Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips

1948 Epiphone Emperor

Status: For pricing and hold status for this instrument, please check 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 or any other model in the future, please contact [email protected].

Serial #: 58054, blue NY label

Body size at lower bout: 18 1/2" Body depth: 3 1/4" Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut: 1 11/16" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .84/.99

Materials: Highly figured solid carved flame maple back and sides; solid graduated Adirondack spruce soundboard; 7-piece maple-walnut neck; 3-ply body binding; triple-bound heel cap, neck binding, f-holes and head stock; solid rosewood fingerboard with "split-block" mother of pearl and abalone inlay; ornate pearl tree-of-life peghead inlay.

Hardware: Original gold hardware includes Pat. Pend. Frequensator tailpiece, epsilon-logo 16X1 tuners, compensated adjustable rosewood bridge, hex-key truss rod at fingerboard extension. Vintage correct bound tortoise shell pickguard.

Notes: The pinnacle of the Epiphone line, the Emperor was the largest and most costly instrument produced in the New York factory. With its massive 18 1/2" lower bout, this top-of-the-line instrument remains the largest archtop to be built in a production factory. Yet due to its slightly smaller upper bout, many players find the Emperor body markedly easier to hold than the somewhat bulkier Super 400.

A truly striking postwar instrument, this handsome guitar has back, sides and neck of highly figured curly maple, and a hand-graduated soundboard from solid bookmatched, fine grained, closely graduated spruce. Well maintained, the instrument shows a gorgeous deeply ambered blonde finish, remarkably free of pick, or buckle wear, with a bit of scattered age checking on top.

The intensely flamed back and sides show some older clear lacquer over the original finish, with the back centerseam soundly resealed. A single grainline crack near each f-hole has been cleated and resealed, along with another under the low E string, at the end of the fingerboard. The gold hardware is all original, including the 16:1 epsilon logo tuners, and Pat. Pend. Frequensator tailpiece, rock solid at the bend. The original binding remains tight to the body, and the neck angle and bridge height are both excellent. Fine pro fretwork offers smooth low action over a gentle C profile neck, with a fresh high precision setup.

Typical of the model, the guitar has massive acoustic volume with exceptionally warm lower and middle register and the clear, brilliant highs of finely aged spruce. An instrument of exceptional performance, this super jumbo model is a rare opportunity for the demanding player unwilling to settle for anything less than the biggest tone in the room. One only: call now.

Case: Deluxe arched black plush lined hardshell case.

Setup: 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; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.