Epihone history in short.
Wiedler wrote us May 2016: “The first Electar instruments from 1935 don’t show a serial number. 1936 serial numbers started possibly near SN 1 (first documented is SN 25) and reached the 7000s by the time electric instrument/amp production was virtually halted during WW2. For Yamano Gakki Epiphone Japan semi acoustic models from 1987 to approximately 1997, the serial numbers are in a YCPPP format. They were made by Terada and usually have an Orange Epiphone label. Y = Year of manufacture C = Model code. I was just wondering where the serial number is on the Epiphone SG. I'm pretty sure is on the headstock. I have a number there but it has no letters a.
| Anastasios Stathopoulos born in 1863, was a Greek luthier who started a mandolin and violin company in 1873 in Pellana, Greece. In 1903 he emigrated with his wife to New York. As luthier he started a year later a company that mainly produced mandolins. The company ran well, and therefore he took the Italian professional Henry cappielo employed. After the death of Anastasios in 1915, his son Epaminondas (Epi) take control over the company. Under his management the company grows to one of the biggest of its kind. A few years later, Epaminondas opens a factory where mainly banjos were made. In 1924 he registered the brand name Epiphone, a combination of his own name (Epi) with the Greek word for sound (phone). Shortly thereafter, Epi buys the banjo company Favoran and introduces the banjo Epiphone Recording line. Because of their quality and elegant design, it will be a great success. Due to the success of the banjo Recording line, a Recording line for guitars was also established in 1928 and a full line of f-hole archtop guitars was introduced in 1931. There are 12 models, including the top models: Broadway, Triumph and DeLuxe. Epiphone has been competing with Gibson for some time and with the introduction of the Epiphone Emperor in 1935, dealt a serious blow. Epiphone introduced the Electar series in 1937, an electric guitar with an adjustable pickup. Epaminondas dies in 1943 and the business is continued by his two sons Orpheus (Orphie) and Frixo. The cooperation between the two brothers is going badly and the company is going through hard times in the post-war years. By the mid-1950s, Epiphone is still making very few instruments. | In 1957, Epiphone is sold to CMI, Gibson's parent company, for $20,000.00. A full line of newly designed acoustic and electric guitars is launched in 1958. In 1960, Epiphone's production moved to the Gibson plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. At the beginning of 1970 the production under license from Gibson moved from the USA to Japan. From 1983 there is also produced in Korea and then in 1995 also in Indonesia. In 2004, Gibson opened a factory in Qingdao, China for the production of Epiphone guitars. Although the vast production of Epiphone guitars takes place in these countries, some more exclusive models are still being made in the USA. Epaminondas Stathopoulos |
ACOUSTIC GUITARS
Epiphone used a serialnumber system for their acoustic guitars. Two or three digits were ink stamped on the neck block or blind stamped on the interior back of the Recording models, three digits (or four ?) blind stamped on the interior back of the Seville models.
Recording E s/n 94 ink stamped on the neck block
Recording C s/n 275 blind stamped on the interior back below the soundhole
Epiphone Serial Number Lookup Japan
NOTE: Fisch & Fred mention a four-digit Seville 4 Special (called Model 4 Special s/n 5417) on page 235 .
The Masterbilt serialnumber system did not start with the number 1000 but with the number 5000. The reason for this is unknown. The serial numbers were blind stamped on the interior back under the bass f-hole, generally below but sometimes on the (oval) label, maybe even without a label like the earlier Recording and Seville models.
Broadway s/n 5053 blind stamped without a label
De Luxe s/n 5369 blind stamped below the label
De Luxe s/n 6677 blind stamped on the label
From about 1934 forward, the serial numbers were ink typed directly on the label (Long Island label) or letter pressed on the label (rectangular Masterbilt label, Green label and Blue label). see pictures
Quite often the serialnumber was also blind stamped (some handwritten) on the underside of the bridgefoot. Occasionally the serialnumber was handwritten on one of the braces.
Zenith s/n 7738
Olympic s/n 6851
Olympic s/n 11690
The s/n is sometimes ink typed on a label where it should have been letter pressed. According to Wiedler Epiphone often applied a newer type label with the old s/n typed in when a guitar was brought in for repair. There are also a few cases of a s/n on an older than typical label, probably either by mistake or because they had ran out of the current type see pictures For a reason unknown a new numbering system was applied in 1944 which started with number 50.000.
NOTE: Although the Sorrentino and the Howard guitars were offered under another brand, they are part of the same serial number system.
References :
Felix Wiedler, NY Epi Reg
Jim Fisch & L.B. Fred, The House of Stathopoulo, 1996, pp. 221-225
ELECTRIC GUITARS
“While Epiphone’s SN systems for acoustic instruments and 1950s electric hollow bodies appear to be pretty straightforward, the SN systems of their other electric instruments and amps are much less so. Over the years a number of different SN systems were used.” (Wiedler)
“With the inception of the Electar line in late 1935, Epiphone began a new numbering system which was employed solely on the electric instruments (Electar, Century, Coronet, Zephyr, Kent, Harry Volpe model). This manifested itself in the form of a blind stamped number between three and five digits, usually located on the top rear of the headstock. (Fisch & Fred, The House of Stathopoulo, page 225)
Epiphone Sg Serial Number
Wiedler wrote us June 2013: “The Electar series started at a lower s/n than 3-digit. The earliest example I have documented is s/n 25.
Epiphone Genesis Serial Number Lookup
Until circa 1938 the s/n stamp is located on the top edge of the headstock. When the headstock shape of the Spanish electrics changed to the center-dip style the stamp was moved to the back of the headstock.
Wiedler wrote us May 2016: “The first Electar instruments from 1935 don’t show a serial number. In c. 1936 serial numbers started possibly near SN 1 (first documented is SN 25) and reached the 7000s by the time electric instrument/amp production was virtually halted during WW2. Currently I have listed Zephyr Spanish SN 7182 as the last pre-war electric guitar.
When Epiphone restarted electric instrument production in 1946, only the Zephyr Hawaiian model carried on with the old SN system – the first documented is SN 7307. All other electric models used a new 5-6 digit SN system – with model-specific 2-3 digit prefix followed by a 3-digit serial suffix. This lasted until 1949. Around 1950 hollowbody electrics adopted the label/SN system of acoustic instruments (first documented example: Zephyr Regent SN 60182), while electric Hawaiian instruments used a new SN system starting around SN 9000.” see pictures
Les Paul Epiphone Serial Number Lookup
References :
Felix Wiedler, NY Epi Reg
Jim Fisch & L.B. Fred, The House of Stathopoulo, 1996, p. 224-227
For Epiphone serialnumbers of the Upright Bass, see : Bass Monkey