In 1957, Epiphone, Inc. was purchased by Gibson, its main rival in the archtop guitar market at the time. Today, Epiphone is still used as a brand for the Gibson company, both for budget models of other Gibson-branded products and for several Epiphone-exclusive models.

What is the difference between a Gibson and an Epiphone?

Their tops are solid maple, while Epiphone uses a thinner sheet of maple and often combines veneer into their guitars. The hardware and the electronics that Gibson uses in the guitars are of higher quality as well. In the Gibson Les Paul, Gibson uses Burstbucker pickups; while Epiphone does use quality pickups.

Are all Epiphones made in China?

In 2004, Gibson opened a factory in Qingdao, China, which manufactures Epiphone guitars. With few exceptions, Epiphones are now built only in the Qingdao factory.