Foto Flame Orville, LOL.........

[MIJvintage]

Do you mean this one http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=52952&sid=03f325223f2d8e4f9b8e2be231d4b4d5

it's similar to

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170186114984&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=007

I don't think the Epiphone Japan LPS-90FT is a real maple veneer/laminate top, not for 90,000 Yen. The price is only 10,000 Yen more than the Orville foto flames which were 80,000 Yen.
Some foto flames are really obvious like the Orville LPS-80F and some foto flames aren't that obvious, I think the Orville LPS-80QF is not as obvious a foto flame as the Orville LPS-80F.

The Orville foto flames were LPS-80F, LPS-80QF F=flame, QF-quilt flame?

Looks like they increased the price by 10,000 Yen for the Epiphone LPS-90FT FT=flame tiger? flame top?

Yes, that is the Epi LPS-90FT that I am refering to, and a very nice example it is; 2 piece center seam & matched body back.
One of the most resonant Lesters I have ever played; more resonant than the 1981 Love Rock LS-120 I owned, with a 1 piece body.

One thing that is for sure concerning the foto flame examples is, the flame does not 'run out'. What I mean is that every foto flame example that I have seen is completely covered in fake flame pattern, with no areas missing the flame pattern.
Foto flame patterns are basically just too perfect looking, as far as having 100% complete flame coverage.

You can see how the flame pattern on the below Epi LPS-90FT example 'runs out' or is void of flame pattern, toward both of the larger bout edges.
Again, I have never seen a foto flame example have this type of flame pattern run out.

As far as the 10,000 yen price difference, that would be roughly $95 US dollars at current X rates, and I think that's actually pretty pricey for a thin veneer of maple.

Another interesting item; I can't really see a company putting some cheesy foto flame film on an example with such a perfectly matched 2 piece mahogany body.
Doesn't quite add up...................

 

[japanstrat]

Yes it might be a genuine flame/quilt top veneer/laminate. It's too hard to tell unless I had the guitar with me. Sometimes the veneer can be seen from the pickup cavities.
There are simple and obvious foto flames and then there are also other foto flames that look like the real deal so it's hard to be sure without looking at the actual guitar.
I don't know if the Epiphone Japan line had a general price hike after 1998 when the Orvilles ended but it wouldn't surprise me if they did.

 

[gassyndrome]

I had a photo flamed Orville. Long neck tenon, cool dings all over it, great neck - It sounded FREAKIN HUGE and I stupidly sold it.

 

[tezza-j]

The Orville foto-flames were all made by FujiGen (no G or J letter in the serials) starting in 1993 (1993/1994 is when they first appear in OBG catalogs and the earliest serials I've seen are 1993) and probably going up till 1998. The model name was LPS-80F and sold for 80,000 yen.
IMO foto-flames have a false sort of look like fake breast enlargements.

I've got some real breast enlargements as opposed to fake. 20 pints a week does the trick. Try pouring some Beck's on the foto-flame and see if it changes......