(x) New to me: 1998 Epic 98W11675

[Twocan]

Greetings,

I had a Fender posted to the local classifieds and got a trade offer this weekend: An Alembic from a guy half a mile from my home! Obviously this was a no-brainer for me, and I'm now the proud new owner of this Epic. I'm scratching my head over the top wood - is it Walnut? Zebra Wood? It's a satin finish and the color is a very pale brown - almost with a hint of grey to it. It weighs just under 9.5 lbs and is a joy to play!

[gtrguy]

Kinda looks like some straight grain Zebra, but I am no expert. Very pretty!
Congrats!

[mica]

OK this is weird. The file for 11675 says Vermilion top, which this really doesn't look anything like. I'm going to see if there is a duplicate serial number and report back. Meanwhile, can you email me a larger image so I can get a good peek at the top wood?

[Twocan]

Sure thing - thanks Mica!

[mica]

Also, are you certain about the number?

[Twocan]

Yes - 98W11675 - I just looked again, took photos of the bass and emailed them to you. Please let me know if you don’t get them!

[mica]

Well, if the photos were black and white, I'd swear this was Vermilion. Can you check under the (probably) neck pickup and see if there is a 5 digit number handwritten there? That might help clear this mystery up.

Also, I can't see that there was a duplicate of this serial number.

[Twocan]

OK, I will remove the pickup tonight and take a look. Very odd to be as there is not even a hint of red in this wood grain. It’s almost like a light brown with a touch of gray.

[Twocan]

11135

[mica]

Well sir, I don't know what happened to your Vermilion, but all the details check out. It should have a deeper tone than other Epics as a result of that top wood.

top: Vermilion
accent: Maple
body: Mahogany
neck: 3-piece Maple with Walnut pinstripes
scale: 34" long
fingerboard: Ebony
inlays: none
pickups: MXY4
controls: "Epic" volume, pan, bass, treble, mono output
originally made for: Guitar Center
birthday: August 7, 1998

I've made a note in the file that despite it's sort of bleached appearance, the top is Vermilion.

[Twocan]

Thanks for looking into it! It’s very pretty, despite the color!