Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips

1935 Epiphone Triumph

Status: Pricing and hold status for all instruments currently available is shown on our Instruments page here. If this instrument does not appear on the Instruments page it has been sold, and is no longer available. Photos and descriptions of Previously Sold instruments may be found here. To be notified of examples of this model or similar instruments in the future, please contact [email protected],. Please be specific on which instrument(s) you're looking for, and we'll be happy to contact you as soon as they become available.

Serial#: 9592, blue New York label

Body size at lower bout: 16 1/2". Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut Width: 1 11/16"

Finish: Sunburst finish, nitrocellulose type

Materials: Handcarved bookmatched solid spruce top, solid mahogany neck with 3 piece centerstripe, solid tiger flame carved maple back, Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, early floral pattern mother-of-pearl fingerboard inlays; "snowflake" peghead inlay; bound fingerboard and body.

Hardware: Original Grover open back tuners; bound fire stripe pickguard; aged Pat. Pend Frequnsator tailpiece; adjustable compensated ebony bridge.

Notes: Introduced in 1931, the Epiphone Triumph was the firm's most popular professional series guitar. Originally built with a 15" body, the guitar was upsized to 16" in 1933, and by the following year, the floral fingerboard inlays appeared, a predecessor to the Triumph's later signature diamond inlay. The f-holes were redesigned in 1935, and by 1936, the Triumph had been enlarged to the 17" size it retained through the remainder of its production.

This guitar is a very rare example of this transitional model, with the 16" body, floral inlays, and cello style f-holes. The bound peghead also debuted this year, and the 3-ply top binding, as well as the bound tortoise pickguard. This example is fitted with a particularly striking vintage correct bound firestripe guard, original Grover tuners (with one vintage replacement) and an aged Pat. Pend. stamped Frequensator tailpiece.

At a scant 4lb. 15oz. the guitar is phenomenally light in weight, and the compact 16" body is a pleasure to hold. The solid maple back shows bookmatched tiger flame figure under a recent true nitro finish, and the original dark sunburst finish of the top has a light dusting of vintage style lacquer as well. The neck shows the thumbwear of a pro-played instrument, and a pair of small grainline cracks have been soundly resealed near the bass soundhole.

Action is smooth and low over fresh vintage style fretwork, with a high precision setup on the comfy medium C profile neck. This guitar has an open, resonant voice, with the clarity of finely aged tonewood, well played-in, with powerful volume and projection. A true bandstand veteran, and one of the rarest examples of Epi's most popular professional sized model. One only: call now.

Setup: Bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge foot contour inspected and fit to top as necessary; bridge radius inspected and recurved as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished. Action is 4/64" to 5/64" at the 12th fret, and the guitar is strung with .013 medium phosphor bronze.

Case: Deluxe black arched velour-lined hardshell case.