View Full Version : Vintage 79 epiphone mm-70 japan
morristownmando
Jul-16-2008, 7:15pm
I would like to know what you cafe members think I gave 500 for it. Is it a good buy or did i get burnt also has anyone ever had one if so what was it like tone wise?
morristownmando
Jul-16-2008, 7:18pm
Peghead
morristownmando
Jul-16-2008, 7:21pm
back
f5loar
Jul-16-2008, 8:36pm
well the case is worth $100 so $400 for a vintage 28 year old mandolin ain't bad at all. While it probably sound like a late 70's/early 80's Ibanez/Alveraz/Washburn mandolin you got that good American name on it. Heck for that price if you don't like hang it on the wall for decoration/converstion piece.
Danny Clark
Jul-16-2008, 9:03pm
i sold one a couple of years ago for $650 ,it had Monroes signature inside.
MikeEdgerton
Jul-16-2008, 9:03pm
How did you date it? It looks like it has a blue label in it. If it says Japan and Kalamazoo on the label it's most likely from the early 70's. Gibson moved most if not all of the Epiphone production of guitars (and I assume mandolins)out of Japan by 1973 or 74.
morristownmando
Jul-16-2008, 9:16pm
How did you date it? It looks like it has a blue label in it. If it says Japan and Kalamazoo on the label it's most likely from the early 70's. Gibson moved most if not all of the Epiphone production of guitars (and I assume mandolins)out of Japan by 1973 or 74.
Mike here is how i dated it and the serial no.starts with the first two numbers as 79----- http://www.geocities.com/guitarchuck.geo/MM70.htm
MikeEdgerton
Jul-16-2008, 9:21pm
Is it marked Made in Japan? I suppose they could have had the guitars and mandolins manufactured in separate countries. Is there a place where the serial numbers are listed?
morristownmando
Jul-16-2008, 9:23pm
Is it marked Made in Japan? I suppose they could have had the guitars and mandolins manufactured in separate countries. Is there a place where the serial numbers are listed?
Here is one at elderly thats made in japan in 83 http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/90U-4492.htm
fishdawg40
Jul-16-2008, 9:26pm
I have one. #The color is a little lighter though. #It plays well, it was my second mandolin. #The luthier who built my 3rd mandolin (June mandolin) said that it was well made and that I shouldn't ever get rid of it. #Don't know if he meant my specifically or all of them. #For the price I think it is a good buy. #I payed $400 in 2000 for one. I never saw one appear on the Cafe until today. #I'll take some pics and post them in the next few days.
MikeEdgerton
Jul-16-2008, 9:28pm
Epi mandolins must have existed in a different world than the guitars. I was just on Gibson's site looking for Epiphone serial information and it really wasn't any help. OK, I know more now than I did this morning about Japanese Epiphones. When you get it let me know the color of the label and if it says Kalamazoo and Japan on it. That will shoot the heck out of what has been my accepted knowledge of the subject.
morristownmando
Jul-16-2008, 9:29pm
I have one. #The color is a little lighter though. #It plays well, it was my second mandolin. #The luthier who built my 3rd mandolin (June mandolin) said that it was well made and that I shouldn't ever get rid of it. #Don't know if he meant my specifically or all of them. #For the price I think it is a good buy. #I payed $400 in 2000 for one. I never saw one appear on the Cafe until today. #I'll take some pics and post them in the next few days.
How is the tone and volume fishdawg
MikeEdgerton
Jul-16-2008, 9:32pm
For anyone interested here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=Search&CODE=02&SID=487eaeb336107757) are some MM-70 threads. There are also some external links with more information in some of the threads.
morristownmando
Jul-16-2008, 9:32pm
Epi mandolins must have existed in a different world than the guitars. I was just on Gibson's site looking for Epiphone serial information and it really wasn't any help. OK, I know more now than I did this morning about Japanese Epiphones. When you get it let me know the color of the label and if it says Kalamazoo and Japan on it. That will shoot the heck out of what has been my accepted knowledge of the subject.
