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| Epiphone electric guitar |
The Epiphone name has a rich history that dates back to 1863 when Anastasios Stathopoulos, son of a timber merchant was born in Sparta, Greece. In 1873 Anastasios began building his reputation as a craftsman by creating violins, lutes and Greek lioutos. Several years later, in 1890 he moved to Turkey and was joined by his family. To avoid persecution from the Turkish people, his family moved once again in 1903, this time to lower Manhattan in New York. There his sons, Epaminondas ('Epi') and Orpheus ('Orphie') began working with their father to build a successful instrument manufacturing and repair shop until Anastasios death in 1915.
Epaminondas then took over the business, and by 1917 began to transform the company. One of his early successes came from his recognition of changes occurring in the market. As old world instruments began to fall out of favor, he began to produce banjos, a modern instrument used in the increasingly popular jazz markets. He created his own designs, patents and eventually branded the Epiphone name.
Showing their business savvy, Epiphone released a series of recordings in 1923 featuring Epiphone banjos like the Concert, Artist and Deluxe models. The success of these releases further propelled their growth, enabling them to acquire competitor Favoran Banjo Co. and to add the important endorsements of celebrity musicians previously associated with their competitor. As times changed, including the challenges of the 1929 stock market crash, the Epiphone company would transform once again.
The first series of Epiphone guitars are released.
In 1928 the company released their first series of Epiphone guitars. Although these guitars followed the same craftsmanship of the original lutes and violins from the Stathopoulos family, they were not well received and sales were less than hoped. However these guitars sparked the beginnings of a long rivalry with competitor Gibson guitars, which had an early advantage in the guitar market due to celebrity endorsements.
Although Epiphone lagged behind Gibson in sales, through modifications and improvements, they managed to still gain a reputation for being among the finest guitars in the world. Epiphone and Gibson would continue their clash until the death of Epiphone's leader, Epaminondas in 1945. Years later in 1957, Epiphone and Gibson would join forces to compete against Fender Company the famed craftsmen of the Telecaster and Stratocaster violins.
Even with Gibson as its new owner, Epiphone's reputation stood alone. Epiphone guitars and other instruments had a strong and loyal following. As folk music exploded in the 1960's so did the sales of Epiphone guitars. The 1960s also brought with it new challenges as cheaper guitars manufactured in Japan quickly eroded American manufacturer's markets and forced most of them to close. Gibson and Epiphone too had to succumb to the lower costs of foreign manufacturing and moved its operations to Japan in 1970.
Epiphone eventually moved operations to Korea in 1983 and a new image began to evolve. A new focus was placed on the design and manufacturing of their electric guitars. New products emerged from Gibson's Nashville shops like the Riviera and Sheraton. With newly dedicated staffs, designs, and focus, Epiphone models of the Riviera, Casino, Sorrento and Rivoli bass were re-introduced in 1994. Musicians began to make these new version of classic Epiphone guitars their instrument of choice.
In 2003, the company's reputation had fully rebounded and their first dedicated factory to make Epiphone guitars since being acquired by Gibson was opened in China.Epiphone has helped many guitarists achieve their dreams of playing guitar because they have a quality product at a price that many people can afford. The Epiphone Les Paul is an awesome guitar at a great price for guitarists looking for that classic Les Paul look. It was even featured here at http://www.guitarworld.com/ask-paul-five-great-guitars-under-500-part-1.
Hello, future rock stars. Welcome to my blog!
In addition to receiving lots of praise and hate mail as Guitar World’s gear editor on video, I’m often asked, “Hey, Paul, can you tell me a good guitar I can get for under $500?”
To which I say, “Why do you want to go ahead and ruin your life by playing guitar?”
Seriously, though, there are plenty of great, affordable guitars available nowadays. With all the precise automation in guitar manufacturing, it’s difficult to find poorly made guitars. Not to say that they don’t exist; but for the most part, I find many guitars from overseas are surprisingly good and won’t have you rifling for money from your mother’s purse.
Rather than listing five affordable guitars, I decided to categorize this topic by application, including "metal/shred" and "classic" (with three more coming up in part two).
