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1940 Epiphone Broadway

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Serial #: 15263, New York label

Body size at lower bout: 17 3/8" Scale length: 25 1/2". Nut width: 1 11/16"

Finish: Amber blonde finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type

Materials: Solid handcarved highly figured tiger flame maple back and sides; solid bookmatched handcarved spruce top; solid cherry neck with 3-ply walnut/maple centerstripe; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with mother of pearl inlay; ornate vine style mother-of-pearl peghead inlay and block fingerboard inlays, triple-bound body, bound fingerboard and headstock.

Hardware: All-original hardware includes gold-plated Frequensator tailpiece and Grover Sta-Tite tuners, compensated adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge, bound firestripe tortoise pickguard, adjustable truss rod.

Notes: Introduced in 1932, the Epiphone Broadway has been one the company's most popular models, and has remained in production, in various versions, on and off to this day. Built with the same body size and scale length as the Deluxe, the Broadway sports the same gold hardware, powerful voice and playable neck of its costlier cousin. Many feel the Broadway peghead vine is among the most graceful inlays ever designed, and this example is no exception. Upsized to 17 3/8" inches in 1935, the Broadway was first offered in a natural blonde finish (for a premium price) for the first time ever in this model year.

This fine example is in great shape, with a particularly handsome tiger flame maple back, and a handcarved, quartersawn bookmatched solid spruce top. The guitar is fitted with all original gold hardware, including original Grover Sta-Tite tuners, the original "Patent Pending" Frequensator tailpiece and an adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge, along with a gorgeous bound pickguard of rare firestripe nitrocellulose tortoise. The neck is fitted with the earliest version of the Epi truss rod, which terminates in a square nipple under the fingerboard extension.

A well-kept instrument, the guitar shows no checking, pick, buckle, or fingerboard wear, and the amber blonde finish has been immaculately replaced, using true vintage style nitrocellulose lacquer. A pair of fine hairline cracks on the top upper bouts and a bit of the back centerseam have been soundly resealed, the original multiply binding is all tight to the body, and the tailpiece bend has been seamlessly brazed and buffed. Enhancing its versatility is the smooth, sweet Armstrong floating PAF humbucker, with volume control and endpin jack. The voice is warm and woody, and the action is smooth and low over a gentle C profile neck, very easy in the hand, with fine recent fretwork. Our earliest blonde Broadway ever, this blonde beauty is as versatile as it is eyecatching.

Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished as necessary; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; 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; bridgewheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.

This instrument is strung with medium gauge bronze strings (.013-.057). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.

Case: Original arched black Epiphone plush hardshell case.