Epiphone Japan SG-75 Gothic Matte Black 2001
Epiphone SG Gothic, made in Japan 2001, blacker than the blackest black times infinity. Epiphone's relationship with Japanese manufacturing has been a weird one: they had iconic stuff made in Japan in the 70s and 80s, then nothing for a while, the Orville stuff from the late 80s into the 90s, nothing for a while again, and then a brief period in the 00s where they were making stuff at Fujigen for the domestic Japan market. This dates from that last period, and like all the Fujigen-made Epiphone stuff we've been fortunate enough to score, it's a really beautiful instrument. The woodwork is excellent: proper African mahogany, ebony board, lightweight, balanced and highly resonant, all put together with amazing care and precision... holy heck, the thing rules. Not all SGs are responsive and lively in the hands, but this sings with gusto at the lightest touch. Matte finishes tend to wear quickly, so this has a few scrapes and bruises, which I feel adds to the appeal. The pickups are on the hot-ish side of passive, so it will get an amp cooking nicely. The bridge pickup is angular and rich, with plenty of snap and push, while the neck pickup is rounded and syrupy sweet. In my horribly biased opinion, this is a much more satisfying guitar than most USA made examples, but hey... what do I know, right?
Model: Epiphone Japan SG-75 Gothic
Made: Japan, 2001, Fujigen Gakki plant
Serial: 102255
Finish: black, matte finish, poly
Body: African mahogany
Neck: African mahogany, quartersawn, ebony fretboard,
Weight: 3.495kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Epiphone passive humbucker, likely ceramic magnets
Accessories: padded gig bag
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some minor chips on the end on the corners and some minor scuffs on the back near the top and around the posts on the front. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, scuffs and rub wear on the back only. The back has scuffs around the front strap pin, top horn, elbow area and middle of the body, as well as some chips and dimples along the back and bottom edges and dimples on the bottom horn. The sides have dimples on both horns, scuffs on the elbow area and some chips and scuffs near the jack. The front has a sticker mark behind the bridge, dimples along the back edge, a scratch and some rub wear on the elbow area, a chip near the knobs and some play wear on the guard and horns.
Overall: very good condition (7.5/10)
Playing condition notes: action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Wearing fresh 10/52 Moonshiners strings.
Fret Life: 7/10, minor wear only