It produced its first guitars in 1928. After Epi died in 1943, control of the company went to his brothers, Orphie and Frixo. In 1951, a four-month-long strike precipitated a relocation of Epiphone from New York City to Philadelphia. In 1957 the company was acquired by Gibson.

When were Epiphone guitars first made?

1873, Smyrna, Turkey Epiphone/Founded

What years were Epiphone Guitars made in Japan?

In the early 1970s, Epiphones began to be manufactured in Japan. From the 1980s, Epiphones were manufactured mainly in Korea by contractors licensed by Gibson.

Where were Epiphone Guitars originally made?

Turkey Epiphone began in 1873, in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire (now İzmir, Turkey), where Greek founder Anastasios Stathopoulos made his own fiddles and lutes (oud, laouto).

Where is the Epiphone factory?

Qingdao factory Where Are Epiphone Guitars Made? Epiphone guitars are manufactured in Gibsons Chinese-based Qingdao factory. The majority of Epiphones instruments have been made exclusively in this facility since 2004, including their solid-body, hollow-body and acoustic guitars.

How do I tell what year my Epiphone guitar is?

The first digit is the last digit of the production year, the following four digits are the serial number. Five digits no space after the first digit were used from 1951 to 1956 and from 1961 to 1967 for both acoustic and electric models.

Do any famous musicians use Epiphone?

John Lennon and George Harrison both played Epiphone Casinos, a thin-line archtop guitar you can still get today. In fact, Lennon played his 65 Casino from the year he purchased it until his final days with the band. Even bassist Paul McCartney owned a Casino for songwriting and studio work purposes.

Where is John Lennons Epiphone Casino?

After Lennons passing, the guitar was kept by Yoko Ono and was put on display in the John Lennon Museum in Saitama, Japan until it closed in September 30, 2010.

When did Epiphone start making guitars in China?

2004 International demand for Epiphones was so high that the company opened a new factory in China in 2004, the first time that Epiphone had its own dedicated factory since the merging with Gibson in 1957. Today, Epiphone has something for every player in every genre.

How can I tell if my Epiphone is real?

How To Spot A Fake Epiphone Les Paul – 8 Telltale SignsEpiphone Les Paul Fakes are far more common than most would ever believe.Extra thick binding is a dead giveaway.Exaggerated embossing on Grover style tuners can signal a fake.You cannot always trust the serial number alone.6 Jun 2021

Who plays a Epiphone Casino?

The guitar debuted in 1961 and has been associated with such guitarists as Howlin Wolf, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Dave Davies, Paul Weller, The Edge, Josh Homme, Daniel Kessler, Noel Gallagher, Brendon Urie, Gary Clark, Jr., Glenn Frey, John Illsley, Peter Green and Dave Grohl.