1953 Epiphone Century

[BiscoDrew]

Doing some research on these. Does anyone have any experience with vintage Epi archtops?

I've been eyeing one in a local shop. It has original finish, pickup (can't tell if it a ToneSpectrum or New Yorker pickup at the neck) , original carousel control knobs/wiring and tailpiece. The finish is majorly damaged by disintegration of the original pickguard so this has brought the price down to around 1200. The guitar has been refretted and the binding and pickguard have been replaced, as have the tuners (the original had plastic keys- this guitar has nickle plated grovers). Its got a lot of character. Plugged in the single coil is fairly bright but it also had 10 gauge round wounds on it at the time I played it and I'm thinking some Swing 11's would fatten up the sound.

Due to its lack of appointments I'm thinking this was a budget guitar at the time it was first on the market. The top looks like it was carved but I also read these electric Epiphones all had plywood bodies. In terms of build quality does this mean it will be less stable as time goes by? It seems like all the hard work has already been done on this guitar. A proper setup and a new set of strings would do it wonders. As is it played wonderfully.

This one is a 1953 Century (Spanish Model)

Ill try to update with a couple pictures.

[BiscoDrew]

Also, the bridge has been fixed with double sided tape and replaced with a tune-o-matic of some kind with a rosewood base. It intonates very well but I kind of want the tape removed and the bridge area cleaned up.

[sgosnell]

I have one of those. It was a student model at the time, close to the bottom of the line. All laminate, no binding. Mine is stable, no laminate separation, and I don't think that would be an issue on most examples. That seems like a rather high price to me, but I'm not the one potentially buying.

[BiscoDrew]

I could try haggling. Any considerations I could throw into the conversation would be helpful. What do you think a fair market value for that model would be (considering the finish is melted in the front in an area about the size of a playing card).

[sgosnell]

My estimate would be under $1000. Mine, as refinished and nothing original except the control knobs, would probably be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 if I wanted to sell it, which I have no intention of ever doing. The New York pickups don't sound that good, IMO, but perhaps are worth more to collectors. Mine came the way it is, a gift from my sister, and I'm happy with it as it is.

[Dennis D]

.......FWIW -if you move up the vintage Epi quality scale - maybe double what you're looking at spending, you'll most probably get more bang for your buck. The Epi laminated - Zephyr or Zephyr Regent ( cutaway ) are worth a look !..........

For example :Epiphone Zephyr Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1949), | Reverb

This is f/s at Retrofret and they are never the cheapest.......No p/g deteriorating etc etc...... (( and no affiliation etc etc)) ...and there are others.....

But you're on the right track, and don't be afraid of those vintage Epi's......Those can be decent instruments !

Good luck !

Just my 2 cents.....

[BiscoDrew]

Thanks for the feedback!

Yea he's pretty firm on 1200 out the door. All originals with a better finish are available on reverb for 1500. I suppose the return policy and the setup that are included in that price dictate a little more money then if I was buying direct from another owner.

Either way, its a cool little piece of history and it plays really nice. New frets and binding already on it. I'll probably take the new black 3 ply guard off entirely for aesthetic reasons. Maybe one day I'll pay a couple bucks for an og or refab tortoise guard for it. Frankly, I prefer the new tuners to the plastic keyed originals (plus the headstock was already drilled out to accommodate the new ones so it's kind of a done deal in my mind). No cracks anywhere on the body or headstock. Can't tell if the neck was reset but if it was the person who did it did a bang up job imo.

[sgosnell]

Plywood seldom cracks, and if it does it's only one ply. The Century is relatively thick plywood, so that isn't really an issue. The insistence on originality is really just a collector thing, and these aren't at all collectable. I agree that a tuner upgrade is definitely an upgrade. The TOM would be an issue for me, and I would replace it. I've tried one on mine and didn't like it, but it's a matter of personal preference. Definitely lose the tape. If you really like it, you might as well go for it. You might beat him down a hundred or so, but it's seldom worth it IME. It can be a nice player if you bond with the narrow but thick neck. I rather like it.

[BiscoDrew]

Yea, this is definitely a player haha. The neck feels like a dream. I actually like the TOM from a practicality standpoint- a couple easy adjustments and it was intonating exceptionally well. Its a vintage Schaller, so while not original its kind of period I guess. I've heard people say the tone on those ToneSpectrum pickups wasn't great but I disagree. With proper TI flats through a decent amp I think its pretty damn good sounding. The range on the tone pot is very wide also.

I'll probably get it. I'll post pics. Just don't tell me how badly I overpaid. X'D

[sgosnell]

If you're satisfied with the price, it's not too much. A guitar, like anything else, is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Enjoy it. Once you get it, I would be interested in seeing the serial number, to see how far it is from mine.

[BiscoDrew]