Be sure to check out the four photos in the photo gallery at the bottom of this blog post.
1. METAL/SHRED: Schecter Guitars Damien Elite, $499
Schecter Guitars has always had the unfair stigma for producing guitars that cater to metal and shred players; so what the hell, I’ll perpetuate that stereotype: Yes, the Damien Elite with its low-action, 24 extra-jumbo frets and full metal requisite of EMG 81 and 85 active humbuckers for tight and aggressive sounds makes this one Godzilla of a guitar.
For the price, it comes with top-of-the-line pro hardware like Grover tuners, Tone Pros Tune-o-matic bridge with thru-body string mounts, GraphTech TUSQ nut (for precise intonation and tuning stability), and having the upgraded EMGs means you won’t have to change the pickups!
I like the see-thru black and crimson-red finishes on this guitar because it makes it look far more expensive than it actually is. I also love the headstock because it’s not obnoxious or overtly pointy like other metal guitars.
2. CLASSIC: Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro, $499
The Les Paul is my favorite guitar, and after many years of coveting them, I now have way too many of them. But for those of you who have always dreamed of owning one, Epiphone puts them within reach.
Nine times out of 10, I’m recommending an Epiphone guitar because, across their line of electrics, arch tops and acoustics, they’re well made and set up perfectly right out of the case. The Les Paul Traditional has uncovered zebra pickups, which give you a throaty humbucking tone but also include push/pull coil splitting so you can get some single coil sounds. It has all the expected Les Paul appointments like mahogany body, set neck and Locktone Tune-o-matic bridge. You’ll never get thrown out of an audition for showing up with this sharp-looking guitar.
For an extra $100, bump yourself up to the Epiphone Les Paul Custom. It’s what I use most, and with its elegant looks and awesome playability, you can’t go wrong.So now let's take a closer look at the Epiphone Les Paul, and even more specifically, the Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard Limited Edition. It's a beautiful guitar seen here at http://fretboardmag.com/epiphone/epiphone-1959-les-paul-standard-limited-edition/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fretboardmag%2FwZUW+%28Fretboard%29.
Epiphone’s 1959 Les Paul Standard Limited Edition is modelled, as the name suggests, on the most famous Les Paul of them all — the 1959 Les Paul Standard. Original Gibson Les Paul Standard’s from 1959 change hands for hundreds of thousands of dollars because it’s regarded by many as being the peak of Gibson’s Les Paul output.
Fifty years later, and just weeks after the death of the man from whom it takes its name, only 1959 of these limited edition guitars are available to buy. The Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard Limited Edition features an authentic 1950s rounded neck profile.
Nick-named ‘the baseball bat’ this neck, according to Epiphone ‘feels beefy yet comfortable in your hands while adding warmth and sustain with it’s greater mass.’
The solid mahogany neck is hand-fitted to the body with a deep-set long neck tenon which ‘extends well into the neck pickup cavity creating even more tone and sustain.’ The body itself is solid mahogany, with a carved hard maple cap and AAA grade flame maple veneer on top. One look at the pictures and you can see just what a stunning guitar this is.
The Gibson BurstBucker pick-ups have unpolished magnets and non-potted coils and are designed to recreate the sound of the Gibson humbucker pick-ups on the orginal ‘59 Les Paul. Those pick-ups had coils with a different number of turns which gave the sound more ‘bite.’
There’s a Switchcraft toggle switch, Mallory-150 tone capacitors with metal pointers, nickel hardware, and a blank trussrod cover. The serial number is stamped on the back of the headstock.
The Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Limited Edition comes with a replica brown Lifton-style case with pink interior and a certificate of authenticity. It’s available in two finishes; Faded Cherryburst and Faded Iced Tea.Now for a more recent Epiphone guitar review. The This review features a video that I think you'll enjoy. This is a great feature for the new Les Paul Ultra-III at http://www.guitarworld.com/epiphone-launches-new-les-paul-ultra-iii-guitar.
We all know that deep down, most guitarists love the classic designs and shapes.
