[Can the Newport Re-Issue be far behind?]

Absolutely. Unfortunately the other side of that coin is that Epiphone rarely make models that appeal to me nowdays so they lose those sales. I have absolutely no interest in their range of standard, single cut Les Pauls or current model Semi's, although I do own an early 80's Riviera, but I bought the Wilshire because it offered something different. I'd like a Rivoli type bass, and I'd buy one if Epiphone re-issued it again, but if another brand comes out with a reasonable quality, similar bass I'd buy that. It doesn't matter to me if it says Epiphone on the headstock or not. So if Epiphone continue to just re-issue Gibson's heritage they can kiss goodbye to my money.

 

I'm with you, although I think the Epi EB-3 is preferable over the Gibson SG bass. This model is known to sound like mud, but the Gibson mud must have some magic! Puhleeze.

 

If they did reissue the old Epis, the pure Epiphone reissues would sit on the wall, while the Gibson "inspired" models will always sell. What they'd lose to the educated people they'll make up a hundred times over with the price conscious masses.

[Can the Newport Re-Issue be far behind?]

Seems to me that, with the exception of the semi's, Epiphone is more interested in re-issuing Gibson's heritage that its own.

 

I can't imagine why *cough*sales*cough*