Re: Gibson epiphone red mandolin
Gibson Inc. owns the Epiphone brand. They bought the Epiphone Guitar Company, a separate manufacturer of musical instruments. For years they made instruments labeled "Epiphone" in their Kalamazoo MI factory; some of them were "budget" versions of Gibson models, others were different. Then Gibson stopped making Epiphone instruments in the US, and put the label on instruments imported from Asia. That's the situation today. You can find more models of Epiphone Les Paul guitars, than Gibson Les Pauls. Some of the Epiphone instruments are decent less-expensive "clones" of Gibson models; others are just run-of-the-mill Asian factory instruments.
"Gibson Epiphone" is like "Guild Madeira" or "Martin Sigma," conflating the US manufacturer owning the label, with an imported line of instruments -- perhaps based on the US maker's models, perhaps not -- marketed here under the US maker's auspices. It's a conflation that the person selling the imported instrument would like you to accept, but it surely can mislead prospective buyers as to the imported instruments' origins -- and, perhaps, quality/value.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
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