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1953 Epiphone Zephyr Regent
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Serial #: 65232, blue New York label
Body size at lower bout: 17 3/8" Scale length: 25 1/2". Nut width: 1 11/16"
Materials: Arched birdseye maple back, sides, and top; solid cherry neck with walnut centerstripe; enamel shield peghead inlay and split-block fingerboard inlays; Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard; bound body and fingerboard.
Hardware: All-original hardware includes nickel epsilon logo tuners, adjustable single coil "New York" pickup, nickel trapeze tailpiece; white octagonal pointer knobs; adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge; nitrocellulose pickguard in translucent tortoise.
Notes: Introduced in 1950, the Zephyr Regent was Epiphone's most popular electric cutaway guitar. Epi's journeyman 17" instrument, the Zephyr Regent was positioned against its main competitor, the Gibson ES-350. Featuring a deeper cutaway than its Gibson rival, the Zephyr Regent facilitates upper fingerboard access by two to three frets. The adjustable "New York" single-coil pickup is placed in the neck position, with the cream colored housing on either side of the nickel cover.
The guitar is in superb condition, with no cracks, pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, and all-original hardware. The electronics work flawlessly, and the neck profile is a traditional full C. The full-depth maple laminate body provides warm tone with improved feedback resistance. The action is low and fast over fine medium jumbo frets, and the single-coil "New York" pickup is sweet and clear. The presence of a Gibson style truss rod and cover suggests this guitar was sent back to Kalamazoo long ago for some sprucing up, at which time the pickup cover was gold plated and the amber blonde finish factory replaced. A classic jazzer from the golden era, the Zephyr Regent is the outstanding value in a true vintage Epi.
Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished; 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 flatwound 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 plush lined arched hardshell case.
