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1954 Epiphone Zephyr Regent
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Serial #: 67439, blue New York label
Body size at lower bout: 17 3/8" Scale length: 25 1/2". Nut width: 1 11/16"
Finish: Amber blonde finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type
Materials: Maple back, sides, and top; solid cherry neck with walnut centerstripe; enamel shield peghead logo and split-block fingerboard inlays; Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard; bound, body and fingerboard.
Hardware: Original hardware includes nickel epsilon logo tuners, original nickel "New York" pickup, original nickel trapeze tailpiece; original white octagonal pointer knobs; original compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge; hex-key adjustable truss rod. Correct bound 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. This example from 1954 is from one of the last full years of production.
The guitar is in superb original condition, with no cracks or repairs, and all its original amber blonde finish and nickel hardware intact. The electronics work flawlessly, and the neck profile is quite contemporary. The full-depth maple laminate body provides fat tone with feedback resistance superior to carved top models. Original amber blonde finish is in excellent condition, free of pick or buckle wear, and showing only a bit of honest thumbwear and a small patch of light finish wear on the back cutaway. The action is low and fast and the single-coil "New York" pickup is sweet and clear. A classic jazzer from the golden era, the Zephyr Regent is an 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: Original plush lined Epiphone hardshell case.
