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Questions about an older Sheraton II Options
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welder7
#1 Posted : Saturday, November 07, 2009 1:14:21 PM
Rank: Newbie


Joined: 11/7/2009
Posts: 1
Hey All, this is my first post to this forum.

Recently I bought an 'as is' Epiphone Sheraton II off of Ebay for $325 shipping included. I've been looking at Sheratons for a while and when I saw this price I figured I should pull the trigger. The guitar itself is in decent shape, it just needs a thorough cleaning and a good setup which I'll be doing tomorrow. Now, the guitar doesn't have a serial number but there is 'sticker residue' on the back of the headstock which leads me to believe that is where the serial number was. I've deduced that this guitar was likely made in the Korean Samick factory in the late 80s or early 90s. Assuming this is true, here are some questions:

1. Does anyone have any experience with the Samick/Epiphone Sheratons? Are they of greater or lesser quality compared to the current Sheratons or are they pretty much the same?

2. I'm not sure what to think of the bridge and saddles - the bridge looks a little bulky and ackward and the saddles just look cheap. I'd like to replace them but the pole pieces look to be a non-standard size. Will I have a hard time finding a replacement bridge for this guitar?

3. Are the pickups pretty much the same as the new ones? Does one era of Sheraton have an advantage over another era in terms of PU and electronics quality?

Any other info on these 'Samick' Sheratons would be helpful - the reason that I'm asking is that I'm still on the fence about keeping it. I had my heart set on a new ebony Sherry and this one is a natural (which is a nice finish as well, just not the finish that sold me on the guitar). This guitar is a little beat up as well and the frets are a little worn. I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to sell this one and use the money for a new one. Thanks in advance for the help!~
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brad
#2 Posted : Saturday, November 07, 2009 1:25:01 PM
Rank: Advanced Member



Joined: 1/23/2008
Posts: 762
Location: N. California
I don't own a Sheraton, so I don't know the answers to most of your questions.
However, I am pretty sure the serial # can be found inside one of the F holes inscribed on a piece of paper. That's where they put them on all the Dots. So I'm assuming that's where you will find your's. But since your's is an older model, I could be completely wrong. Confused
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vomer
#3 Posted : Saturday, November 07, 2009 1:29:48 PM
Rank: Advanced Member



Joined: 2/13/2008
Posts: 182
Location: UK
welder7 wrote:
the bridge looks a little bulky and ackward and the saddles just look cheap. ~


Hi welder7, welcome! That sounds like the Samick. Could you post pics? Replacement bridges are available, someone else here will be able to give you details, as I believe you're right and they aren't a standard size.

Pickup quality has varied with the Sheratons coming out of different factories and different years. I don't know that anyone here has ever tried tracking this! Basicallly, whether you are happy with them is the bottom line. The pups on my 2004 Saein factory model were muddy and screechy, but I know that some folk here have good pups from both before and after then.

Build quality-wise, these Samicks were generally very good. Very tough, good quality wood, well made, with good three piece necks, and good boards and frets. You might want to compare a new one with yours on these criteria and see if the new one matches up. Electrics generally aren't up to much on any year as far as I know. Change the bridge, electrics and pickups if you need to, and you've got a heck of a good guitar for very little $.
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lpdeluxe
#4 Posted : Saturday, November 07, 2009 5:17:06 PM
Rank: Advanced Member



Joined: 6/9/2008
Posts: 354
Location: Deep East Texas
Nothing wrong with Samick instruments: I've owned a few Epis made there, and currently have a Samick arch top. The pickups are notoriously variable, some reporting satisfaction, others less. I changed out the pickups on my Sheraton II, a seriously fiddly job, but well worth it -- the originals were pitiful, with low quality pots.

Enjoy your Sherry.
"Digo: 'paciencia, y barajar.'" -- Don Quijote de la Mancha, Part II, Chapter 23
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TWANG
#5 Posted : Saturday, November 07, 2009 10:19:46 PM
Rank: Advanced Member



Joined: 1/23/2008
Posts: 3,435
Location: minnesota
welder7 wrote:
Hey All, this is my first post to this forum.


