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This was an impulse buy over this last weekend. It is an early 1950 Epiphone Triumph. Now it had a long hard life with a few well sealed cracks in the top and one in the back. The neck was down to bare wood and has been sprayed a long time ago as it is wearing trough again, the top has been sprayed also. It has a replaced bridge and pick guard but I don't really like pickguards much anyway. Now the good things, original turners, unbroken tail piece and thankfully the original case. Some nice silking in the top wood. The guitar has had a neck reset and new frets as some point. This is a monster at 17 3/8" wide! It plays great and sounds wonderful and very loud. I have a 1951 Zenith but this is a whole new ball game for me. The cost was $1400.00 but my thought was a fully carved guitar in great playing condition that I can take to truck rallies and outdoor campfires and camping with out worrying about it to much. I have a very nice 1952 L-4 and a new Martin but I can't really take these out camping so that is my excuse and I am sticking with it! Once again my wonderful wife bought this for me! Now back to playing!
Thanks JohnLast edited by powerwagonjohn; 04-17-2023 at 08:46 PM.
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04-17-2023 11:56 AM
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Well, I think it's awesome.
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Take that guitar to “truck rallies and outdoor campfires”? Are you joking us?
That guitar deserves some love and coddling at its age. ;-)
Get a Godin 5th Avenue for the campfire stuff. It’s plywood and won’t care about humidity, smoke, beer spills, etc.
Great find and a nice looking guitar with some history to it.
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Notice the snow in the background? RIP Epiphone.
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Nice amber color, that's a perfect campfire guitar, enjoy that one.
Are you sure its not 17 3/8" wide?
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Don't get me wrong, this guitar will be taken very good care of but it will not be laying in it's case hidden in some closet, it will be played. When I get together with friends at a rally, in the evening a couple of us will pull out guitars and beers, entertain ourselves and any poor unfortunates bystanders. The guitar will be lovingly cared for and will not be neglected. Plenty of humidity in MN in the summer and humified in the winter. At 66 years old I don't smoke and don't spill beers, those day are well behind us. Yes we had snow last night but the guitar was only out for minutes for the photos. It is not my first rescue guitar, fear not! You can see my 1951 Zephier awaiting it's neck reset to live again. Yea, 17 3/8 wide!
Thanks john
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PWJohn—do you know Dan Neale from the TC area? Mark Stary?
We’ll be going up there this weekend. Planning to make a visit to Lavonne’s Guitars in Savage, where we’ll be staying, and maybe making a trip to Willie’s. Too bad no more Snuffie’s next to Willie’s.
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I am not sure if I know Dan or Mark but I remember a Mark I would talk to at Willies. I do know Charlie and his son at Hoffman's, Nate at Willies and Pete and Rachel at Lavonne's very well and Dave who I bought the guitar from in La Cross. We are blessed here in MN with great stores and builders. Have a great trip It is supposed to warm up but we may get some rain. And at 66 I don't need Snuffies either, but it was great!
Thanks JohnLast edited by powerwagonjohn; 04-18-2023 at 01:29 AM.
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Truck rally must mean something different than what I think it does. I’m picturing a muddy 3 day party.
Originally Posted by powerwagonjohn
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John,
That’s a nice looking Epiphone. Great that a case that old is still kicking. You stash your pick in the same place that I do. Is there a Gibson arch top that the sound of your Triumph sounds similar to? Neat to see fingerboard inlays like that being present in a 1950 instrument. Was the Triumph a top of the line model in 1950?
I sold my 1967 L-5C through LaVonne in 1982. In 2021 I (weakly) tried to track it down so instead bought a 1952 L-5C on line.
I met (I think) a Nate @ Willies (the old location) last April to get his thoughts on my 1973 Martin D-35 that I’m trying to sell. I still need to visit the new store location. He showed me what a period correct L-5 case should look like. My L-5 came with a newer case.
