Wow! mudcatters strike again! Give a little & get back more than you might've hoped. This is simply the greatest place to share & recieve folkish musical information, a sort of internet folk-musical Hobbiton. I had no real idea about much of the history of Epiphone sumarized here, and only recognized belatedly that I'd previously encountered any of this (so soon we foget!) & don't have all that much time to read the references I have. One of the reasons I often "lurk" instead of join in - no time!!

Bill: thanks for the link, I'll probably add it to my favorites list. I've always thought Epiphones were neat; My old Epiphone "Rivoli" mandolin is a New York model, and like nothing else I've seen; a carved arch top & an oval sound hole at the base of the fingerboard, with a white ivoroid binding. I've recollections of being in music stores as a young kid and seeing what I thought were incredibly beautiful Epiphone arch-top guitars - they always smelled good and seemed a little magical (always had a very active, if corny, imagination). Thanks again for the info on Epiphone history.

Cheers, BK