
The Epiphone Masterbilt series – the very name is a riff on Gibson’s Mastertone and Master Model instruments – made its debut in 1931, with the De Luxe at the top of the line. When did the epiphone masterbilt come out? Designed to compete with Gibson’s ES-5, The Zephyr Emperor Regent was Epiphone’s top-of-the-line archtop electric guitar during the Fifties. Most collectors rank Emperor guitars from the Thirties as Epiphone’s most desirable archtop model, but for many the later cutaway Emperor Regent models are even more desirable from a playability perspective. Is the epiphone emperor regent the most desirable archtop model? Outranking the De Luxe, the Emperor took its place at the top of the Epiphone line. It was a marketplace riposte to Gibson’s Super 400, sporting a colossal 18 1/2 inch body width. What is an epiphone emperor?Įpiphone’s Emperor model first appeared in the mid-Thirties, another product of the jazz archtop “size wars” that raged during that era. "Epiphone Banjo Corporations, Long Island City, NY": 1928-1935. Left: Epiphone label as used from 1935 to 1956 this one is 1956. Model number listed on a blue label with a Kalamazoo address, but usually say "Made in Japan" at the bottom edge of the label. How do i identify an epiphone model number? When did epiphone come out with the masterbilt?Īs the big band era got underway in the Thirties, Gibson and Epiphone competed for jazz archtop supremacy. This manifested itself in the form of a blind stamped number between three and five digits, usually located on the top rear of the headstock. “With the inception of the Electar line in late 1935, Epiphone began a new numbering system which was employed solely on the electric instruments (Electar, Century, Coronet, Zephyr, Kent, Harry Volpe model). When did epiphone start using the number system? Like the ES-5, this model is a three-pickup guitar, but pickup combinations on the Zephyr Emperor Regent are accessed via a row of six push-buttons located on the body’s lower treble bout. What is the epiphone zephyr emperor regent?ĭesigned to compete with Gibson’s ES-5, The Zephyr Emperor Regent was Epiphone’s top-of-the-line archtop electric guitar during the Fifties.

According to Fisch & Fred it was the most finest and most elaborate instrument Epiphone ever produced and it remained at the top of their product line until the mid 1950’s when Epiphone was taken over by CMI/Gibson. In 1935 Epiphone introduced the 18½ inch Emperor as a direct competitor of Gibsons Super 400 at the same price. › Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation Usaįrequently Asked Questions When did the epiphone emperor come out?.› What Is A Good Accounts Receivable Turnover.
