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Originally Posted by 995
AKJV95 Artcore Expressionist Vintage Series Electric Guitar: Ibanez AKJV95 Artcore Expressionist Vintage Series Electric Guitar Dark Amber Low Gloss | Guitar Center
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01-09-2020 08:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Gitfiddler
Keith
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Greco Super Real FA 750 (1989)
Mine ES 175 like and me here in Paris
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Originally Posted by Room135
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Originally Posted by Hobbs
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For whatever it might be worth, I think the Seth’s tend to work best in a guitar that has a strong natural resonance, be it hollow or solid body. To some extent they “deliver what they’re fed” without adding a great deal of coloring, they really amplify the natural sound of the guitar they’re in, at least as far as in pretty clean, low gain traditional jazz sounds. If you have a guitar that isn’t a joy to play unplugged, I’d vote against SL pups.
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Distancing may be starting to get to me...but I hope I don't get too snarky:
I would have to say that Gibson makes the best ES-175 clone. Since CMI and the cement folks took over Gibson back in...what, 1969...my assertion would be that it really hasn't been "Gibson," only "Gibson-ish."
Mind you, Gibson guitars from '69 onward are pretty great, but in some sense they are clones of the instruments from the glory days. A Les Paul made after 1968 can be awfully good, but it's not the same thing as the instrument it is patterned after. Same thing with a ES-175.
This doesn't keep me from having great attachment to many of the ES-175, L5CES and other guitars made in the '80s, 90's and after. We give Henry J. a lot of gas, but in reality some of his "clones" are tremendous guitars in their own right.
They still strike me as clones, however, much as Fenders made after 1964--many of them simply outstanding--seem "Fender-ish" to me. Just sayin'.
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I was watching some old Steve Howe with Yes vids a few days ago and somehow ended up with this Greco the following day heh
Colour me impressed, this is a really nice guitar!
Yes, the nut is slightly too narrow but for some reason doesn't bother me so much on this guitar.
My main semi experience in the past was early 60's Gibson's, '61 blond ES-350, '62 ES-335, ES-330 & LP/SG Custom
So I normally go for the thin profile, wide nut style (the reason I avoided Tokais and other import guitars in the past)
Even the Gibsons had that narrow nut from the mid-60's until 1982 when they came to their senses.
I can't afford Gibsons anymore so I'm pretty pleased with this Greco
It seems to be a late '73 version from what I can gather from online catalogs etc
It has the less flared headstock, fret nibs, spruce laminate top and is pretty mint really, and sounds great
I will check those pickups when I restring, the covers look a bit too new and shiny to be original. They sound awesome anyway.
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That Greco's a beauty
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Originally Posted by Greentone
It's quite weighty, so it is a different sort of animal to an old Gibson.Last edited by sasquatch; 11-08-2020 at 11:18 AM.
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Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
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Your Greco looks great sasquatch!
Just out of curiosity, how is the top supported? Does it have parallel bracing or a sound post?
Neck is mahogany?
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Since we revived this topic I can point out another interesting ES-175 copy or at least very closely related model: the Stanford Fatboy:
Attachment 70444
Stanford Crossroad Fatboy 75 - Stanford Guitars
Neck is maple instead of mahogany, though. It seems to have similarities with the Eastman AR371/372 and T49 in used materials and even the worn/relic finish. I know the Eastmans sound different from the Gibsons; lighter and brighter (more modern?), so that might also be the case for the Stanford Fatboy.
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I have the nagging suspicion (since a few years already) that the majority of these higher-grade models all come from the same shop ...
Re the initial question : "The Best" is a pipe dream, there is only "The BEST at this particular point in time FOR YOU" , depending to large part on sheer luck,
true hands-on experience and budget. On paper/in pix these all look great, what a surprise ....
Originally Posted by Little Jay
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Originally Posted by Little Jay
I have the nagging suspicion (since a few years already) that the majority of these higher-grade models all come from the same shop ...
Re the initial question : "THE BEST" is a pipe dream, there is only "THE BEST at this particular point in time FOR YOU" , depending to a large part on sheer luck, true hands-on experience and budget. On paper/in pix these all look great, what a surprise ...
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I played an Ibanez lawsuit which I wish I would have bought. It was outstanding! While my AR-371 is not exactly a clone, I like it better than any ES-175 I have ever played.
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Originally Posted by Little Jay
Back is maple so I assume the dark sides are as well. Top is spruce laminate.
Tuners are Greco I assume by Gotoh. Not the star tuners but identical build.
Wiring inside is braided which has me wondering. Is that normal for '73 Greco pickups?
I say it's a '73 because it was sold to me as an S-50 and the catalog changes to S-55 in 1974
S-50 for sunburst models and N-50 for natural I've realised! D'oh!
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Thanks for the info!
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This is my Condor ES-175 copy. I suspect it is (early?) 80ies but I am not sure. It has the cheaper construction method: top and back glued directly to the sides without the use of kerfed rims, no bracing but a sound post. The neck has a nice big profile (deep but not too wide) that feels comfortable, very much like my 1950 ES-125. I sanded away some finish in the trussrod cavity to check on the wood and it is definitely a type of mahogany, not maple. I am guessing it's not a one piece neck, but the dark finish doesn't reveal much.
It came with single coils disguised as humbuckers. I replaced all the electronics and the pickups (Gibson Burstbucker #1 and Stewmac Golden Age). Also the rubber grommet around the switch, bridge, knobs and the pickguard are upgrades by me. Tuners are no-name Grover-imitations but work like a charm. For a cheap guitar (I paid $150 used) it plays and sounds really, really well. Of course, the upgrades cost me more than the guitar itself :-). It used to be my main guitar for a couple of years and I gigged a lot with it!
I used to play with a guitarist owning a '69 single PU ES-175 and have played the Condor a lot side by side with his Gibson and also thru the same amp in many occasions and in all honesty, the guitars sounded nearly identical (he did use thinner strings though). I did prefer the feel and playability of the Gibson though, and that had slightly more thunk.
Fun fact: as an experiment I glued in parallel bracings (reaching from neck to bridge) roughly fitted to shape. Big mistake! The guitar suddenly sounded very thin and brittle! So out they came and now it sounds good again.
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Btw, my Condor came with witchhat knobs that were so authentic and vintage looking that I put them on my Gibson ES-333.....
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Looks nice!
Sometimes the more cheaply constructed boxes can have more resonance and character
I think of the 60's Guild Slim Jim I had, cheaply constructed but had a lovely thrumming character not unlike an old Maccaferri
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Not an example of a great guitar, but... I found one and will restore it. I posted the one match I found below.
Cheaply made. Rough state and non-matching parts but did have the Conrad label inside.
I have only found an image of one other by Conrad with same style and will post that picture last.
Oddly, when I search Conrad ES-175 only one other one comes up, but... it's a different style body with a pointed lower horn.
Absolutly no comment on Japanese manufacturing, but I know that they were a smaller company.
The exact style may have varied over time or possibly they tried out different configurations for the ES-175.
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Originally Posted by RavinGuitars
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