The idea of making “presentation- grade” guitars – special
instruments meant as much for marketing as for rich customers –
probably goes back to the beginnings of guitarmaking. Certainly
by the late 19th century, when industrial expositions and
World’s Fairs proliferated, and prizes were awarded to superior
instrument makers, it was common for guitar builders to create
presentation models to compete in the judging and impress
potential buyers. In the old days, these were often made of
premium timbers and heavily decorated with abalone and pearl
inlays. The craze for fairs began to fade and, as a more
commercial economy matured at the end of the 19th century, the
National Association of Music Merchandisers (NAMM) essentially
took over the presentation function as instrument makers brought
their wares, including special and limited-edition guitars, to
entice retailers to carry their lines. The 1982 Epiphone Map
guitar was one of those kind of special guitars intended to be
more of a promotional item than an act