Proto-reissues by Orville by Gibson

[MIJconvert]

I have a 1992 Orville by Gibson Les Paul Custom with:

all Mahogany body
57 Classics pups
fret-edge binding
ebony fingerboard
6 digit serial number (no letters)

But unlike post 93 OBG LPC 57Bs it does not have:

Amber colour toggle switch
Position indicator under the tone and volume knobs
5 digit serial no.

So, is this an early reissue or is it not a reissue at all.

Please enlighten me!

 

[japanstrat]

The OBG reissues are in the 1993 OBG catalogue and the serial number dates I've seen go from late 1992 to 1995.
The first no letter OBG's that I've seen are from late 1992 and the first no letter Orvilles I've seen are from 1993 and FujiGen makes the no letter serial numbers and Terada makes the ones with a letter.
This FujiGen using no letter and Terada using letters goes right through the Orvilles and Epiphone Japan until the finish in 2007 for example the OBG semis all have a G the Orville semis all have a J the Epi semis all have a J and the last Epi semis all have a T and Terada changed their letter when the OBG's end from G to J and when the Epi Japans model range changes or whatever they change from J to T in other words they changed the letter when they felt like it and eventually ended up with T which they were also using for the Japanese Gretsch's (JT).
All the OBG's from 1988 to late 1992 I've seen have a Terada G letter.
So from the serials it's all Terada until late 1992 when FujiGen enters and seems to first make some of the OBG reissues and then in 1993 FujiGen takes over making most of the Orvilles from the previous Terada K Orvilles (1989-1993).
The reissues have 2 serial number formats, a regular OBG format and a Gibson reissue format and I think the ones with the Gibson reissue format seem to be limited editions.

 

[20 century boy]

interresting! Mine are from Terada then!


On the ?piphone lacquer serie it seems to be all "F" serial.

 

[japanstrat]

Here's a Terada OBG photo

http://img511.imageshack.us/my.php?image=teradaobgwl1.jpg

http://www.gretschguitars.com/terada/images/IMG_4051.jpg

http://www.gretschguitars.com/terada/

 

[japanstrat]

No the F means FujiGen.
To be precise the no letter FujiGen thing goes from late 1992 to when they change to F in the late stages of the Epis.
When Terada changed from a J to a T for the Epis FujiGen changes from a no letter to a F.
I have never heard of two factories using the same letter codes for the same models.
The letter codes stand for something and for the Orvilles and Epis and most Ibanez's and even the Chinese Epis they stand for the factories and if two factories are using the same codes it would be stupid because why have any letter codes at all.
The letter codes are just a factory ID thing for quality control and returns.
If two factories use the same letter codes then they wouldn't stand for anything so why use them and for the Orvilles they are used for a purpose.

 

[MIJconvert]

So, it is a reissue?

I guess they made them before they released the 93 catalogue? Does that make sense?

 

[20 century boy]

No the F means FujiGen.

yes, I mean "my Orville by Gibson are both from Terada" ( G serials) and "my ?piphone lacquer serie both have an F serial ( just like the others I know from that serie)" :wink:

 

[villager]

as far as I am concerned any ObG with fret edge binding and a blank truss cover is a reissue...

 

[The batlord]

as far as I am concerned any ObG with fret edge binding and a blank truss cover is a reissue...

Both of my ObG LPC 57Bs have 'Les Paul Custom' on the truss rod cover.

Both serial #s are X XXXX.

Both have PAT Pending pickups, ebony boards, fret binding, etc.....

 

[villager]

i meant standards ....

 

[The batlord]

Gotcha. My post was more of a question than anything Villager.
I definitely bow to your knowledge on the subject. :wink:

 

[villager]

are you sure they are pat pending PU? cos after 1992 all ObG's had 57 classics as standard..

 

[The batlord]

Sorry, my bad. "Patent Applied For" is what that should have read.

What is the deal with those weird 'circutboard' pickups. I have only ever seen those in ObGs.

 

[villager]

bill lawrence designed ...only made for a year or so...sound pretty good..look wierd...

 

[The batlord]

I see. I have an ObG with them and they do sound OK but the circut look is just weird.

 

[luis]

Some Orvilles by Gibson have 490T pickups as shown in '92 catalogue....
Others have '57 Classics.

 

[japanstrat]

Those circuit board pickups are ''The Original'' by Bill Lawrence HB-R and HB-L.

 

[The batlord]

Call me crazy, but I have been A/Bing these pickups. I have two guitars of the same spec and I actually like the sound of the Bill Lawrence equiped guitar better for heavy rock type riffs.

 

[villager]

yes i quite like them too....I had a set in an OBG SG which sounded great...

 

[The batlord]

Did any of the ObG SGs have fret edge binding? I do not believe I have ever found one that did.