That's why Epiphone designed the new Les Paul Ultra-III with the same look and features of a traditional Les Paul but added new technology giving you a guitar that's a real Les Paul, but so much more.
Two Great Pickup Systems in One Guitar
At the heart of the new Ultra-III are two pickup systems. Powering the first are Epiphone's new ProBucker humbucking pickups patterned after Gibson's famous BurstBuckers).
With authentic 18 percent nickel silver base and cover, Elektrisola wire, accurate bobbins, slugs and screws and sand casted Alnico-II magnets, they replicate that classic "Patent Applied For" airy tone that defined rock 'n' roll.
The second system features Shadow Germany's patented NanoMag pickup embedded discretely at the end of the fingerboard. Featuring three samarium cobalt magnets, an air coil and active electronics, this low-impedance pickup captures all the subtle body acoustics and string harmonics.
Together, you get powerful humbucker-driven rock crunch as well as shimmering acoustic-like tones and everything in-between.
One-Of-A-Kind Electronics Built-in
If you thought the Ultra-II was jam-packed with modern features, you won't believe what Epiphone has designed into the Ultra-III. Built discretely into the bridge pickup mounting ring is a full-function, chromatic tuner.
Push its ON/OFF button and sound is immediately muted when the tuner activated. Eleven color-coded LED's identify the note as well as whether it's sharp, flat or in-tune. Also, to allow quick and seamless changes between each pickup system, the Ultra-III's NanoMag Volume knob now doubles as an A/B switch. Just push it in and quickly toggle between Magnetic, NanoMag or both pickup systems with no delay and no "pop."
Two additional LED's on the pickup mounting ring provide a visual indicator of which pickup system is active (Red=NanoMag; Blue-Magnetic or Red/Blue=Both).
Hook-Up Directly To Your Computer
The Ultra-III features three different outputs. By using the standard 1/4" MONO output, both the Humbuckers and NanoMag are mixed into one signal. When you plug another 1/4" cable into its STEREO output, the Humbuckers are routed through one cable and the NanaMag the other.
In this way, you can send the Humbuckers to your favorite guitar amp and the NanoMag to the PA or an acoustic guitar amp. Using the A/B switch, you can now change "on-the-fly" between the two outputs.
The third output is USB. Using a USB cable (included), you can plug directly into your computer and use guitar applications such as Native Instruments GuitarRig 4LE (software included) to play your guitar through a variety of simulated amplifiers and effects and listen through your computer speakers or headphones. GuitarRig also features a recorder, a metronome, a tuner and more.
Great Tone Woods and Hardware
While the Ultra-III is packed with technology, it still maintains the same basic specifications that made Epiphone Les Pauls the choice of so many guitarists including a solid Mahogany body with glued-in Mahogany neck and comfortable SlimTaper neck profile, a flame Maple veneer top and Rosewood fingerboard.
The result is a modern guitar with that classic Les Paul tone and sustain. Like most Epiphone's, it's also equipped with Epi's patent-applied-for LockTone locking tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece for increased sustain and string changing ease as well as quality Grover 16:1 machine heads for tuning accuracy and stability.
Limited Lifetime Warranty
Like every Epiphone, it features their Limited Lifetime warranty backed by world famous 24/7/365 day Gibson Customer Service. If you want a versatile professional instrument designed for live performance or studio and capable of both Les Paul crunch and real acoustic-like tones, the Epiphone Ultra-III is it!The Epiphone series of guitars is quite extensive. If you are in the market for a new guitar, I urge you to consider these reasonably priced, quality Epiphone models at http://guitar.lovetoknow.com/about-guitars/epiphone-guitars.
Once thought of as simply the low cost version of the Gibson guitar line, Epihone guitars are starting to stand out on their own as exceptional instruments and great values. Over the years, Epiphone has produced many sought after guitar models that stand out in an over-saturated guitar market. The following are some of the most notable guitars currently being produced by Epiphone.
Selections from the Epiphone Guitar Line
The following acoustic and electric guitars are stand-outs in the Epiphone line. The links associated with each guitar will take you to online retailers where you can purchase one for yourself.
