Waaay off topic: Epiphone Sheraton in 1957?!

Talk about guitars, amps and other gear.

Waaay off topic: Epiphone Sheraton in 1957?!

Postby DickThomas » Fri Nov 05, 2010 11:54 am

While viewing some you-tube links a friend had sent me about Arthur Smith, I came across one supposedly from a 1957 TV show, showing Arthur playing an Epiphone Sheraton. I had thought that the Sheraton was the Epiphone response to the Gibson ES-335, 345, 355 family, which I thought didn't come out until 1958. Was he playing a pre-production prototype; did Epiphone come out with the design before Gibson; or is the production date on the video misstated? This is hardly a burning issue, but it has sorta puzzled me a bit.

Thanks for any insights.

Dick
DickThomas
 
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 4:17 pm

Re: Waaay off topic: Epiphone Sheraton in 1957?!

Postby thenorm » Fri Nov 05, 2010 3:19 pm

Broadly I'd say Gibson made the basic design and the Eppy's were step-children.
Epiphone was Gibson's bargain line...lesser version of the main company product

Could be wrong but that's what I always thought.

Final answer...Gibson guitars do not copy Ephiphone guitars
thenorm
 
Posts: 482
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:29 pm

Re: Waaay off topic: Epiphone Sheraton in 1957?!

Postby DickThomas » Fri Nov 05, 2010 4:28 pm

That's what I always thought, too. I was just trying to figure out how he got his hands on an Epiphone version of a Gibson a year before the Gibson equivalent was released.

Dick
DickThomas
 
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 4:17 pm

Re: Waaay off topic: Epiphone Sheraton in 1957?!

Postby Billy Anderson » Fri Nov 05, 2010 5:32 pm

For what its worth, this site shows the Sheraton to have 1958 introduction specs;however, as Sgt. Schultz used to say, "I know nothing!"
Billy Anderson
 
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:20 pm

Re: Waaay off topic: Epiphone Sheraton in 1957?!

Postby Billy Anderson » Fri Nov 05, 2010 5:36 pm

For what its worth, this site shows the Sheraton to have 1958 introduction specs;however, as Sgt. Schultz used to say, "I know nothing!"


http://www.misterguitar.us/forhttp://ho ... 88cf&t=323

Told you I knew nothing! Hit the wrong key while trying to paste. Failed pasting in the First Grade, too. Billy
Billy Anderson
 
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:20 pm

Re: Waaay off topic: Epiphone Sheraton in 1957?!

Postby Billy Anderson » Fri Nov 05, 2010 6:00 pm

In fact I failed everything in the first grade. http://home.provide.net/~cfh/epiphone.html
Billy Anderson
 
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:20 pm

Re: Waaay off topic: Epiphone Sheraton in 1957?!

Postby tyguy » Sat Nov 06, 2010 2:32 pm

thenorm wrote:Broadly I'd say Gibson made the basic design and the Eppy's were step-children.
Epiphone was Gibson's bargain line...lesser version of the main company product

Could be wrong but that's what I always thought.

Final answer...Gibson guitars do not copy Ephiphone guitars

Epi's were a bargain because they were made in the Gibson Kalamazoo plant(they are a Gibson)and cost a little less but "not a lesser version at all" and in fact Gibson almost always added something extra to the Epi's.The Sheraton is "much fancier" than it's 355 counterpart.The Casino inlays were fancier than the 330.A lot of their gits had fancier binding and other trim extras fancier than Gibson's.There's no difference in the quality as they were made by the same Gibson people.I own a '63 Casino and the quality is as good as it gets for a Gibson.I've researched but never found the reason why they were less expensive than Gibsons.Some thought different sales commission and no buying and selling quota committment to the company as Gibson requires for their branded gits. The best, Ty M.
tyguy
 
Posts: 110
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 1:08 am

Re: Waaay off topic: Epiphone Sheraton in 1957?!

Postby Jussi Huhtakangas » Mon Nov 08, 2010 4:58 am

Here's a short Epiphone history:
http://www.epiphone.com/history.asp

I'd say the year in the clip is probably wrong since the whole Epiphone line wasn't introduced until summer of -58 and the Sheraton was purely a Gibson design. Pre-Gibson Epiphone never made thinline or double cutaway guitars.
Jussi Huhtakangas
 
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:56 am


Return to Guitars and Equipment

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 31 guests