Incredible Vintage 1952 Epiphone Zephyr Emperor Regent! Vari Tone Model! Amazing Condition! Ultimate Jazz Axe! Start Price USD 4,595.00 Current Price USD 4,595.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, September 01, 2008 End Time Thursday, September 11, 2008 Location Charlottesville, VA See more about 'Incredible Vintage 1952 Epiphone Zephyr Emperor Regent!' Description Vintage 1952 Epiphone Zephyr Emperor Vari Tone! Fabulous 56-Year Old Jazz Guitar in Great Condition! How cool is this guitar? An amazing 18 1/2" wide hollowbody electric crafted in 1952 by Epiphone, Inc. of New York, New York, the city so nice they had to name it twice. This Zephyr Emperor Vari Tone is in truly wonderful condition, and plays beautifully. The action is sublime. This is a full-depth laminated spruce archtop jazz guitar featuring a laminated maple back and sides that are simply gorgeous! Fine pieces of flamed maple were a rarity after World War II, and those available to guitar craftsmen were used with extraordinary attention and results. This is a prime example. Other features include 3 New York pickups, 2 white control knobs, Vari Tone control plate with 6 small push-buttons, 7-ply binding on top and back, bound f-holes, raised tortoiseshell pickguard with 3-ply binding, bound 20-fret rosewood fingerboard with inlaid white lines along the edges and pearl block inlay with abalone V insert, vine peghead inlay, and Frequensator tailpiece. Overall this '52 Epiphone is in great condition. It appears to be almost completely original, and I believe that except for the tuner buttons, and perhaps some wiring, it is. The original manufacturer's label is still clearly visible inside the f-hole, and the serial number, 64257, points to an early 1952 date. The back and sides of flamed maple are in outstanding condition. There are wear spots on the top, but they just add a little character to this Zephyr. A few areas of the binding have shrunken slightly, typical of '50's Epiphones, but this is very minor and purely cosmetic. The bindings are in incredible condition, really. There is a small piece of wood missing at the center top of the back of the headstock, but the seam is tight. The bottom strap button is missing, but I could not imagine anyone playing this big boy standing up. It's not heavy, it's just really large! An upper strap button was never installed. The three original pickups work beautifully, and the push-button Vari Tone functions fine, giving a subtle change of tone with each position. The action is very low and fast with no buzzing. This Epi came to me with an old set of flat-wounds on it, but I put a set of .11s on and it sounds pretty good (to me). I'm sure there is a preferred string-style depending upon musical taste. Sorry, I do not have the original case, but this will ship in a new Levy's Deluxe soft case that is heavily padded and protects this incredible musical instrument very well. I do not know exactly how many 1952 Zephyr Emperors were produced, but I doubt that many have survived till today in this condition and with this level of playability. This is a true show-stopper! It will be the pride of your collection, and if you weren't already the coolest cat on the block, this one seals the deal, Daddy-O! PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER GUITARS! JUST CLICK THE LINK AT THE UPPER RIGHT. Forget about "bid high, bid often"! Don't worry. BIN! Happy!! International eBayers are welcome! I have shipped my guitars to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, all of the United Kingdom, and California, too!   :-) Shipping, handling and expert packing is FREE! to the Lower 48, Canada, and most of Europe and Japan. Sorry Australia, this one's too large to ship safelydown under. No shipping to Italy, sorry. I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SHIP OVERSEAS OR NOT, SO PLEASE CHECK WITH ME FIRST. Item sold "as is". Please check my "detailed seller feedback" link at upper right and bid and buy with confidence. Your complete satisfaction is my number one priority. Payment is due promptly upon notification of winning bid, please. Bank wire transfers are preferred. THE WINNING BIDDER MUST CONTACT ME WITHIN 48 HOURS OF AUCTION END OR ITEM WILL BE RE-LISTED FOR SALE.   Place a Bid!