Elitist Series (Japan)

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Epiphone Elite Logo Epiphone Elitist Logo
Epiphone Elite Logo
Epiphone Elitist Logo
Hand selected and kiln-dried woods Custom-wound Made In The USA Pickups
Hand Selected and Kiln-dried Woods
Custom-wound Made In The USA Pickups
Precision Grover Machine Heads Real Abalone and Mother of Pearl Inlays
Precision Grover Machine Heads
Real Abalone and Mother of Pearl Inlays
Epiphone Elitist Headstock
Epiphone Japanese Domestic Market Elitist Headstock

http://www2.epiphone.com/elitist

The Elitist Series was made at the Terada and Fuji-gen factories in Japan. Originally called the Elite Series, Epiphone was forced to change the name because of a conflict with an Ovation line of guitars already bearing the Elite moniker.

The same Terada and Fuji-Gen guitar factories that made all of the Orville by Gibson and Orville guitars were used to make the Gibson/Yamano Gakki Epiphone Elite and Epiphone Elitist series with the Terada guitar factory mostly making the semi acoustic models and the Fuji-Gen guitar factory mostly making the solid body models

The Elitist guitars were made to very high specifications. Most of the parts were made in Japan but some parts were made in other countries, including the USA and Germany. These guitars cost more than twice as much as a standard Epiphone guitar. The Elitist series was discontinued in 2008, with the exception of the Casino model.

The Epiphone Elitist Series includes features such as real Abalone and Pearl inlays, bone nuts and saddles, hand-rubbed finishes, USA strings and meticulous adjustment and set-up. Japanese Domestic Market Elitists use the Gibson-style open-book headstock instead of the Tombstone-shaped headstock.

The Epiphone Elitist guitars are not related to the Epiphone Les Paul Elite, which is a Korean-made semi-hollow guitar similar to the Les Paul-ES.

See Also:


Contents

SG


Elitist '61 SG Reissue (Japan)

Epiphone Elite SG '61 Reissue
Epiphone Elite SG '61 Reissue
  • 2003-2005

Body:

  • Mahogany body

Neck:

  • Set Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard with Trapezoid inlays
  • Gibson-style Open-Book headstock
  • 2-screw truss rod cover
  • 24.75" Scale
  • 1.68" nut width

Electronics:

  • USA Classic Pickups
  • 2. Vol 2 Tone controls
  • 3-way selector switch

Hardware:

  • Nickel hardware
  • Black reflector knobs
  • Hard case included

Colors

  • Cherry (CH)
  • Ebony (EB)
  • Worn Brown (WB)
  • Worn Cherry (WC)



Les Paul


Elitist Les Paul Studio (Japan)

Epiphone Elitist Studio
Epiphone Elitist Studio (Japan)
  • 2003-2005

Body:

  • Mahogany body
  • Maple cap

Neck:

  • Set mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays
  • Gibson-style Open-Book headstock
  • 2-screw truss rod cover
  • 24.75" Scale
  • 1.68" nut width

Binding:

  • Single-ply body & neck

Electronics:

  • USA Classic Pickups
  • 2. Vol 2 Tone controls
  • 3-way selector switch

Hardware:

  • Nickel hardware
  • Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece
  • Speed knobs

Includes:

  • Hard case

Colors

  • Worn Cherry (WC)
  • Ebony (EB)
  • Arctic White (AW)
  • Vintage Sunburst (VS)



Elitist 1950's Les Paul Standard Plaintop (Japan)

Epiphone Elitist 1950's Standard Plaintop
Epiphone Elitist 1950's Standard Plaintop (Japan)
  • 2003-2005

Body:

  • Mahogany body
  • Maple cap

Neck:

  • Set mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard with trapezoid inlays
  • Gibson-style Open-Book headstock
  • 2-screw truss rod cover
  • 24.75" Scale
  • 1.68" nut width

Binding:

  • Single-ply body & neck

Electronics:

  • USA Classic Pickups
  • 2. Vol 2 Tone controls
  • 3-way selector switch

Hardware:

  • Nickel hardware
  • Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece
  • Speed knobs

Includes:

  • Hard case

Colors

  • Faded Cherryburst (FC)
  • Honeyburst (HB)
  • Vintage Sunburst (VS)
  • Ebony (EB)



Elitist 1950's Les Paul Standard Flametop (Japan)

Epiphone Elitist 1950's Standard Flametop
Epiphone Elitist 1950's Standard Flametop (Japan)
  • 2003-2005

Body:

  • Mahogany body
  • Flame Maple cap

Neck:

  • Set mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard with trapezoid inlays
  • Gibson-style Open-Book headstock
  • 2-screw truss rod cover
  • 24.75" Scale
  • 1.68" nut width

Binding:

  • Single-ply body & neck

Electronics:

  • USA Classic Pickups
  • 2. Vol 2 Tone controls
  • 3-way selector switch

Hardware:

  • Nickel hardware
  • Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece
  • Speed knobs

Includes:

  • Hard case

Colors

  • Faded Cherryburst (FC)
  • Honeyburst (HB)
  • Vintage Sunburst (VS)



Elitist Les Paul '57 Gold Top (Japan)

Epiphone Elitist '57 Goldtop
Epiphone Elitist '57 Goldtop (Japan)
  • 2003-2005

Body:

  • Mahogany body
  • Maple cap

Neck:

  • Set mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard with trapezoid inlays
  • Gibson-style Open-Book headstock
  • 2-screw truss rod cover
  • 24.75" Scale
  • 1.68" nut width

Binding:

  • Single-ply body & neck

Electronics:

  • USA Classic Pickups
  • 2. Vol 2 Tone controls
  • 3-way selector switch

Hardware:

  • Nickel hardware
  • Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece
  • Speed knobs

Includes:

  • Hard case

Colors



Elitist 1960's Les Paul Custom (Japan)

Epiphone Elitist Custom
Epiphone Elitist Custom (Japan)
Epiphone Elitist Custom
Epiphone Elitist Custom (Japan)
  • 2003-2005

Body:

  • Mahogany body

Neck:

  • Set mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard with blockinlays
  • Gibson-style Open-Book headstock with split-diamond inlay
  • 2-screw truss rod cover
  • 24.75" Scale
  • 1.68" nut width

Binding:

  • Single-ply body & neck

Electronics:

  • USA Classic Pickups
  • 2. Vol 2 Tone controls
  • 3-way selector switch

Hardware:

  • 24k gold hardware
  • Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece
  • Speed knobs

Includes:

  • Hard case

Colors

  • Worn Red (WR)
  • Ebony (EB)
  • Arctic White (AW)



Elitist Tak Matsumoto Les Paul (Japan)

Epiphone Elitist Tak Matsumoto Les Paul (Japan)
Epiphone Elitist Tak Matsumoto Les Paul (Japan)

Body:

  • Book-matched African Mahogany body
  • Book-matched AAA quilt maple top
  • Faded Cherry back & neck

Neck:

  • 1-piece set mahogany neck with SlimTaper profile
  • Dovetail neckjoint
  • Rosewood fingerboard with real Abalone trapezoid inlays
  • Open-book headstock with gold "Les Paul" script
  • 2-screw, 2-ply truss rod cover with "Tak Matsumoto" engraving
  • Bone nut
  • 22 frets
  • 24.75" scale
  • 1.68" nut width

Binding:

  • Black binding
  • Single-ply body & neck

Electronics:

  • Gibson Burstbucker 2 & 3 zebra pickups
  • 2 Vol. 2 Tone controls
  • 3-way selector switch

Hardware:

  • Nickel hardware
  • Die-cast Gotoh green-key tuners
  • ABR-1 with stopbar tailpiece
  • Gold bell knobs

Colors:

  • Takburst (TK)

Includes:

  • Epiphone hardcase with Tak Matsumoto signature silkscreen



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