Epiphone EB3 in Pelham Blue

[hieronymous]

Sweetwater has them listed but at $449, not $299. Not sure how accurate that is. And yes I am tempted, having traded off my Pelham Blue Melody Maker Bass!

[stiles72]

Epiphone can make a really nice Pelham Blue. I think they did a great job on the Limited T-birds a few years back.

[hieronymous]

Looked at the ad for these again - I think I would grab one of these if I found one used at GC that wasn't too beat up. But it would be an impulse buy - I don't think this would really fill a gap in my arsenal.

[uwe]

That's odd. Compared with the regular EB-3 on Epi's site, the bridge on this one does look further from the edge, yet they both have 22 frets.

And why is this called TV Pelham Blue on Epi's site? That makes no sense.

Strange, I only know of TV Yellow and that is a color with a curious, yet interesting background story. Shall I divulge it here, Dave?

[4stringer77]

I'm interested. I thought the color was to act as a substitute for white guitars that didn't transmit well on black and white television sets. It started on the LP Jr.'s I think.
Is there more to the story than that? I'm considering this color for a custom build. LP style bass with a single Thunderbird type pickup.

[the mojo hobo]

Oh yea.

[uwe]

 

I would like to, but I can't. We're not safe here.

[gweimer]

Still making the batwing headstock I see.

[Dave W]

I'm interested. I thought the color was to act as a substitute for white guitars that didn't transmit well on black and white television sets. It started on the LP Jr.'s I think.
Is there more to the story than that? I'm considering this color for a custom build. LP style bass with a single Thunderbird type pickup.

Uwe does this periodically just to get me riled up. It's amazing how much traction this story has had on guitar forums over the years.

The substitute-for-white story is 100% false. Never happened, not with these guitars or anything else on black-and-white TV.

Tom Wheeler's story that it was because of Les Paul's TV show is also false. For one thing, Les Paul didn't have a TV show, he only had his 5-minute Listerine commercial performances and his contract with Listerine ended by the time the first TV Model hit the stores in 1955.

The truth is that the TV Model was so named because console TVs with limed finish cabinets were extremely hot sellers in the 50s -- especially limed oak. The original TV Model's catalog listing specifically called it a limed oak finish, even though it was mahogany. By 1958 the description was changed to limed mahogany.

You probably already know this, but the finish was never called TV Yellow. The guitar itself was called the TV Model, and when the Special version came out in 1956 it was called the TV Special (also with the finish described as limed oak).

[4stringer77]

Seems like the first versions of limed oak or mahogany were sprayed thiner to accent the grain. This must be why Epi calls the new color TV Pelham blue.

[neepheid]

Personal opinion time, feel free to disagree but I think it looks cheap and shoddy.  When I buy a new instrument, I want it to be shiny.  I wouldn't give any of those houseroom.

[Dave W]

Seems like the first versions of limed oak or mahogany were sprayed thiner to accent the grain. This must be why Epi calls the new color TV Pelham blue.

You may have seen well-worn ones. When they were new, the finish was clearcoated, glossy and as smooth as the more expensive Gibsons. Not at all like these Epis appear to be.

[Highlander]

[patman]

been years since I've thought of "Old Yeller"

[4stringer77]

You may have seen well-worn ones. When they were new, the finish was clearcoated, glossy and as smooth as the more expensive Gibsons. Not at all like these Epis appear to be.

Stew Mac shows the variation of finish between the early and later versions
http://www.stewmac.com/tsarchive/ts0124.html
Re Ranch emphasizes putting grain filler on after color coats to enhance the grain.
http://www.reranch.com/tv_yellow.htm
and check out the great finish on this Gibson custom shop Les Paul
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-Gibson-Custom-Shop-Limited-Les-Paul-Custom-Electric-Guitar-TV-Yellow-/400471200298?pt=Guitar&hash=item5d3df1922a
My impression is, if your going to call something limed mahogany, wouldn't the goal be to have it look like mahogany and not just a gloss color finish?