MG-G410
This guitar was manufactured in August 2005 at the Saein factory in South Korea.
The serial number I05080896 breaks down according to Epiphone’s Korean production decoding standard:
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- I: Factory code for the Saein Musical Instrument Co. plant in Incheon, South Korea (widely regarded by players for producing high-quality Epiphone models during this era).
- 05: Represents the year of manufacture (2005).
- 08: Represents the month of manufacture (August).
- 0896: The unique factory production ranking/identification sequence number for that month.
Key Hardware & Series Observations
- Tuners: Upgraded or stock high-ratio chrome Grover tuning keys.
- Series: The presence of the “Limited Edition Custom Shop” logo indicates that this guitar was part of a specific promotional run, unique colorway variation, or specialty signature model configuration released during Epiphone’s mid-2000s Korean production era.
This specific variant is highly regarded among players due to its unique styling choices that deviate from a traditional Gibson-style Les Paul Custom layout
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- The Finish & Appointments: While traditional Les Paul Customs feature gold hardware and multi-ply binding, this rare Limited Edition run swapped the gold out for factory-fitted chrome hardware, chrome pickup covers, and a unique set of matching chrome control knobs.
- The Neck & Fretboard: It features classic pearloid block inlays on a rosewood fretboard rather than ebony. The iconic multi-ply binding splits cleanly across the jet-black ebony gloss body finish.
- The Visual Silhouette: The guitar in the photo is pictured without its pickguard, bringing out a look that closely resembles the iconic “John Sykes style” or “Vivian Campbell style” black-and-chrome setup.
As confirmed by the serial number provided earlier, this particular instrument was manufactured during Epiphone’s “golden era” of Korean production at the Saein factory in August 2005. These mid-2000s Korean models are highly sought after by collectors for their exceptional build quality and solid tuning stability relative to subsequent factory moves.