The Ultimate Jazzbox!

This full-bodied (18 1/2 inches wide and 3 1/2 inches deep) "Jazzbox" weighs just 8.40 lbs. and has a nice, fat nut width of just under 1 11/16 inches and scale length of 25 1/2 inches. Laminated curly maple body, seven-piece maple and mahogany neck, and rosewood fretboard with 20 frets and inlaid pearl block position markers with abalone "V" inserts at frets one, three, five, seven, nine, and twelve, and a pearl block (without the abalone "V" insert) at fret fifteen. The body of the guitar has seven-ply binding on the top and back, the f-holes are triple-bound, and the neck and headstock are triple-bound. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Epiphone" script logo and pearl "Vine of Life" inlay. Individual Epiphone closed-back tuners with Keystone plastic buttons. Three Epiphone "New York" pickups with very strong outputs of 19.00k, 19.80k, and 19.20k. Tortoiseshell pickguard with three-layer (white/black/white) plastic binding and with large Epiphone stylized "E" in silver. Two controls (one volume, one tone) and a control plate with six small pushbuttons (they all have the original lettering on them and they all work!). Epiphone eight-sectioned white plastic knobs with pointers. Rosewood bridge with pre-set compensating saddle and Epiphone Frequensator tailpiece. All hardware gold-plated. Apart from some minimal body checking, two tiny marks on the back of the neck, and a couple of tiny marks on the back of the body, this guitar is as near mint as you could ever wish for, and is simply the best example we have ever seen! From the Chinery collection. Housed in its original brown hardshell case with purple plush lining (9.00).

On par with the Gibson Super 400, the $540.00 (1954 price) Zephyr Emperor Regent was the ultimate guitar in the Epiphone electric line of instruments, with three pickups, elaborate ornamentation, and a body size of 181/2 inches. It was generally believed that the Zephyr Emperor Regent was issued in 1952; however, an ad in the November 1950 issue of Metronome magazine introduced this wondrous guitar to the public at $440.00. The original name for the guitar was the "Zephyr Emperor Vari Tone," which referred to the tonal variety available from the "Vari Tone" circuit. The name "Zephyr Emperor Regent" was used from 1952 until 1954, when the name became "Emperor Electric." The Zephyr Emperor Vari Tone/Regent/Electric had the same cosmetic features as the Emperor acoustic guitar and remained available until 1957. The electric components on the Zephyr Emperor Regent are unique. Three tone spectrum pickups are connected to the "Vari Tone," a bank of six pushbutton selector switches, which are mounted below the single volume and tone controls. The pushbuttons are mounted on an oblong metal plate. Pickup selections are 1, 1+3, 3, 1+2+3, 2+3 and 2.