In 1972 Gibson produced a series of 'Guitar of the Month' brochures, each dedicated to one of their high end models, the Les Paul Recording guitar, L5-CES, ES-175D, Super 400-CES, ES-355TD-SV and Byrdland. Each brochure was a single sheet folded into four panels, with details of the instruments themselves, their features, musical purpose, and a little history behind the development of each guitar. Only the Les Paul Recording was a new model; the others were all well established in the Gibson line. Follow the link to see scans and further information on these leaflets and other Gibson guitar catalogues from the CMI and Norlin periods.

1961 Vox Stroller

The earliest versions of the Vox Stroller were actually copies of an early Japanese electricguitar, the Guyatone (also sold under the brand Antoria) LG50. These Strollers, although short-lived did undergo a few changes before taking on the more familiar Strat influenced style of many mid-sixties UK-built Vox guitars. The biggest difference between early and late LG50-style Strollers (and the two pickup version, the Shadow) was the larger pickup, a shade longer, but noticeably wider used in the very first Vox guitars. Compare this early Vox to a 1963 Stroller with the later V1 pickup. For more information about Vox guitar pickups in general, see the Vox guitar pickups page.

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1959 Epiphone Century
Thinline semi acoustic

Epiphone Index

Epiphone Century main page | Shipping Totals | 1959 Epiphone Century | 1963 Epiphone Century

1959 Epiphone Century. Early examples of the Century, like this, had the old Epiphone "New York" pickups, later to be replaced by Gibson P90s

1959 Epiphone Century. The Bigsby tremolo is not stock - this would have been shipped with a trapeze tailpiece.

1959 Epiphone Century. Detail of the free-floating bridge.

This early example of the Epiphone Century is one of 276 made in 1959. Gibson-assembled (Kalamazoo), but with numerous Epiphone components. 1959 was the first year of its production, and just two years after Gibson had bought the Epiphone name, along with tooling, partially completed instruments, and parts.

The pickup is one of those parts; an Epiphone-made New York humbucker. Gibson used these on numerous models in the late 1950s. By 1960 they had run out, and the Century went over to a single-coil P90 with a plastic dogear cover.

1959 Epiphone Century machine-head detail.

1959 Epiphone Century. The reverse of guitars with the "shaded" (sunburst) finish were walnut brown.

Another early feature is the metal triangular name-plate, pinned onto the peghead. This was replaced with the familiar Epiphone logo (transfer) in around 1961. The scratchplate, and control knobs are both Epiphone parts. The Bigsby tremolo is not stock, this guitar would have been shipped with a standard trapeze tailpiece.

The neck itself is three-piece, has a v-profile, and is joined to the body with a heel-cap, very much in earlier Epiphone style. In fact it seems likely that it came from the pre-Gibson Epiphone era, part of the stock bought by Gibson parent company CMI in 1957. Exactly how much of the manufacture this guitar happened in Kalamazoo is not at all clear. The 100% Gibson-made Centuries have one-piece mahogany necks, with a rounded profile, and rounded uncapped-heel.

Images courtesey of justgreatguitars.com

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