Epiphone History

The history of the Epiphone Guitar can be traced back to one family, well over a century ago. Anastasios Stathopoulo began making wooden, stringed instruments in Turkey in the late 19th century. When he and his family changed locations again to the United States, the family was fully in the business of instrument production.

While Anastasios created the company and instilled the passion, it was his son, Epaminondas, who would lead the company to great success starting from the 1920s. After his father’s death, it was left to Epaminondas to run the company and lead it into the future.

Epaminondas would prove to be quite the innovator, in everything from design to production to marketing. Nicknamed Epi, he is the namesake for Epiphone guitars and the entire Epiphone musical company. The name is a combination of his nickname Epi and “phone”, which is Greek for sound.

The Switch to Epiphone

With Epi at the helm of the company there were changes to be made. The company known as House of Stathopoulo would change and become Epiphone. Epi began to shift the company away from mandolin production, which was falling in popularity and toward other more exciting instruments.

This meant the banjo and following that, the guitar and the electric guitar. It was Epi’s innovation and keen mind for trends that allowed epitomized the successes of the Epiphone company. Many of Epi’s ideas, patents and designs would go on to shape the electric guitar industry to this day.

Epiphone and Gibson

When it came down to guitar production and sales in the 1930s there were two top dogs. These were Epiphone and Gibson, and the two knew each other well from their battles. The two were always trying to outdo each other so they could individually be known as the best.

Among the wars was for the width and size of the guitars, it seemed every year or production cycle one or the other would come out with a newer, wider guitar. The highlight of this war was the very scandalous for the time advertisement of an Epiphone Emperor guitar covering a naked woman, demonstrating its size.

However, all would not stay well financially for Epiphone after the death of Epi in the 1940s. In a move that could be described as keep your friends close and your enemies closer – or merely smart business – Gibson purchased Epiphone and released Epiphone guitars under their branch of instruments.

Post-Gibson, Revitalization and the Casino

The Epiphone guitar would once again become popular and very successful, although it was now part of the Gibson instrument family. The most recognizable and popular of Epiphone guitars to this day is the Casino, which was highlighted by the Beatles performances with them.

Nothing implants a guitar into public consciousness like leading musicians playing with them, and nobody was ever bigger than the Beatles. The Casino, like many Epiphone guitar models today, uses the same body or design as a Gibson guitar.

The story of the Epiphone guitar is one of ups and downs, highs and lows. But along the way came innovations that transformed the guitar world. Led by a musical mastermind in Epi, Epiphone guitars maintain a fan base and usage through current times in a style that will always be appreciated.