Gibson is planning a major change to the entire Epiphone guitar line-up

Despite a PR misfire or two, Gibson has had a positive 2019, overhauling its entire range and bringing it in closer in line with what guitarists actually want - and a surprise statement from CMO Cesar Gueikian indicates there could be good news for Epiphone fans, too.

In a recent Instagram post, Gueikian shared a picture of a host of classic Gibson and Epiphone parts, including scratchplates, pickup selector rings and vintage Epiphone headstocks.

When Instagram user cwwoodhead commented, “You should switch all the Epi headstock[s] to that shape”, Gueikian issued a brief but telling response: “it’s coming”.

For many players, the open-book headstock design that appears on vintage Epiphone models and modern-day Gibson guitars is classier than the slightly blockier Epi variant that tops off the majority of the lower-cost company’s range.

So the news that the entire Epiphone range will now bear a closer - although not identical - resemblance to Gibson’s line-up is most welcome news indeed, and even indicates a vintage-spec’d refresh could be on the cards, along the lines of what Gueikian enacted with Gibson’s well-received 2019 series.

Tellingly, when Epiphone relaunched the Del Rey Double Cut as the DC Pro earlier this year, the company changed the headstock from the Epiphone original to a slightly elongated open-book design.

This could also be a serious power play from Gibson to overtly showcase Epiphone’s Gibson DNA and clearly differentiate it from other mid-priced Les Paul and 335-style guitars - especially in the wake of the company's clampdown on counterfeits, and ongoing lawsuit against Dean Guitars.

We have one more addendum to that Gueikian post, though: can we get a Fuzz-Tone reissue, too, pretty please?