Epiphone Zenith Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1934)
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Item # 10563
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Epiphone Zenith Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1934), made in Long Island City, NY, sunburst top, natural back and sides finish, walnut back and sides, spruce top; laminated mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This rather unassuming little archtop is one of the loudest and punchiest guitars of ANY size we have heard in a while! While the Zenith was always close to the bottom of the New York Epiphone line in this early "Masterbilt" era they were still built to the same quality standards as the other models; just smaller and plainer! In the depths of the depression inexpensive guitars were crucial to every instrument builder's survival; the $275 Deluxe may have been Epiphone's flagship, but the $50 Zenith was an important part of the fleet!
This particular guitar is an interesting transitional Zenith, mixing features of a pre-1934 instrument with some of the changes made that year. The narrow-waisted body is just lightly larger than the 13 1/2" spec. from 1932, but much smaller than the new 1934 standard of 14 3/4. The back and sides are the newer walnut instead of the original maple, while the fully carved spruce top retains the older segmented F-holes. The laminated mahogany neck has a fairly shallow profile, somewhere between a "C' and a very soft "V" with a dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard and fairly narrow 1 5/8' nut. It is capped with the later 1934 headstock design with a pearl Epiphone logo and "stickpin" inlay.
The Epiphone catalogs of 1932 and 1934 both show the Zenith priced at priced at $50, without the case. "For general concert work, this Epiphone Zenith guitar stands supreme" was the 1932 blurb. Fifty dollars was still a lot of money in 1934 for most Americans and the lower end Epiphones do not appear to have sold in large numbers. As the 1930's progressed the size of most companies' archtop bodies on even the cheaper models were gradually expanded, making earlier under-16" instruments seem puny by comparison. This style of guitar was pretty much extinct by the 1940s.
This Zenith's combination of the small 13 3/4" body, fully carved spruce top and long 25 1/2" scale length is unusual in any era, and specific to these early Masterbilt Epiphones. This mix creates a very focused, cutting sound that retains more body than one might expect, especially in the higher register. This guitar sounds especially fantastic with a capo on the neck, offering a sound that David Rawlngs has made a stylistic signature over the last couple of decades. Long ignored like most small-body early archtops, the early Masterbilt Epiphone Zenith has become a sought after instrument for this distinctive sonic character that is very difficult to achieve on any other instrument.
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 13 3/4 in. (34.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This guitar has been heavily played and shows quite a bit of cosmetic wear but is in excellent structural condition. The finish is completely original and shows fairly heavy wear overall, with a lot of spots where the top lacquer coat is worn through to the color coats below. There are dings, dents and scrapes overall with one particularly deep dig on the back in to the wood. The back of the neck is worn down to both the wood and undercoat over much of its length.
There do not appear to be any cracks or major repairs; the neck does not appear to have been reset, or if so it was an exceptionally clean job. The bridge is original, the pickguard is long missing, the tuners are modern Waverly singles and the tailpiece is an old Harmony piece likely from the 1940s or '50s.
The frets are possibly original but more likely a very old refret; they and the fingerboard show some wear but not so much as to affect playability. The neck is nice and straight, the bridge is fairly low but still has plenty of room to adjust in either direction and the guitar plays very well. The sound is bright and powerful; yes it does "that thing" these small body Epiphones are now prized for. It includes an extremely rare period Epiphone hard case with the "E" epsilon logo under the lid, quite battered but still intact and functional. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This rather unassuming little archtop is one of the loudest and punchiest guitars of ANY size we have heard in a while! While the Zenith was always close to the bottom of the New York Epiphone line in this early "Masterbilt" era they were still built to the same quality standards as the other models; just smaller and plainer! In the depths of the depression inexpensive guitars were crucial to every instrument builder's survival; the $275 Deluxe may have been Epiphone's flagship, but the $50 Zenith was an important part of the fleet!
This particular guitar is an interesting transitional Zenith, mixing features of a pre-1934 instrument with some of the changes made that year. The narrow-waisted body is just lightly larger than the 13 1/2" spec. from 1932, but much smaller than the new 1934 standard of 14 3/4. The back and sides are the newer walnut instead of the original maple, while the fully carved spruce top retains the older segmented F-holes. The laminated mahogany neck has a fairly shallow profile, somewhere between a "C' and a very soft "V" with a dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard and fairly narrow 1 5/8' nut. It is capped with the later 1934 headstock design with a pearl Epiphone logo and "stickpin" inlay.
The Epiphone catalogs of 1932 and 1934 both show the Zenith priced at priced at $50, without the case. "For general concert work, this Epiphone Zenith guitar stands supreme" was the 1932 blurb. Fifty dollars was still a lot of money in 1934 for most Americans and the lower end Epiphones do not appear to have sold in large numbers. As the 1930's progressed the size of most companies' archtop bodies on even the cheaper models were gradually expanded, making earlier under-16" instruments seem puny by comparison. This style of guitar was pretty much extinct by the 1940s.
This Zenith's combination of the small 13 3/4" body, fully carved spruce top and long 25 1/2" scale length is unusual in any era, and specific to these early Masterbilt Epiphones. This mix creates a very focused, cutting sound that retains more body than one might expect, especially in the higher register. This guitar sounds especially fantastic with a capo on the neck, offering a sound that David Rawlngs has made a stylistic signature over the last couple of decades. Long ignored like most small-body early archtops, the early Masterbilt Epiphone Zenith has become a sought after instrument for this distinctive sonic character that is very difficult to achieve on any other instrument.
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 13 3/4 in. (34.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This guitar has been heavily played and shows quite a bit of cosmetic wear but is in excellent structural condition. The finish is completely original and shows fairly heavy wear overall, with a lot of spots where the top lacquer coat is worn through to the color coats below. There are dings, dents and scrapes overall with one particularly deep dig on the back in to the wood. The back of the neck is worn down to both the wood and undercoat over much of its length.
There do not appear to be any cracks or major repairs; the neck does not appear to have been reset, or if so it was an exceptionally clean job. The bridge is original, the pickguard is long missing, the tuners are modern Waverly singles and the tailpiece is an old Harmony piece likely from the 1940s or '50s.
The frets are possibly original but more likely a very old refret; they and the fingerboard show some wear but not so much as to affect playability. The neck is nice and straight, the bridge is fairly low but still has plenty of room to adjust in either direction and the guitar plays very well. The sound is bright and powerful; yes it does "that thing" these small body Epiphones are now prized for. It includes an extremely rare period Epiphone hard case with the "E" epsilon logo under the lid, quite battered but still intact and functional. Overall Very Good + Condition.