WELCOME!

Recently I bought an 'as is' Epiphone Sheraton II off of Ebay for $325 shipping included. I've been looking at Sheratons for a while and when I saw this price I figured I should pull the trigger. The guitar itself is in decent shape, it just needs a thorough cleaning and a good setup which I'll be doing tomorrow. Now, the guitar doesn't have a serial number but there is 'sticker residue' on the back of the headstock which leads me to believe that is where the serial number was. I've deduced that this guitar was likely made in the Korean Samick factory in the late 80s or early 90s. Assuming this is true, here are some questions:

1. Does anyone have any experience with the Samick/Epiphone Sheratons? Are they of greater or lesser quality compared to the current Sheratons or are they pretty much the same?
I have a korean sheri and I tend to think they are better than the current sheris. the look seems better for one thing. though the smaller f holes are a tad problematic when swapping electronics, they just look cleaner.
the finishes, though thick even on the samicks, don't have as much of the plasticy look I've seen on newer models.
Mine is 17 years old now and fret wear is it's only sign of age.


2. I'm not sure what to think of the bridge and saddles - the bridge looks a little bulky and ackward and the saddles just look cheap. I'd like to replace them but the pole pieces look to be a non-standard size. Will I have a hard time finding a replacement bridge for this guitar?
the problem with the sheri bridge is finding a replacement. The samicks were an odd size and don't match man of the metric replacement bridges.
I know how to make them work though. *S*
by pole pieces, in referring to the bridge, I think you mean saddles.
The saddle holes are not the same either!
so simply replacing saddles is also difficult.
What I did was buy a tap so I could tap the new saddles to fit the epi bridge.
But you CAN also replace the bridge itself, and that's what I'd recommend.
I have a bunch of pictures of this in my photobucket, so feel free to pm me if you need any help at all with yours.


3. Are the pickups pretty much the same as the new ones? Does one era of Sheraton have an advantage over another era in terms of PU and electronics quality?
I was not happy with my stock humbuckers.
I moved to several others, including gibson 490 498 and 500T before settling on a pair of p90s.
It's a hard job, and you have to choose parts carefully, like pots, since those f holes wont let full size pass
through on all of these guitars.

Any other info on these 'Samick' Sheratons would be helpful - the reason that I'm asking is that I'm still on the fence about keeping it. I had my heart set on a new ebony Sherry and this one is a natural (which is a nice finish as well, just not the finish that sold me on the guitar). This guitar is a little beat up as well and the frets are a little worn. I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to sell this one and use the money for a new one. Thanks in advance for the help!~

I resent that since mine is a natural!
I have done the following.
Grover gold imperial tuners.
New nut.
fretwork. *I build guitars so I do all my own work*
new pickups.
new mounting rings.
new bridge.
new pickguard.
new truss rod cover.
new pots and all electronics.
dunlop straplocks. I really recommend straplocks to all sheri owners.

I think 17 years of owning it tells you what I think about keeping it.

If you've never done the upgrade yourself before, be aware that it can be tricky on a sheri
and spendy if you get the wrong guy to do it.
But worth it. I think so.
TWANG


TWANG
Epiphone Sheraton II, My Blondy.
Epiphone Les Paul Studio.
Epiphone Dot Studio.
Epiphone Valve Junior. all modified
Epiphone Dove Acoustic.

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epicac
#6 Posted : Sunday, November 08, 2009 7:01:01 PM
Rank: Newbie



Joined: 10/17/2009
Posts: 4
Location: usa
Samick Sheriton II owners:

Heads up and hear this:

The samick bridge is not a common fit.

