Welcome to Fox Guitars
Any guitar is any condition can be restored to playable condition
Epiphone-made Brands
In the long history of the House of Stathopoulo and Epiphone Guitars there were only two other brand names produced by the company during the 1930s. They were the 'Howard" and 'Sorrentino' brand of archtops guitars. A rare Sorrentino brochure also indicated that Epiphone made mandolins using that brand as well, but no known examples exist.There were a total of 6 different Sorrentino model archtop guitars that were sold through distributor CMI (Chicago Musical Instruments) and appeared in their 1935 catalog. No mandolins were shown.
Very little is kown about the Howard brand, but a very early and recently uncovered sales flyer seems to indicate they were made for the Wurlitzer Company, who had a "Howard" brand back in the early 1900s . Two examples of Epiphone-made Howard guitars have surfaced very recently and are pictured below.
Sorrentino Guitar Models:
Luxor - (similar the Epiphone DeLuxe)
Body: 16 3/8"W x 20 1/4" (Grand Auditorium size)
Carved spruce top, curly maple B&S
Maple neck with walunt center strip
Single bound top with block marquetry purfling
Single bound fingerboard & headstock
Block pearl fingerboard inlays
Elevated pickguard
Trapeze tailpiece
Inlaid pearl Sorrentino block letter logo
Fancy headstock inlay design
Premiere - (similar the Epiphone Tudor)
Body: 16 3/8"W x 20 1/4" (Grand Auditorium size)
Carved spruce top, curly maple B&S
Mahogany neck with maple center strip
Single bound top, back, fingerboard & headstock
Elevated pickguard
Trapeze tailpiece
Inlaid pearl Sorrentino block letter logo
Fancy headstock inlay design
Artist - (similar the Epiphone Broadway)
Body: 16 3/8"W x 20 1/4" (Grand Auditorium size)
Carved spruce top, walnut B&S
Mahogany neck with maple center strip
Single bound top, back, fingerboard & headstock
elevated pickguard
Trapeze tailpiece
Diamond Fingerborad inlays
Inlaid pearl Sorrentino block letter logo
Avon - (similar the Epiphone Blackstone)
Body: 15 1/2"W x 19 1/4" (Auditorium size)
Carved spruce top, walnut B&S
Mahogany neck with maple center strip
Single bound top, back, & fingerboard
Elevated pickguard
Trapeze tailpiece
Small diamond FB inlays
Inlaid pearl Sorrentino block letter logo
Lido - (similar the Epiphone Zenith)
Body: 16 3/8"W x 20 1/4" (Grand Auditorium size)
Carved spruce top, mahogany B&S
Mahogany neck with maple center strip
Single bound top, back, & fingerboard
elevated pickguard
Trapeze tailpiece
Diamond Fingerborad inlays
Inlaid pearl Sorrentino block letter logo
Arcadia - (similar the Epiphone Olympic)
Body: 13 5/8"W x 19 1/4" (Concert size)
Carved spruce top, walnut B&S
Mahogany neck with maple center strip
Single bound top & back only
elevated pickguard
Trapeze tailpiece
MOP dot fingerborad inlays
Left and above: c1934 very rare Epiphone-made Howard brand archtop guitar. Court
esy of Frank Frank
