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1953 Epiphone Triumph Regent
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Serial #: 65943, blue New York label
Body size at lower bout: 17 3/8" Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut Width: 1 11/16" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .95/1.10,
Materials: Bookmatched solid carved spruce top; solid carved slab cut maple back and sides; solid 5 piece cherry neck with walnut centerstripe; solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with diamond mother of pearl inlay; pearl column peghead inlay in stained holly headstock veneer, triple-bound body, bound fingerboard and headstock.
Hardware: All original nickel hardware includes Epiphone epsilon logo tuners, Pat. Pend. Frequensator tailpiece, adjustable truss rod, adjustable compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge. Vintage correct bound tortoise pickguard installed.
Notes: The rare cutaway version of Epi's most popular professional archtop, the Triumph Regent was introduced in 1949, with a production run of only about five years. Accordingly the Regent is a much scarcer item than the non-cutaway Triumph, or its Gibson counterpart, the L-7C. The Epiphone cutaway is several frets deeper than its Gibson counterpart, and allows enhanced access to the uppermost frets, and the peghead mounted adjustable truss rod is a feature seen only in the last few years of this model's production.
Carved of all solid tonewoods, the guitar is notably lightweight at just 5lb 15oz , and perches deftly on the lap or the strap. Interestingly, the gleaming original finish includes a fully sunburst body, in contrast to most other examples of the model, which were finished with a solid walnut stain on the back. Carefully maintained, the guitar is free of cracks, pick, buckle, or thumb wear, and has fresh pro fretwork in gleaming condition, with all binding tight to the body. Apart from a few incidental finish nicks, the instrument appears to have spent most of its life in its handsome original brown Epiphone-logo hardshell case.
These New York Triumphs are solid and carved on both top and back as well, with generous, full size 1 11/16" fingerboards, in contrast to later Gibson-made examples with laminate backs, and necks as skinny as 1 9/16". This guitar is equipped with all original nickel hardware, including 16X1 Epiphone tuners, and the original Pat. Pend. Frequensator tailpiece is rock solid.
These original Epi Regents are some of the very few acoustic cutaways to rival the better noncuts in pure volume, projection and overall tonal response. The voice is clear and forward, with the cutting power for which Epis are justifiably famous. The action is smooth and low over the solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, with a classic Epiphone light vee profile neck, and a fresh high precision setup.
A stunning example of a rare '50s all-carved cutaway, ready once again for the bandstand. One only: call now.
Setup: 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; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.
This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel roundwound strings. 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.