Jump forward to 1974 and the Howard Roberts was again available, and again with Gibson on the headstock - see the Gibson Howard Roberts.īy the end of the 1960s, a decision had been made to move Epiphone guitar production from the USA (at the Kalamazoo plant where Gibson guitars were made), to Matsumoto in Japan, creating a line of guitars and basses significantly less expensive than the USA-built models (actually less than half the price). The Epiphone Howard Roberts was only shipped until 1969, however shipping records suggest a very small number were shipped as with Gibson branding in 1970. Like most Epiphones with a Shaded finish, the Howard Roberts model had deep brown walnut-stained back and sides - however, and quite unusually, this was also the case for the HR-N/HR-NE (natural top). The headstock featured the Epiphone 'tree-of-life' design, as opposed to the old Epiphone 'oval'. It was broadly similar to the existing model, but with more elaborate ornamentation and an ebony fretboard. The electric version of the Custom, HR-CE, was first pictured in the 1966 Epiphone catalogue, and first listed in the October '66 price list, with a tag of $650 - compared to $455 for the standard Howard Roberts model - placing it in the same ball park as the Epiphone Sheraton, which was listed at $625-$695 depending on precise specifications. Epiphone electric Spanish guitars suit the need of every player, from the top professional, to the semi-pro, to the amateur orchestras, combos, jazz bands and as a featured solo instrument. Today the electric Spanish guitar is found everywhere. This pickup was not mounted into the guitars top, rather was attached to the side of the neck, in the same manor as the Gibson Johnny Smith - it was actually the same pickup, though without the gold cover - in order not to interfere with the natural resonance of the guitars top when played. The Howard Roberts electric models were fitted with a single 'jazz' humbucker at the neck position. In fact the 1965 price list also includes the HR-C - a new acoustic model the Howard Roberts Custom. Oddly, the standard description for Sunburst Epiphones was 'Shaded' however early publicity material uses Gibson's 'Sunburst'. These two guitars were initially given model codes HR-S and HR-N, though these would change to HR-SE and HR-NE by July 1965, when fully acoustic versions were launched, and now given the model codes HR-S and HR-N. In September 1964, the Howard Roberts model was listed at $295 for a Sunburst model, or $315 for Natural. Only ten instruments were shipped that first year, and the model was too late to make the 1964 Epiphone guitars, basses amplifiers catalogue. Epiphone guitar production had already been at the Gibson Kalamazoo plant for five years when Howard Roberts' first signature model was launched, towards the end of 1964.
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