Epiphone was started up by the family of Stathopoulo and Anastasios Stathopoulo started building instruments in Greece around 1873. The family of Stathopoulo moved to America in 1903 to start producing instruments. They settled in New York City and their company became known as "The House of Stathopoulo." When the wife, Marianthe, died in 1923, the company was reorganized with Epi as the president. They took the Greek name for sound (phone) and combined it with Epi to get the name Epiphone.
Banjos were the first big push for Epiphone. After banjos came the Recording model guitars in the late 1920s. Epi himself, was a mandolin player. In 1932, Epiphone released their first mandolin. At the same time, mandolas and mandocellos were also introduced. By the end of the 1930s, they had an entire line of the manolin family in production. However, the company would fall into a downward spiral after the death of Epi in 1943. Epiphone had the first patented pickup by 1937, but they did not jump on the bandwagon like Gibson and Fender did in the late 1940s. There was a labor strike in 1951, and most production moved to Philadelphia from 1952 until 1957.
In 1957, Gibson and Ted McCarty purchased the once mighty Epiphone for $20,000 and they recieved the whole kit and caboodle. No mandolins survived the buyout and move to Michigan, and Gibson introduced the Venetian Electric Mandolin in 1961. This lasted until all Epiphone production was moved to Japan in 1970.
Mandolins were reintroduced in the mid 1970s as Bluegrass models. In the early 1980s, these were changed to the Masterbuilt series. Epiphone has produced mandolins ever since with the exception of the buyout from Norlin in the mid 1980s. Current models are produced in Korea. Information courtesy Walter Carter: Epiphone: The Complete History.
Mandolins currently produced in China and/or Korea since 1983. Previously produced in New York City, NY between the 1920s and 1953, Philadelphia, PA between 1954 and 1957, by Gibson in Kalamazoo, MI between 1958 and 1969, and in Japan between 1970 and 1983. Distributed by Gibson in Nashville, TN.

EPIPHONE Mandolins Models

EPIPHONE MM-20 (EF20) Image

EPIPHONE MM-20 (EF20)

- symmetrical body (similar to Gibson Style A), mahogany back/sides, select spruce top, f-holes, bound body, set mahogany neck, 12/22 rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, four-per-side tuners, "The Epiphone" logo on headstock, eng...

EPIPHONE Adelphi Image

EPIPHONE Adelphi

- symmetrical body (similar to the Gibson Style A), laminated maple back/sides, mahogany neck, f-holes, rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, rounded peghead, four-per-side tuners, name of model between Epiphone and Masterbilt logos on head...

EPIPHONE Century Image

EPIPHONE Century

- symmetrical body (similar to Gibson Style A), laminated maple body, no sound holes, white body binding, mahogany neck, 10/20 rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, painted headstock with logo, four-per-side tuners, single oblong bar pickup...

EPIPHONE Artist Image

EPIPHONE Artist

- scroll style body, curly maple back and sides, single bound top/back, mahogany neck, nickel-plated hardware, four-per-side tuners, available in Sunburst finish with dark red on back and sides, mfg. 1936-1949.

EPIPHONE MM-30(S) (EF30) Image

EPIPHONE MM-30(S) (EF30)

- symmetrical body (similar to Gibson Style A), mahogany back/sides, select spruce top (1980-2006) or solid spruce top (2007-present), f-holes, bound body, raised pickguard with Epiphone E logo, set mahogany neck, 12/21 rosewood fingerboard...

EPIPHONE Electar Model M Image

EPIPHONE Electar Model M

- symmetrical body (similar to Gibson Style A), laminated curly maple body, no sound holes, white body binding, maple neck, 12/22 bound rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, painted headstock with logo, four-per-side tuners, single oblong b...

EPIPHONE MM-30E(S) (EE30) Image

EPIPHONE MM-30E(S) (EE30)

- similar to the MM-30, except has a piezo pickup in the bridge, available in Antique Sunburst, Trans. Amber (disc.), Trans. Red (disc.), or Trans. Blue finish, disc. 2011.

EPIPHONE Rivoli Image

EPIPHONE Rivoli

- symmetrical body (similar to the Gibson Style A), laminated walnut back/sides, f-holes, triple-ply binding on top/back/f-holes, mahogany neck, raised pickguard, bound rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, rounded peghead, four-per-side tu...

EPIPHONE Zephyr Image

EPIPHONE Zephyr

- symmetrical body (similar to Gibson Style A), laminated curly maple body, f holes, triple-ply body binding, maple neck, 12/22 bound rosewood fingerboard with blcok inlays, center dip headstock with logo, four-per-side tuners, single four-...

EPIPHONE Strand Image

EPIPHONE Strand

- symmetrical two-point body, carved top/back, walnut back/sides, f-holes, triple-ply binding on top/back/f-holes, mahogany neck, bound rounded end rosewood fingerboard with slotted diamond inlays, engraved tailpiece cover, rounded peghead,...

EPIPHONE MM-50 (EF50) Image

EPIPHONE MM-50 (EF50)

- two-point florentine stylebody (similar to Gibson Style F), mahogany back/sides, select spruce top, f-holes, bound body, raised pickguard with Epiphone "E" logo, set maple neck, rosewood fingerboard with treble side extension an...

EPIPHONE Windsor Image

EPIPHONE Windsor

- symmetrical two-point body, carved top/back, curly maple back/sides, spruce top, f-holes, triple-ply binding on top/back/f-holes, five-piece maple/mahogany neck, bound ebony fingerboard with treble side extension and diamond/dot diamond i...

EPIPHONE MM-70 Image

EPIPHONE MM-70

- highest end model of Epiphone mandolin, specific details unknown, available in Antique Sunburst finish, mfg. 1979-circa 1985.

EPIPHONE Electric Mandobird IV (EFMB) Image

EPIPHONE Electric Mandobird IV (EFMB)

- four-string configuration, Thunderbird style body, nato body and neck, 12/21 fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, white pickguard with Thunderbird logo, single black single coil pickup, two silver knobs (v, tone), black headstock, fo...