Korean Epiphone Serial Numbers

Vintage Guitars Info - Epiphone vintage guitar collecting general infoVintage Guitars Info'sVintage Epiphone Guitars.General Information and Specs.Epiphone vintage guitars general info and collecting.Private vintage guitar collector. Pictures, history forepiphone vintage guitars.1965 Epiphone Sheraton (Route 66 Guitars).:Archtop (full depth) Hollowbody Guitar Models.Thinline (Gibson-made) Hollowbody Guitar Models:.Flat top Guitar Models:.Solidbody (Gibson-made) Electric Guitar Models:.Introduction:Epiphone was a family business established in 1873 as 'the House ofStathopoulo' by AnastasiosStathopoulo, a greek violin maker. In 1923 they incorporated and at thistime made mostly high quality and fancy banjos. In 1928 the name waschanged to 'Epiphone' after Epi Stathopoulo, president of the company andone of the founder's sons. In the 1930's, the company changed its emphasisto guitars. Epiphone was the only banjo company to successfullyswitch to guitar production.1954 Epiphone catalog with a blondEmperor Zephyr Regent.In 1952/1953 the C.G.

1. Epiphone Serial Numbers Decoder
2. Korean Epiphone Serial Numbers For Guitars
3. Korean Epiphone Serial Numbers Identification

Epiphone Serial Numbers Decoder

Conn Company's (a band instrument manufacturer)Orphie got Epiphone distribution rightsmoved. Now most guitar production went to Philidelphia (although the labelsstill said New York). This was done partially as a 'strike break' move,as New York Epiphone workers were in conflict with the Stathopouliofamily. The Stathopoulo family regained control again in 1955, butfew if any instruments were made in 1956 and 1957.The Chicago Musical Instrument company (CMI), which owned, boughtEpiphone in 1957. When CMI purchased Epiphone, they got all of Epiphone'scurrent stock of parts including bodies, necks, pickups, etc.

Gibson usedthese 'New Yorker' parts in conjuction with their own parts when makingEpiphones from 1958 to 1961. By 1961 Gibson has used up all the originalNew York-made Epiphone parts, and then used Gibson parts made in Kalamazoo.Instruments from 1958 to 1969 are commonly referred to as'Gibson/Epiphones'.When Norlin purchased CMI (Gibson) in 1969, all Epiphone production wasmoved to Japan. Later, productions was moved to Korea. Many of the importedinstruments bear a label with Gibson's Kalamazoo address and no mention ofJapan or Korea, which can be misleading. However, these import instrumentshave model numbers that do not correspond with Kalamazoo made Epiphone modelnumbers listed below. Also the serial number is usually 7 digits or longer(unlike U.S. Made Epi's with a 6 digit or less serial number).Model Types.In addition to the Zephyr and Zephyr Regent models, Epiphone applied thetwo terms to other models to signify electric or cutaway:.

Korean Epiphone Serial Numbers For Guitars

Zephyr = electric. Regent = cutaway.Contruction and Value.High-end acoustic archtop Epiphones are constructed of high quality, solidwoods. Electric archtop Epiphones are made from laminated woods. Becauseof this, electric archtop Epiphones are much less desirable, and are worthconsiderably less than fully acoustic archtop models.Pre-1937 Epiphones are of very high quality and are generally much scarcerthan later models.

Korean Epiphone Serial Numbers Identification

They have a smaller body and less modern neck feel thanlater models, and are less collectable.The most collectable models are those made from 1937 whenbody sizes were increased, up to the end of New York productions (1956).Most desirable are the professional grade models on which the companybuilt its reputation: Emperor, DeLuxe, Broadway and Triumph. These models,along with Gibsons, are considered by most to be the best vintagefactory-made archtop guitars produced. Mid-rangeand low-end models are generally regarded as student model instruments.Electric Archtop Epiphones.New York-made electric archtops are interesting but generally are notas collectable as equivalent acoustic models. Acoustic models aresolid carved top and back whereas electrics are plywood. In addition,the electronics on New York Epiphones are not as sonically good ascompared to Gibson of the same period or to the later Gibson-madeEpiphones. Therefore, New York electric archtop Epiphones are worthconsiderably less than Gibsons of the same period.1940 Epiphone ad: 'For those who prefer blonds'Early Gibson Epiphones with New York pickups are of interest to collectors.Most hollowbody Epiphone electrics bring less than the equivalentGibson models. Double cutaway thinbody electrics are the most highly soughtafter electric archtop models.

The Emperor (single cutaway) is therarest of the thinlines (66 made). The Sheraton, especially the earlyversion with blond finish, is also very collectable. Sheratonswith New York pickups are worth the most, but not for sound. The Riviera,though equal in playability and sound, is not nearly as collectable.The Casino is collectable only because John Lennon played one.It may seem like a contridiction in terms: New York pickups are sonicallyinferior to Gibson pickups, but models fitted with New York pickups from1958 to 1960 are worth more than post-1960 models fitted with better Gibsonpickups. These Epiphone models made from 1958 to 1960like the Sheraton and Coronet are much more collectable (and valuable) withNew York pickups, even though everyone agrees the later models sound muchbetter fitted with Gibson pickups.Solidbody Electric Epiphones.Solidbody electric Epiphones with New York pickups are interesting tocollectors, but not for their sound. Later solidbody models with mini-humbucking pickups bring less money than Gibson equivalents withstandard humbucking pickups.