You may know this. There is a “Musician’s Trade Fair” @ the Eagan Civic Arena, this Sat. 10-3, $7 @ the door. Might be some “older items” there. My son and I are going. I’m looking for an older Gibson amp.
Thanks for posting the great photos!
Tom
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TAA, I don't know for sure but it would be great to compair your 52 L-5C to the Triumph, but would guess they would sound quite different. The Triumph would be equivalent to an L-7 with a maple neck I suppose. The Deluxe was the top of the line 17 3/8" Epiphone the next step down was the Broadway then the Triumph but I have read that they were basically the same guitars construction wise only less fancy trim and woods.
There is a local guy on the telecaster forum that goes by Fender Lover. He had offered me a GA-40 I think it was. You could look him up and message him on the TDPRI to see what he has.
I may be at the trade fair too, if I make it i will be wearing a well used cowboy hat with a silver Ram on the front. Come on over and say hello.
Thanks john
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These are incredible guitars and that was a great price. Treat it right!
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That’s a beauty. I love the triumph in blond and they sound amazing. I had a 1940 sunburst which I sold with some regret. The tone and volume of those guitars is great … a really great thunk for rhythm playing. Enjoy!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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John,
Isn’t PowerWagon an older pickup truck model name made by Dodge?
If I get to the show, I’ll watch for you. I’m older than you!
Tom
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A Power Wagon is a Dodge 4 wheel drive truck from 1946-86 so there are many styles and sizes. We include WW2, Viet Nam and Korea military Dodges as they are brothers. Here are some photos from some of our rally's. We have been doing rallies in Iowa for 35 years and my wife and I have been to all of them! The 5th photo is a couple of our trucks. Thanks John
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John,
In the first photo, the orange one on the left looks just like the one my rancher friend in Wyoming has. That’s a distinctive grill and front end. His is green and white. He still loves it even though he has newer trucks in use on the ranch.
Maybe load up a 1950 PowerWagon to transport your “new” 1950 Epiphone and amp to the next gig?
Tom
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John,
I was @ the show but didn’t see you. There was a guy with a white cowboy hat but it had a small gold colored vertical shaped pin on the front of the hat.
In my pursuit of an old Gibson amp, I saw two. A Gibsonette for $1,000. But no tone control.
The other is a GA-79RVT. The seller wants to sell it and a blonde Epiphone, double pickup, with stereo and varitone. Didn’t get the model number. Pretty nice looking guitar. Might be similar to a ES-355TDSV. He is reluctant to separate the two. Claims the guitar works in stereo with the amp and should be bought together. But I might go back at him to pry the amp away. We’ll see.
Tom
PS….no PowerWagons in the parking lot!
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Tom, sorry I missed you, possibly another time. I played a couple of the Gibsonette/ GA-8 the early ones are nice amps but as with all Gibson amps, everything kept changing so a lot of variations. The GA-79 RVT is really a unique amp. I have an ES 345 so I have always been interested in these. I just looked some of my favorite Gibson amps for sale/sold and they have really gone up. Good luck with your quest, let me know what you find. I am an ampoholic too.
Thanks John
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I was at the Eagan show. Sorry I didn't say hi, but I was too busy looking at the merch... ;-)
It was OK. Like a lot of antique shows I go to--75% fairly ordinary stuff, 25% really nice and rare stuff that is priced too high for me.
I wasn't really in the market for anything, but would have considered a vintage archie like a Kay or Harmony for a low price.
As mentioned in another post, I did go to Willie's and Lavonne's. It was disappointing that Willie's had to leave their prior location on Cleveland Avenue. I loved going in that old shop, with all its "mess" and history. And of course getting a malt at Snuffy's. Willie said that the new owner of the Cleveland Avenue building doubled the rent as soon as he bought it, and Snuffy's closed up that day. Willie left soon thereafter.
I'm glad it's still around, but for a "guitar tourist" like me nothing beats a funky store in a cool location.
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