1863 Anastasios Stathopoulos is born in Sparta, Greece. His father Nicolas Stathopoulos is a lumber merchant.
1873 Anastasios builds his first instruments (according to Epiphone literature of the 1930s).
1877 The Stathopoulos family moves to Smyrna in Asiatic Turkey.
1893 Epimanondas (Epi), named after a military hero in ancient Greek history, is born to Anastasios and his wife Marianthe. By this time Anastasios has established a large instrument factory in Smyrna making violins, mandolins, lutes and traditional Greek lioutos.
1903 Persecuted by the Turks, Anastasios moves his family, which now includes sons Alex and Orpheus (Orphie) and daughter Alkminie (Minnie), to New York City. In the immigration process, the final s is dropped from the family name. Labels on Anastasios' instruments say A. Stathopoulo. Another son, Frixo, and a daughter, Elly, are born in New York.
1915 Anastasios dies, leaving Epi in charge. Although the Epiphone brand name is still a few years in the future, the modern Epiphone company begins in 1915 when Epi takes over the family business. Brother Orphie is second in command. Frixo and Minnie will also eventually become active in the company.
1917 Epi begins labeling instruments with the House of Stathopoulo brand. The era of the tenor banjo is beginning, and Epi is granted his first patent for banjo construction.
1923 Epi combines his name with phone, the Greek word for sound and begins using Epiphone as a brand name on banjos. He registers the Epiphone brand name in 1924.
1925 The House of Stathopoulo buys the Favoran banjo company in Long Island City (in Queens, just across the East River from Manhattan) and begins making the Epiphone Recording line of banjos.
1928 The House of Stathopoulo officially becomes the Epiphone Banjo Co. By this time the ornate Epiphone Recording banjos are among the most highly respected of any maker. Epiphone also introduces a Recording line of guitars, most of them with carved tops.
1931 Epiphone introduces a full line of f-hole archtop guitars, ?2 models in all, including tenors. The top models; 桪e Luxe, Broadway and Triump h梬ill be familiar Epi model names for the next 40 years. Through the 1930s Epiphone becomes one of the premier guitar companies, and the name is changed in 1935 to Epiphone Inc. Epiphone and its rival Gibson engage in fierce battles of one-upsmanship, highlighted by Epiphone's super-wide Emperor guitar in 1935 and Epiphone's adjustable-pole pickup in 1937. Among the notable Epi players are Tony Mottola with the George Hall band, Dick McDonough with Benny Goodman, Allan Reuss with Benny Goodman and Jack Teagardens and George Van Eps with Ray Noble.
