Epiphone 1957 SJ-200 Rei. VS IB B-Stock

Characteristic of the post-war SJ-200 tone is its signature scooped midrange, courtesy of the maple back and sides (a tonewood choice that this reissue honours, naturally). The result is a sound that's tailor-made for a band's mix, with mids that step back enough to let vocals shine, without compromising on bass or treble frequencies. Of course, a sound this good requires a matching level of playability, and players won't be disappointed here thanks to the guitar's comfortable 12" fingerboard radius and broader 43.79mm nut width, as well as the C neck profile. The longer scale length of 25.5" also gives the 1957 SJ-200 a higher string tension, making the guitar well-suited to lower tunings and providing clearer note separation on the individual strings. All in all, an authentic Epiphone jumbo that ticks every box!

Today, Epiphone is known only as the Asian budget offshoot of Gibson. Yet both companies were once independent, equal, and also bitter rivals. The roots of Epiphone go back to the 1870s and to Anastasios Stathopoulo, a Greek instrument maker, who emigrated to America in 1903 with his son Epaminondas ("Epi" for short). Epi changed the name of the firm to the "Epiphone Banjo Company" after taking over the family business in 1928. During this year, Epiphone also began to manufacture guitars, which rapidly came to dominate their sales. In 1957, Epiphone was taken over by C.M.I., which already included Gibson, but continued as a separate brand until 1970, when manufacturing was outsourced to Asia. Well-known Epiphone models include the Casino, played by the Beatles, and the Sheraton, John Lee Hooker's instrument of choice.