Is this guitar genuine?

Ascaris · 04-03-2012, 03:11 AM

Hi, I bought an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top a couple of days ago from a store here in Dubai, UAE. I just used this site:

The Guitar Dater Project - Epiphone Serial Number Decoder

to check where and when my guitar was made but the serial number is unrecognised. I'll put up a few pics a bit later, but for now the serial number is 11081505520.

Few more details: It has a flame top in Heritage Cherry Sunburst. It has, or appears to have, grover tuners. The pickups had tranparent Epiphone alnico classic stickers on them. The serial number is impressed on the back of the headstock and there's two stickers below it, one with a garbage can and a cross and one with 'inspection card QC' at the point where the headstock meets the neck. Pickup selector works, volume and tone knobs work. The guy at the store told me it was made in 2011. It plays fine. I wouldn't even doubt its legitimacy if it hadn't been for the website not recognising its serial number.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Malikon · 04-03-2012, 03:19 AM

the guitar dater can be wrong.

Post some pics and in a few hours you'll get responses from the people that know.

Good luck.

Ascaris · 04-03-2012, 03:29 AM

Thought I had to charge my camera, but apparently there's still some juice left it in so wahey here's the pics:

http://i.imgur.com/j7eNs.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OCylw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qHc1t.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/vSxOp.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/IC6I1.jpg

Thumpalumpacus · 04-03-2012, 03:39 AM

Thumpalumpacus · 04-03-2012, 03:40 AM

It looks real to me, but I'm no expert.

Ascaris · 04-03-2012, 03:42 AM

@Thumpalumpacus: I used [IMG] tags at first but didn't want to stretch the screen so I edited them out.

SlashAppetite · 04-03-2012, 03:50 AM

It's real

Malikon · 04-03-2012, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thumpalumpacus

It looks real to me, but I'm no expert.

Ditto.

Ascaris · 04-03-2012, 03:59 AM

Alright, thanks guys! Can anyone estimate when exactly and where this guitar was made using the serial number?

Skit · 04-03-2012, 04:02 AM

Nice one.

Damn does everyone stay up all night. Oh yeah it's still not that late in Thump land uh.

davies · 04-03-2012, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ascaris

Alright, thanks guys! Can anyone estimate when exactly and where this guitar was made using the serial number?

It was made in August 2011 at the Qingdao plant in China. Production run # 5,520.

For your future info, guitardater can't decode all-number serial numbers because the numpties who run it haven't bothered to update the program since 2008 (when Epiphone changed from letter-prefix serials).

Ascaris · 04-03-2012, 04:06 AM

Awesome. How were able to figure it out?

Thumpalumpacus · 04-03-2012, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ascaris

@Thumpalumpacus: I used [IMG] tags at first but didn't want to stretch the screen so I edited them out.

It's no big deal, I just resized them in Irfanview. If you right-click on each image you can save it in that size, making it easy to post them in the future.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ascaris

Alright, thanks guys! Can anyone estimate when exactly and where this guitar was made using the serial number?

<edited, already answered above>

Thumpalumpacus · 04-03-2012, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ascaris

Awesome. How were able to figure it out?

There's a breakdown here.

Ascaris · 04-03-2012, 04:09 AM

Alright, thanks a bunch for the help. You guys are great

davies · 04-03-2012, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ascaris

Awesome. How were able to figure it out?

First two numbers - year
Second two numbers - month
Next two numbers - factory code
Last five - production run number

davies · 04-03-2012, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ascaris

Alright, thanks a bunch for the help. You guys are great

Yes, yes we are.

04-03-2012, 03:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
Ascaris Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Is this guitar genuine? Hi, I bought an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top a couple of days ago from a store here in Dubai, UAE. I just used this site: The Guitar Dater Project - Epiphone Serial Number Decoder to check where and when my guitar was made but the serial number is unrecognised. I'll put up a few pics a bit later, but for now the serial number is 11081505520. Few more details: It has a flame top in Heritage Cherry Sunburst. It has, or appears to have, grover tuners. The pickups had tranparent Epiphone alnico classic stickers on them. The serial number is impressed on the back of the headstock and there's two stickers below it, one with a garbage can and a cross and one with 'inspection card QC' at the point where the headstock meets the neck. Pickup selector works, volume and tone knobs work. The guy at the store told me it was made in 2011. It plays fine. I wouldn't even doubt its legitimacy if it hadn't been for the website not recognising its serial number. Thanks in advance for the help.

04-03-2012, 03:19 AM	#2 (permalink)
Malikon V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 19,759 Thanks: 379 Thanked 971 Times in 192 Posts	Re: Is this guitar genuine? the guitar dater can be wrong. Post some pics and in a few hours you'll get responses from the people that know. Good luck. __________________ "Your scars are beautiful" Lessons/Demos

04-03-2012, 03:29 AM	#3 (permalink)
Ascaris Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Is this guitar genuine? Thought I had to charge my camera, but apparently there's still some juice left it in so wahey here's the pics: http://i.imgur.com/j7eNs.jpg http://i.imgur.com/OCylw.jpg http://i.imgur.com/qHc1t.jpg http://i.imgur.com/vSxOp.jpg http://i.imgur.com/IC6I1.jpg

04-03-2012, 03:39 AM	#4 (permalink)
Thumpalumpacus Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Hill Country Posts: 54,279 Thanks: 1,205 Thanked 687 Times in 79 Posts	Re: Is this guitar genuine? Wekkuli likes this. __________________ _____________________________________________ My Soundcloud

04-03-2012, 03:40 AM	#5 (permalink)
Thumpalumpacus Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Hill Country Posts: 54,279 Thanks: 1,205 Thanked 687 Times in 79 Posts	Re: Is this guitar genuine? It looks real to me, but I'm no expert. Malikon and wwit like this. __________________ _____________________________________________ My Soundcloud

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04-03-2012, 03:42 AM	#6 (permalink)
Ascaris Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Is this guitar genuine? @Thumpalumpacus: I used [IMG] tags at first but didn't want to stretch the screen so I edited them out.

04-03-2012, 03:50 AM	#7 (permalink)
SlashAppetite Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ashton-Under-Lyne, England. Posts: 934 Thanks: 38 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Is this guitar genuine? It's real

04-03-2012, 03:59 AM	#9 (permalink)
Ascaris Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Is this guitar genuine? Alright, thanks guys! Can anyone estimate when exactly and where this guitar was made using the serial number?

04-03-2012, 04:02 AM	#10 (permalink)
Skit Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Rocky Mountain Way Posts: 2,269 Thanks: 71 Thanked 7 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Is this guitar genuine? Nice one. Damn does everyone stay up all night. Oh yeah it's still not that late in Thump land uh. Hack likes this. __________________ The smoker you drink, the player you get. -Joe Walsh Epi Japan LQ series LP Special - Cherry Epi Japan LQ series LP Special - TV Yellow Fender Japan Tele TL52-SPL/DP Epi Elitist '57 Goldtop - WCR Crossroads/Darkburst Epi Elitist Faded Cherryburst Plus - Earthbranes Epi 1960 Tribute Trans Black Epi Joe Perry Boneyard Epi Vintage Sunburst Plus Fender 60's Classic Strat - CS '69s Squier Classic Vibe 50's Tele 1988 Kramer EVIL ROBOT Combo Little Lanilei 3350LT Peavey Classic 20

04-03-2012, 04:06 AM	#12 (permalink)
Ascaris Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Is this guitar genuine? Awesome. How were able to figure it out?

04-03-2012, 04:09 AM	#15 (permalink)
Ascaris Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Is this guitar genuine? Alright, thanks a bunch for the help. You guys are great

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