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1953 Epiphone Broadway

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Serial #: 66687, New York label

Body size at lower bout: 17 3/8" Scale length: 25 1/2". Nut width: 1 11/16"

Finish: Original sunburst finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type

Materials: Solid handcarved figured maple back and sides; solid bookmatched handcarved Adirondack bearclaw spruce top; solid mahogany neck with 3-ply walnut/maple centerstripe; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with block mother of pearl inlay; ornate "Dogwood" mother-of-pearl peghead inlay, triple-bound body, bound fingerboard and headstock.

Hardware: Original hardware includes original Brazilian rosewood bridge, original gold-plated Frequensator tailpiece and "Epsilon-logo" tuners, hex-key adjustable truss rod. Vintage correct bound tortoise pickguard.

Notes: We love Epi Broadways, and we're not alone. This stunning example sports the distinctive "Dogwood" floral inlay on the peghead, a design that appears on some Deluxes of the period as well. One of Epi's rarest designs, this pattern is seen only in the last of the pre-Gibson guitars.

This remarkable find appears to have spent virtually all its life under the bed. The original sunburst finish is in superb condition, without pick, thumb or fingerboard wear, and wonderfully shot, highlighting the handcarved bookmatched Adirondack bearclaw spruce top. The guitar is fitted with all original gold hardware, including original Epsilon logo 16X1 tuners, the original "Patent Pending" Frequensator tailpiece and the original adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge. The guitar is without cracks of any kind, the binding is all tight to the body, and the only touchup is on a pair of drip marks near the pickguard, where the original guard wept a bit onto the finish lacquer on the upper treble bout and along the grainline parallel to the tailpiece. There is also a small area around the back of the low E tuner where the finish softened a bit, possibly due to heat in storage.

The guitar is fitted with a vintage correct bound pickguard thick true nitrocellulose tortoise. The action is smooth and low, and the profile is a gentle C, easy and inviting. Offering the same body, materials and metal parts as the Deluxe, vintage Broadways continue to be available at less than half the price of their spendier cousins. This example has an exceptionally powerful voice, with extraordinary clarity, balance and projection. An exceptional example of one of Epiphone's most popular guitars: truly a cannon with strings.

Case: Deluxe plush hardshell case.