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 An Epiphone Casino, one of the brand's best known models | |
| Formerly |
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|---|---|
| Industry | Musical instruments |
| Founded | 1873 in İzmir, Ottoman Empire |
| Founder | Anastasios Stathopoulos |
| Fate | Acquired by Gibson in 1957, becoming a brand |
| Headquarters | Queens, New York (1908–1957) , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jim Rosenberg (President)[1] |
| Products | Electric, acoustic, archtop & resonator guitars Basses Banjos Mandolins Ukuleles Amplifiers Effects units |
| Parent | Gibson Brands, Inc. |
| Website | epiphone.com |
Epiphone (/ˌɛ.pə.foʊn/) is an American musical instrument brand that traces its roots to a musical instrument manufacturing business founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos in İzmir, Ottoman Empire, and moved to New York City in 1908. After taking over his father's business, Epaminondas Stathopoulos named the company "Epiphone" as a combination of his own nickname "Epi" and the suffix "-phone" (from Greek phon-, "voice")[2] in 1928, the same year it began making guitars. From the 1930s through to the early 1950s, Epiphone produced a range of both acoustic and (later) electrified archtop guitars that rivalled those produced by Gibson and were the instruments of choice of many professionals; a smaller range of flat-top guitars were also produced, some designations of which were later continued during the Gibson-owned era for the company.
In 1957 Epiphone, Inc. was purchased by Gibson, its main rival in the archtop guitar market at the time. Gibson relocated Epiphone's manufacturing operation from its original Queens, New York, factory to Gibson's Kalamazoo, Michigan, factory, where production of both ranges took place until 1969, with Epiphone instruments—some with "sister" models in the Gibson line, some unique to the Epiphone line—generally considered equal in construction quality to those produced under the Gibson brand. From 1970 onwards, Gibson ceased production of Epiphones in its U.S.A factory and moved production offshore for a range of cheaper models. Today, Epiphone is still used as a brand for the Gibson company, both for budget models of other Gibson-branded products and for several Epiphone-exclusive models. Aside from guitars, Epiphone has also made double basses, banjos, and other string instruments, as well as amplifiers.
- ^ "Jim Rosenberg - The Epiphone Interview". Archived from the original on March 7, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- ^ "Epiphone - History". Epiphone.com. Retrieved February 22, 2012.