Acoustic Guitars
The price of these acoustic guitars will impress you as much as their style and sound.
Dove - The Dove is an affordable, dreadnought acoustic guitar with a ton of style. The maple body and spruce top provide a clear, bright sound. What is striking about this guitar, however, is the Dove etching on the pickguard and the beautiful cut rosewood bridge - two details that make it a real headturner.
Hummingbird - Based on the Gibson model with the same name, this guitar has a sunburst finish, a mahogany body and a spruce top. The famous hummingbird engraved on the pickguard makes this guitar look like a classic right out of the case.
Arch Top Guitars
Epiphone's line of arch top guitars has been its bread and butter for years. These beautiful instruments will wow you with their incredible value and craftsmanship.
Epiphone Dot - Based on the ES line of Gibson guitars, the Dot series offers a tremendous amount of bang for your buck. The sound of the twin humbuckers combined with the semi-hollow body creates warm, fat tones that are perfect for jazz, blues, and rock and roll. The twin f-holes add a classic bit of styling that makes this guitar a great option for those who want to look cool, too.
Casino - The Casino was a model similar to the guitar John Lennon played in the Let it Be rooftop performance. This semi-acoustic has a great jangle that can get as fuzzy and nasty as you like when you add a bit of volume and distortion. A sunburst finish and vintage tail piece complete the package with style.
Solid Body Guitars
These are the rock and roll monsters of the Epiphone line. They are not for the faint of heart.
Les Paul Custom - This amazing guitar has all the beef and grit of the original Les Paul guitar yet is available for a fraction of the price. Two Alnico humbuckers and a set mahogany neck give this guitar a fat tone and sustain that has been famous since the Les Paul was invented in the 1950s.
G400 - The G400 is an SG type guitar based off the early 1960s versions of this canonical instrument. It features a mahogany neck and body and two Alnico humbuckers and is available in cherry or ebony.
Firebird Studio - This is another version of a classic from the early days of rock and roll. With a faded cherry satin finish, an unmistakable body style, and its dual humbuckers with Steinberger gearless tuners, this guitar will turn heads and ears.
1962 Wilshire Reissue - The above guitars are in the expected range of high-value, moderately priced instruments that have made Epiphone famous. The Wilshire reissue, however, is a true work of art. This guitar is vintage all the way, with two P90 pickups, Klusen tuners, a cherry finish, and a unique double cutaway body style that looks unique yet familiar at the same time. This guitar is an example of the fine craftsmanship of which Epiphone is capable.
The Epiphone Story
Interestingly, even though Epiphone is closely associated with Gibson guitars, their history goes back to the 1870s. The company was started in Greece by a luthier who made mandolins and lutes. The company moved to America in the early 1900s and continued to make these traditional instruments until the mid-1950s when it was bought by the Chicago Music Company - the company that also owned Gibson guitars. The company is now a subsidiary of Gibson which explains why many of the instruments are visually similar to Gibson guitars, yet available at a more affordable price.
Don't Let the Price Fool You
Epiphone is a guitar company with a long, celebrated history. If you are looking for a classic guitar but can't afford the high prices that the famous, top-of-the-line guitars demand, Epiphone guitars are a very respectable option.I found an interesting article on the late, great singer, songwriter and guitarist Roy Orbison that shines a very respectable light on Epiphone Guitars. Check it out here at http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/roy-orbison-0422-2011/.
A problem many exceptional guitar players have with songwriting is choosing chords that are right for the melodic and harmonic path of the appropriate vocal performances.
And then there was Roy Orbison, a master of both picking and structure with a vocal method that was the American roots music equivalent of Caruso’s — literally a voice for the ages.
Although Orbison was most often seen with a Gibson ES-335 on stage, for songwriting he often used a 12-string acoustic Epiphone Bard model. The guitar, with its lush, natural chorusing quality, was the perfect compliment to the heavy purr of his singing. And it’s the instrument that helped him create “Oh, Pretty Woman” with fellow Texas songwriter Bill Dees during a mere 40 minutes in 1963.
