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1997 Heritage Epiphone Deluxe Regent
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Serial #: 75209, stamped in peghead.
Body size at lower bout: 17", Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut: 1 11/16" Body depth: 3" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .83/.93
Finish: Antique sunburst finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type.
Materials: Solid bookmatched handcarved fine grain Sitka spruce top; solid handcarved bookmatched tiger-flame maple back and sides; tiger flame maple neck with walnut centerstripes; solid ebony fingerboard with cloud mother of pearl inlays; pearl headstock logo; 7-ply body binding; 5-ply neck binding; bound f-holes; solid bone nut.
Hardware: All gold hardware includes full size floating Heritage PAF, Frequensator tailpiece, vintage Epiphone 16:1 tuners; 5-ply bound curly maple pickguard with volume control, compensated adjustable ebony bridge, adjustable truss rod.
Notes: Introduced in 1931 with the first flight of Epiphone archtops, the Deluxe model remained their top-line 17" guitar throughout company history. The cutaway version of the model made its debut in 1949: dubbed the Deluxe Regent, the costly acoustic version was produced only until 1955, becoming one of Epis rarest models. Revived briefly by Gibson in 1959 as the A-212, the cutaway Deluxe was built in very small numbers until the last four examples left Kalamazoo in 1970. And that, as they say, was that.
But almost thirty years later, someone decided they just had to have one, and somehow persuaded the good folks at Heritage to take up the project. Doing business as Jay-Bee Music, they apparently had a brace of vintage Epi hardware, including a set of original epsilon logo tuners and a Frequensator tailpiece with the correct pointed retainer. Heritage supplied the rest, right down to the signature cloud fingerboard inlays, pearl vine peghead, and a Gibson era Epiphone script headstock logo.
The long 25 1/2" Epi scale provides snap and projection, with an X-braced soundboard enhancing lower mids and sustain. The solid hand graduated Sitka spruce soundboard produces a warm, rich, woody acoustic tone, with smooth low action over an elegant D profile neck, with fine medium jumbo fretwork, and a fresh high precision setup. With a full size floating humbucker almost twice the magnet size of a Johnny Smith, the pickup offers smooth, warm PAF style tone throughout the register.
With slavish attention to detail, this unique custom guitar even bears a vintage style Epiphone serial number, which corresponds to a Zephyr Deluxe model built in 1948. Though its origins remain shrouded in mystery, one thing's for sure: you're not going to see another one of these. The ultimate prize for the die-hard Epi fan. One only: call now.
Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel half round 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. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Case: Original black deluxe plush lined hardshell case.
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