Epiphone is now a brand name used by the Gibson Company for imported mandolins and guitars, but it was once an independent American company, founded by the Stathopoulos family. Electric mandolins have been sold under the Epiphone name on and off for the past 60-plus years. The earliest such instrument was the "Century"; I don't have an exact date, but it looks to be late '30s or early '40s. The blond instrument depicted appears to be from a few years later than the Century.
     In the mid-1960s Epiphone offered the "Venetian," an A-style mandolin with a P-90-style pickup, similar to the Gibson EM150. made in 1966. Currently available Epiphone mandolins are the MandoBird, which appears to be just the thing for your electric blues band—it comes in both 4-string and 8-string versions in traditional sunburst or custom finishes; the MM-30 A-style; and the MM-50 F-style. The latter two are available with factory-installed Shadow piezo pickups.