The Gibson Company immortalized Orbison’s acoustic with the Ltd Ed Roy Orbison Signature 12-String Acoustic. The guitar is a highly accurate reproduction of Orbison’s 1962 original. It has a solid spruce top, a solid mahogany back, a rosewood 12-string bridge and vintage tuners. For this limited edition release, the back of the guitar’s headstock includes a replica of Roy’s signature and the notation for the first measure of the “Oh, Pretty Woman” intro riff.
A little known aspect of Orbison’s history is that early in his career Sun Records’ boss Sam Phillips — who signed Orbison’s group the Teen Kings in 1956 and made the minor hit “Ooby Dooby” with them — valued him more for his picking than his songwriting, and that Orbison could tear out a rockabilly solo with plenty of fire. In fact, he played guitar on Sun’s singles for Ken Cook and others.
Orbison got his first guitar when he was only six years-old and typically composed the riffs that served as the hooks of his songs himself, including the memorable pattern that opens “Oh, Pretty Woman.”
His first significant commercial success was as a songwriter for others, penning his first big hit, “Claudette,” for the Everly Brothers. In fairness, even Orbison contended that his voice wasn’t fully developed until 1960, when he recorded “Only the Lonely.” At first, he tried pitching the tune to his friend Elvis Presley and to the Everly Brothers. Orbison believed so strongly in the song that after they turned it down he cut it himself, and it reached number two on the Billboard charts to make him a star. At that point Orbison had developed a method of singing that came from his chest and abdomen rather than his throat.
Further hits like “Crying” and “Running Scared,” the latter based on Maurice Ravel’s famous composition Bolero, cemented his reputation and forever insured that Orbison would be remembered for his voice rather than his guitar. He also developed a memorable look to compensate for his lack of movement on stage, dressing head to toe in black.
Unlike most early rock heroes, Orbison was never a slave to the backbeat. His tunes were arranged more to fit the seemingly capricious nature of his vocal lines. They are full of daring chromaticism and defy the variations of the I-IV-V structure of most tunes of the era, in soaring contrast to the works of Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, for example. Orbison’s darkly beautiful song “In Dreams,” for example, eschews any verse-chorus-bridge-verse pattern to deliver instead seven distinct verses without a repeated lyric hook or chorus. “Running Scared” repeats its first verse four times before resolving with a chorus and abruptly finishing.
And his themes were often plucked from the troubled corners of romance, where love is eternally insecure, often fleeting and loaded with consequences. That gave his songs a more adult perspective than typical teenage fare, with the notable exception of the blithe “Oh, Pretty Woman.” And yet, that song is also partly a wish, with an edge of quiet desperation in the singer’s hope that the lady in the title will look his way.
Another testament to his vision is that throughout the 1960s Orbison refused to edit takes together or splice performances. He believed in the collective strength of individual performances and that editing diluted that strength. Despite the depth of his musical resolve, Orbison suffered from stage fright regardless of his ability to create silenced awe in his audiences and win such fans and friends as Bob Dylan and George Harrison, with whom he shared the spotlight in the Traveling Wilburys for a short time before his death from a heart attack in 1988.
Orbison left behind an expansive catalog, including 23 authorized solo albums, nearly 100 singles and four live discs. He appears on only the first Traveling Wilbury’s disc and died shortly after it was recorded. But Orbison’s career was once again on an upward arc even before he entered the studio with that supergroup. Director David Lynch used Orbison’s staggeringly powerful song “In Dreams” for a particularly brutal sequence in his surrealist noir revival film Blue Velvet in 1986, which introduced the Other Man in Black to a new generation of hipsters.Epiphone makes guitars for players at all levels. It has proved to be a successful brand that offers quality guitars at great prices. Don't count them out when hunting for your first or next guitar, you never know, it could be the last guitar you buy because you fell in love with it. Good luck in your guitar search and be sure to check back in to Mike's Guitar Talk for more compelling information on the guitar world.
Have fun and stay tuned!
Mike
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