**AS IS**
The fully acoustic De Luxe Model from Epiphone is quite the heavy hitter in the collectors market, with high quality that easily competed with Gibson in its era. By 1948, the model would add a rounded cutaway for easy upper register access - while retaining the high end appointments including gold plated tuners and frequensator tailpiece with excellent build quality. Pre Gibson acquisition, this example is complete with matching serial numbers on its Master bill New York label and headstock stamp. Very collectable, these typically draw a pretty price point when they are found - seen here in "As is" condition, ready to be refurbished for the next career or collection.

The era of size, this big body Jazz box has a 17.25" lower bout with a 3.25" depth - the upper bout measuring 12.5" across. A solid spruce top with wide grain is fully bound, in the natural (blonde) finish with fantastically flamed maple back and sides. Internally, it has dual tone bar bracing still in great shape - the kerfing having been replaced in some spots at some point (implying its had its back removed. The back is beginning to separate from the sides as seen mostly near the base of the instrument - which may have been due to its past repair. This model has a low 5 digit serial but likely dates to the '48-52 range as later issues would begin to generally have pickups. Original gold frequensator tailpiece and E stamped tuners (with original buttons all present, one cracked). The top is cosmetically in pretty clean condition, with some expected checking and overall minor nicks and dings - no cracks, the arch still pretty tall. The bridge appears to be era correct, but not necessarily original - made of rosewood, it has two shims underneath each foot which don't really mate too well to the top arch of the spruce - something that would best be adjusted depending on the status of the needed neck reset (more below).

The neck is constructed out of three pieces of maple with rosewood accents, the ebony fingerboard fully bound with iconic cloud inlay. The neck is designed with a 25.4" scale length, 1 21/32" nut width, and a profile that measures a comfortable .84" in depth at the first position tapering up to about .94" by the twelfth. The neck appears generally straight with a bit of wave at the fingerboard extension. Original binding is present with nibs in tact, the original frets showing little play wear overall. More importantly, the neck has a gap at the body that has been shimmed in a past repair, that needs to be redone to be seated properly. A new nut was added, but given its poor angle from its mostly detached neck, further repair work is required to bring this up to playing standards. Original Epiphone peg head veneer is in good condition complete with floral center.

Included in the sale is the original brown hardshell case, with pink "E" interior.