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GALLERY: Vintage Epiphones of the 1930s

In the early 20th century, Epiphone was known as one of New York''s premier archtop builders. See 14 exquisite examples of early works and learn how the company changed in the first three decades of the 20th Century.

1930 Recording E
"Epiphone unveiled the Recording series of guitars in 1928. The unusually-shaped acoustics were named with the letters ""A"" through ""E,"" and were built with spruce and laminated maple. Higher-end Recording guitars featured an arched top. The Model E pictured was the high-end of the line, retailing for $175 in 1929. The Recording series wasn't successful, due to lack of celebrity endorsements as well as a size discrepancy in comparison with the popular (and larger) Gibson L-5. "