Epiphone Zephyr Emperor Regent 18.5 Inch Archtop Sunburst 1953

The Epiphone Zephyr Emperor Regent is without a doubt an impressive appearance, and is a wonderful addition to any guitar collection!​

The Epiphone Zephyr Emperor Regent is without a doubt an impressive appearance. It is the most luxurious electric guitar that Epiphone has ever released, and the guitar is truly a colossus. The guitar is the result of a years-long battle between Epiphone and Gibson in which the guitars became increasingly larger and more extensive in functionality.

By the 1920s, Epiphone had established itself as a maker of banjos, while Gibson excelled in mandolins and guitars, the L5 being the showpiece of the latter category. Epiphone entered the fray with a series of Masterbilt archtops in the early 1930s, after which competition began in both acoustic and electrical fields.

Gibson had now taken the lead with its 18-inch archtop Super 400, but Epiphone responded with a guitar with an even larger body, aptly called the Emperor. At 18.5 inches, this guitar was half an inch larger, and Epiphone decided the battle in that regard in its favor. The model was adapted in 1950 to the electric market that was gaining popularity after World War II, and the Zephyr Emperor Regent was born.

The name of the guitar was not chosen randomly; Zephyr stood for the electric variant, Emperor was the model name, and Regent indicated that the body had a cutaway. With its three 'New York' single coils and 6-position Varitone switch, the guitar matched the Gibson ES-5, until then the pinnacle in the field of electric guitar. Epiphone equipped the guitar with a laminated maple body and top to reduce feedback, and was decorated just as extensively as the acoustic version.

This Epiphone Zephyr Emperor Regent from 1953 has the original 'New York' pickups and electronics, where the six settings of the Varitone represent each pickup separately with each of the three possible combinations of two pickups together. The original Sealfast tuners and the Frequensator tailpiece are also still present in all their glory.

The guitar has some expected playwear. The bindings on both the body and neck are no longer fully intact, and the neck binding has been repaired. The pickguard is also missing, and a refret has been performed, including an adjustment to the fingerboard radius. The guitar is very playable and fully functional electronically, making it a wonderful addition to any guitar collection!

Consignment.