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Epiphone ET-290; should I or should I not ?

11K views 22 replies 7 participants last post by  Joshua Caole 
#1 ·
I am thinking of buying an mid 70s MIJ Epiphone ET-290 for $350 at a local pawn shop. Do you guys think it might be worth that or should I try and get it cheeper? Or should I even bother with that model.

Please give me your opinions.

Thanks,
Joe
 
#3 ·
I have a 1976 Epiphone ET-290.
It is one of my favorites and has been for quite a while. Has it been hanging in the shop for a long time or just recently show up?
Is it molested, or appear original?
Just ask them for their best out the door price: you just might be surprised.
I would buy another for that price. In B.C. that isn't much money. Going out to dinner a couple of times costs that much.
Those guitars set up really nice. Two of the neck plate screws under the neck pickup may need to be shortened if you lower the action and adjust the pickups. Mine actually interfered with lowering the neck pickup.
These guitars actually have a nice jazz guitar tone, and can nicely overdrive a tube amp. Add an old school fuzz, compound it with a phaser, vibe, trem, or some other simple mod pedal, and be prepared to smile.
Guitar String instrument Musical instrument Plucked string instruments String instrument
 
#8 ·
I have a 1976 Epiphone ET-290.
It is one of my favorites and has been for quite a while. Has it been hanging in the shop for a long time or just recently show up?
Is it molested, or appear original?
Just ask them for their best out the door price: you just might be surprised.
I would buy another for that price. In B.C. that isn't much money. Going out to dinner a couple of times costs that much.
Those guitars set up really nice. Two of the neck plate screws under the neck pickup may need to be shortened if you lower the action and adjust the pickups. Mine actually interfered with lowering the neck pickup.
These guitars actually have a nice jazz guitar tone, and can nicely overdrive a tube amp. Add an old school fuzz, compound it with a phaser, vibe, trem, or some other simple mod pedal, and be prepared to smile.
View attachment 72049
I think it is a fairly resent arrival, and it is in its original case. It looks to be in good shape aside from the normal aging and a sticker that someone has put on it at some point in time.
I think it might have had the tuners upgraded, as the grovers that are on it are different than any pictures I have seen. I think I will go down there tomorrow and make a deal on it if it is still there.

Thanks for your help,
Joe
 
#4 · (Edited)
<quote>You're actually asking a group of gear addicts if you should buy a guitar? Of course you should buy it. If you're looking for an excuse search for Epiphone Crestwood on Reverb. $350 looks like a very good price.<unquote>

LOL,... Excellent point; what was I thinking; I guess I will go and buy it then, as long as someone else hasn't beat me to it.
It is still good to hear others opinions though :D
 
#12 ·
I own one of these. I can only speculate, that a guitar, that old, that has been through how many hands, needs a little TLC, and personal setup.

If you love Japanese necks from that era, it will not disappoint. These can set up with extremely low action, with the ease and ability to do elastic bends. Find the pickup height for sweet jazz like tone, add pedals and be amazed.

Mine has been put away with many others due to circumstances beyond my control. Once the house is back in order, it will be either back on the play daily rack, or up for sale. Too many guitars, too little time, and I can actually see that it just be time to try and thin down, as guitars keep trickling in. I can’t stop the leak.
 
#16 ·
Just trying to get the photos to work, basically I have lost the saddle on the top e string and the whole bridge is corroding so im wondering if i should just replace the whole thing.

I already have to at least replace the input jack and maybe more electronics. The scratchplate on mine is broken round the pot at the bottom and so am dreading taking that off to do the work.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Corrosion is patina to many. Some knock it off, others leave it alone. I don’t like furry stuff hanging on to the raised flakes, so I knock them off. Do that too much and there is no gold plating left. A tooth brush, hot water, some compressed air and care.

Finding another bridge is possible, but post hole size, spacing likely requires thought. Sometimes there is a name on the underside of the bridge that can possibly help with identification.

Originality is important to many, but finding a saddle piece from something else similar, might be made to work.

Just verify the solder joints are good, no broken wires, spray Deoxit in the pots, work them. I just revived original Fender pots that were under water and had excessive growths of colourful fur on/in them.

It makes me think about how I paid big dollars to luthiers to ‘repair ‘ guitars. And I never got an explanation, or at least a story about what was done. Thank you internet.

I had an original pot in a 1968 Fender that was squeezed out of round. I hand honed it until a input plug fit. So try spray and Scotchbrite in the input hole.
 
#19 ·
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