Epiphone Texan

The Epiphone Texan is an acoustic flattop guitar of the (advanced) Jumbo type. Recent models have an integrated light-weight internal electric pickup fitted; the original model was acoustic only.

History

The FT-79 was produced by the Epiphone company starting in 1942. After Epiphone folded, the Gibson company produced the Texan in Kalamazoo Michigan until 1970. There have been numerous reissues of the Texan since their primary production period in the 1960s.

The original, New York made Epiphone FT-79 is quite a different guitar. Its body was a smaller jumbo model and is comparable to the later Guild F-47 (The Guild Guitar Company was started by ex-Epiphone employees after the company left New York). After the takeover by Gibson, the FT-79 type designation was retained, but the body shape changed to one that resembled the slope-shouldered Gibson J-45 (but that guitar has a shorter 24.75" scale length, compared to the 25.5" of the Texan).

The 1942 model had rectangular block fingerboard inlays and the original stick-pin Epiphone logo. In 1954 the model had parallelogram fingerboard inlays and a vertical oval peghead inlay. In 1958 the Gibson-made FT-79 had 'Texan' added to the type name, the shape was changed as mentioned above, the epsilon 'slashed C' Epiphone logo was added to the pick guard and the truss rod cover, and the tuner...
Read More