Instruments Guitars Īfter Epiphone became a subsidiary of Norlin (Gibson's parent after 1969), many of its instruments were later patterned after the more expensive Gibson versions. In 1957 the company was acquired by Gibson. In 1951, a four-month-long strike forced a relocation of Epiphone from New York City to Philadelphia.
After Epi died in 1943, control of the company went to his brothers, Orphie and Frixo. The company produced its recording line of banjos in 1924 and, four years later, took on the name of the Epiphone Banjo Company. Just after the end of World War I, the company started to make banjos. After two years, the company became known as The House of Stathopoulo. Anastasios died in 1915, and his son, Epaminondas ('Epi'), took over. Stathopoulo moved to the United States in 1903 and continued to make his original instruments, as well as mandolins, from Long Island City in Queens, New York. Įpiphone began in 1873, in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire (now İzmir, Turkey), where Greek founder Anastasios Stathopoulos made his own fiddles and lutes (oud, laouto). The name 'Epiphone' is a combination of proprietor Epaminondas Stathopoulos' (Επαμεινώνδας Σταθόπουλος) nickname 'Epi' and 'phone' (from Greek phon- (φωνή), 'voice'). Epiphone also manufactures resonator guitars under the Dobro brand. However, the company's weakness in the aftermath of World War II and death of Epaminondas Stathopoulos in 1943 allowed Gibson to purchase it. Aside from guitars, Epiphone also made double basses, banjos, and other string instruments. Epiphone was Gibson's main rival in the archtop market prior to 1957. was purchased by Gibson and relocated from New York to Kalamazoo, Michigan. Epiphone Subsidiaryġ873 146 years ago in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire (now İzmir, Turkey)Įlectric, acoustic, archtop & resonator guitarsĮpiphone is an American musical instrument manufacturer founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos, currently based in Nashville, Tennessee. The name change reflected the diverse range of instruments made by Samick. The Samick Piano Company became the Samick Musical Instrument Company in 1973. Many of these instruments were made for other companies, and were branded as such. The very first Samick guitars were made around 1965, by what was then the Samick Piano Company. Samick Precision Bass Samick is one those brand names that might generally be thought of as being a builder of cheap basses and guitars.
You can determine if your Squier was made by Samick was through its serial number that began with an “S” or “S9” followed by six digits. The first Squier guitars to emerge from Korea started as early as 1986. The Squier brand was developed in 1982 and early on all production was based in Japan.Flashback to the old hippy days when real was real and plastic was plastic, if you know what I mean. I like an acoustic that resonates and vibrates so that you can feel the vibrations. This Samick Jumbo J2 you can feel vibrate very noticeably when you play it, both in the neck and in the body.
Try a Jumbo if you are up to it and want to get that really full bassy resonating sound. They have that nice deep round bass that a lot of people are searching for by trying to find different strings. They are loud and full and very tonefull. You need to watch those solid tops for cracking.īut the Jumbo just has that natural unplugged sound I can't see why more people don't buy them. Seagull S6 will probably be the best when I get it back with the EMG active pickup. It is my best acoustic guitar, by far, unplugged. The tone is really nice on the bass end and bright on the treble. Glad I got this inexpensive but great guitar. The neck is like a strat and it plays really well, even the hard to get chords. Got a nice Jumbo J 2 that sounds great and looks great and feels great. This info would be good to know and I am hoping someone on the forum has figured this out and is willing to share the info.
The Samick website does not have an email contact so that option is out.ĭoes anyone know how to decipher the serial number on Samick acoustics to figure out when your guitar was manufactured?