We only recommend products that we use and believe in. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Six New Models, Including the Earl Scruggs Golden Deluxe Banjo, Mastertone Bowtie Open Back Banjo, Mastertone Classic Banjo, F5G Mandolin, Mandobird, and the F-5 Studio Mandolin
The conversation about iconic bluegrass instruments is not complete without the Lloyd Loar-signed Gibson F-5 mandolin and the rare Gibson RB-Granada Mastertone five-string banjo used by Earl Scruggs to define the sound of the genre. Now, working in tandem with Gibson and Gibson Custom, these legendary instruments have been reimagined by Epiphone with no compromise on quality at prices working players can afford.
NASHVILLE, TN (June 4, 2024) For over 150 years, Epiphone has been a leading innovator in instrument design. By leveraging its iconic past and leaning into the future, Epiphone has set the stage for the next era of sound for present and future generations. Epiphone is proud to announce their legendary bluegrass instruments are back. High quality and accessible, these Inspired by Gibson and Inspired by Gibson Custom models are part of the Epiphone Bluegrass Collection, which recreate some of the most popular banjo and mandolin models of all time and are sure to be popular with players of all genres. The Epiphone Bluegrass Collection includes the Earl Scruggs Golden Deluxe Banjo, Mastertone Bowtie Open Back Banjo, Mastertone Classic Banjo, F5G Mandolin, Mandobird, and the F-5 Studio Mandolin are now available at Authorized Epiphone dealers worldwide, and on www.epiphone.com.
“Banjos and mandolins are a huge part of the Gibson story, so it was very important to add this new Epiphone Inspired by Gibson range of truly excellent instruments that are accessible,” says Mat Koehler, Vice President of Product at Gibson. “We are proud that the legacy is alive and well in this collection, with unrivaled quality and undeniably premium features everywhere.”
An Accessible Replica of the Most Sought-After Banjo of All Time, the Earl Scruggs Golden Deluxe Banjo.
Earl Scruggs is arguably the most influential banjo player in history. He popularized the three-finger banjo picking style, now called “Scruggs style,” which is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music and was highly influential on multiple genres. The Epiphone Earl Scruggs Golden Deluxe is inspired by Earl’s longtime musical companion – a rare Gibson RB-Granada Mastertone five-string that was his primary banjo from 1949, when he acquired it, up until his passing in 2012. The Epiphone Earl Scruggs Golden Deluxe Banjo features a 3-ply maple resonatorwith figured maple veneer, 3-ply maple rim, and gold hardware, including a gold plated armrest with Earl Scruggs-inspired engraving, a One Piece Flang, and a Mastertone-style plated Brass Tone Ring. The 26.4″ scale-figured maple neck has an ebony fretboard with 22 medium/tall frets and is adorned with the famous “Hearts and Flowers” and a Mastertone Block inlaid in mother-of-pearl. A hardshell banjo case is also included.
Accessible High Quality With Vintage Style, the Mastertone Bowtie Open Back Banjo.
The Epiphone Mastertone Bowtie Open Back Banjo was inspired by Gibson™ Mastertone models with “Bowtie” cosmetics from the 1950s and 1960s and delivers high-quality alongside vintage style at an accessible price point. Perfect for clawhammer/frailing as well as Scruggs style players, it is equipped with a 26.4″ scale length satin-finished mahogany neck that features the Gibson “scroll-style” headstock with mother of-pearl Epiphone logo and Gibson Crown inlays, the bound laurel fretboard has 22 frets and classic mother-of-pearl Bowtie inlays and a Mastertone block inlay at the end of the fretboard. The rim is layered mahogany with a Brass hoop-style Tone Ring, and the notched nickel tension hoop and 11“ Remo® Fiberskyn® head are held in place with 24 nickel hooks. The Fiberskyn head contributes warm, full-range, vintage inspired tones with outstanding definition and enhanced mid and low-range resonance. A premium gig bag is also included.
