In 1957, the East Coast–based company finally threw in the towel and sold its bass line, and the right to manufacture under the Epiphone name, to Gibson. But with the death of its dynamic leader, Epi Stathopoulo, in 1943, Epiphone’s reputation for quality and innovation began to slide. The Epiphone and Gibson companies were fierce rivals in the Thirties, constantly trying to outdo each other’s designs.
