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1953 Epiphone Broadway
Status: For pricing and hold status for this instrument, please check our Instruments page here. If this instrument does not appear on the Instruments page it has been sold, and is no longer available. Photos and descriptions of Previously Sold instruments may by found here. To be notified of examples of this or any other model in the future, please contact [email protected].
Serial #: 66685, 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 quartersawn 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: 100% original hardware includes original Brazilian rosewood bridge; original gold-plated Frequensator tailpiece and "Epsilon-logo" tuners; hex-key adjustable truss rod. Vintage correct triple-bound tortoise pickguard installed, with original guard included: Kent Armstrong Floating Single Coil pickup with thumbwheel volume and tone controls, guard mounted 1/8" jack .
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 very last of the pre-Gibson guitars. So scarce are they that this example is the only one of its type we've ever had the pleasure to offer.
The original sunburst finish highlights a dramatic bubble maple back, flame maple sides, and a solid handcarved bookmatched spruce top whose grain suggests an Adirondack origin. The guitar is fitted with all gold hardware, including original Epsilon logo 16X1 tuners, the original "Patent Pending" Frequensator tailpiece and the original adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge.
The original finish is in excellent condition, without pick or buckle wear, showing only a few random lacquer nicks, a bit of normal scattered checking, and some smooth thumbwear on the neck, to attest to its long playing career. Binding is all original and tight to the body, and the original gold Frequensator tailpiece is in excellent condition.
The guitar is fitted with a vintage correct bound pickguard in handsome leopard shell tortoise, a material long unavailable, and the original bound guard is included in the case. A special bonus is an Armstrong Floating Single Coil pickup with thumbwheel volume and tone controls, guard mounted 1/8" jack, a $500 value alone. The action is smooth and low over a fresh high-precision setup, and the neck 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 a fraction of the price of their spendier cousins. This example has an exceptionally powerful voice, with extraordinary clarity, balance and projection.
Complete with its original brown hardshell case, this guitar is a rare and versatile performer for acoustic or electric play. One only: call now.
Case: Original Epiphone arched brown plushlined hardshell case.
