Need Your Input on this ObG 335

Tokai Forum

Help Support Tokai Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

BNR

Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Hi folks this is my first posting on this forum. I have been reading the many post and found valuable insight and information.

I am looking for a MIJ 335 copy. Came across a ObG 335 on e-bay. Be patient it takes awhile to load the 80+ pictures.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Orville-By-Gibson-ES335-Top-Model-CLEAN-ES-335-470_W0QQitemZ180321714568QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item180321714568&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Can you share with me your thoughts if this is a worthy guitar? I am not looking for a vintage score, but a good sounding, proven, well made 335. I read so much about the great 335 copies that came (or comes) from Japan and the ObG are highly praised. Yes, so are the Tokais and Grecos from what I read.

I noticed a few minor items such as the pitting hardware, separation in the laminate over the headstock, and the strap pins. But the overall guitar looks in descent shape. Frets look to have still long useful life and the neck looks straight. My concerns are the pitting of the hardware. The bridge and saddle look to be chrome plated. Are these originals? I thought they came with nickel plated hardware. Also the slight separation of the strap pin on the side looks a bit wider in the gap then it should be.

Any thoughts?

Thank you
 
OBG reissues are top flight guitars, the guitar looks in excellent shape, and the price is really good too, you wouldn't lose money if you came to re-sell.

I thought OBG's had nickel HW too, but could well be mistaken, not a big issue IMO though either way.
 
Hey JohnA:

"OBG reissues are top flight guitars.."

Is this a typo about the reissue? Was there a reissue of a ObG?
 
BNR said:
Hey JohnA:

"OBG reissues are top flight guitars.."

Is this a typo about the reissue? Was there a reissue of a ObG?

Orville By Gibson are top flight compared to the standard Orville brand. OBG has US electronics - Orville uses Japanese.

Reissue is the simple term of the word - meaning a reissue of a Gibson USA ES335. There is no reissue of an OBG
 
Thanks Marcus


Any other inputs, opinions, etc. on this guitar?
 
just a few observations ........

AFA any of the issue you are concerned about, the delam of the head stock face veneer is very curious to me; never seen this & I wonder what the cause is.

No hard case, just a gig bag......

weighs 8.6 lb.

IMO, if you're set on an OBG 335 I would pass on this one, and seek one without some of the small issue, that taken as a whole add up.

I have seen these with OHSC, in better shape, and with a lighter weight, and selling for less:)
 
MIJvintage:

Thanks for the input.

I looked up on the web, but couldn't find what the abbreviation AFA meant. Please clarify.

I tend to agree with what you wrote. I am very curious as to why the veneer was separating. Aslo the significant pitting on the HW. I am wondering if this is the original HW because I thought these came stock with nickel plated HW, but not 100% sure on that. And that small but obvious gap next to the strap pin along the side seam.

The plus about this guitar is the seller. First off I don't come across too often a ObG 335. Some of the ones I seen (or saw) were on the web. The ones on the web post anywhere from 3 to 6 photos. This seller is willing and able to post 80+ photos, which at least tells me he is doing the full disclosure. I saw on E-bay about a few weeks back a purchase for about $1,100 (or slightly less IIRC). It looked okay but only a handful of photos.
 
BNR said:
MIJvintage:

Thanks for the input.

I looked up on the web, but couldn't find what the abbreviation AFA meant. Please clarify.

Let me guess on that one.....it's probably a text message type of abbreviation for "As Far As" - a variant of AFAIK (as far as I'm concerned)

I've already popped off how much I hate those - due in large part because there seems to be a new one every day and I'm expected to know them. I don't reply to cell texts if I can't understand them and I'm not going to bother to learn all the new hip abbreviations.

Sorry for my curmudgeonly reply :evil:
 
BNR said:
MIJvintage:

Thanks for the input.

I looked up on the web, but couldn't find what the abbreviation AFA meant. Please clarify.

I tend to agree with what you wrote. I am very curious as to why the veneer was separating. Aslo the significant pitting on the HW. I am wondering if this is the original HW because I thought these came stock with nickel plated HW, but not 100% sure on that. And that small but obvious gap next to the strap pin along the side seam.

The plus about this guitar is the seller. First off I don't come across too often a ObG 335. Some of the ones I seen (or saw) were on the web. The ones on the web post anywhere from 3 to 6 photos. This seller is willing and able to post 80+ photos, which at least tells me he is doing the full disclosure. I saw on E-bay about a few weeks back a purchase for about $1,100 (or slightly less IIRC). It looked okay but only a handful of photos.


