Epiphone Emperor 1940

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 multiple layers of binding, multi-line purfling, bound pickguard and F-holes, and the innovative Frequensator tailpiece. With its enormous sound box, the Emperor delivered a powerful, deep tone with excellent projection, making the instrument particularly popular among big band guitarists. The Emperor represented the pinnacle of Epiphone's ambitions in the 1930s and 1940s, when the New York-based company competed with the biggest names in the guitar world. 

This 1940 Emperor is an impressive specimen with a two-piece carved maple back and a two-piece arched spruce top, finished in a sunburst. The seven-piece maple and mahogany neck has a comfortable C-profile with a rosewood fingerboard featuring beautiful pearloid split-block inlays. The white binding with a white-black-white lining on the neck, combined with the cream binding and multi-line purfling on the body and the bound tortoiseshell pickguard, gives the guitar unparalleled elegance. The original Epiphone tuners with marbeloid buttons and the Frequensator tailpiece complete the authentic look. The guitar is equipped with a Kent Armstrong Floating 2D Ultraslim Humbucker pickup with volume and tone controls, making it suitable for both acoustic and amplified playing. 

This Epiphone Emperor underwent maintenance work in 2009 at the Lemuel Guitars shop in Seattle, Washington. This included installing new frets, resealing the center seam, and removing some buckle wear with a spot finish. Retouching work was also added to the dark areas near the waist on both sides of the back of the body. With these completed works, the guitar is in excellent condition and retains its impressive character. Furthermore, the neck binding has several small cracks, and a refret was performed recently. The guitar was purchased by the Dutch Archtop Museum in December 2010 from Joe Vinikow of archtopcom in Seattle, Washington, and comes in a hardshell case.