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| Epiphone became a subsidiary of Gibson in 1957, after an interesting and mixed history under family ownership from 1928, when the Epiphone Banjo Company was established under Epi Stathopoulos (son of Greek founder Anastasios Stathopoulos who made his own fiddles and lutes from 1873 in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire, now Izmir, Turkey). Gibson continued the Epiphone brand as a separate entity of very Gibson-like guitars, and in the early 1970s moved production to Japan. This Epiphone EA250 Riviera is one of those early Japanese instruments, produced by Matsumoku, which are becoming extremely collectable these days, along with many other early Japanese guitars from the 'lawsuit era', as musicians and collectors alike recognise the fantastic quality these guitars possess. This '72 vintage Epi is in extremely original condition. It was sold new in the USA from Nicholson Music Center in Somerset Pa, and has been very well cared for ever since. The stunning original cherry-burst finish is as deep and lustrous as the day it came out of the Matsumoku factory, and is remarkable free of defects. Two of the neck mounting screws have been replaced, and there is a small area of belt-buckle abrasion on the back, but not through the finish itself. All plating and metalwork is still bright and free from oxidisation. Tuners work well and are stable, and even the original bridge is still in place. This is a VERY tidy example of this interesting Japanese Epiphone model. These guitars are susceptible to the heel block collapsing into the guitar's hollow body as the glues fail, and you will generally find that the bridges are wound right down to compensate. This one shows signs of the same affliction in the past, with the distortion to the multiple binding to the body top edge adjacent to the neck pockets. However, this guitar has been repaired and fully stabilised, with a nice firm neck block, and correct neck angle enabling the bridge to be adjusted to any desirable action, and providing a good break angle of the strings over the bridge, essential for good stability and tone. Check out the detailed photos in the 'more pictures' link below. There is no case with this guitar, but a suitable case would easily be found by the purchaser of this guitar, as any Gibson ES-335 style case will fit perfectly. The guitar will be securely boxed for shipping. Sold to Lindsay
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