Solid flametop ??? Don't think so

Tokai Forum

Help Support Tokai Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
A

Anonymous

Guest
Found this on ebay. Seller says it has a solid maple flametop. Asked him what it means...still waitin for the answer.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Orville-by-Gibson-LPS-FM/224250228106?hash=item34365aed8a:g:1-UAAOSwS1pfvtnz

Answer from the seller is that she has a solid flametop as LPS-FM and LPS-QM between 91 - 95 were the only OBGs with solid top except from the plaintops. Didn't knew this.
 
It looks like a veneer to me with its perfect mirror image which should not be there exactly when a flame top is carved from a solid top. Pickup cavity photos are pretty much the only way to prove it conclusively IMO.
 
Looked like a photoflame to me but the seller told me he bought it from Japan where he has connections to find guitars and they told him it is solid. When it came to him they removed the pickups and it was visible that there is no veneer. Confirmed by a luthier as well. Anyway the guitar is sold already to France and gone but maybe we will see it soon on Marks page :wink: Who knows...
 
To my eyes the maple on the top of the 'O by G' in question looks like a veneer top, and I will stay with that assessment.

It has absolutely no attributes of the typical Orville/ObG 'photo-flame' film.

Also, there is substantial separation at the binding, at the upper waist, which is a clear indication of veneer (top) material.

IMO, run away from this example; run away as fast as possible, don't look back, just like The Residents lyrics from 'The Black Behind.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-oGo3Wh9gQ
 
As I said before the guitar is already sold. I would neverbuy it as I do not like the top. Seller says the solid top is guaranteed from a luthier though. I am in contact with him and he seems to be a nice guy. We will talk in the next days about his guitar and maybe he has some pics from the cavity. Maybe the new owner will appear here soon to find out more about the guitar. Who knows. I wish him a solid top for the money he paid :roll:
I see the separation and know what you mean. I am curious what the seller has to say. But if he would have pics from the cavoity they should have been added to his offer in ebay I think.
 
Was hoping she goes to you and we will see pics soon Mark. I asked the seller if he still has pictures but no answer so far. I will keep an eye on his reviews when the new owner will tell if he is happy or not. Guess he will have a look into the cavities.
 
Was hoping she goes to you and we will see pics soon Mark. I asked the seller if he still has pictures but no answer so far. I will keep an eye on his reviews when the new owner will tell if he is happy or not. Guess he will have a look into the cavities.

Update : no pics from the cavity. Sad. Seller says it is definitely a LPS-FM and in the catalogue is written this model comes solid
 
Hilarious. I guess it’s just a weird coincidence that it has the same grain pattern as all of the other photo flames. Pretty distinct pattern between the tone and volume knobs. :lol:
 
villager said:
there were NO Orville by Gibson Photoflames... veneers yes..

Well if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, I’m
calling it a duck. I’ve seen so many of these in the past with the exact same grain pattern.

If you look between the bridge volume and tone knobs you will see a grain pattern where two dark bands come together in a “V” pattern and one band that does not. It’s like a fingerprint. The colors and brilliance may vary, but I have seen this pattern countless times. No way that would recur naturally.

Here’s another example to compare with it. This one an Orville.

https://akiras-mij-guitar.reverbsi...-flame-1996-two-tone-sunburstgig-bag/36629122
 
I looked again. The pattern on this one is similar to photo flame patterns, but when I look very closely it’s different. I stand corrected.

If someone here gets it please post more pictures.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top