Under the ownership of Epaminondas ("Epi") Stathopoulo, Epiphone was a leading manufacturer of hollow-body and archtop guitars.
Epiphone guitars were made by Gibson up until 1970, when production moved to Japan, and major design changes began to occur.
Distinguishing characteristics of the Sheraton included its multiple body binding (like that of its top of the line Gibson cousin, the ES-355); its Frequensator tail piece; and its headstock and fretboard inlays.
Unlike any of the semi-hollowbodies in the Gibson line, the Sheraton's headstock featured Epiphone's traditional fancy vine (or "tree of life") inlay on its headstock, while its fretboard featured a block and triangle (or "V") inlay of mother-of-pearl and abalone, as well as binding on the fretboard's surface, inset slightly from the outer edges.
1958 Epiphone Sheraton introduction specs: Thin body, double cutaway, semi-hollow with solid maple block down center; two Epiphone "New York" single coil pickups; two volume and two tone controls with white 'carousel' knobs, and a pickup selector switch; tune-o-matic bridge with no retainer wire; gold plated metal parts; Frequensator tailpiece or Bigsby vibrato; bound tortoise-shell pickguard; Epiphone 'E' tuners; multiple bound top and back; single bound rosewood fingerboard; abalone/pearl block "V" fingerboard inlays, neck joins body at 19th fret, 5-piece neck (from remaining Epiphone-built inventory) has a "V" chunky back shape; tree of life pearl peghead design; sunburst or natural finish.
Serial number now pressed into the back of the peghead between the D and G tuners, in addition to being on the blue Epiphone label in the bass "f" hole.
[1][2] Foreign manufacturers: The Epiphone Sheraton II was introduced in 1986, and featured only one major difference – the 'Frequensator' tail piece (which was only available on only certain models) was now replaced by a fixed stop bar.
[4] The volume pots were also given a push-pull function, allowing the humbuckers to be split for single-coil pickup sounds, the rosewood fretboard was replaced with pau ferro and the nut was changed to a Graphtech Newbone nut, which dampens string vibration less than the previous plastic version.
Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher has owned several Sheratons, including an early model featuring mini humbuckers and a frequensator with a customized Union Jack paint work.
Though this is not an official signature guitar, it is much closer to Gallagher's Union Jack Sheraton, although with two noticeable differences.