The Epiphone Guitar Collection at Rainbow Music

Although your first thought about Rainbow Music might be that we are the people to come to for Epiphone's big brother, we have also got a huge collection of Epiphone guitars ready and waiting for you to try out in our shop.You can find us just opposite the castle in Carlisle. 

As Cumbria and the North West's leading suppliers of guitars from Epiphone, Gibson and Fender; we know that we have something in stock that will feel right in your hands. Even if you can't easily travel to our shop, we have a very efficient service that can get the guitar you need straight out to you visa our online shop.

Epiphone Guitars

Epiphone Guitars have been manufacturing quality instruments for 140 years. Until their merger in 1957, Epiphone rivaled Gibson during the Jazz Age and through the post WW II era. Although Gibson still owns them, Epiphone guitars have contributed to musical history via recordings from the Beatles and Rolling Stones to today’s Gary Clark Jr. and others.

Stars of Rainbow Music's Epiphone Range

The Epiphone EJ 200 ce is an updated version of Gibson's popular Country & Western jumbo guitar that has become favoured by artists as varied as Vince Gill, Cat Stevens, and Pete Townshend. Guitarists seeking an electro acoustic will find a prize in this spruce topped, maple bodied full 17" jumbo with booming bass and crisp highs. Also available in a left handed model in clear and sunburst and equipped with a pickup and Venetian cutaway for higher fret access, the EJ 200 ce is a tool that will delight players of all musical genres. Noel Gallagher has credited his Epiphone EJ 200 for writing and recording the smash record, “Wonderwall” among many of Oasis' hits. 

Here he is with an original acoustic EJ 200 performing at Much Music in Toronto in 2007.

Other Epiphone electro acoustic models include their acclaimed Masterbuilt series, as well as their Texan, a slope shouldered dreadnaught that Paul McCartney used for “Yesterday.”

While many may view Epiphone as merely a budget brand for Gibson, Epiphone has its own highly regarded models, such as the Casino, a semi acoustic which has been employed by Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Paul Weller, and even country artist Dwight Yoakam. It has eclipsed its Gibson equivalent, the ES-330, in the eyes of a majority of musicians. 

The Epiphone Casino Almost As It Was When the Beatles Bought 3

The Jack Casady Bass is a unique semi acoustic design based on a 1970s Les Paul bass that has been a top seller for over 15 years and is unequivocally hailed as the superior instrument. 

The Wilshire is a favourite of My Chemical Wedding’s Frank Lero. The Wildkat, Wilshire, Swingster, and Broadway models are all other examples of Epiphone's proprietary guitar design; keeping their own heritage alive

Their take on the Les Paul Traditional 2014 is an example of Epiphone quality and value. 

From its Gibson designed Probucker pickups to its elegant maple tops and classic tone, a blind playing tester would be hard pressed to distinguish between the Epiphone Les Paul Traditional and its more expensive Gibson cousin. Other than their headstock shape, the guitars are crafted with equal care and precision, resulting in an outstanding instrument for working musicians on a budget." 

A Final Word on Epiphone Quality

Epiphone's Qingdao, China, factory exclusively builds only Epiphone guitars with rigorous quality control standards and is not an OEM contractor for anyone else. Epiphone’s Les Pauls, SGs, Thunderbirds, Dot, Hummingbird and other models are played by many professional musicians around the globe. They feature specifications that are predominantly identical to their Gibson cousins but at more affordable prices.