Epiphone Blackstone 1937

Its body size increased over the years from 14 3/4 inches to 16 3/8 inches, positioning the Blackstone between the smaller models and the larger flagships such as the Broadway and Deluxe. The Blackstone represented Epiphone's ambition to build high-quality archtops for the discerning guitarist and was popular among jazz musicians seeking an instrument with a warm, balanced tone and good projection. 

This 1937 Blackstone features maple back and sides and a two-piece arched spruce top with a sunburst finish. The mahogany neck has a comfortable soft V-profile with a rosewood fingerboard featuring parallelogram mother-of-pearl inlays. The white binding with black-and-white purfling on both the body and neck, combined with the bound tortoiseshell pickguard and cello-style F-holes, give the guitar its classic 1930s look. The trapeze tailpiece and adjustable rosewood bridge complete the traditional look. 

This Epiphone Blackstone has undergone maintenance over the years. The guitar has been refretted, and both the neck and body have been resprayed. The body binding has also been replaced. Thanks to these adjustments, the guitar is in excellent condition and retains its authentic character. The guitar was acquired by the Dutch Archtop Museum in November 2013 at the Vintage Guitar Show in Oldenburg, Germany, in a trade with Karsten Schnoor, a renowned luthier from Hamburg who had purchased the instrument several years earlier from Buffalo Brothers in San Diego. The guitar comes in a hardshell case.