Inherited guitar info?

[SouthSIDE Glen]

I just inherited an acoustic guitar from my late brother. It's probably an el cheapo model, but I'd like to find some info on it without spending $10 for a PDF download at BlueBook (the guitar is not the only el cheapo in this room right now ). So far my searches have come up empty for any reliable info. If anybody could tell me anything about this guitar, it'd be much appreciated :

Epiphone PR-600ACS
S/N: 81833
Label is rectanguar tan w/black lettering
Made in Japan

TIA for any and all info .

G.

 

[dave.....]

sorry

sorry about your brother ...........

 

[PhiloBeddoe]

Did a quick search of Ebay completed listings on 'Epiphone PR-600*' and came up with two listings that went for <$200. I believe they ended in "N" instead of "ACS". I don't know what these codes mean.

This is probably of little help, but maybe it gives you an idea.

I find that Ebay is a pretty good barometer of used prices unless the item is an extreme rarity.

 

[danny.guitar]

Do you know what shop your brother bought it from? Or which ones he went to? Maybe you could take it to some of them and ask.

I tried some searching on Google and on Epiphone's website with no luck.

But if it sounds good it is good.

 

[Joepie]

I checked on www.guitardaterproject.org for you. No result, with the following quote:

The Epiphone serial number decoder currently supports 11 serial number formats from 25 factories. Vintage numbers from 1932 to 1970 are now supported. 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.

Futher information in the faq:

In 1969, Norlin Industries bought the Chicago Musical Instrument company (which owned Gibson at the time), which heralded the "Dreaded Norlin Era" at Gibson, in which the quality declined greatly. Epiphone production was contracted to companies in Japan in order to cut costs. The Japanese Epis are good guitars, but they suffered both the "Made in Japan" and "Norlin" stigmas; they've always been under-rated as a result.

Most Epiphones can be dated fairly accurately by their serial numbers. The exception to this is the Japanese-era guitars; the serial numbering doesn't seem to have followed any sequential pattern from year to year, which makes it *very* difficult to date them accurately.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

A reply to all replies so far...

First, thanks for the condolences, Dave. It's been a tough winter, and, as administrator of his estate, it's not over yet. At least I got a guitar out of it... .

Philo: Yeah, I saw somebody selling a used "PR-600" for as low as $50, but that was in not the best condition and also with no suffix code noted. I also have no idea what the "ACS" means, if anything important at all; I have found absolutely zero documentation on the suffexes.

Danny and Joepie: Unfortunately I have no idea where my brother bought the guitar or exactly when, or whether he even bought it new or used. Though sometime between the mid-80s and early 90s fits pretty well with Joepie's first quote if we assume the guitar were made in the 80s.

As far as the sound, in my hands it sounds like a Fisher Price, but in my guitarist's friend's hands it sounds just fine. Not the fullest sound in the world, and nether is it the brightest. But in the right hands it's more than functional. Either way it needs a re-stringing; I don't think it has been re-strung since the last time I restrung it for him after borrowing it from him for a while about 2-3 years ago .

Thanks all for the info!

G.

 

[mshilarious]

When my brother died, all I got was a VHS of Strange Brew!

Which is a pretty sweet film

Sorry dude

 

[Anfontan]

Did a quick search of Ebay completed listings on 'Epiphone PR-600*' and came up with two listings that went for <$200. I believe they ended in "N" instead of "ACS". I don't know what these codes mean.

This is probably of little help, but maybe it gives you an idea.

I find that Ebay is a pretty good barometer of used prices unless the item is an extreme rarity.

I bet the 'N' might be for natural finish-if the Epiphone has a cutaway it might mean 'Acoustic Cutaway Something' maybe....................

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

I bet the 'N' might be for natural finish-if the Epiphone has a cutaway it might mean 'Acoustic Cutaway Something' maybe....................

No cutaway. Standard-looking soundhole. Not a huge dreadnought, more of a classic smaller Martin look to the size and shape. The finish on the face is fairly dark, a taste on the dark reddish side, darkening more towards the edges, rather like a darker, redder version of a two-tone sunburst. I'm not an expert on guitar finish terminology; I'm more of a behind-the-glass kind of guy. So no, I can't ID the wood types either.

I'm fairly sure the git is nothing special, I was just hoping that it might be better documented than it apparently is.

G.

 

[Rokket]

I spent 5 years over there in Japan. If this Epi is anything like the guitars they sell locally, the letters stand for standard acoustic (acoustic standard).

And more than likely, it's a bargain based guitar.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

And more than likely, it's a bargain based guitar.

That sounds about what I figured. My bro was only an aspiring beginning part-time guitar student who probably just wanted a guitar that was more than just a rubber band stretched between two drawer knobs. He didn't really need or want more than that, and probably smartly and rightly so. And I'm sure it'll function as such just as well for me.

I figured maybe ACS stood for A Cheap Shit guitar. .

G.