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1951 Epiphone Zephyr Deluxe Regent
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Serial #: 60950, blue 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: Highly figured laminate flame maple back and sides; arched laminate spruce top; solid maple neck with 3-ply walnut/maple centerstripe; ornate vine style mother-of-pearl peghead inlay and V-block fingerboard inlays; Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard with inlaid perimeter stripes, deluxe five-ply body binding, triple-bound fingerboard and headstock.
Hardware: Original gold hardware includes 16:1 Epi epsilon logo tuners, "New York" single coil pickups, original triple-bound nitrocellulose pickguard in translucent tortoise, hex-key adjustable truss rod. Period adjustable maple bridge. Recent aged gold Frequensator tailpiece, cream octagonal pointer knobs and three way toggle switch.
Notes: Sometime in the Truman Administration, one lucky player walked out of Oliver's Music Shop in Mystic, CT with this golden beauty. We know this, because their label can still be seen inside this handsome guitar. Family owned since 1935, Oliver's is still in business at this writing, up Route 395 in the historic town of Danielson.
Introduced in 1948, the Zephyr Deluxe Regent was Epiphone's electric cutaway version of their legendary Deluxe model archtop. Epi's top-of-the line 17" electric, the model was the equivalent in price and prestige to its main competitor, the Gibson L-5CES. Featuring a deeper cutaway than its Gibson rival, the Zephyr Deluxe Regent facilitates upper fingerboard access by two to three frets over the cutaway L-5. By 1950, the slender "New York" style pickups debuted, with the cream colored housing on either side of the gold cover. This may be the most handsome version of the model, in blonde finish, with the ornate peghead vine unencumbered by the truss rod cover of later examples.
A superb player, the guitar shows dramatic flame figure in the arched maple body, and is fitted with its original gold 16:1 Epi logo tuners, "New York" single coil pickups, and triple-bound tortoise pickguard. With a gleaming deep amber poly finish, the guitar is free of pick, buckle, or thumb wear, and shows only a few scattered finish nicks and some lines of checking around the neck heel. A recent three position selector switch, cream toned carousel knobs, lightly aged Frequensator tailpiece and a vintage adjustable maple bridge complete the restoration.
The full-depth laminate body is crack free, and offers superior structural stability with enhanced feedback resistance. Binding is original and tight to the body, with some finish touchup at the top waist. Action is smooth and low over a remarkably modern C profile neck, with a fresh high-precision setup, and the clear, detailed single-coil pickups are the inimitable tone of '50's bop itself. An ornate and highly distinctive guitar, and a classic jazzer from the golden era. One only: call now.
Setup: The truss rod has been adjusted; bridge height set and strobe tuned; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridgewheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished. This instrument is strung with medium gauge roundwound strings (.012-.052). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 4/64" to 5/64" 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 black plush lined hardshell case.
