1940 Epiphone Deluxe...and its mine!

mattymel · #1 03-25-2010, 05:27 PM

I know, the Sadowsky JH didnt last me long, but this is what I was really after all along. By my standards, this is what you call a real guitar. Perhaps the first I will have ever owned. Getting a floating Armstrong single coil put on. Pretty much the only thing that could make me forget about that old Epi Emperor I played. 1940, segmented cloud inlays, shorty headsock. Enjoy!

eddue · #2 03-25-2010, 05:33 PM

Congrats, that is a very cool guitar! How does it sound without a pickup?

randyc · #3 03-25-2010, 05:45 PM

Absolutely gorgeous, lucky man ! Looks like someone put it away in the case and slid it under the bed in 1941 - recently rediscovered. One of my many regrets was trading my old '52 or '53 single pickup Epiphone away (can't recall the model number). At the time (late sixties) I was convinced that single pickup guitars were primitive.

X-500 · #4 03-25-2010, 06:21 PM

Very nice indeed! This is when Epiphone set the standard in archtop design. The tree of life is my favorite Epiphone headstock inlay. And the f-holes are clasicaly proportioned; in my opinion the way they should be in archtops.

Enjoy!

billkath · #5 03-25-2010, 06:34 PM

Beautiful guitar!! Congratulations! Has it been professionally repolished? It looks brand new!

NSJ · #6 03-25-2010, 06:38 PM

Wow. That is a pristine looking guitar. Has it been played? The frets are probably new, no?

As far as pickups, I would make sure I'd get one with individual pole pieces, so you can adjust each string accordingly.

SamBooka · #7 03-25-2010, 06:53 PM

where did ya get it?
niiiice

I also appreciate the matching lesson book!
Van Eps?

mattymel · #8 03-25-2010, 08:45 PM

its got some checking for sure you cant see in the pics, but for a 70 year old instrument...pretty amazingly well kept. its seen some playing for sure. got some cool cigarette burns under the low E and A strings. got it from joe at archtop.com of course.

i traded in my jim hall sadowsky when i played an old 46' Epi Emperor. sadly, that guitar was sold, but this one was the first that made me forget upon first strum. i need a guitar with some acoustic balls. this 17" guitar has big ones.

joe talked me into the kent armstrong floating single coil. i played one on his old L7 and it sounded awesome. tried it back to back with the KA floating humbucker. the single coil was way rounder, and with the impedance selector, a wide range of fat tones. CANT wait to get it back with the pickup in it.

if anybody is interested, i put up a Gibson Les Paul 1959 Reissue towards this one. if you are in the market for a killin solid body...give joe a holler. its in like new condition and already has some really smooth Lollar pickups in it. i tried like 3 other sets before i settled on the Lollars. i have another goldtop 1954 reissue still that i played more being a p90 guy. but i swear the '59 reissue is a killer guitar...beautiful iced tea finish and serious flame top. it wont last long.

randyc · #9 03-25-2010, 09:14 PM

Joe V. is a very good man!

I was patient for over five years, looking for the right L-5CES "Wes" and he put up with a good many telephone calls so that I could be sure that the one he was offering was THE one. (He put the guitar on hold for me until I made up my mind.) I'm looking at it as I type this and it's still the love of my life, next to Mrs. RandyC.

I check his site every couple of weeks to see if there is something there that could stick to me. Missed your Epi, it's sure a nice one! I didn't even know that he "did" solid body guitars.

FWIW, when we did the survey of the appreciation of American-made guitars, Joe was kind enough to "look over my shoulder" and check my figures. I really appreciated that.

We are very fortunate, as jazz musicians, because there are a half-dozen reliable, honest dealers that specialize in the instruments that we love. Another favorite of mine (three guitars purchased in the past five years) is "Gryphon Strings" in Palo Alto, CA. Frank Ford is not only an accomplished expert in guitars/luthiery/repair but he's also a skillful and imaginative machinist - a hobby that I share with him (as well as membership on the same fine machining forum).

cheers,
randyc

BigDaddyLoveHandles · #10 03-25-2010, 09:51 PM

That's a beauty! I wish Mrs LH would look that good when she's 70!

RoyaleT · #11 03-26-2010, 03:06 AM

Congrats. Unbelieveable for its age. Enjoy!

Flupkedoc · #12 03-29-2010, 02:47 AM

mattymel, this is a very nice guitar, enjoy it !
You say it's the first real guitar you ever owned, I had the same feeling when I got my 1951 L5 ;-)

Little Jay · #13 03-29-2010, 04:35 AM

Very cool! I love the looks of those old Epi's.
Have never played one though.

For a true retro-vibe you should get a pick up like this:

(Does the picture show? I am trying if the forum accepts just copy + paste)

Flupkedoc · #14 03-29-2010, 04:51 AM

I agree, I use one myself, it has this cool clean jazzy sound. It's easy to place and to remove, without destroying anything of the guitar.
Mine is like this one :

hot ford coupe · #15 03-29-2010, 06:11 PM

OMG!! That guitar is absolutely first rate. I had a 43 Emperor that I sold that looked just like that except with the different inlays. (That was a stupid sale, I must say.) I used both types of removable pickups and found them both to be the ideal pickup for that type of instrument. I have a Rhythym Chief on my current 39 DA (refin) and the sound can't be beat. One of my listeners told my that it sounded just like WWII.

BigDaddyLoveHandles · #16 03-29-2010, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hot ford coupe

One of my listeners told my that it sounded just like WWII.

But in a good way

Little Jay · #17 03-30-2010, 04:35 AM

With a Rhtyhm Chief pu you can go early Kenny Burrell:

http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/742...8511C3B9AAAD6D

mattymel · #18 03-30-2010, 02:24 PM

nice kenny B pic! never seen him with anything but a Super 400. though i guess he played a 175 early on too. but that one in the pic looks like an emperor from the looks of the inlays. those emperors are bad ASS!

i think i am going to stick with the KA floater for now. the dearmonds sound great but they look too bulky for my taste.