Epi hired Herb Sunshine to develop the new-fangled electric instruments, and Herb in turn hired Nat Daniel, later of Danelectro fame, to create the necessary amplifiers.Īs America entered World War II in 1942, Epiphone was neck and neck with Gibson as the biggest name in American guitars
The Masterbilts marked the start of a battle for leadership in the acoustic archtop market between the two American brands, with bigger sizes and bigger claims throughout the 1930s and into the ’40s for models such as Gibson’s Super 400 and Epi’s Emperor.Įpiphone introduced electric guitars late in 1935, at first with the Electar brand, and the following year added its new F.T.
