Epiphone a fost principalul rival al companiei gibson pe pia. A complete history of les paul guitars bacon, tony, day, paul, paul, les on. To help honor the milestone, longtime epiphone fan and former gibson historian walter. If you need more on the gibsonmade epis, join the queue here. Also gets into the behind the scenes bickering and management blunders that almost wrecked the company. The number one source of guitar and amplifier pricing and information so you can find the price and value of your used guitars and amplifier. It covers all epiphones, from all eras, which is good. Founded in 1873, epiphone was known primarily for their banjos until 1928, when they produced their first guitar. In 1957, gibson began distributing epiphone instruments and one of the greatest and longest standing musical partnerships began. Epi moved to new york in 1903 to carry on making stringed instruments. Epiphone guitar book the a complete history of epiphone guitars. This little book is a good introduction to the history of this important model and it has some nice photographs of various iterations of the les paul model from 1952 to the date of publication in the late 1990s, but if youre looking for a completely comprehensive guidehistory to the les paul guitar that is 100% accurate this is not it. Gibsons are made from choice pieces of wood, made in the usa with.
The story of epiphone, one of the oldest and most famous guitar companies, is told by former staff historian walter carter. Jc is a guitar enthusiast and has been a proud owner of both gibson and epiphone guitars over the years, including his latest addition a gibson 1960s j45 acoustic guitar. The two companies were competitors in the archtop market in the 1930s and during the development of the earliest electric models. The beatles and gibson although, the beatles first appearance on the ed sullivan in 1964 showed to the world had john playing a rickenbacker 325 capri, george with his gretsch country gentleman and. Its an epic story spanning three centuries, from old world roots in the 19th century to the golden age of american makers in the 20th century and onward into the. The golden era returns with the original collection. A full line of newly designed acoustics and electrics is unveiled in 1958, and two years later epiphone production moves into gibson s factory in kalamazoo, michigan. The classic years, the early years of the les paul legacy, and 50 years of the gibson les paul. Jan 11, 20 epiphone has had several twists and turns in its history. Jun 04, 2019 i make these history videos for educational purposes, my own, and hopefully as a result, yours. The epiphone interview on january 14, 1986, during the era of popular music when the electric guitar had been pushed aside by keyboards and synthesizers, henry juszkiewicz and dave berryman, two entrepreneurs who had met in graduate school, purchased a struggling guitar company called gibson. Td stands for thinline, double pickups, but this part of the name was usually left out because all es335 models came as a thinline with double pickups. In 1958, gibson introduced more important design innovations than in any other year in the companys history. Epiphone is an american musical instrument manufacturer founded in 1873 by anastasios stathopoulos, currently based in nashville, tennessee.
Fans of epiphone and gibson that have long wished for some headstock parity between the brands have reason to rejoice. If you need more on the gibson made epis, join the queue here. Apr 14, 2020 as current epiphone president jim rosenberg recently pointed out, the merging of gibson and epiphone turned out to be one of the landmark events in pop culture history. May 03, 2011 hey all, i picked up this gibson epiphone les paul at a charity auction about 6 years ago, since then its hardly been out of its case. Gibson started producing the es335 in 1958 and is still in production today. Backbeat books the epiphone guitar book a complete. New book chronicles 140year history of epiphone guitars guitar. Gibson serial numbers 1975present this section is designed to assist in dating andor identifying instruments manufactured or distributed by gibson guitar corp. This is my short history of the gibson les paul, from creation to custom shop. With the serial number, you can check sites such as gibson. My mystery les paul epiphone electrics gibson brands forums. Gibsons first doubleneck guitars were produced from 1958 to 1961 with a hollow body and two 6string necks, one being a shortscale neck tuned to a higher octave.
The story continues as epiphone becomes part of the gibson family of instruments and guitars like the casino and the wilshire influence the. In 1928, epiphone also introduced their first line of acoustic guitars to compete with the company that epi determined was epiphones greatest rival, gibson. With the serial number, you can check sites such as and for the date. You have all kinds of players out there who like this and like that, gibson president ted mccarty noted in 1992. Gibsons archtop acoustic guitars prove popular on into the 1920s and 30s.
