Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends
archtop.com
1938 Epiphone Triumph
Status: Pricing and hold status for all instruments currently available is shown on our Instruments page here. If this instrument does not appear on the Instruments page it has been sold, and is no longer available. Photos and descriptions of Previously Sold instruments may by found here. To be notified of examples of this model or similar instruments in the future, please contact [email protected],. Please be specific on which instrument(s) you're looking for, and we'll be happy to contact you as soon as they become available.
Serial #: 12310, Masterbilt label
Body size at lower bout: 17 3/8" Scale length: 25 1/2". Nut width: 1 10/16"
Finish: Sunburst finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type
Materials: Solid bookmatched hand carved spruce top; solid hand carved maple back; Honduras mahogany neck with 3-ply walnut/maple centerstripe; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with mother of pearl diamond inlays; ornate "snowflake" style mother-of-pearl peghead inlay, 3-ply top binding, bound fingerboard and headstock.
Hardware: Original hardware includes rare original engraved Eppiphone nickel tailpiece, nickel open-back Grover Sta-Tite tuners, original serial-numbered compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge. Vintage correct bound red swirl nitrocellulose tortoise pickguard.
Notes: This guitar from early 1938 is a transitional model, and one of the last equipped with the rare and attractive Epiphone segmented trapeze tailpiece, a rarely seen predecessor to the Frequensator. The arched peghead design is one of Epi's rarest as well, seen only between 1936 and 1938, as well as the rounded body style and larger f-holes. The pearl work includes the graceful prewar snowflake peghead inlay, inlaid with exceptional skill.
The guitar is in excellent condition, without cracks, pick, buckle or thumbwear, and remains equipped with its original fretwork. The voice is notably clear, bright and open, with exceptional projection, and the neck is distinctly fast for a prewar guitar, with a slightly veed profile that sits nicely in the hand. The original dark sunburst finish of the body has been protected with a light lacquer overspray, and a bit of touchup has been applied to the back. An outstanding example of one of the rarest versions of Epiphone's most popular professional guitar.
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 brown ostrich Epiphone hardshell case.
