Pre-Guild archtop

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Sorry guys, this is the only way I could slip this one in. My wife was at a estate sale and bought me a early 1951 Epiphone Zenith acoustic archtop guitar. I believe it is a pressed solid top, bottom of the line acoustic archtop at the time. After some serious cleaning and setting it up with new strings it plays and sounds great. It came with a Seymour Duncan custom shop Johnny Smith pick up with controls on the cracked pick guard. I pulled the pick guard and pick up off as I will probably play this one acoustally but I did try the DeArmond 1000 on it last night. It is a beast with a few top cracks, missing binding and plenty nicks and dings in the blond finish. I can't help but think that same guys that built this went on to build Guilds. for a $340.00 beater I finally got my first Epiphone.
Thanks john
 

shihan

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One of the nicest playing guitars I’ve ever played was an old Epi archtop; you got a DEAL. enjoy!
 
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Guess I just assumed the top was pressed as it was the bottom of the line acoustic archtop. With some binding missing on the back I can see the back is laminated and almost 1/4" thick. Were the Guild backs this thick? It is not a light guitar like my 1952 Gibson L-4. The Epiphone has a 25 1/2 scale with a raised fingerboard and seems to have more string tension. That may be why it has more of a bark than my L-4's. I will work on some photos.
Thanks John
 
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CosmicArkie

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I don't know about all Guilds, but my F4CE back (currently off) is right at 1/4".
 

walrus

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Those are cool guitars! I had a '33 Epi Olympic for a while. it was fun to play. Enjoy!

walrus
 
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