1959 Epiphone Texan

ARCHIVED • SOLD

1959 Epiphone Texan

Chicago Musical Instrument Co. (CMI), the company that owned Gibson from1944 to 1969, bought Epiphone in 1957 and shifted production of thiscompany's instruments to Gibson's Kalamazoo plant. At the 1958 NAMM showthe first new Gibson-built Epiphone instruments were displayed and the firstEpi's hit the stores by 1959; the year that this instrument is labeled(Serial # A-2732). After the take-over, Gibson used up parts left-over fromthe Epiphone factory in the production of their new guitars, and many ofthese first Epiphones are very much hybrid instruments with necks, pickups,and knobs from pre-Gibson Epiphone production. The Texan shown here has anoriginal Epiphone neck on a Gibson body, with 'single-line' Kluson tuners,and a long scale length. Interestingly, the FON of the body (Y1632-33)denotes a 1954 instrument, but the top's interior bracing is much more akinto a late 50's Gibson J-45. Our best guess is that the body was built in'54, but shelved due to a top defect, crack, or otherwise. The Texan, withits long scale, would require a differently braced top, with a bridge-platein slightly rearward position. Gibson likely would have used the olderbody, once re-topped to the Texan specifications in the construction ofthis instrument.

This Epiphone Texan arrived with a badly separated fingerboard which neededto be completely removed in order to reglue properly. The repair turned outbeautifully, and required no finish touch up, but did necessitate a refret.The bridge is a replacement we built as well. The original was crackedthrough the pin holes and had shifted forward, chipping the finish in frontof it on its way. The new bridge is an exact replica, complete with theoriginal saddle and bridge pins. Unfortunately, this instrument is not forsale, but represents such an interesting point in Gibson and Epiphone'shistories that we wanted to show it to all of you.
SOLD
1959 Epiphone Texan
  • 1959 Epiphone Texan
  • 1959 Epiphone Texan
  • 1959 Epiphone Texan
  • 1959 Epiphone Texan
  • 1959 Epiphone Texan
  • 1959 Epiphone Texan
  • 1959 Epiphone Texan
  • 1959 Epiphone Texan
  • 1959 Epiphone Texan

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