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1948 Epiphone Triumph
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Serial #: 57416
Body size at lower bout: 17 3/8" Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut width: 1 11/16"
Finish: Original blonde finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type
Materials: Handcarved solid quartersawn bookmatched spruce top; solid handcarved birdseye maple back; rock maple sides and five-piece neck; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard; split-diamond pattern abalone fingerboard inlay and "column" style peghead inlay, triple-bound body, bound fingerboard and headstock; bone nut.
Hardware: Original hardware includes nickel-plated "Epsilon-logo" tuners; bound red swirl tortoise pickguard; nickel Pat. Pend. Frequensator tailpiece; hex-key adjustable truss rod, compensated adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge. DeArmond Model 1100 Adjustable Rhythm Chief pickup with tone and volume control box, 1/8" jack, and string clamp rod, adjustable compensated rosewood bridge.
Notes: The Epiphone Triumph was introduced in 1932, becoming Epi's most popular pro-sized guitar until the company closed in the 50's. Designed in the height of the big-band era, the Triumph has always been a favorite for players wanting maximum bang for the buck. Built with the same materials, scale length, and body design as the upscale Deluxe and Broadway models, the Triumph delivers all the sound and feel of the most costly guitars in the line at a fraction of the cost.
The soundboard is finely carved of solid quartersawn bookmatched spruce, and the solid birdseye maple back shows handsome variegated figure. The widely spaced walnut stripe neck is a very rare design, seen only briefly in the late postwar era. The original nickel plated epsilon logo 16X1 tuners are smooth and precise, and the Pat.Pend. Frequensator tailpiece is in excellent condition.
With tall, freshly installed frets and a fine high bridge, the instrument delivers a wonderfully powerful bark with exceptional clarity. The original blonde finish is deeply ambered, and is remarkably free from buckle, thumb and fingerboard wear, showing chiefly some normal scattered lacquer dings and a few scratches on the body. Apart from a single short hairline dryness crack soundly cleated at the treble soundhole, the guitar shows no other signs of repair. The bridge height is excellent, giving this guitar tremendous headroom in volume and projection.
A special plus is the highly coveted DeArmond Model 1100 Adjustable Rhythm Chief pickup. With its adjustable polepieces, this vintage pickup is adaptable for use with a variety of string types, including bronze roundwounds, famous for their peerless acoustic response. The control box uses modern 1/8" mini-jack cables, and examples of this pickup in good condition can run over $1000 on the vintage market today.
With it's huge voice, a fine contemporary neck profile, smooth low action, and classic vintage pickup, this great player is a unbeatable combination of tone, playablilty, looks and value. One only: call now.
Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished; 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: Deluxe arched black plush lined hardshell case.
