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1949 Epiphone Devon
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Serial #: 59598, blue New York label
Body size at lower bout: 17 3/8" Scale length: 25 1/2". Nut width: 1 11/16"
Finish: Original tobacco sunburst finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type
Materials: Handcarved solid spruce top; solid cherry neck with centerstripe; arched maple back and sides; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with oval fingerboard inlays, art-deco peghead inlay and inlaid Epiphone logo, all in solid mother-of-pearl; single-bound body and fingerboard.
Hardware: Original hardware includes nickel Frequensator tailpiece, hex-key adjustable truss rod. Recent nickel Grover style 16x1 butterbean tuners, compensated adjustable rosewood bridge.
Notes: The Devon is the rarest of all full-size Epiphone acoustics, made in small numbers only between 1949 and 1954. The guitar has the 17 3/8" solid hand-carved top and the long 25 1/2" scale of the Deluxe, Broadway and Triumph models, with which it is structurally identical. Like these more commonly-seen models, the Devon also has a solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and the staggered Frequensator tailpiece.
This example has a subtle tobacco sunburst finish, and sports an rare original marbled tortoise pickguard. Crack free, the guitar has been well cared for, and is remarkably free of pick, buckle or thumbwear. Apart from some scattered wisps of finish checking and a few random lacquer nicks, the instrument shows few signs of age altogether. The binding is all original and tight to the body, the original unstamped nickel Frequensator tailpiece is a rare feature seen only in a few postwar models.
The instrument has smooth low action over fine recent fretwork, and a bright, forward voice, with pronounced reverb in the upper register. Hard to find, but worth the hunt, the Devon is the perennial best buy, delivering outstanding performance in a true vintage pro-sized acoustic archtop guitar. One only: call now.
Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished as needed; 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-.056). 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 arched black molded hardshell case with plush lining.
