Epiphone Emperor 1939

35-inch body, was the largest and most luxurious archtop Epiphone had ever built. A direct challenge to Gibson's Super 400, the model was built with the same ambition: to create the finest archtop in the world. 

The Emperor was distinguished by its rich ornamentation, featuring nine-ply black and white binding, bound F-holes and pickguard, and the innovative Frequensator tailpiece, which was designed to better distribute string tension. With its enormous body, the Emperor delivered a powerful, deep tone with excellent projection, making it particularly popular among big band guitarists who had to compete with full horn sections without amplification. 

This 1939 Emperor is a special example with an interesting quirk. The later applied natural finish reveals that the instrument features a four-piece back instead of the standard two-piece back. The pieces were likely not wide enough at the lower bout or too unstable on the outer edges. Apparently, Epiphone didn't waste any of its good tonewood! The guitar features a two-piece arched spruce top and a five-piece maple and mahogany neck with a comfortable C-profile. The rosewood fingerboard features beautiful mother-of-pearl and abalone block and triangle inlays, while the bound cello-style F-holes and nine-ply binding give the guitar unparalleled elegance. 

This Epiphone Emperor has been refinished to its current natural finish over the years, with several cracks in the top repaired. The nut has also been replaced, as has the binding on the end of the fretboard. Despite these modifications, the guitar is in excellent condition and retains its impressive character. The guitar was purchased by the Dutch Archtop Museum in December 2010 from Folkway Music in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, and comes in a hardshell case. This is a rare piece of Epiphone history from the brand's heyday in New York.