Epiphone has had several twists and turns in its history. My mystery les paul epiphone electrics gibson brands. A complete history of epiphone guitars carter, walter on. Through several discussion boards on the internet he became friends with a german collector who. Dec 01, 2012 the rest of the book is well written, as walter carter is a good music writer, and the layouts are good, if not pin sharp which in 20 they should be. The gibson bass book an illustrated tribute by rob van. The epiphone guitar book a complete history of epiphone. Been playing it the last couple of days and blown away by the quality. The new breed of epiphone instruments helped fuel the gamechanging sound of the midsixties british invasion. Save money on used epiphone 6 string acoustic guitars at guitar center. The company was formerly known as gibson guitar corporation and renamed gibson brands, inc.
A definitive link that establishes the real origins of another legendary oneofakind instrument the roy smeck octochorda in 2007, the house of stathopoulo harp guitar was acquired by dave berryman, president of gibson, from a collection owned by the late jim fisch, coauthor of the book, epiphone. While the archtop remains quintessential to spanish style players, dance bands, swing orchestras and western outfits, the decade gives way to flattop acoustic guitars and other manufacturers were already making waves in the new market. After the buyout, epiphone instruments were built in gibson s factories and shared many of the same woods and components used in gibson s product line. The name epiphone evokes both history and the spirit of invention. Epiphone responded in their january 1941 catalog with a line of five new bass models. Carter also served as the historian for gibson guitars.
Epiphone guitars were usually pretty much identical to their gibson counterparts apart from their insignia. If you dont have an epiphone book, its a good read. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in nashville, tn, gibson brands has a legacy of worldclass craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships and progressive product evolution that is. With its stunning 16page fullcolor photo section, this book is a must for every guitar enthusiasts collection. This little book is a good introduction to the history of this important model and it has some nice photographs of various iterations of the les paul model from 1952 to the date of publication in the late 1990s, but if youre looking for a completely comprehensive guide history to the les paul guitar that is 100% accurate this is not it.
After the buyout, epiphone instruments were built in gibsons factories and shared many of the same woods and components used in gibsons product line. How to verify authentic gibson serial numbers epiphone. Unless youre a gibson history buff, youd never guess that their first explorer was introduced way back in 1958. A complete history of epiphone guitars follows the history of the stathopoulo family from their home in greece to their ascension as the premier archtop maker of the jazz age. In 1957, gibson purchased epiphone and used the brand as a way to broaden their. If you cant determine the year it was built, write down the serial number. Centerstream publishing the gibson l5 history and players book.
Suas guitarras profissionais incluindo a emperor, deluxe. Aug 24, 2010 walter carter mentions another cool factoid in his book about why cmi gibson originally wanted to purchase epiphone in the first place. Please note that most of this information relates to serial numbers used from 1975 to present. A model with a 4string bass and a 6string guitar neck was called the ebs1250. Carters previous works include the gibson electric guitar book and gibson guitars. The gibson les paul was first produced early in 1952, the les paul was the very first solid body guitar to be produced by the gibson company, and was created due to the fact that leo fender had proven the viability of such a product with the fender telecaster with ted mccarthy at the helm, the gibson company wanted to make sure they acquired a share of the solid body market, and came up with. Prominent use of epiphone gear by the beatles, rolling. A complete history of epiphone guitars the epic story of epiphone spans three centuries, from its oldworld roots in the 19th century to the golden age of american guitar makers in the 20th century and onward into. Which brand of guitar is better, gibson or epiphone. As current epiphone president jim rosenberg recently pointed out, the merging of gibson and epiphone turned out to be one of the landmark events in pop culture history.
The look and sound of an epiphone guitar is almost intoxicating. Used epiphone 6 string acoustic guitars guitar center. The gseries originally consisted of only two guitars, the epiphone g310 and epiphone g400. Epiphones new inspired by gibson collections will drop the sharp angles of epiphones recent headstocks and soften their curves into the openbook style, while still being differentiated from gibsons own design the plan to move toward the openbook shape for epiphone. Its a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at. Gibson president ted mccarty combined the look of an. Note the model of the guitar, year it was built and the overall condition mint, excellent, badly scratched, etc. Proudly handcrafted in bozeman, montana by gibson acoustic luthiers, the made in the u. More than 80 different gibson bass models and over 70 epiphone bass guitars are featured with. Hey all, i picked up this gibsonepiphone les paul at a charity auction about 6 years ago, since then its hardly been out of its case. Common features found on most epiphone gseries guitars include a doublecutaway mahogany body with humbucker pickups and a rosewood fretboard. Well, the future is now and in 2020 we will start to see the new kalamazoo headstock as part of the inspired by gibson collection.
