Epiphone G-400
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| Manufacturer | Epiphone |
|---|---|
| Period | 1989-present |
| Body type | Solid |
| Scale | 24.75" |
| Body | Mahogany,Korina |
| Neck | Mahogany, Korina |
| Bridge | Tune-o-Matic with stopbar tailpiece, Maestro Tremolo |
| Pickup(s) | 2 "Alnico Classic" humbuckers with chrome covers and Alnico V magnets |
| Standard: ebony and cherry. Faded: worn brown and worn cherry. Deluxe: vintage sunburst. Other: Guitar Center sells an exclusive G-400 in alpine white finish, Pelham Blue | |
The G-400 (or sometimes G400) is an Epiphone solid body electric guitar model produced as a more modestly priced version of the famous Gibson SG. Currently, Epiphone is a subsidiary of Gibson and manufactures the G-400 and other budget models at a lower cost in Asia. Visually and ergonomically, it is almost identical to a 1962 SG.
Introduced in 1989 after Epiphone production moved to Korea in cooperation with the Samick Corporation, the G-400 has been in continuous production for twenty-four years.
Upon introduction, it featured dot fretboard inlays, two open-coil humbuckers, green key tuners with the Epiphone logo stamped on their backs, a differently shaped truss rod cover with "Gibson" printed vertically, black "speed" knobs, and "narrow-open Book" . By 1990, the G-400 was sporting the modern "clipped-ear" headstock with no holly inlay
In 1996, several features of the G-400 were changed. These changes included black "top hat" knobs with silver inserts, trapezoidal fretboard inlays, chrome covers on the humbuckers, and a "holly" headstock inlay.
Until 2002, the vast majority of G-400s were built in Korea by the Samick Corporation. Now, most G-400s are built in Epiphone's Qingdao, China plant.
In 2002, Epiphone began using Grover tuners on the G-400. In 2004, the truss rod cover was changed to the current shape with "SG" printed on it. In 2005, the logo ink stamped on limited edition models was changed. In 2009, the G-400 (along with several other Epiphone models) made the switch from chrome-plated hardware to nickel-plated hardware. Also, the neck was changed to a "slim taper" profile. in 2012, Epiphone introduced the G-400 Pro with Alnico Classic PRO™ 4-wire humbuckers.
The Epiphone G-400 is made of Philippine/Indonesian mahogany (more commonly known as Luan, Lauan or Meranti, botanic genus Shorea which has 196 subspecies), which is not actually related to the mahogany species. In 2005, Epiphone began putting thin veneers of African mahogany on the front and back of the Cherry finished G-400s.
The design of the G-400 follows that of the Gibson SG. Features include dual pointed cutaways, smaller pickguard (but in some cases, such as the 1966 model or any limited edition model, there is still a large pickguard), set neck, trapezoidal fingerboard inlays (late 80s and early 90s models had dot inlays), dual humbucker pickups, and beveled mahogany body. The biggest visual differences from the Gibson SG are the Epiphone headstock and wood-bound neck. The standard G-400, not limited edition, is available in two finishes: ebony and cherry. The Faded G-400 comes in worn brown and worn cherry. In addition, new models now have Grover-brand machine heads.
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