Another 175 copy on ebay

[garybaldy]

Don't know why I'm still looking at copies.
This one is by Antoria. Apparently it has a sound post.
Antoria 2355 ES 175 Copy Pre-1975 Very Good Condition, Sunburst with HSC. | eBay

[Mick-7]

I have a 70's Japanese ES-175 made by Matsumoku which is as good as the Gibsons of that period, except for the pickups. Mine has the Cortez label on it, I've had it for over 20 years. The eBay listing price for the Antoria seems inflated, but I don't know what these guitars are going for these days.

I am not familiar with the Antoria label. I'd want to know when they started and stopped making the ES-175 copies, reason being the Japanese factories did not put serial numbers on the guitars so you cannot identify their manufacturing date.

[icr]

Don't know why I'm still looking at copies.
This one is by Antoria. Apparently it has a sound post.
Antoria 2355 ES 175 Copy Pre-1975 Very Good Condition, Sunburst with HSC. | eBay

That one looks really nice.

I think there are a number of people here that have both real ES-175 and Japanese copies. I have both and have each setup a little different. Round wound thin set on one and flat wound thicker set on the other.

[garybaldy]

I have a 70's Japanese ES-175 made by Matsumoku which is as good as the Gibsons of that period, except for the pickups. Mine has the Cortez label on it, I've had it for over 20 years. The eBay listing price for the Antoria seems inflated, but I don't know what these guitars are going for these days.

I am not familiar with the Antoria label. I'd want to know when they started and stopped making the ES-175 copies, reason being the Japanese factories did not put serial numbers on the guitars so you cannot identify their manufacturing date.

That's a very nice example. Mine has the name Sakura on headstock. It's a little tatty. It has a soundpost like the Antoria. It's slightly less deep that my '63 and a tad smaller on the lower bout. The pickups aren't good Japanese pickups. They only have one coil in each! Low output and a little microphonic but not a bad sound.
I may get round to putting in a t top that I've had lying round for many years. Here's a pic of it with the real deal.

[Mick-7]

Mine has the name Sakura on headstock ... The pickups aren't good Japanese pickups. They only have one coil in each! Low output and a little microphonic but not a bad sound.

Yes, I've heard they put a few different names on them, not sure why. Does your guitar have any ID on it?

My guitar is a spitting image of the one in the Youtube video, it's a good copy of a Gibson ES-175 but not of it's pick-ups. After 20+ years I finally took it to my local guitar tech guy to have a Seymour Duncan Antiquity neck pickup put in it (I bought the pickup years ago too). It's in the shop now. I'll see if I want to change the bridge pickup too, probably not.

[garybaldy]

Yes, I've heard they put a few different names on them, not sure why. Does your guitar have any ID on it?

My guitar is a spitting image of the one in the Youtube video, it's a good copy of a Gibson ES-175 but not of it's pick-ups. After 20+ years I finally took it to my local guitar tech guy to have a Seymour Duncan Antiquity neck pickup put in it (I bought the pickup years ago too). It's in the shop now. I'll see if I want to change the bridge pickup too, probably not.

No ID on mine other than the name on the headstock.
I have great plans to improve some of my guitars but never seem to get round to doing it!

[garybaldy]

There is this one as well.
1980s Chaser Japan ES 'Lawsuit' Jazz Guitar - Sunburst with Original Hard Case | eBay

[Mick-7]

Well, I would not have bought the Cortez guitar, as relatively cheap as it was, if I could not research it and verify that it was indeed made in Japan by a well-known manufacturer.

A Brief History of Made in Japan guitars:

[Banksia]

This is an unusual MIJ, possibly from around 1970. It's a Honey. IIRC, Honey guitars were made at the old Teisco factory after Kawai bought the Teisco brand but not the factory. Some others from that factory include Idol and Firstman.

An interesting comment from the seller, via Google translate: "You may have fallen off the top. (I don't know because I have never seen a new product)"

[Banksia]

Perhaps he means financially. You may have fallen of the top of your financial capacity so why not buy this Honey for $US292?

[Little Jay]

From what I’ve seen there are (at least) two types of Japanese ES-175 copies: the more true copies (construction-wise): kerfed lining inside, parallel bracing. And somewhat cheaper (constructions wise) copies with back and top glued directly to the sides, no kerfed lining, and without parallel bracing but with a sound post under the bridge. The first category usually has a maple neck (probably because they copied the 70ies ES-175). The latter have mahogany necks.

I have one branded Condor of the latter category. Inspite of the different body construction it sounds remarkably good and very much like a true ES-175. But I had to change the pickups for that, the “humbuckers” it came with were single coils disguised as a humbucker! (Switch grommet, rosewood bridge and pickguard are also additions or replacements by me.)

[garybaldy]

Here is a Jedson.
Jedson Es175 Style Archtop Hollow Body Electric Guitar, Made in Japan 1970s | eBay
My ex has a lovely Jedsen ' Martin dreadnought copy' from the early 70s.
I was supposedly going to get it in the settlement - I would have the guitars (there were 3 or 4) and she, the piano and flute but the Jedson slipped through the net!

[icr]

I see the picture of my Ibanez above is out of date. I recently restored the Ibanez back to its original form just as if it were a valuable Gibson.

[lawson-stone]

Yes, I've heard they put a few different names on them, not sure why. Does your guitar have any ID on it?

My guitar is a spitting image of the one in the Youtube video, it's a good copy of a Gibson ES-175 but not of it's pick-ups. After 20+ years I finally took it to my local guitar tech guy to have a Seymour Duncan Antiquity neck pickup put in it (I bought the pickup years ago too). It's in the shop now. I'll see if I want to change the bridge pickup too, probably not.

The different names relate to the distributors. Matsumoku did to sell their own name-brand, but manufactured instruments for other companies, making certain modifications to suit each re-seller's needs. So you had about a half-dozen companies all selling ES175 and L5ces copies made by Matsumoku, but under different names like Burny, Cortez, Aria Pro II, etc.

[Mick-7]

Here is a Jedson.

Jeez, you guys are making me dizzy! (but not in a gillespie way). Cortez, Corona, Chaser, Honey, Jedson, Sakura ... let's call the whole thing off!