Epiphone FT-165

[Michael Colao]

This is a general question.

Does anybody know anything about the Epiphone Ft-165 12 String acoustic
Guitar.
I've been to the Gibson and Epiphone site with no luck.

~MIKE~

[Kate Ebneter]

What he said -- except: Early 70s ones have a REALLY REALLY nasty
habit of folding up. I used to work for Epiphone as a guitar
inspector, and we saw plenty of these where the neck had been pulled
way out of whack, or just plain clean off (messily). The early ones
just weren't built to take the tension of 12 strings. This was fixed
in later years, but if you look at one, check the neck very carefully.

Kate Ebneter
Collector of Noise Toys

Stephen Traub wrote:
>
> It was/is a full-sized dreadnought, Model FT-165, Bard-12. They were made in
> Japan from the mid 1970's to the mid 1980s primarily during the Norlin
> years. They had a rosewood fingerboard with block inlays, 6 per side chrome
> tuners, full bound body (front and back) with herringbone design binding in
> front. It had a natural finish spruce top (solid I believe) and non-solid
> rosewood back and sides. It also came with an adjustable bridge and the
> Epiphone "e" on the pickguard.
>
> It sounded good and played well.
>
> I just sold one that I owned since the 1970s in excellent condition with the
> original softshell case for $260+- in August.
>
> Steve Traub
>
> Michael Colao wrote in message <7rhn0t$ktq$1...@nntp4.atl.mindspring.net>...

[Stephen Traub]

[Stephen Traub]

I forgot to mention they had bolt-on necks - and evidently, according to
Kate the Epiphone inspector, on the earlier ones, the bolts didn't hold. I
never had any major problems with mine but it was a late seventies model.

Many 12 string guitars from many manufacturers (because of the added
pressure) have meandering necks. The most durable 12 strings you will find
generally are made by Guild: many models had two truss rods in the neck and
generally Guild acoustics are built like brick outhouses anyway, so they
tend to be a good choice for a 12 string acoustic.

Steve Traub

Kate Ebneter wrote in message <37DCA0...@ix.netcom.com>...

[JoeMc]

I second the Guild 12 string recommendation. I owned a Jumbo sized Guild
12'er about 15 yrs ago (sold it since). Can't recall the model, but it was
one solid mother. Played like a dream, too.

Joe McAdam
jomickathomedotcom

Stephen Traub <str...@shore.net> wrote in message
news:B88D3.363$n82....@news.shore.net...

[bc]

On Sun, 12 Sep 1999 22:17:08 -0700, "Michael Colao"
<mco...@mindspring.com> brewed up the following, and served it to the
group:

>This is a general question.
>
>Does anybody know anything about the Epiphone Ft-165 12 String acoustic
>Guitar.
>I've been to the Gibson and Epiphone site with no luck.

Mike--My first *good* guitar was an Epiphone FT-165 12 string. I
loved that guitar...Sold it several years ago, never stopped kicking
myself for it.

The neck is bolt-on, and this is a very handy feature in the 12
string. It can be removed and reset easily by the player. I always
kept mine tuned down to D or C sharp, and never had any real neck
problems. Replaced the stock machines with Schallers pretty early on.

Mine had a 0 fret--and the intonation was spot-on. All in all, a
great guitar for the price.

-------
"Remember when the music came from wooden boxes
Strung with silver wire" --Harry Chapin

the above e-mail address remains totally fictional.
the real one is bc9424@spamTHIS!.concentric.net (if you remove spamTHIS!.)

Bill (the poster formerly known as bc) Chandler
...bc...

[Carl Martin]

bc wrote in message ...

>
>Mine had a 0 fret--and the intonation was spot-on. All in all, a
>great guitar for the price.
>

Let me guess - a 0 fret is an extra fret up by the nut. I once had a yamaha
hollow bodied electric with (I now know as a) 0 fret. I tried to get a local
tech to set it up for me but he never could get it right. The harmonic and
the 12th fret were in tune, but when (for example) I fretted the low E at
the 5th fret, it wasn't in tune with the open A.