Order your very own copy of the gibson bass book here. Td stands for thinline, double pickups, but this part of the name was usually left out because all es. Epiphone texan is built using a solid sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, with a rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Used gibson 2018 custom shop 58 explorer std figured solid body electric gu.
Oct 12, 2017 gibson and epiphone are two of the oldest brands in the whole history of guitar production, especially when focusing on electrics. Paying tribute to our iconic past, the original collection brings back the classic guitars that shaped sound across all generations and genres of music. Gibson brands, the worlds most iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for more than 100 years. Brief epiphone history epiphone acoustics gibson brands. So now id like to know as much about it as possible. New book chronicles 140year history of epiphone guitars. How to find the value of an epiphone guitar our pastimes. Walter carter mentions another cool factoid in his book about why cmigibson originally wanted to purchase epiphone in the first place. Epiphone fan and former gibson historian walter carter has published the epiphone guitar book. This book takes a look at its history and most famous players, from its creation, through the norlin years, to its standing today as the worlds most popular jazz guitar. I have owned both les paul versions and the main differences are the quality of materials used, craftsmanship amd where they are made. If you follow my articles you may well remember the announcement last september that epiphone headstocks including the les paul guitars would be getting an overhaul at some point in the future.
Epiphone guitar book the a complete history of epiphone guitars pdf. For a lot of guitar fans, theres a bit of mystique to epiphone. Until the mid1950s, it competed neck and neck pardon the pun with gibson for sales of archtop jazz guitars. In 1957 gibson acquired epiphone, a longstanding rival in the guitar market. Jan 10, 2020 fans of epiphone and gibson that have long wished for some headstock parity between the brands have reason to rejoice. Carther copies tony bacons format and bring on a very thorough telling of the epiphone story, breaking it into periods the strapolo years, gibson, norlin, and the modern era.
A complete history of epiphone guitars by walter carter 2012, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Since 1873, epiphone has made instruments for every style of popular music and in 20 will celebrate its 140th anniversary. Aside from guitars, epiphone also made double basses, banjos, and other string instruments. Introduced in 1989, the epiphone gseries is a line of gibsonauthorized copies of the famous gibson sg. In fact, to say that this guitar model was ahead of its time would be an understatement. Backbeat books the epiphone guitar book a complete history.
The rest of the book is well written, as walter carter is a good music writer, and the layouts are good, if not pin sharp which in 20 they should be. Find the current blue book value and worth of your new and used guitars, both acoustic, electric and amplifier. In 1965, gibson hits record production, shipping over 100,000 u. The modern collection builds on our legacy of innovation by introducing modern features and shaping sound for future generations. Emily wolfe demos the epiphone sg standard 61 with maestro vibrola from the new. Jun 14, 2019 gibson l5 archtop archtop acoustic guitar.
The history of epiphone guitars for years, walter carter was the inhouse historian at gibson guitars, before serving a similar function for wellknown vintage guitar dealer george gruhn. Epiphone was gibsons main rival in the archtop market prior to 1957. Its an epic story spanning three centuries, from old world roots in the 19th century to the golden age of american makers in the 20th century and onward into the global market of the new millennium. A brief history established in 1873, epiphone was founded in smyrna by anastasious stathopoulos, the name epiphone is derived from the founders nickname epi and the greek word for voice, phone the result was of course, epiphone. To help honor the milestone, longtime epiphone fan and former gibson historian walter carter published the epiphone guitar book. I make these history videos for educational purposes, my own, and hopefully as a result, yours. Epiphone is one of americans oldest and most revered instrument makers. Epiphone s new inspired by gibson collections will drop the sharp angles of epiphone s recent headstocks and soften their curves into the open book style, while still being differentiated from gibson s own design. Epiphone was gibson s main rival in the archtop market prior to 1957. Walter carter discusses the history of epiphone guitars. From its jagged, angular body design to its sharp and cutting. Manufacture dates if the history is correct as documented in walter carters book, it states epiphone rival gibson introduced upright basses into their line of instruments in 1939.