Anastasios Stathopoulos started building instruments in Smyrna in 1873; the company that grew from his workshop became Epiphone, and Gibson bought it outright in 1957. Epiphone's own Masterbilt archtops had competed directly with Gibson's through the 1930s, and the brand later gained its own following through The Beatles — Casinos on stage, Paul McCartney's Texan on record. Today it operates as Gibson's more affordable line, building lower-priced versions of classic Gibson shapes alongside its own designs, largely out of Qingdao, China. It's the guitar we point beginners toward most often, and the "Inspired by Gibson" collection gets a look every time it's refreshed. Here's what we've covered.
Save $250 on the Epiphone Flying V Prophecy at Sweetwater—now $849. Metal-ready with Fishman Fluence active pickups and 24 jumbo frets.
