I bought my Epiphone Joe Pass in 2002 in a musical store where, according to the sales manager, it was in the product shop window as a demo guitar during 4 years. The guitar was brand new, in mint condition, including hard case, but I don't know where it was made, because the only information in the inner sticker is about model, serial and a second over sticker reading 'dealer prototype - not for sale '. My Joe Pass is a great guitar for the budget, I recorded and gigged very satisfactorily with it. I added it an GK3 Roland pick-up.
I will transcribe here a segment of an article from the October 1997 issue of Guitar Player Magazine about this guitar:

'..Owing to its smaller dimensions, the Joe Pass comes to life in a more electric than acoustic way. Its generous neck affords excellent playability, and te medium-gauge wound-G set was a good match for its 24 3/4 scale. Offering surprinsingly good tonal range, the Pass was able to hang with the deeper-bodies guitars yet still sound surprisingly ES-175ish. The Gibson definitely sounded richer, but remember, it´s also more than three times as expensive. Bottom line: if you´re after as affordable archtop for jazz, blues or roots rock, this Epiphone warrants serious consideration. Lot of sounds, great playing feel, not quite as happening as the ES-175, but very close..'

Some recordings with my Pass guitar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VxCPlfV1...PHVHzmOaD6gMfbt

http://www.carlosarellano.com/music/01.SONGS/00-smoothbluesCarlosSolo.mp3