Real or fake Epiphone A-style?

[gettysg]

First time poster here. I'm a guitar player who is looking at getting into mandolin. I'm keeping an eye out for a good deal on a starter and I found this one at an estate sale coming up in my area. The headstock reads Epiphone by Gibson in an unusual font. I searched the internet and cannot find any info on it. All the info I have on it are these pictures. Can anyone tell me any info on the mandolin or is it a fake?

[Chris Daniels]

Looks legit to me. Here's a cafe thread with pics of the same type of Epi, with some good comments about it being used as a starter:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...in-(1920-1930)

Besides, who would fake an Epiphone MM20/30?

C.

[Roger Moss]

It's probably "real" but that doesn't mean much. It's likely a pacrim MM20/MM30 a few years older than the latest generation. As usual saying "by Gibson" means nothing. If you can get it for around $100 it would make a fair to middling starter/beater but not much else. You can do better. If it is a 30 it has a solid top but doesn't sound that great. Kind of tinny. If it is a 20 it is not worth bothering with.

[gettysg]

Thanks Chris and Roger, that answers my question. Yes Chris, I thought faking an Epi would be dumb too but I've seen crazier overseas. Thanks for the advice on price Roger because that was my next question. I realize the by gibson means nothing and just want something I can practice on and get better. I was spoiled this past week after a friend loaned me his old Flatiron for a gig.

[mandroid]

EPIPHONE [ founded by Anastasios Stathopoulos, who Immigrated ] post war, was bought Out by Gibson

"Between 1957 and 1970 were made in the Gibson factory at 225 Parsons St and on Elenor St; Kalamazoo, MI " ..
after that it became the Name brand of the Asian Import Lines for Gibson. ..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphone


'/,

[Roger Moss]

I don't think that's an American Epi. And yes if you can get it cheap you can use it to bang on for a while but you will soon want to upgrade.

[allenhopkins]

See, the headstock's too small to accommodate "Epiphone -- Imported by Gibson From Asia." They'd need to inlay such small print...

I've ranted several times about the use of respected, though defunct, US brands on imported instruments: Epiphone, Washburn, Flatiron, Harmony, Regal, Recording King, et. al. 'Nuff said.

[MikeEdgerton]

I will guarantee that it's an import. You can take that one to the bank.

[gettysg]

Thanks for the help guys! It's an online estate auction and the bidding is already up to $100 with a couple of days left. I guarantee you people are just bidding because they see gibson on the headstock and assume its a good one. I think I'll pass and keep looking.

[ccravens]

Thanks for the help guys! It's an online estate auction and the bidding is already up to $100 with a couple of days left. I guarantee you people are just bidding because they see gibson on the headstock and assume its a good one. I think I'll pass and keep looking.

Wise choice.

[walter carter]

That's not an Epiphone logo, nor a Gibson logo, that either company ever used.

[MikeEdgerton]

Well, I'm not sure who would copy one of these but here's the same verbiage on a slew of guitars. I've never seen either one. Nothing surprises me on imported instruments like this. At least they used the real fonts on the guitars.

I was also shocked when Gibson was selling their little cheap pancake mandolins at Opry Mills with the Gibson branded truss rod cover on a mandolin without a truss rod.

This thread linked to in post number two shows what they were copying.