Mike i have some more pics amd the label is definately blue but i cant tell what the writing says. But when i get it i will let you know and clean it up restring it with some j75's and post some better pics. DANNY
fishdawg40
Jul-16-2008, 9:39pm
Well, I think the tone is good for what it's priced. #It could be a little tinny but has a nice chop. #My action was very low, so the volume wasn't too high. #It's not gonna blow your ears off but it sure was great to play after my first mandolin, a plywood Epiphone that was only $200 less. #From friends that didn't know mandolins they said it sounded good, but from another mandolin player not so good. #Like I said though the luthier really liked it. #It took me a long way on my mandolin journey (around 6 years of on and off playing). #I think the price you paid was good. #Do you have it in your possession? It's at my parent's house so I can't play it now and the last time I played it was about 4 months ago.
morristownmando
Jul-16-2008, 9:45pm
NO I WANT HAVE IT TILL SATURDAY FISHDAWG
Fretbear
Jul-16-2008, 10:21pm
It's hard to see from the picture, but the bridge looks massive. You might get a real nice surprise by fitting a Cumberland Acoustic bridge and see how it sounds.
billkilpatrick
Jul-16-2008, 11:34pm
i've got a scroll-less epiphone and as much as i like it, you are envied!
Hey, morristownmando; I have an MM-70 too. My serial starts with '80', so I'm adopting your system and calling it a 1980 (Japanese Epiphones came from a variety of factories, and there was no overall standard serial number system). It does have the blue 'Kalamazoo/Made in Japan' label. I don't think Epis started coming from Korea until the early eighties, but there were some being imported from Taiwan in the late seventies (they are easy to spot because they just say 'Epi' on the headstock; and they have a very, very bad reputation). Anyhow, my MM-70 isn't very loud, but I really like the tone.
morristownmando
Jul-17-2008, 9:37pm
Johnl Im pretty sure 1984 was the last year of the japan made mm-70. At least thats what most of the info that i have read is pointing to. I sure would like to see a pic of your mm-70 johnl
billkilpatrick
Jul-18-2008, 3:35am
brand loyalty in extremus but i've always been attracted to epiphone mandolins - it's probably as close to a gibson as i'm ever going to get.
may i ask:
- what distinguishes a MM-70 from a MM-50?
- what does the VS stands for in "MM-50/VS?"
johnl
Jul-18-2008, 10:32am
I'll try to get some pics of my MM-70 up this evening.
I've got some Epi promotional stuff from '79, and interestingly enough, the MM-50 is depicted as being like the Gibson 'lump scroll' model (the A-12?); and where the MM-70 has an ebony bridge and fretboard (w/fancier abalone inlay) and gold hardware, the MM-50 has a rosewood bridge and fretboard with dots, and silver hardware. I've never seen a lump-scroll Epiphone; all the MM-50's I've ever seen had the traditional F-5 body style.
morristownmando
Jul-18-2008, 4:18pm
brand loyalty in extremus but i've always been attracted to epiphone mandolins - it's probably as close to a gibson as i'm ever going to get.
may i ask:
- what distinguishes a MM-70 from a MM-50?
- what does the VS stands for in "MM-50/VS?"
mm-70 top of the line for epiphone in late 70's early 80's handcarved and graduated top fancy inlay and peghead better tuners ebony bridge and fingerboard. MM-50 lesser quality just a solid top rosewood bridge and fretboard. VS I think means vintage satin.
billkilpatrick
Jul-18-2008, 4:21pm
brand loyalty in extremus but i've always been attracted to epiphone mandolins - it's probably as close to a gibson as i'm ever going to get.
may i ask:
- what distinguishes a MM-70 from a MM-50?
- what does the VS stands for in "MM-50/VS?"
mm-70 top of the line for epiphone in late 70's early 80's handcarved and graduated top fancy inlay and peghead better tuners ebony bridge and fingerboard. MM-50 lesser quality just a solid top rosewood bridge and fretboard. VS I think means vintage satin.
... thank you!
MikeEdgerton
Jul-18-2008, 4:47pm
I think it stands for Vintage Sunburst.
morristownmando
Jul-18-2008, 4:50pm
I think it stands for Vintage Sunburst.
Thats probably more accurate.
tin ben dur
Jul-18-2008, 9:27pm
Huh! I like'er.
