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1946 Epiphone Emperor

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Serial#: 5494_

Body size at lower bout: 18 1/2" Body depth: 3 1/4" Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut: 1 11/16"

Materials: Highly figured bookmatched flame maple back and sides; hand carved solid Adirondack spruce top; 7-piece maple-walnut neck; 7-ply ivoroid body binding; triple-bound heel cap, neck binding, f-holes and head stock; solid ebony fingerboard with "split-block" mother of pearl and abalone inlay; ornate pearl tree-of-life peghead inlay.

Hardware: All original gold hardware includes Pat. Pend. Frequensator tailpiece, epsilon-logo 16X1 tuners, hex-key truss rod at fingerboard extension, compensated adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge, original bound swirl tortoise pickguard.

Notes: The glory of the Epiphone line, the Emperor was the largest and most costly instrument produced in the New York factory. With its massive 18 1/2" lower bout, this top-of-the-line instrument remains the largest archtop to be built in a production factory. Yet due to its slightly smaller upper bout, many players find the Emperor profile markedly easier to hold than the somewhat bulkier Super 400.

From a distinguished private collection, this magnificent guitar is among the very finest examples of this model we have seen to date. The body is carved of intensely figured fiddleback maple of the highest grade, deftly bookmatched from rim to rim with deep, symmetrical figure. The soundboard is hand-graduated from solid quarter-sawn bookmatched Adirondack spruce with exceptionally tight grain at the centerseam. The deep amber blonde finish is all original, and the instrument is notably free of pick, buckle thumb or fingerboard wear, showing only a few random lacquer nicks: a true closet queen.

The all-gold hardware is original as well, right down to the vintage swirl tortoise pickguard, a rarity to find in such pristine condition. The fingerboard shows technicolor abalone inset in white pearl blocks, with smooth low action over a gentle C neck profile, with a fresh high-precision setup. And as one would expect, the voice is simply massive: clear, deep and resonant, with thundering projection and volume.

With breathtaking tonewoods and museum quality condition, this big blonde beauty is a rare find indeed. One only: call now.

Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished as required; 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; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.

Case: Deluxe black arched plush lined hardshell case.