1944 Epiphone Zenith Archtop Guitar

Wartime Epiphones, like most wartime builds, are just a little bit different. I've played plenty of prewar and postwar Epis, but the two other wartime ones I've handled have both been odd as well. Shortages must've made life difficult because those two, like this one, feature top wood that's not at all spruce. It seems to be poplar on this one and the good folks at the NY Epi Registry seem to agree that the stuff was used. This guitar is cataloged on the web from another seller in a previous sales-life and the specs listed were spruce over mahogany, though it's clearly a mysterious top and typically-Epiphone walnut on the back and sides.

The rest of the old ad was correct, however -- this is one heck of a guitar. It's got a ton of guts, is loud as heck, punches right through, and has a superb amount of lower-mids/bass oomph for a carved-top of this size -- 16 1/4" on the lower bout. It's also all-original save a replacement rosewood bridge and a set of nearly brand-new replacement frets that were expertly-installed. The feel is very much what I've come to expect from an old Epi -- slick and fast and perfect for the popular music of the day. The 1 5/8" nut width blends into a lightly-radiused fretboard over a slim-to-medium, quick-cut C/V hybrid neck shape. It feels modern.

My own work was minor -- I gave it a proper setup, fit the bridge to the top a little better, and compensated the B-string at the bridge saddle. It's running what seems to be 54w-12 strings with 3/32" E and 1/16" ADGBE, spot-on action at the 12th fret. The longer 25 1/2" scale should be "home base" to Fender fans and gives the guitar the drive one expects from Epis (vs. the shorter-scaled and velvety Gibsons of the time). The truss rod (located under the fretboard extension and wedged with a little foam so it doesn't rattle by accident) works and the neck is dead straight.

I'm pretty sure all of the finish is original to the guitar, though the back of the neck may have had a touch-up of overspray. I'm not certain on that. The rest has the usual weather-check you'd expect.

The finish itself is curious -- it's a nice red/brown on the walnut back and sides, but the sunburst top is more of a green/yellow-to-black sunburst than a traditional buttery-yellow to red/brown sunburst. I'd assume that has to do with the odd top wood -- just like the crazy black mineral stain in the grain that was exposed on the lower bout when the wood was carved.

The pearl inlay at the headstock looks nice.

The fretboard, bridge, and tailpiece stop-bar are all rosewood.

I love the rosewood on the wartime Epi tails.

The replacement rosewood bridge (vintage, but not Epi) was poorly-fit to the top. I fit it a little better and then compensated the B-string slot so it'd play in-tune up the neck.

Riveted/non-screw Kluson tuners were standard issue on many wartime guitars.

The neck is three-piece mahogany/maple/mahogany. I love multi-piece necks stability-wise and am happy to report that almost all old Epis have very stable necks.