Epiphone Electar Model M Model Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar, c. 1937, made in New York City, brown sunburst lacquer finish, laminated maple body, mahogany neck.
One of the world's earliest commercial electric guitars, the Model M is Epiphone's first electric Spanish instrument. Equipped with a fearsome looking (and sounding!) Rickenbacker style horseshoe magnet pickup, the Model M is also the first plywood through-designed electric archtop, purposely built heavily to reduce feedback problems.
This example is the second version of the model from around 1936-7 with a third knob on the face for Epiphone's "Rhythm Control" circuit and an Epiphone logo along with the "Electar" on the metal headstock plate. Access to the electronics is through a large felt-padded plate on the back of the instrument.
The back of the headstock bears the "Liscensed from Meissner Electronics" plate that marks many early electric instruments whose makers caved in to Meissner's legal blackmail (Gibson and Rickenbacker fought back and won!).
The body is single bound back and front, brown finish with sunburst on top. Black Bakelite pickguard and octagonal radio-style knobs. Bound rosewood fingerboard has dot inlay; tuners are individual metal-button Grover Statites. Standard 30's style adjustable bridge and tailpiece. The pickup magnets are black finished, the coil is wrapped in ancient tape and the whole assembley rises up out of the body with two knurled knobs handling the height adjustment.
The sound is much sharper than the equivalent 1930's Gibson electrics, with a bright singing quality.
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth at side. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.).
Very little playwear on body; the guitar has been refretted and has significant wear to back of neck. Some binding shrinkage is evident; less than on many period New York-made guitars.
All original except for frets; original arched SSC also well preserved. Excellent Condition.
