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1946 Epiphone Spartan
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Serial #: 55116, blue New York label
Body size at lower bout: 16 3/8" Scale length: 25 1/2"
Finish: Original dark tobacco sunburst finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type
Materials: Hand carved solid spruce top; black walnut back and sides; one piece mahogany neck; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with enamel inlay; single-bound body, bound fingerboard and headstock; original bone nut.
Hardware: Hardware includes original Brazilian rosewood bridge, Epi nickel trapeze tailpiece; original open back tuners; 40s' Epi Triumph bound tortoise pickguard
Notes: One of the scarcer models in the Epiphone line, the Spartan was introduced in 1934 as a round hole archtop with a maple body, equivalent to the Gibson L-4. By 1936 the model was converted to f-holes and became Epi's top-of-the line 16" guitar. Most distinctively however the Spartan's body was constructed with back and sides of black walnut, an unusually resonant material that produces a notably clear, bright voice, not unlike Brazilian rosewood. The legendary prewar Broadway model was also built of black walnut until 1939, at which time the Spartan became the only Epiphone built of this hard, handsome tonewood, and most likely the only professional grade walnut archtop period. By the dawn of the 50's, the electric pickup had all but drowned out the loudest acoustic archtops, and the Spartan, never produced in large quantities, disappeared altogether.
A lovingly maintained example, the guitar is free of cracks, and remarkably free of playwear, with only very slight incidental finish dings, far less than normal for an instrument of this vintage. Tone and action are enhanced with a fresh set of smooth pro frets, a recent neck set, and a brilliant K&K piezo pickup system installed under the soundboard and connected to an endpin jack. The voice is bright, forward and aggressive, with projection surpassing many larger guitars. We are always delighted to turn up a Spartan, and this example is surely as fine an specimen of this rare model as we've seen.
Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished; 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; bridgewheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.
This instrument is strung with medium gauge bronze 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: Original Epiphone brown plushlined hardshell case.