Marcus has it right; AFA = as far as.
AFA texting, never done it & probably never will.
IMO, acronyms were pretty much bastardize by the 'texting generation' ...........


AFA the guitar, I can only guess as to why the head stock face veneer is coming of; maybe it took a hard hit at the very end of the head stock, on the top edge?

For my taste, the HW wouldn't be an issue, as I prefer it aged looking.

The seam at the body end is likely no big deal.

Jim P does list a ton of photos; I'll give him that, and he's also very quick to reply to any & all questions.
 
BNR said:
Hi folks this is my first posting on this forum. I have been reading the many post and found valuable insight and information.

I am looking for a MIJ 335 copy. Came across a ObG 335 on e-bay. Be patient it takes awhile to load the 80+ pictures.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Orville-By-Gibson-ES335-Top-Model-CLEAN-ES-335-470_W0QQitemZ180321714568QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item180321714568&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Can you share with me your thoughts if this is a worthy guitar? I am not looking for a vintage score, but a good sounding, proven, well made 335. I read so much about the great 335 copies that came (or comes) from Japan and the ObG are highly praised. Yes, so are the Tokais and Grecos from what I read.

I noticed a few minor items such as the pitting hardware, separation in the laminate over the headstock, and the strap pins. But the overall guitar looks in descent shape. Frets look to have still long useful life and the neck looks straight. My concerns are the pitting of the hardware. The bridge and saddle look to be chrome plated. Are these originals? I thought they came with nickel plated hardware. Also the slight separation of the strap pin on the side looks a bit wider in the gap then it should be.

Any thoughts?

Thank you
Hi, I'm not sure if I replied to you on that other forum or not but I've got three OBG ES-335s and a few other OBGs as well.....

02%20obg%20es335.jpg


05%20obg%20es335.jpg


09%20obg%20es335.jpg


06%20obg%20es335.jpg


04%20obg%20es335.jpg


I'm pretty sure the hardware is nickel on all of them.
The cherry's an '88, the natural's a '91 and the sunburst is a '94 and a reissue with the fret-edge binding, fat neck and deluxe tuners.
They are all very well-made, excellent playing and sounding guitars--very similar to the ones that Gibson was making in the early 60's.

I've never seen the headstock veneer coming loose like that on any of mine. Otherwise that one looks pretty nice.
 
Can anyone give me their advice on this ObG 335? This is a different guitar from the original posting. Overall it looks pretty good and no reserve price. I am not familiar with this seller.

Thanks

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260355582710&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123
 
All i can tell you is that it is a 1989 Terada made G Orville by Gibson MIJ 335.
I have never used the circuit board pickups before but i'm sure someone else will fill in the gaps....

Mick
 
Thanks lead........

Anyone else with input on this 335? Much appreciated.
 
All of the Semi Acoustic and Acoustic Orville by Gibsons and Orvilles were made only by the Terada guitar factory.
Terada have also made most of the Japanese Gretsch Semi Acoustics from the late 80s and most Gretsch players think they are very good guitars.

Terada specialize in making Semi Acoustic and Acoustic guitars and are very highly regarded by most people.
 
Thanks japanstrat.

Do any of you have any input on the circuit board pickups? I never heard of this type of pickup before, and I am wondering what are your thoughts of this pickup.

So I know that this guitar was made in the Terrada factory, but do you see anything good or bad about this specific guitar for sale? He claims to be a 1988 model, but the sticker and serial number punched on the back of the headstock indicate 1989 model.

Anyone familiar with this seller?

Reposting link to avoid confusion with the very first link.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Orville-by-Gibson-1988-ES-335_W0QQitemZ260355582710QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item260355582710&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Thanks for your time.
 
I think the circuit board pickups are Bill Lawrence HB-R/HB-L pickups that Gibson were using at the time. They are only on the OBG's and not the Orvilles.

If the serial says 1989 then it's 1989 and this one is 1989. The serial is in the first OBG format that changed in 1989. The first format is GYYXXXX and the second format is GYMMXXX. Y or YY = year, M = month, X = production number. The first format has no month info. The G letter = Terada factory code.


