Double Bass Epiphone history

[bigolbassguy]

Wondering if anyone knows whether Epiphone ever made a fully carved bass. I've never heard of such a thing, but someone told me they saw one being worked on. The instrument in question apparently dates from around 1940.

 

[zeytoun]

There were 5 models of basses that Epiphone introduced in '41 (as a response to competitor Gibson's expanding instrument line): the B-1 through B-5. All were laminate.

Source:
http://www.bassmonkey.net/epiphone.html

In 1939 Gibson (a huge rival to Epiphone) introduced a family of violin instruments which included upright bass to which Epiphone only responded with an upright bass of their own. Epiphone introduced for the first time a line of five upright bass models in their January 1941 catalog of instruments. I have found examples of print advertisement from a 1940 Metronome magazine that shows the new Epiphone bass. These early print ads were before the complete B-1 through B-5 line up was established.

 

[MattyBass]

Nice link Zeytoun...

 

[MollyKay]

If there is an example of an Epiphone bass with a carved top I would like to know about it. To my knowledge there are no known examples of an Epiphone upright bass with a carved top.

I have seen one Kay five string bass that had a carved top but later came to find out the original top had been damaged and the owner paid to have the bass re-built with a custom carved top…very unusual, but I did see it with my own eyes. This bass is at Harry & Jennie West music store in Statesville, NC.

If you can confirm an Epiphone bass with a carved top exist let me know. I am interested in the oddities as well as the normal production basses.

 

[Tejano Bass]

MollyKay - check your PM, please . . .

 

[MollyKay]

MollyKay - check your PM, please . . .

Okay…now I know of TWO Kay’s with carved top neither being factory original. Both of these project basses were restored with carved tops.