And here it is with another Epiphone that is normally called a BG-440; but the label calls it an MM-45. I think they were going to change the name, but just decided to drop the two-pointers altogether.
morristownmando
Jul-19-2008, 7:21pm
John She is a beauty i have noticed on all the ones that i have seen which is not many,that the binding is yellowed i wonder if they just get that way with age or was they originally that color.Also how many have u ran across they seem to be a pretty rare mando.Do u have a pic of the backside?
fishdawg40
Jul-19-2008, 9:49pm
Looks like John has my mandolin. It's exactly the same (binding is yellow too) except for the bridge, mine might be a little smaller. And I have a "hot-spot". Pretty cool to see it, I haven't seen another like it yet.
I think they probably came with that yellowish tint. I just think that if it had turned over time, it would be uneven in some places. But aside from this site:
http://www.geocities.com/guitarchuck.geo/photo.htm
the only ones I've seen have been on eBay.
Pic of the back:
morristownmando
Jul-20-2008, 4:44pm
NICE thanks for sharing john.
morristownmando
Jul-21-2008, 6:52pm
Finally got my mm-70 today i am very happy with it i would rate the tone a little better than the higher end kentuckys and a couple of eastmans that i have played.
tin ben dur
Jul-21-2008, 7:13pm
I heard it today when he got it and it has that vintage sound. Very nice mando. I think he will wake her back up from where she hasn't been played.
superc_1
Aug-04-2008, 11:12am
Bump. Also; Jethro Burns endosed this model. He was a member of the million dollar band and also the brother in-law or something like that to Chet Atkins. I have one and I think the world of it. Mine is a very well made instrument.
MikeEdgerton
Aug-04-2008, 11:23am
I thought Jethro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_C._Burns) endorsed a Wahburn model. Anybody have any old ad material to support this? Jethro's wife's sister was married to Chet Atkins.
superc_1
Aug-12-2008, 11:58am
Mike, I think if you do a search on MM-70 it says somewhere about him endorsing the MM-70.
Billsdubious
Jul-08-2009, 11:27am
i think I saw one of these in a Canadian pawnshop yesterday but I'm not sure. It had no pickguard or tailpiece cover, and the asymmetrical tailpiece didn't look like that cover would fit over it.
Most notably, it had a "GIBSON" label truss rod cover plate. assuming original equipment, anyone know if that ID's it any better...or is that a questionable add-on?
I'm thinking of making an offer...they want about $600 Cdn.
Bill
I've seen lots of Epiphones with the 'Gibson' TRC, but I don't know what range of years they were used. Hopefully the mandolin in question still has a label inside its body. Look for a blue label that says 'MM-70'. It may also have a serial number where the first two digits indicate the year of production. Seems like lately they go for around $400 (US) or so on eBay.
Mandosynth
Jan-06-2011, 4:17pm
I'll try to get some pics of my MM-70 up this evening.
I've got some Epi promotional stuff from '79, and interestingly enough, the MM-50 is depicted as being like the Gibson 'lump scroll' model (the A-12?); and where the MM-70 has an ebony bridge and fretboard (w/fancier abalone inlay) and gold hardware, the MM-50 has a rosewood bridge and fretboard with dots, and silver hardware. I've never seen a lump-scroll Epiphone; all the MM-50's I've ever seen had the traditional F-5 body style.
http://<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd20/musicmanb/Picture298.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Mandosynth
Jan-06-2011, 4:19pm
http://<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd20/musicmanb/Picture301.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Jerry Hayes
Jan-11-2011, 11:23am
Hey MTM....This is my first post on this Forum and I hope to have many more in the future! I also have an Epiphone MIJ mandolin from the late seventies but mine is an A style. I bought it new from Moody Music in Garden Grove, California when I still lived out there and it's always been a work horse. I've had mine "electrified" with all sorts of pickups, both magnetic and piezo and it's got holes drilled in it and also a plastic plate on the back similar to what's on a Les Paul guitar to access the controls but this thing still sounds great. It's beat to death but still sounds great. I have a "faux" Gibson F-style that's my #1 gig instrument but I'm thinking of setting up the Epi to use. I've used it on a couple of bluegrass gigs and it's got volume and tone to spare, the only thing it's lacking in is the looks department. Anyway, congrats on that "Yokohama Epi" as it's a keeper, I know, I have one.......JH in Va.