I can't really judge guitars for a buyer, there are just too many variables.
 
japanstrat said:
All of the Semi Acoustic and Acoustic Orville by Gibsons and Orvilles were made only by the Terada guitar factory.
Terada have also made most of the Japanese Gretsch Semi Acoustics from the late 80s and most Gretsch players think they are very good guitars.

Terada specialize in making Semi Acoustic and Acoustic guitars and are very highly regarded by most people.

are you 100% sure of that? what about the 1993/94 OBG's with fret binding? were they terada also?
 
BNR said:
Thanks lead........

Anyone else with input on this 335? Much appreciated.

Looks pretty nice. I'd get it if I needed another one. You wouldn't be unhappy with it, that's for sure.

On the other forum you expressed some confusion about the meaning of some the terms being bandied about here, like OBG "Reissue" and "long tenon", so I thought I'd post the same info here in case anyone else was wondering about that as well.....

Here's a very 'quick and dirty' answer to some of your questions:

This a look under the under the neck pickup of my Sunburst OBG ES-335.

MVC-009X.JPG


The tenon of the neck extends all the way into that pickup cavity. 99% of all OBG LPs, SGs and ES's have the long tenon neck that looks the same.

MVC-001X.jpg


(this is a 'standard' with the long tenon but no fret edge binding)
MVC-008X.jpg


OBGs were only made from '88 to '95 and the "reissues" were mostly made in '93 and '94--there are a few examples 92's and 95's with the "reissue" details which mainly consist of more yellowed (like 'aged') body binding, binding on the edges of the frets (which you can see in the pic), a slightly chunkier neck, the original truss rod covers were blank rather than having "Standard" on them and in the case of ES's, deluxe (rather than standard) tuners were fitted.

rk%20my%20obg%20lpr%20necks%2001.jpg


The specs of the OBG "reissues" are generally more vintage correct to the actual original Gibsons than the "Standard" OBGs.

A few of my OBGs have that same Gibson pickup as the one you're looking at. It's gonna take awhile, but I've begun putting up pics of some of my OBGs here if you want to see more:

http://picasaweb.google.com/innadaze.skybluela/InnadazeOBGs#slideshow

BTW, my Sunburst OBG ES-335 Reissue (above) is a '93 and the the serial number begins with "G".
 
Terada's main thing is Semi Acoustics and Acoustics but they also make solid bodies.

It goes like this.

Before 1987, Aria was the distributor for the Japanese Epiphones (mainly Semi Acoustics) and Aria subcontracted Matsumoku to make them. After Matsumoku closed down in 1987, Gibson went to a new distributor which was Yamano Gakki. The first Yamano/Gibson guitars are Japanese Semi Acoustic Epiphones in 1987 and Yamano subcontracted Terada to make them as Matsumoku was out of business and Terada are Semi Acoustic makers.

These mainly Semi Acoustic Japanese Epiphones made by Terada run from 1987-1998 when the Epiphone line was redone and became the Epiphone Elites.
Terada were making the Japanese Epiphones from 1987-1998 and Terada were also making OBG's and Orvilles from 1988-1998 with varying output because Terada output changes when Fujigen enters in late 1992.

Terada used a YXXXX serial number format (Y=year,X=production number) for the 1987-1998 Epiphones which was a different serial number format to what they were using for the OBG's.

In 1988 the OBG's were launched and Yamano subcontracted Terada to make all of the solid bodies and the Semi Acoustics which isn't very surprising seeing that Terada were already making the Epiphones for Yamano/Gibson. All of the OBG's up until late 1992 have a Terada G serial number and the K Orvilles were not serialized by Terada.

It's not until late 1992 that Fujigen gets involved and when they do, they take over about 90% of the solid body making including all of the Orville solid bodies (no more Terada K Orvilles) and Fujigen uses a no letter serial number.
At this time Fujigen was mostly a solid body maker and Fujigen discontinued all of it's Acoustic making around 1981.

Terada still made some OBG solid bodies from late 1992-1995 though, and Terada keeps on making all the OBG Semi Acoustics and Acoustics.
In 1995 the OBG's finish and Terada changes to a J letter serial and Fujigen just keep using a no letter serial. From 1995-1998, Fujigen made about 98% of the solid body Orvilles with only an occasional Terada made J serial solid body and Terada made all of the Orville J serial Semi Acoustics and it continues like this for the Epiphone Elite series.

All of the OBG Semi Acoustics and Acoustics have a Terada G serial or a Terada AG serial for some Acoustics. All of the Orville Semi Acoustics have a Terada J serial.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top