Inspired by One of the World’s Most Famous Banjos, the Gibson RB-3 Mastertone.
Epiphone has been making banjos since the 1920s, and this Inspired by Gibson Mastertone Classic Banjo model recreates one of the world’s most desirable and famous banjos–the classic Gibson RB-3 Mastertone 5-string banjo from the 1930s–at an accessible price. The Epiphone Mastertone Classic Banjo features a mahogany resonator, a 3-ply mahogany rim, and nickel hardware, including an armrest, and a One Piece Flang, as well as a Mastertone-style plated Brass Tone Ring. The 26.4″ scale-figured mahogany neck has a laurel fretboard with 22 medium/tall frets and is adorned with Style 3 mother-of-pearl inlays and a Mastertone Block inlay at the end of the fretboard. A hardshell banjo case is also included.
Epiphone and Gibson Custom Collaborate on an Exceptional Mandolin, the F-5G.
Orville Gibson invented the modern mandolin, and mandolins have been a part of Epiphone’s DNA since its earliest days. Company founder Anastasios Stathopoulo’s first (and only) patent, filed in 1909, was for a mandolin. Gibson Master Luthier Lloyd Loar designed the original F-5 mandolin in the early 1920s, and its eventual success even led to the creation of new musical genres, such as bluegrass. Now, Epiphone has collaborated with the Gibson Custom Shop on the new F-5G. Epiphone’s finest mandolin model to date, this exceptional Inspired by Gibson Custom instrument is a faithful recreation of the time-honored original. It features all solid wood construction with a figured maple back and sides and a solid Sitka spruce top. The figured maple neck has an ebony fretboard with a compound radius (10″ at the nut, 12″ at the end of the fretboard) and an F-style scroll headstock with vintage-style tuners with pearloid buttons. Ornate touches include the three-ply top binding, mother-of-pearl “The Epiphone” and flowerpot headstock inlays, and the rich Cremona Sunburst finish. Whether playing rhythmic chops, or lead lines, the F-5G Mandolin’s tone is balanced, deep, and resonant, with great carrying power. A vintage-style rectangular hardshell mandolin case is also included.
The Perfect Electric Mandolin, Now Built For Every Stage.
The Epiphone Mandobird is back by popular demand. This is an excellent electric four-string mandolin for all kinds of players, from bluegrass and Western swing mandolin players looking to stretch out and go electric, to rock guitarists looking to explore new tones and alternate tunings. It features a Reverse Firebird™-inspired solid nato wood body, a bolt-on mahogany neck with trapezoid inlays, a reverse Firebird style headstock with four Grover® Mini Rotomatic® tuners, a top-mounted, string-through-body bridge, and an Epiphone Firebird pickup paired with master volume and tone controls. An Epiphone gig bag is also included.
An F-5 Style Mandolin, Now Built For Every Stage.
Orville Gibson invented the modern mandolin, and mandolins have been apart of Epiphone’s DNA since its earliest days. Company founder Anastasios Stathopoulo’s first (and only) patent, filed in 1909, was for a mandolin. Gibson Master Luthier Lloyd Loar designed the original F-5 mandolin in the early 1920s, and its eventual success led to the creation of new musical genres, such as bluegrass. Now, Epiphone is proud to release its latest mandolins. The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson F-5 Studio mandolin is based on the legendary Loar-designed F-5 and makes a high-quality F-5 style mandolin more accessible than ever. It features all-solid wood construction with a solid maple back and sides and a solid Sitka spruce top. The maple neck is attached to the body with a glued dovetail joint and has a laurel fretboard with 20 frets and a Gibson-style scroll headstock with vintage-style tuners with pearloid buttons. Its sound is balanced, highly toneful, and resonant, with great carrying power, in part due to the thin satin finish. The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson F-5 Studio mandolin arrives in a Red Wine Satin, and a Vintage Sunburst Satin finish, a premium gig bag is also included.
About The Author
