There, they manufactured instruments which were distributed to unproved guitar dealers who wanted to be granted a Gibson contract. A gradual decline throughout the late ‘40s into the ‘50s precipitated the acquisition of Epiphone by Gibson’s parent company, the Chicago Musical Instrument Company in ’57.Įpiphone was relocated to Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Sadly for Epiphone, a combination of an economic downturn suffered during the second world war and Epi’s death in 1943 caused them to falter and lose their competitive edge. Right through to the ‘40s, the two manufacturers were engaged in an archtop arms-race, constantly innovating new features and ideas for their guitars in efforts to outsell one another. Moving through the ‘20s and ‘30s, Epiphone began to produce guitars, starting a rivalry with fellow US-based company, Gibson.

It wasn’t always this way though – for a spell in the 20th century, Epiphone were joint industry leaders, butting heads with Gibson and producing some of the finest guitars that money could buy.Īfter the conclusion of the first world war, Epaminondas “Epi” Stathopoulos, a Greek migrant to the USA, had just inherited his late father’s New York based instrument manufacturing business – The House of Stathopoulo.įocussing on the manufacture of quality banjos, his company was beginning to enjoy a reputation for producing excellent recording instruments, and he rebranded his business to the snappier, eponymous – Epiphone. If you want to pick up a brand new Les Paul or SG without spending Gibson money, then Epiphone have their modestly priced versions, which could be seen as a steppingstone to Gibson’s top-end models. Think of Epiphone, and you probably think of Gibson’s sister brand. The story of that guitar is entwined with the story of Lennon’s most iconic performances and songs, the dissolution of The Beatles, and the development of his own unique musical style.Įpiphone & The Beatles’ introduction to the Casino The House of Stathopoulo One of the quintessential images of John Lennon is that of him stood on a London rooftop, wearing a fur coat, with an Epiphone Casino strapped to his chest. The enormous rise and ruinous fall of a migrant’s family-run instrument business, and how it put the ultimate songwriter’s guitar in the hands of one of the most famous musicians of the modern era.

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