Can anyone tell me something about this Epiphone mando?

[humblemex]

A friend of mine who lives in southern Ohio recently bought this Epi and doesn't know anything about it. Any idea when it was built and the model. Thanks.

[rcc56]

Can't tell much from the one picture, but it appears to be a true Epiphone made before Gibson purchased the company.
Possibly a Rivoli model made in the 40's, but we would need more pictures to confirm the model, and a serial number to narrow down the date.

[Skip Kelley]

It is hard to tell. Gibson made some wide bodied mandolins so it probably falls in that era.

[johnl]

Looks to be either a Rivoli or an Adelphi from the 1940's. There should be a label inside the bass-side sound hole with the model and serial. Also, if the label has a green border, it's probably 1940-44. If it's blue, probably '45-'49.

[Masterbilt]

This is an Epiphone Rivoli mandolin from 1943-44. The opaque sunburst and octagonal thumbwheels are typical wartime features.

Felix