1983 Epiphone Emperor F

[jcole]

Hi all, this is my first post here -- found you all via Google. I am selling a 1983 Epiphone Emperor F in tabacco burst. It is in great condition and plays well, and includes a hardshell Gibson case. Ideally it would be a local pickup (I'm in the Boston area).

Happy to work with you to figure out what it is worth. Complete transparency: the seller (Mr. Music - Allston, MA) had it marked as a 1993 made in Korea, but someone on craigslist pointed out to me that it is in fact a 1983 made in Japan at the Matsumoku factory.

Any questions, please let me know!

thanks,
Jeff

[Mick-7]

Happy to work with you to figure out what it is worth. Complete transparency: the seller (Mr. Music - Allston, MA) had it marked as a 1993 made in Korea, but someone on craigslist pointed out to me that it is in fact a 1983 made in Japan at the Matsumoku factory.

I would not take an anonymous Craigslist poster's word over that of the seller....

Guitar Info: Your guitar was made in Korea on February, 1993. Production Number: 2954

From: The Guitar Dater Project - Epiphone Serial Number Decoder

[jcole]

Hi, thanks for the feedback. I also went to that decoder site first trying to research this. If you read their disclaimer, they don't support serial numbers from the 80's. The year code just says "3". There is no indication from the serial number whether that is 1993 or 1983.

Disclaimer: "serial numbers from 70' and 80's era Epiphone guitars made in Japan are not supported. The reason for this is that there is no reliable documentation from this time period. This Module has been updated to work with the newer serial number formats."

Also, I would be careful giving Mr. Music too much benefit of the doubt in accurately identifying every guitar that comes in to be sold used to them. They likely looked at the same site we mentioned here.

[Mick-7]

You may be right because the Guitar Dater Project website says this guitar is also Korean:

1980's Epiphone Emperor (F) Archtop (Pre-owned) – Mak's Guitars

However, all the Japanese made Emperors I've seen have a different pickguard than yours, with the trident shaped E Logo on it and on the truss rod cover (like the guitar pictured on the page above), and yours does not.

P.S. - I take that back, looks like the 1980-84 Japanese models have the plain black pickguard/truss rod cover like yours:

1982 Epiphone Emperor Full Body Promotional Card >> Vintage Guitar and Bass

https://www.creamcitymusic.com/rare-...itar-sunburst/

[hotpepper01]

The guitar in the OP's post is a 80s Matsumoku Emperor F with a replaced pickguard and probably also a replaced TRC.
Many years ago I used to own one (on the righthand side in the pic) and at one point in time, a sister came over to pay my guitar a visit. The pickguard and the TRC's were prone to warping. Many were replaced.

[oldian]

Hello



This model, was made in Japan, Matsumoku.

I have one of 1983, and, as everyone can check, this instrument don´t have nothing to be compared with the Epi Emperor made in Korea,

[tomvwash]

Hello



This model, was made in Japan, Matsumoku.

I have one of 1983, and, as everyone can check, this instrument don´t have nothing to be compared with the Epi Emperor made in Korea,

Price?

[jcole]

I'm open to offers -- want to price it fairly.

Thanks!
Jeff

Price?

[jcole]

BTW, Reverb shows theses as selling $2000 - $2500, but I would be willing to go much less -- maybe $1500?

Just a moment...

[Cardo]

I also own one of these. And would say is most likely 1980's Japan.
The label is a giveaway, my understanding from what I've read is that these labels were not used in Korean production.
And I seem to remember that the Samick factory didn't make them with ebony fingerboards either.

[HonoHonu]

Hi, Jeff -

The Emperor F is a wonderful guitar. It's a good thing I'm in the UK, where I'd have to pay HMRC (like IRS with a Scots accent) 20% VAT + 3.2% duty. I've had three of these over the years - one tobacco burst like yours, one natural blonde, and one tobacco burst thinline (Emperor T) with a center block. They're beautiful guitars, IDK why I keep selling them... Oh, right, they're big guitars and I'm not a big person.

Yours is definitely by Matsumoku. I researched the hell out of them when I had mine. The E on the pickguard and the truss rod cover that someone else mentioned first appeared on ones made by Terada starting in the late '80s, and they had orange oval labels. If you pop the pickup covers, you'll find Maxon MMK-75 pickups, if they're the originals.

Sorry I can't buy it! But whoever does will love it.