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1952 Epiphone Devon
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Serial #: 64307, 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, bound tortoise-shell pickguard, compensated adjustable rosewood bridge, hex-key adjustable truss rod at peghead. Vintage style nickel-plated open-back Grover Sta-Tite tuners.
Notes: The Devon is the rarest of all full-size Epiphone acoustics, made in small numbers in the New York factory only between about 1949 and 1953. 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 patent pending Frequensator tailpiece.
This example is one of the last made in the original New York factory, and one of the very first with the peghead mounted truss rod, introduced in this model year. (The arched metal truss rod cover is a rare transitional feature as well, seen only this year.) The guitar has the traditional dark sunburst finish, and sports a rare and attractive original firestripe tortoise pickguard. Crack free, the guitar has been well cared for, with its all-original finish showing only light normal playwear and fine normal lacquer checking. The multi-ply body binding is original, with later triple-ply binding added to the fingerboard. The original nickel Frequensator tailpiece is solid at the bend, and the original compensated adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge is in place. Smooth low action over fine medium jumbo frets, and a bright, forward voice, with pronounced reverb in the upper register. Hard to find, but worth the hunt, the Devon is a perennial best buy, delivering outstanding performance in a true vintage pro-sized acoustic archtop guitar.
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-.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: Arched black hardshell case with plush lining.
