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vintage Epiphone Genesis prototype? (stamped USA on headstock)

Gene

New member
Joined
Aug 28, 2017
Messages
10
I picked up an old Genesis recently. It has been refinished (originally it was wine red), had a neck repair, etc. The pickups were swapped out, but the electronics seem to be original. Oddly, the headstock was covered with leather, perhaps to hide the headstock repair. There's a matching leather pickguard, too. But the strangest thing is the back of the headstock: it is stamped "USA" and has a 7-digit serial number that I cannot verify on any Epiphone serial number website. What's going on here? Is it a prototype? I read an interview with Jim Walker (the designer of the Genesis) in which he said that a few prototypes were made in Kalamazoo, then the blueprints were shipped off to Japan for mass production. Can anyone offer some insight into this mystery? Thanks in advance...Gene

DSCF8396b.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1p3otj69qjovjiy/DSCF8396b.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a13cmrv1qlank07/DSCF8397b.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/43q3nww5muhh1m7/DSCF8398c.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wyfajpyy28d6cys/DSCF8402b.jpg?dl=0
 

gnappi

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Joined
Jan 26, 2019
Messages
17
My original deluxe Genny also has a 7 digit SN, but I never bothered with when it was made because I'm not interested in that, sorry I can't help there.

If it actually is a prototype, it's been hogged up too much to make that of any significance IMO and I can't believe a USA stamp would be so badly done in Kalamazoo.

The differences between yours and mine are:

Mine has no place of manufacture, the SN starts with a "0", (likely 1980) has three hole pup screw adjusters, the pups are covered, it has no PG, trapezoid markers (the "standard" had dots), "GENESIS" on the truss rod cover, the (jointed on) head and front / back of the body is bound (and a burst not all black like remakes), the switch has the poker chip and it weighs 10lb 8 oz.

So if yours is not a clone (which has been done) it may actually be a prototype because all of the production Gennys I know of had the head jointed on.

Regardless of its history if it plays and sounds right enjoy it.

See:

http://epiphonegenesislovers.blogspot.com/p/reviews.html
 
Last edited:

Gene

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Joined
Aug 28, 2017
Messages
10
Thanks for your input. I will restore it to a wine red finish, and just enjoy playing it.


Gene
 

fakejake

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Joined
Sep 3, 2010
Messages
1,274
Interesting guitars, I've never heard of them before.
They remind me of the Yamaha SGs, which are awesome instruments (despite being super heavy).
 

PaulLaRue

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Jul 2, 2003
Messages
268
If the guitars designer said a few prototypes were made here in the USA, I would imagine that is what you have?
Too bad it was refinished and the pick ups missing. Maybe there is some truth that the headstock was jointed like that originally?
Just set it up and have fun with it.
 

Gene

New member
Joined
Aug 28, 2017
Messages
10
If the guitars designer said a few prototypes were made here in the USA, I would imagine that is what you have?
Too bad it was refinished and the pick ups missing. Maybe there is some truth that the headstock was jointed like that originally?
Just set it up and have fun with it.

I've looked at dozens of photos of Genesis guitars, and I've never seen "made in USA" on any of them. My best guess is that it is one of the prototypes. Apparently, the prototypes were made in Kalamazoo with the help of John Montgomery (who also made the first Hamer guitars). Here's a link to that story:

http://epiphonegenesislovers.blogspot.com/2010/03/history.html

Thanks for your response. I'm taking my time on the refinish, but I'm anxious to play it again!
 
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