Talk:Epiphone

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Contents

[edit] rivalry

Epiphone, before being bought out in the late 1950s, was actually Gibson's main rival in the archtop market. Aside from their guitars, Epiphone also made basses, banjos, and other stringed instruments, but the company grew weak after World War II; Gibson would soon absorb them.

Here is a link to some history on the Epiphone brand, from Gibson's website: http://www.gibson.com/products/epiphone/archive/epihistory/history.html

[edit] Noel Gallagher Supernova

As far as I know, the Noel Gallagher Signature guitars are based on the Sheraton (thus, on the ES-335) rather than on the Riviera. Is that correct?

[edit] Differences

I was thinking of writing a short ammount on the specific construction differences between Epiphones and Gibsons. I don't know how common this is but many people I've spoken to lately don't know the specific differences, they do know that Epi is a brand owned by gibson, but they don't know what makes them different. Things like the neck, type of wood used, the veneer. SnakeSeries 11:48, 31 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Advertisement

Does anyone else think that the part about Casino and such sound a bit like an advertisement, just linking off to the Epiphone site?

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Pohatu771 (talk • contribs) .
I think that much of it should be moved to the Epiphone Casino article, and I'm probably going to do that. Respectfully, SamBlob 14:58, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Definitely Not

The Casino is a great guitar, I know this because I own one. I think it was modest. Look at the Strat-worship on Fender.


I'm inclined to agree with you. Gorovich 04:50, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Guitar Models

Anyone think we should add a list that lists the different models produced by Epiphone? If so I'd be more than willing to do so like I am for ESP Guitars. QelDroma06 01:27, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like a good idea. Check this site out for the SG types: http://www.everythingsg.com/index.htm# '74 Jailbreak 06:06 23 October 2006

Seems like the section on discontinued models could also be expanded. I have some photos of the older models, like the Coronet, Crestwood, etc. Those models are somewhat significant in the history of the company, even though they aren't exactly sought after today, because they weren't copies of Gibson products. Just a thought C d h 15:39, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Good idea

[edit] The 1st electric guitar was a epiphone?

In " The Guitar Handbook" written by Ralph Denyer, published by Pan Books, your can read that the Les Paul "log" was built in a Epiphone workshop in 1941, and that it was THE FIRST REAL SOLID-BODY ELECTRIC GUITAR. I think that this fact is of major importance in Epiphone story and should be included in the main article.

"In 1941, he (Les Paul) presuaded Epiphone to let him use their workshop on Sundays. There, he built his historic "log" guitar, about which he later said: "You could go out and eat and come back and the note would still be sounding. It didn't sound like a banjo or a mandolin, but like a guitar, an electric guitar. That was the sound I was after."

All of this took place 7 years before the fender Broadcaster was out... Was this the first true electric guitar? (The Hawaiians electric guitars aren't true electric guitars...)

The Gibson ES-150 "Charlie Christian" model was introduced in 1936, and it was played like a normal guitar, so Les Paul's "Log" can't be the first true electric guitar. Maybe it's the first solid-body electric guitar, but tell a ES-175 player that a hollowbody isn't a "true electric guitar" and he will bash your head in. Respectfully, SamBlob 06:03, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Django Reinhardt

You should add Django Reinhardt to the list of Epiphone guitar players. He played one during his tour with Duke Ellington:

http://www.hotclub.co.uk/html/epiphone.html

Have done. Respectfully, SamBlob 22:49, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Differences between Epiphone and Gibson versions of same guitar

I removed a sentence stating that the only differences between Epiphone and Gibson versions of the same guitar were decorative; that's not been my experience -- there seem to me to be substantial differences in build quality between the instruments, quite justifiably reflected in their considerably different prices. I find it hard to believe that musicians in general are willing to pay several times the price of an Epiphone guitar for a top-of-the-line Gibson guitar just in order to get a different sticker and slightly better finish. -- Karada 10:47, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

If the Thunderbird IV can be taken as an example: the Gibson Thunderbird IV has a nine-ply Mahogany and Walnut neck-through-body with mahogany wings forming the rest of the body, while the Epiphone Thunderbird IV has a maple neck bolted to an alder body. Respectfully, SamBlob 23:50, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Apart from slight nut noticeable dissimilarities in hardware placement/proportions, Epiphones have polyurethane finish instead of nitrocellulose lacquer. The finish is and looks thicker and very glossy. Another overlooked point is that mahogany is not always mahogany: Gibson uses Honduras mahogany, while some Epiphones are allegedly (Epiphone Forum) made of African mahogany (khaya), which is a related wood (in Elitist models and, possibly, some Korean-made "Vintage G-400" with the worn brown / worn cherry finish). Most G-400s are said to be be made of lauan (also called luan), which is called "Philippine mahogany" in the timber market, but while the wood looks like mahogany, the tree families are unrelated. In the Epiphone Forum, some posters have claimed G-400s with particularly striking grain have thin Honduran mahogany veneer on the unsculptured parts of front and back, while others have denied this. A belt sander, anyone? Herringgull2 15:25, 20 March 2007 (UTC)


In my recent experience playing an Gibson SG Standard and a G-400, the Epiphine's neck was more playable (better fretwire) and the sound was about the same. I use Epiphones in studio and will never play another sloidbody Gibson.

[edit] Ace Frehley plays Epiphone?

Ace does not use an Epiphone Les Paul as stated in the article. He has an Epiphone signature model, that is a copy of the GIBSON Les Paul Custom he actually uses on stage. I'm sure he owns one or a few of his Epiphones, but does not use them- on stage at least.

[edit] Re: Casino - Might I suggest...

...that any significant material about the Casino be added to the Epiphone Casino article and that the Casino section of this article be kept down to a small summary of the Casino article? Respectfully, SamBlob 19:11, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] J-160E

Should there be a mention of this guitar? John Lennon did play this model a lot. Vytal 05:33, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Cancel that... I've since realized his & George's J160Es were Gibsons.Vytal 19:49, 20 September 2007 (UTC)