I wasted a lot of money on bridges that almost fit.

there is a PERFECT fit available from wd music in both chrome and gold. i went all chrome. Here it is:

TUNEOMATIC BRIDGE CHROME Item #: GE103DC
TuneOmatic Bridge fits Epiphone Sheraton Chrome
Price: $25.00

www.wdmusic.com


And yes they are wonderful guitars. everybody seems to change them to suit their tastes, but they are loved by their owners.

i'm using duncan phat cats, but there are many fine options for pickups on these.

epicac
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TWANG
#7 Posted : Sunday, November 08, 2009 9:22:04 PM
Rank: Advanced Member



Joined: 1/23/2008
Posts: 3,435
Location: minnesota
last I knew wd was out of those.
there are bridges that are not that model that will fit.
I've put them on my own samick sheraton.
But.. they don't always. It has partly to do with the fact that the Samick sheris had their bushing put in at different tensions.
I have pics on my photobucket proving some will fit.

Beyond that, pulling the bushings redrilling ever so slightly.. just the edge inside and redowelling and drilling will also let you use any current standard
epi bridge.
I just did that on an Agile when I swapped it from a Wilkinson to a Schaller wrap around bridge.
In that case the opposite was true.. the Schaller bushings were two pieces of paper smaller.. talk about a careful job!

In the case of a samick sheri you can see the bushings have serrated edges. to grip the wood when inserted.. If you sand those smooth inside the hole.. and then very mildly renotch.. you wont even come up to the finish.. you have to reround them.. put a little more wood in the inside part of the hole.. and a standard epi bridge will go right in, no sweat.

tWANG


TWANG
Epiphone Sheraton II, My Blondy.
Epiphone Les Paul Studio.
Epiphone Dot Studio.
Epiphone Valve Junior. all modified
Epiphone Dove Acoustic.

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AS90
#8 Posted : Monday, November 09, 2009 1:16:05 AM
Rank: Advanced Member



Joined: 1/24/2008
Posts: 446
Location: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Late 80s/early 90s Samick made guitars are excellent!



________________________________

Epiphone Elitist Sheraton
Epiphone G400
J&D Bros Les Paul Standard
Squier Stratocaster
SX STL50 Telecaster

Tanglewood 'Seagull'

Harley Benton GA5H
Marshall VS102R
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valriver40
#9 Posted : Monday, November 09, 2009 7:50:11 AM
Rank: Advanced Member




Joined: 7/9/2008
Posts: 41
Location: wpg.mb.
i recentley bought on ebay a 1992 sheraton guitar in sunburst. the color in excellent! i changed out the tuners, pots. jack, and all the wiring. the pup's sound okay. i will in the future change (upgrade) them. the frets showed no signs of wear. so after a good cleaning and polishing the guitar looks new. i would post pics if i knew how.
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AS90
#10 Posted : Monday, November 09, 2009 8:05:42 AM
Rank: Advanced Member



Joined: 1/24/2008
Posts: 446
Location: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
valriver40 wrote:
i recentley bought on ebay a 1992 sheraton guitar in sunburst. the color in excellent! i changed out the tuners, pots. jack, and all the wiring. the pup's sound okay. i will in the future change (upgrade) them. the frets showed no signs of wear. so after a good cleaning and polishing the guitar looks new. i would post pics if i knew how.


Upload your pics to photobucket.com then copy and paste the IMG code in your reply.



________________________________

Epiphone Elitist Sheraton
Epiphone G400
J&D Bros Les Paul Standard
Squier Stratocaster
SX STL50 Telecaster

Tanglewood 'Seagull'

Harley Benton GA5H
Marshall VS102R
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paulp_sheraton2
#11 Posted : Monday, November 09, 2009 10:47:04 AM
Rank: Advanced Member



Joined: 1/30/2008
Posts: 193
Location: Newburgh, NY
welder7 wrote:
Hey All, this is my first post to this forum.

