in a way those guitars are kind of special so I personally wouldn't contradict anyone that owns one of them if they say they have a special guitar. When compared to other Epis in that period the workmanship and attention to details surpasses them by far. Now do they sound better? Of course not. But I'm prepared to state that they were the finest Epis built in that period.

 

[PermissionToLand]

Not taking sides here but when it comes to the pickups on the Czech I'd say there's something to be said for the supposed hearsay. I took one of those pickups apart and they look like nothing I've ever seen, they sit on a piece of wood for instance and have wider pole pieces than many. So I'm prepared to believe at least that story. I also believe that in a way those guitars are kind of special so I personally wouldn't contradict anyone that owns one of them if they say they have a special guitar. When compared to other Epis in that period the workmanship and attention to details surpasses them by far. Now do they sound better? Of course not. But I'm prepared to state that they were the finest Epis built in that period.

I don't doubt that they're different from the Chinese pickups. I do doubt that they were licensed copies of '57 Classics, though. The bridges were indeed made in Germany (whether by Schaller, IDK), so it's entirely plausible that the pickups were domestically sourced as well. And yes, in a way they are special because there are build differences and simply the fact that they were made in Eastern Europe as opposed to Asia like all other Epiphones.

 

[Von Trapp]

I don't doubt that they're different from the Chinese pickups. I do doubt that they were licensed copies of '57 Classics, though. The bridges were indeed made in Germany (whether by Schaller, IDK), so it's entirely plausible that the pickups were domestically sourced as well. And yes, in a way they are special because there are build differences and simply the fact that they were made in Eastern Europe as opposed to Asia like all other Epiphones.

Idk about licensed copies but if you like I'll take a pic and perhaps you can check. I'm kind of curious myself.

 

[pancake81]

Hot off the press!

 

[DrBGood]

Hot off the press!

LOL ... there's usually not much that he misses, but he did big time here about the pickguard as PermissionToLand illustrated earlier.

 

[pancake81]

LOL ... there's usually not much that he misses, but he did big time here about the pickguard as PermissionToLand illustrated earlier.

View attachment 46723

Yup, I noticed that. Was going to leave a comment, but then thought against it. Only weirdos like us would notice

 

[laza616]

I watched the video review you posted, i am impressed....this looks like a very solid guitar, long tenon, nice mahogany body, one piece neck, very nice fretboard (i dont know what this guy has against indian laurel) you dont touch the fretboard while playing anyway, so.... And the finish is fantastic looking. Even the electronics looked well done and soldered.
I might end up getting the White one

 

[PermissionToLand]

LOL ... there's usually not much that he misses, but he did big time here about the pickguard as PermissionToLand illustrated earlier.

View attachment 46723

Also, the bass side horn is less sharp, like the original '60s SGs were.

 

[Iker Xanpe]

Hi! Here you have photos from SG built in czech republic.

 

[PermissionToLand]

Yeah those are definitely not "copies of Gibson 57 classics made off the gibson parts and from the manual from Gibson" in any way, shape or form. I don't even know what is going on with that pickup on the left, either somebody hacked it up or the factory improvised because of some mistake. There shouldn't be a massive gap on the side like that where the cover doesn't cover the internals.

I'd bet money the magnets are ceramic just like Epiphone pickups. And if that "12.88" written on the underside of one is a DC reading, it couldn't be further from a '57 Classic.

 

[Iker Xanpe]

Hi ! Frist sorry if my English is not good.
These are the 2 types of pickups that were used to mount on Epis in czech factory. The one on the right is 6.4k. is what was on all SGs and most of LPs. The other on the right it was mounted on a special LP serie with 12.8k.
They sound pretty good for certain stiles (classic) but I prefer SD 59 and custom 5 that are mounted now

 

[laza616]

These are a bit different than mine, the one with X is like my pups , also X marked but i dont have this huge gap there
I will get the multimeter and will measure the output because i cant Remember the exact values since the luthier checked it for me after i bought it a year and a half ago

Iker your pickup cavity looks pretty great, mine is quite a mess, looks like they drilled after the finish was applied so it looks like that on mine

 

[everdying]

those czech pickups are supposed to have a piece of wood below it to fill up the space between the magnet and bottom plate...and that wood seems to be missing hence the gap.
they're definitely not 57 classic copies... even the cover is obviously steel instead of nickel...
perhaps these have much thinner magnets which is why the spacer is needed...

thread for reference...
https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/info-on-97-czech-epi-les-paul-standard.50378/#post-912118

 

[laza616]

I need to contact this guy and ask him because he told me different things