Vintage Epiphone Emperor Questions

**Birddog** · 06-07-2022, 01:48 PM

I found a post war Epiphone Emperor that I'm considering purchasing, but something about it seems a little off. It has been re-fretted and the new fret ends have binding 'nibs'. Also, the abalone portion of the fretboard inlays are very bright blue, much brighter than I've seen on any other Emperor from this era. I realize there were different variations on these guitars back in the day, but it makes me wonder if the entire fretboard and inlays have been replaced. The seller claims everything is original and the nibs were added during the re-fret, but is it possible to add 'nibs' during a re-fret without replacing the original neck binding? Is there a way to confirm these materials are original? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

**deacon Mark** · 06-07-2022, 02:10 PM

This sounds suspicious just in the way you word the questions. A picture will do us all a world of good. One thing to remember is the "gut feeling". If your gut feeling says something is not right then walk away there are other guitars. In these days of crazy inflation and guitars that are actually selling in some respects, get one you know to be what you want.

In another life I am a trained Spiritual Director and even did post graduate work to get the credentials. Father Albert Hasse always said........................trust your gut...........he is right.

**Birddog** · 06-07-2022, 09:11 PM

Mark,
Thanks for the response and I couldn't agree more about trusting your gut. However.....sometimes my lack of knowledge contributes to my apprehension. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures that would show the necessary detail and I wasn't made aware of this until I had a video chat to see the guitar in person. Regardless, my question still remains: Were these vintage Emperors originally produced with 'nibs'? If not, how is possible them without replacing the neck binding?

Thanks

**wintermoon** · 06-07-2022, 09:22 PM

Is the fingerboard Brazilian rosewood or ebony?
If its in a shop can you post a link.

**Birddog** · 06-07-2022, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

Is the fingerboard Brazilian rosewood or ebony?
If its in a shop can you post a link.

Hello Wintermoon,
The pictures I have were sent as an early preview only so I feel like they're not mine to share quite yet. No official link, but the guitar is a 1945 with an ebony board. Do you know if they were originally produced with nibs in 1945?

Thanks

**wintermoon** · 06-07-2022, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Birddog

Hello Wintermoon,
The pictures I have were sent as an early preview only so I feel like they're not mine to share quite yet. No official link, but the guitar is a 1945 with an ebony board. Do you know if they were originally produced with nibs in 1945?

Thanks

Not sure but if I get a minute I'll dig out my '45 Deluxe and check, pretty sure it's 100% orig.
Can you at least post a pic of the board?

**Birddog** · 06-07-2022, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

Not sure but if I get a minute I'll dig out my '45 Deluxe and check, pretty sure it's 100% orig.
Can you at least post a pic of the board?

Ooooh a '45 Deluxe. Want to sell it? Lol. Seriously though, the resolution on the photos aren't going to show any detail. I viewed them meticulously and had no idea about the nibs until I viewed the guitar through a video chat.

**Birddog** · 06-09-2022, 08:37 PM

Here it is, just posted on Archtop.com.

1945 Epiphone Emperor

**Gilpy** · 06-11-2022, 12:00 PM

Yes, it is possible to replace binding nibs, a laborious process involving melting binding material in acetone, applying it to fret ends and filing it when dry. I don’t understand why anyone would bother to do this but apparently it happens.
The binding on the guitar in question looks a little too good for its age so maybe it has been replaced.
Still, it seems like a nice guitar.

**Stringswinger** · 06-11-2022, 12:16 PM

I was under the impression that Epiphone used rosewood for the fingerboards on all archtops, even on the Deluxe and the Emperor models. Every vintage Epi archtop that I have played had a rosewood board.

**wintermoon** · 06-11-2022, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

I was under the impression that Epiphone used rosewood for the fingerboards on all archtops, even on the Deluxe and the Emperor models. Every vintage Epi archtop that I have played had a rosewood board.

I've seen a number of Emperors w/ebony boards but no other models

**deacon Mark** · 06-11-2022, 02:30 PM

If it were me and I wanted a guitar like this I would rather find a few more dollars and buy a Super 400. I personally like Gibsons better and I think you will get a better return. This is the typical archtop.com description of a guitar and I would suggest I could be ok but as SS says.............buyers beware.

I know Marty Liquori the once famous distance runner of the early 1970's, now turned jazz guitarist has a beautiful late 30's GIbson Super 400 for sale. It was on reverb for a long time but I would contact him personally and see what you could get it for. I think you will have a better guitar no doubt.

**skykomishone** · 06-11-2022, 04:13 PM

Vintage Epiphone Emperor Questions-20220611_131121-jpg

This is the neck on my 1936 Emperor. Rosewood fretboard. I had it refretted. The binding on these is amazing but nitrocellulose deteriorates and on mine there had been some conservation work to stabilize the 13 plies on the top and back. It's an absolutely stunning guitar and is without pier.

**deacon Mark** · 06-11-2022, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by skykomishone

This is the neck on my 1936 Emperor. Rosewood fretboard. I had it refretted. The binding on these is amazing but nitrocellulose deteriorates and on mine there had been some conservation work to stabilize the 13 plies on the top and back. It's an absolutely stunning guitar and is without pier.

Pics of the whole guitar would do us good!

**Birddog** · 06-11-2022, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by deacon Mark

If it were me and I wanted a guitar like this I would rather find a few more dollars and buy a Super 400. I personally like Gibsons better and I think you will get a better return. This is the typical archtop.com description of a guitar and I would suggest I could be ok but as SS says.............buyers beware.

I know Marty Liquori the once famous distance runner of the early 1970's, now turned jazz guitarist has a beautiful late 30's GIbson Super 400 for sale. It was on reverb for a long time but I would contact him personally and see what you could get it for. I think you will have a better guitar no doubt.

Thanks Mark I appreciate this. I've stared at more pictures of Super 400's than I can count and would love to own one, but by 'a few more dollars' we're realistically talking close to twice as many dollars. Could I afford it? Yeah, but as much as I enjoy playing as a hobby guitarist, spending north of $10K doesn't feel like the responsible thing for me to do.
I decided to pass on this Emperor, but an older Epiphone in good condition would definitely fit the bill with a more reasonable price tag.