The History of Epiphone Guitars
Every good thing has a long history of hardships, challenges, and perseverance because success does not happen overnight. The Epiphone guitars also have a long history. They are one of the top brands that are loved by most guitar players and their popularity as well as great sound is something that grew over the years. This article will take us through a short history of this brand and how it came to dominate in the market.
Humble beginnings
The Epiphone brand began in a small town called Smyrna in Turkey, in the year 1873. One person, who was known as Anastasio Stathopoulo, worked for his father in a bouzouki and violin repair shop that was owned by the family. Within no time, the family had gained popularity all over the city due to their excellent skills. By 1890, the Stathopoulos family was able to open their very own instrument factory.
Moving to the United States
The family, including all the sons, moved to the United States during the early 1890’s. They moved because taxes in Turkey became unbearable under the Ottoman Empire. In 1915, Anastasio died, leaving behind his business to his son. The instrument business was based in Manhattan, New York when Anastasio. Sons take over the business The eldest son who was known as Epi took charge of the company and started developing it immediately.
They built many mandolins but competition from the banjos that had already established itself during the post World War I made them phase out. However, Epi did not give up, and within a short time, he acquired a close by Farovan Company. The company which was located on Long Island was an instrument manufacturing company along with other machinery and materials.
The breakthrough In 1928, the instrument business, now called Epiphone, headed by Anastasio’s eldest son, Epi, produced its very first acoustic guitar. The guitar had combining spruce that had a maple that was laminated and it was available in either arch top or flat variant.
This model was designed to compete with Gibson’s -5’ which was the rival brand in from 1922. However, the guitar lacked artist endorsements, and its low volume made its popularity to wane. This lead to the development of a better designed Epiphone’s Masterbuit in the year 1931. The company continued to face many challenges, and its progress slowed down after World War II. Epiphone further faced greater challenges when Epi died in 1945.
During this time, materials were scarce and Orpheu, the remaining shareholder moved to Philadelphia to look for greener pastures. Later, in 1957, the then president of Gibson Guitars, Ted McCarty, offered to help Orpheu by buying the Epiphone Company and all its resources under the advice of a great guitarist Les Paul. Continued growth Epiphone was able to overcome many challenges for many years, and in 1994, it began expanding its artist endorsements.
By 2004, the company had significantly established itself, and it was a leading brand in the market. The company was even able to open a new factory in China. This was their first plant since the merger of Epiphone and Gibson. Epiphone is still the market leader of musical instruments, and its long, rich history has allowed them to perfect their traditional brands but is still open to innovations.
Although Epiphone is Gibson’s entry-level brand, they still produce excellent guitars that deserve to be paired with a great guitar strap to complete the look. Therefore, if you own a vintage Epiphone guitar, you can as well buy the Epiphone guitar straps to make it look sophisticated. Now that we have recapped the history of guitars let us have a look at the guitar straps that can go with the guitar models available, including the Epiphone guitars.
Guitar Straps
Several Epiphone guitar straps are available in many guitar accessories workshops. A good example is the Bison Boa guitar accessories shop that is located in the northern part of England. This company mainly specializes in low-run, quality boutique guitar accessories that you will not find in any local guitar stores. The guitar gears they make are unique and can be customized to suit the unique requests of the numerous guitarists.
Some of the guitar straps they sell include the royal cream, the buffalo king, and straps made purely from cowhide. These straps go for 60 pounds. You can thus make your order if you need one for your instrument. This company makes both core line and pro line straps. The core line leather straps are custom made in their UK workshop.
These straps are unique and original thus you are assured of quality. More so, they make them from hand-seared buffalo leather, Tuscan tanned leather that is oil-stuffed and completely pure Italian nubuck peach skin. The pro line straps that are offered by Bison Boa are beautiful and stunning as well.
These straps are 100 percent hide-derived and made by craftsmen in their UK workshop. They are tanned using cowhide, and their quality is unmatched. Therefore, you are assured that the strap you will get is 100 percent pure leather, unique and of excellent quality.
How to choose a guitar strap
Several factors come in to play when selecting a guitar strap. They include:
•Material – the material that used to make the strap should be of good quality. Leather is most preferred for the straps.
•Comfort – since the strap will stay on your shoulder for hours, make sure it is comfortable before buying it.
•Weight distribution – guitar straps are supported by only two small strap buttons. Therefore, ensure the weight of the strap is evenly distributed to avoid fatigue due to lack of proportionality.
•The right fit – select a strap that fits correctly for comfort purposes.
•Dimensions – not too long or short. Just the perfect size. The Epiphone guitar, mother of all guitars, has made the instrument industry to become competent day in day out.
Innovations and technology are now common practice in this company. More so, many guitar accessories that are custom-made are being made every day. Therefore, guitarists are at a better place today as they can get any type of guitar brand together with their accessories at affordable prices.