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Q: What Year is this ES 225 TDN ?

ccZaphod

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Jun 13, 2016
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Thanks in advance -- I've seen mostly the wrap-around tailpieces on 50's ES 225's and only a few with this tail piece. Was this an optional order, or only used for a short time? Can I get some help identifying the year of this guitar?

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ccZaphod

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Jun 13, 2016
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Give us the FON and you should get an immediate answer. :)

If it had been that easy, I wouldn't be asking here :-D

There's no sign of a serial number on the headstock, sticker inside the F-hole or stamp on the interior either. This model doesn't have a control access, or I would have checked pot-codes already. I'm afraid to mess with the pots due to limited access, but maybe it's time to figure out how it's done on the hollow body slim style and get a pot code. In a guitar this old, there's no guarantee that the pots are original though, so that's a hit or miss strategy.

I guess I could have said all that up front, but where's the fun in that!

Well, it looks like I'll have to wait for the FON -- some googling told me I'll need a mirror to look for it and my illuminated inspection mirror is too large to fit! Now to order a small mirror and hope I can get some light in there too! Thanks to Amazon-Prime, I'll know very soon.
 
Last edited:

Don

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Dec 1, 2001
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5,732
I doubt that's the original bridge and tailpiece so you can't go by them, though some later '59 225s had a separate bridge and tailpiece.

The FON on my '59 is kinda hard to see. It's way up in the treble side F-hole, almost under the pick guard.
 

mdubya

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Mar 31, 2010
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Really cool 225! And those are very tasteful, reversible modifications. I would be tempted to have a lightning bolt rosewood or ebony bridge carved for it. :hmm

:yah
 

Wilko

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If that bridge/tail is original it's likely 1959. Being a two-pickup model '58 or '59.
 

Tom Wittrock

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Aug 2, 2001
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If it had been that easy, I wouldn't be asking here :-D

There's no sign of a serial number on the headstock, sticker inside the F-hole or stamp on the interior either.

FON stamps are often away from the f-hole, and are likely applied before the top is put on.
You have to look for it. :ganz
 

latestarter

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Nov 9, 2009
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4,173
FON stamps are often away from the f-hole, and are likely applied before the top is put on.
You have to look for it. :ganz

I did not know this...always assumed my '60 didn't have one. Now I can go looking for it!
 

Tom Wittrock

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Aug 2, 2001
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42,567
I did not know this...always assumed my '60 didn't have one. Now I can go looking for it!

They are usually close enough to the f-hole to see [flashlight helps], but often overlooked since they aren't directly under it most of the time. :)
 

ccZaphod

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Jun 13, 2016
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They are usually close enough to the f-hole to see [flashlight helps], but often overlooked since they aren't directly under it most of the time. :)


Well, I got in there with an iPhone light and a mirror and couldn't find any sign of the FON. I don't relish trying to gently clean 60 years of dust off the inside through the pickup holes, but that might be the only way to find it. I was unable to read the pot codes either. I'm going to have to clean off my workbench enough to get it under my magnifying glass with the light and mirror to try to pull those.

I did get some a couple of pictures of the wiring though.

Picture question -- is there a way to resize these from the Forum UI, or do I need to shrink them before I put them online?

38294552_10156851550837240_3800591692369756160_o.jpg


38521116_10156851551167240_4838742707230736384_o.jpg
 
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