FS: 1954 Epiphone Devon Archtop
TarBabyTunes
I've had this guitar for several years and it is a beauty. I just don't play
archtop-type stuff anymore since my wife has gotten me co-addicted to playing
Irish trad music.
Here is a description (©1997-2003 Greg Gagliano) by Greg Gagliano from his
website, http://home.att.net/~ggjag3/devon.htm, where there is a pic of a
sunburst Devon. The Devon I am selling is all blonde, but the descriptions are
the same otherwise, including that this one is made of the maple laminates.
"The Devon pictured here was made during Epiphone’s twilight years in
Philadelphia. This model was introduced in 1949 and was discontinued after the
takeover by Gibson in 1957. The Devon was the budget “professional” model
in the Epiphone line behind the Triumph and normally have laminated mahogany
back and sides, yet, this example has laminated maple back and sides. This
Devon and the Zephyr DeLuxe provide excellent historical reference points for
the early Guilds made between 1953 and 1956.
EPIPHONE DEVON (August 1954)
Body: Hollow; solid 2-piece spruce top, laminated 1-piece maple back and
flamed maple sides; single bound top and back
Finish: Sunburst, nitrocellulose lacquer
Neck: 3-piece cherry/mahogany, set-in; single bound, maple headstock overlay
with pearloid logo and oval inlay
Fingerboard: Brazilian rosewood, single bound; mother-of-pearl oval markers
Number of Frets: 20
Pickguard: Tortoise, celluloid; single bound
Bridge: Rosewood on rosewood base with nickel Frequensator tailpiece
Nut: Plastic
Tuners: Grover, open, nickel
Pickups: None
Controls: None
Scale Length: 25 1/2 inches
Neck Width at Nut: 1 11/16 inches
Body Width at Lower Bout: 17 5/16 inches
Body Depth: 3 1/2 inches "
This guitar is all original (S/N 68648), and came to me with some top scratches
and dings. The finish has, at some time in its life, dried and shrunk, and
some shrinkage of the body binding, but is structurally very sound. There are
no neck dings and the original tuners work well, as does the Frequensator (tm)
tailpiece.
The original red pickguard with a chrome Epiphone "E" is with it, but had
warped beyond use when I got it. With it are the mounting brackets. I tried
finding a replacement pickguard for it, but these were nonexistent then, and,
as far as I could find out, no one would make a replacement. Perhaps now a
Tortis or some other replacement could be made for it.
It comes in it's original brown hard case, tho the edges are very worn. The
dark pink interior is in great condition, though. I have experimented with
lots of strings for it, and will include several sizes of D'Aquisto Jazz
Signature Series flatwound strings with it, though I prefer D'Addario FlatTops
in EFT17 Medium Gauge (on it now), which I find make the bass and mids a lot
clearer. It takes a lot to move this big top... <GG>
My price is a firm $1450. If you want it and send me this notice from rmmgj,
I'll split the shipping & insurance.
I'm making pictures of it now. If no one from here wants it, it goes to eBay.
Many thanks,
steveV
steve V. johnson
Bloomington, Indiana
bfla...@crosslink.net
Did you miss out on the STEVE JORDAN TRIO, three CD set at $29.95? (regularly $14.95 each)
Point to:
http://www.BFLATMUSIC.com/sjordan.html
for a complete list of tunes from the master of unamplified rhythm guitar.
Expires June 30
Thank You!