This is a 1948 or 1949 Epiphone Deluxe Regent archtop electric guitar. This is a hard-to-find guitar due to the type of pickups it has. Epiphone only used this model of pickup known as the Tone Spectrum from 1948 to 1949. Later in 1949/1950, the pickup was phased out and replaced by the New York Broadway pickup.
The guitar is approximately 74 years old, and there are some things about it that are replaced or restored. That being said, it looks awesome, sounds as cool as you want it to, and has the right vibe. You cannot look at this guitar in person and feel anything other than “wow, that’s a great looking guitar.”
It looks big in person, that’s because it is. It has a presence about it.
The five-part construction neck is very playable. It is narrow and thin. There is an elegance to its construction. I have spent hours playing the guitar, and it is nothing but enjoyable to play on.
Condition:
- The tuners are all original and work very well.
- Neck is straight and has excellent action.
- The frets are in good shape with some wear.
- The tailpiece is original and shows some signs of wear.
- The tone and volume surrounds and switch control surround are replaced.
- The tone and volume pots and switch are vintage 1940s Epiphone.
- The neck pickup is original with original wire leads coming off of it. The pickup wires are connected to newer wire and connected to the old pots.
- The bridge pickup is original but had a short lead wire and the black wax was also missing. A wire was rigged to the side of the copper-wound wire and connected to the guitar wiring. The wax seal was replaced/restored. It works and sounds great. The pickup ring is not original, and was made by myself out of maple. It is nearly impossible to find vintage pickup rings that look just like the original. It had to be made in order to connect the pickup to the guitar. Half of the original pickup ring is included with the guitar.
- The wooden bridge is original and is in very good condition. There is a minor chip near the foot.
- The guitar has been refinished. At one point, the top board of the body was painted red and then painted gold.
- The inlay in the headstock and fingerboard are in very good condition.
- The bindings are all original and show some signs of minor wear. There is some ambering of their color, which looks nice.
- There are several small cosmetic scratches to the top board.
- Two holes that used to have other, non-original tones/volumes, were repaired with spruce.
- Pickguard and bracket are newer.
- The body has a crack that seems repaired. This is on the top side of the guitar along its side (see picture.)
- There is a hairline crack along both sides of the neck above the heal. It was repaired and is completely sound. There is no weakness in the neck at all, and it plays amazingly well!
The Epiphone Zephyr Deluxe Regent really represents such a wonderful time in guitar history. This is the period of Jazz and Blues. Guitars were still in transition from acoustic to electrification. You can see that transition right here in this instrument. The Regent model (Regent means it has a cutaway) was a sister to the non-regent model (no cutaway). Some guitars from this period had pickups, and others did not, i.e. the Epiphone Triumph.
- Nut size: 1 23/32"
- Scale: 25.5"
- Overall length: 43 3/4 “
- Body depth: 4 1/2″
- Body width: 17 1/2″
- Action height at 12th fret Low E string: 1.4mm
- Action height at 12th fret High E string: 1.4mm
- Neck radius: 9.5"
Please feel free to ask any questions. Stand in pictures is not included.
The environment is important to us. At Golden Pickups, our packaging will be made of recycled materials and recyclable materials. We use the following recyclable packing material or recycled packing material:
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