Recently I bought an 'as is' Epiphone Sheraton II off of Ebay for $325 shipping included. I've been looking at Sheratons for a while and when I saw this price I figured I should pull the trigger. The guitar itself is in decent shape, it just needs a thorough cleaning and a good setup which I'll be doing tomorrow. Now, the guitar doesn't have a serial number but there is 'sticker residue' on the back of the headstock which leads me to believe that is where the serial number was. I've deduced that this guitar was likely made in the Korean Samick factory in the late 80s or early 90s. Assuming this is true, here are some questions:

1. Does anyone have any experience with the Samick/Epiphone Sheratons? Are they of greater or lesser quality compared to the current Sheratons or are they pretty much the same?

2. I'm not sure what to think of the bridge and saddles - the bridge looks a little bulky and ackward and the saddles just look cheap. I'd like to replace them but the pole pieces look to be a non-standard size. Will I have a hard time finding a replacement bridge for this guitar?

3. Are the pickups pretty much the same as the new ones? Does one era of Sheraton have an advantage over another era in terms of PU and electronics quality?

Any other info on these 'Samick' Sheratons would be helpful - the reason that I'm asking is that I'm still on the fence about keeping it. I had my heart set on a new ebony Sherry and this one is a natural (which is a nice finish as well, just not the finish that sold me on the guitar). This guitar is a little beat up as well and the frets are a little worn. I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to sell this one and use the money for a new one. Thanks in advance for the help!~


Welder7, firsthand; welcome to the forum. I'm sure you'll find it very informative and helpful. There are some great
people on here.

Before I answer any of the first three questions, my first question is that if you had your heart set on an Ebony Sheraton, why didn't you look for one of those? The NA one you got used off E-bay, although cheaper in price than
a new one, by the time you fix it will wind up costing you more than a new one between what you paid for it and
what you'd have to sink into it. You'll probably lose money trying to sell the one you got off E-bay now and will
still have less money from that to put toward a new Ebony Sheraton had you done that initially.

1. I don't have a Samick Sheraton: mine was made in Korea at the Saien factory in 2005, but I'm very happy with
it. The quality is pretty great in stock form.

2. I did change the bridge on mine though. On the stock one the saddles had the capability of moving if the
retaining wire got loose and that always screwed up the intonation. I got a TonePros II. While I was at that
I got some Grover Locking Rotomatic tuners from our forum buddy "Twang". The fixed that problem. The only
other thing I modded were the Volume and Tone dials. I got ones with numbers you can actually see (I hate
those amber on amber ones) and put pointers on so I could see exactly where I'm dialed to while playing instead
of guessing or overcompensating.

3. I never had a problem with the stock pickups on mine, although a lot of the other guys on the forum did
swap out theirs. The pickups can vary from guitar to guitar, just like same model guitars aren't all exactly the
same, and that's why many recommend when you're buying to do a "hands-on", if at all possible, as opposed to
sight unseen. Pickup sound can also be affected by the amp you're using. I noticed a huge difference in
the sound of my Epiphone guitars (Sheraton II and Les Paul Standard) when I switch from a Fender solid-state
amp to a VOX AC30CC2 tube amplifier. So check out all the variables before you go sinking a lot of extra money
into your guitar. You might not be any better off or happier.

Paul_P

Epiphone Sheraton II (NA); Aug. 2005 Saien, Korea; I Serial#
w/ Grover Rotomatic Locking Tuners and TonePros II Bridge/Saddle
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plain-Top (VS); Oct. 2007 QingDao, China; EE Serial#
Epiphone PR5-E Acoustic/Electric (EB) w/ Esonic pickup; Jan. 2009 Sangwoo, China
Martin D-35 Dreadnought Acoustic; 1983 150th Anniversary
Hernandis Classical; Spain, February 1974
Emmons (handmade) 12-strings Dreadnought Acoustic; 2000
VOX AC30CC2 Amplifier
Dunlop CryBaby Wah-wah
Boss Fuzz FZ-5
Boss Distortion DS-1
Boss Super Chorus CH-1
Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster
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