How should such a guitar be set up? What's the purpose of a 0 fret in the
first place?

carl (now with a different guitar, and a different tech)

[Kate Ebneter]

Actually, I believe the problem was in the necks, not the neck-to-
body joint, although eventually the tension would more or less pretty
well trash the whole guitar. Sometimes the bridges were pulled off.
I think they redesigned the neck itself, and possibly the bracing,
too. I honestly think the first ones were designed for six strings and
just had (poorly designed) 12-string necks popped on them -- not the
right way to design a 12-string at all!

I'll second your opinion of the later ones, and also of Guilds.

Kate Ebneter
Collector of Noise Toys

[bc]

On Mon, 13 Sep 1999 16:32:06 -0500, "Carl Martin"
<carl....@state.tx> brewed up the following, and served it to the
group:

<snippage>

>Let me guess - a 0 fret is an extra fret up by the nut. I once had a yamaha
>hollow bodied electric with (I now know as a) 0 fret. I tried to get a local
>tech to set it up for me but he never could get it right. The harmonic and
>the 12th fret were in tune, but when (for example) I fretted the low E at
>the 5th fret, it wasn't in tune with the open A.
>
>How should such a guitar be set up? What's the purpose of a 0 fret in the
>first place?

You're right--the 0 fret is right past the nut. The purpose of it is
to stop the string, right there, instead of the nut doing the job.
The effective scale length of the neck is from 0 fret to saddle,
rather than from nut to saddle. The tech just needs to be aware of
this--and not set the thing as though the nut is stopping the sound,
instead of the 0 fret. (It also makes it one helluva lot easier to
carve a new nut--especially for a 12-string.)

You might need to look around for a tech that can handle the
concept--although it really isn't nuclear science. The 0 fret should
make the intonation job easier, not harder. Somebody out here with
more experience might be able to tell you more. Anybody?

[tjgoo...@gmail.com]

Hi ive been looking for a very long time with little luck but i have a 1979 ft 165 12 string and its missing a fret block on the 5th fret and i have had no luck finding this piece is there any place where i could get this

[Al Evans]

"Fret block" is not a term I recognize. Can you describe what is missing?
Do you maybe mean the inlay at the fifth fret?

--Al Evans--

[tjgoo...@gmail.com]

Its the fret inlay its in a block that that marks the 5th fret its mother of pearl and its in a round square form

[Bill Brewer]

<tjgoo...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:b7c303be-fca0-4e7e...@googlegroups.com...

> Its the fret inlay its in a block that that marks the 5th fret its mother
> of pearl and its in a round square form

Perhaps it would be worth asking a luthier to make a new replacement? Like:

http://www.nicholsinlay.com/ordering.php

[dsi1]

On 7/12/2015 8:00 PM, tjgoo...@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi ive been looking for a very long time with little luck but i have a 1979 ft 165 12 string and its missing a fret block on the 5th fret and i have had no luck finding this piece is there any place where i could get this
>

You'll have to find an inlay of matching appearance as well as size so
that might take some time. You should get a repair person to install it
for you if you have no experience with inlays. Your best bet is to sell
it and get a used FT-165 on eBay.

Well, that's what I'd do if I really, really, needed that inlay. OTOH,
if the guitar plays well, I wouldn't push my luck and get another one on
eBay.

You could send Epiphone an email explaining your plight. They may take
pity on you and help you out. :)

[Al Evans]

<tjgoo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Its the fret inlay its in a block that that marks the 5th fret its mother
> of pearl and its in a round square form

This link looks like it might help:

http://www.croxguitars.com/epiinlays.htm

--Al Evans

[ap14...@gmail.com]

I have one

[timberwo...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, September 12, 1999 at 2:00:00 AM UTC-5, Michael Colao wrote:
> This is a general question.
>
> Does anybody know anything about the Epiphone Ft-165 12 String acoustic
> Guitar.
> I've been to the Gibson and Epiphone site with no luck.
>

> ~MIKE~

I have had mine since new. 51 years old

[mark.b...@gmail.com]

You or the guitar?

Either way, only 31 years older than the original query.

[Doug Love]

On Sunday, September 12, 1999 at 3:00:00 AM UTC-4, Michael Colao wrote:
> This is a general question.
> Does anybody know anything about the Epiphone Ft-165 12 String acoustic
> Guitar.
> I've been to the Gibson and Epiphone site with no luck.
> ~MIKE~

Do you know the nut width for this guitar?