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1952 Epiphone Devon
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Serial #: 64711, blue New York label
Body size at lower bout: 17 3/8" Scale length: 25 1/2". Nut width: 1 11/16"
Finish: Blonde 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 in stained holly veneer; single-bound body and fingerboard.
Hardware: Original hardware includes nickel Frequensator tailpiece, hex-key adjustable truss rod at peghead, nickel-plated open-back tuners. Vintage correct bound tortoise pickguard, compensated adjustable ebony bridge.
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.
Devons in blond finish are exceedingly rare, and this example has ambered to a warm pumpkin hue. Carefully maintained, the guitar is free of cracks, pick, buckle thumb or fingerboard wear, and shows only normal age checking in the all-original true nitro finish. The multi-ply binding is all tight to the body, the original nickel Frequensator tailpiece is solid at the bend, and with fresh precision fretwork the action is smooth and low over a gentle C profile neck. The voice is clear and open, with great projection and headroom: a true acoustic powerhouse.
A rare and handsome guitar, and a perennial best buy, delivering outstanding performance in a true vintage pro-sized US built acoustic archtop. 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-.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 black plush lined hardshell case.