Possibly the most unusual guitar made under the Epiphone brand is the Epiphone SC Scroll. It was produced in Japan at the Matsumoku factory from 1976 through 1979 and is named for the carved scroll on the upper bout of the guitar.
Note the German Carve
The Scroll body also features a unique German Carve around the edges of each model. Other features of the Scroll model were ebony or ebonized necks, coil-tap and optional Leo Quann Badass-style bridge as well as optional open-coil Scroll pickups by Gibson.
SC-350
The SC-350 featured a Mahogany body with the German carve surrounding the mahogany finished top. The bolt-on neck was bound with white trim. The fret board was made of rosewood and featured dot inlays. The guitar was equipped with twin humbucking pickups controlled by a single volume and tone control and a 3 way switch. The strings went over a tune-o-matic style bridge and attached to a stop tail piece. All hardware was finished in chrome. The nut was made of plastic. The three-on-a side tuning gears were covered die cast versions.
SC-450
The SC-450 came with a Maple body that featured the German carve. It was offered with either a Mahogany or Natural finish. The neck was made of Maple and was set in to the body. It was topped with a rosewood fret board that came with dot inlays. It had twin humbucking pickups that were controlled by a single volume and tone control, a three-way selector switch and a split-coil switch. This guitar came with either a tune-o-matic style bridge or a Leo Quan Badass style bridge. The tune-o-matic versions featured a stop tailpiece. . All hardware was chrome finished and the nut was made of bone or plastic. The three-on-a-side tuners were sealed die cast models.
SC-550
The SC-550 also featured the German carve on its Maple body. Like the 450 version, the neck on this guitar was set-in and made of Maple. The neck was topped with an Ebony fretboard with block inlays.
SC-550 Natural
It featured twin humbucking pickups on the body controlled by a single volume and tone control, a three-way selector switch and a split-coil mini-toggle switch.
This guitar came with a tune-o-matic style bridge and a stop tailpiece. The nut was made of bone and all hardware was finished in gold plating. The three-on-a-side tuners were sealed die cast models. The body came in either and Ebony or Natural finish.
I own a SC350 and I always hated the thin sound of the pickups. They are sealed but I found evidence that they are stacked dual coils! The saddle of the body on which the neck is bolted is very thin for whatever reason so there lies the weakness especially considering the long 24 frets neck. I got mine of a friend 25 years ago and he dropped it and there were two tears in the body along the seating of the neck which have now been repaired.
The neck itself still baffles me. In the 45 years it has been on this planet it never needed a single twist on the tension bar. Always straight. Tuning is only necessary when replacing the strings and the neck appears to be oblivious to temperature and moist changes.
I've replaced the pickups for Hot T's and still have the stacked PU's so if someone is looking for the originals he might want to give me a shout.
Thanks for the in-depth blog re. the EPI Scroll models.
ReplyDeleteI have an SC450 with the optional blonde humbuckers, brass nut and walnut stain.
Weighs in at a hefty 9 lbs. 8 oz. +/-
I own a SC350 and I always hated the thin sound of the pickups. They are sealed but I found evidence that they are stacked dual coils! The saddle of the body on which the neck is bolted is very thin for whatever reason so there lies the weakness especially considering the long 24 frets neck. I got mine of a friend 25 years ago and he dropped it and there were two tears in the body along the seating of the neck which have now been repaired.
ReplyDeleteThe neck itself still baffles me. In the 45 years it has been on this planet it never needed a single twist on the tension bar. Always straight. Tuning is only necessary when replacing the strings and the neck appears to be oblivious to temperature and moist changes.
I've replaced the pickups for Hot T's and still have the stacked PU's so if someone is looking for the originals he might want to give me a shout.