DeLuxe Archtop Electric

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Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Master Voicer
1940's Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Headstock
Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Master Voicer
1940's Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Master Voicer Controls

Debuting in 1931, the Deluxe was introduced as Epiphone's top-of the line guitar. The Epiphone Masterbilt Deluxe was the fanciest, most powerful archtop guitar of its day. Late in 1935, Epiphone introduced a totally redesigned line of bigger, more powerful guitars engineered to meet the demands of the big band era.

Originally christened the Super Deluxe, this guitar was the top of the 17" line, and featured the asymmetrical Masterbilt headstock with an ornate tree-of-life inlay, segmented f-holes, mother of pearl cloud fingerboard inlays, extra binding at the edges of the fingerboard, a new streamlined bound tortoise pickguard, and bound cello-style f-holes. Regarded by many as the pinnacle of Epiphone design, the DeLuxe are almost invariably excellent sounding and playing guitars as well.

Introduced in 1941, the Zephyr Deluxe was Epiphone's top-of-the line 17" instrument. The Zephyr Deluxe Regent was the electric cutaway version of their legendary Deluxe model archtop


The DeLuxe series included:


See Also: DeLuxe Acoustic Archtop


Contents

Models


Zephyr DeLuxe

Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe
1941-1949 Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe
Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe
1951 Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe
  • 1941-1954

Body:

  • Non-cutaway body
  • Flame maple back and sides
  • Spruce top

Neck:

  • Set maple neck with 3-ply walnut/maple centerstripe
  • Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard with inlaid perimeter stripes
  • Pearl cloud fingerboard inlays
  • "Vine of Life" inlay on headstock
  • Bone nut
  • 25.5" scale
  • 1.68" nut width

Binding:

  • 5-ply body
  • 3-ply neck, headstock & pickguard

Electronics:

  • Epiphone Pickups (1941-1949)
  • New York style pickup (1950-1954)

Controls:

  • Volume and Tone control on 1 shaft on "MasterVoicer" control plate (1941-1950)
  • "MasterVoicer" control plate discontinued (1951)
  • Control knobs parallel to strings (1951-1954)

Hardware:

  • Gold hardware
  • Individual enclosed Epsilon "E" stamped tuners
  • Hex-key adjustable truss rod
  • Elevated nitrocellulose tortoise pickguard
  • Maple bridge with rosewood saddle
  • Frequensator tailpiece



Zephyr DeLuxe Regent

Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Regent
1949 Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Regent
1951 Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Regent
1951 Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Regent - "V" Block inlays
1951 Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Regent
1951 Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Regent - Cloud Inlays
1951 Epiphone DeLuxe Electric
1967 Epiphone DeLuxe Electric - Cloud Inlays
  • Model E211 & E212
  • Named Zephyr DeLuxe Regent (1948-1957)
  • Renamed to Deluxe Electric (1958-1970)

Body:

  • Single-cutaway body
  • Flame maple back and sides
  • Spruce top

Neck:

  • Set maple neck with 3-ply walnut/maple centerstripe
  • Ornate vine style mother-of-pearl peghead inlay
  • Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard
  • Abalone/Pearl "V' block fingerboard inlays (1948-1970)
  • Mother of pearl Cloud fingerboard inlays (1948-1957)
  • Hex-key adjustable truss rod
  • Bone nut
  • 25.5" scale
  • 1.68" nut width

Binding:

  • 5-ply body
  • 3-ply fingerboard & headstock
  • 3-ply pickguard

Electronics:

  • Epiphone pickups (1948-1949)
  • New York pickups (1950-1957)
  • Johnny Smith pickups (1958-1970)
  • 1-pickup in neck position
  • 2-pickup version available with blade switch

Controls:

  • "MasterVoicer" control plate 1948-1951
  • 1 Volume and 1 Tone control 1951-1957
  • 1 Volume control and mini-jack 1958-1970

Hardware:

  • Gold hardware
  • Epsilon-logo tuners
  • Frequensator tailpiece
  • Maple bridge with rosewood saddle
  • Elevated nitrocellulose tortoise pickguard

Colors:

  • Blonde (E211)
  • Shaded (E212)



Zephyr DeLuxe Tenor

1951 Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Tenor
1948 Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Tenor
  • 4-string configuration

Body:

  • Single-cutaway body
  • Spruce top
  • Flame maple back and sides
  • 2 non-segmented f-holes

Neck:

  • Set maple neck with 3-ply walnut/maple centerstripe
  • Ornate vine style mother-of-pearl peghead inlay
  • Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard with V-block inlays
  • "Vine of Life" inlay on headstock
  • Hex-key adjustable truss rod
  • Bone nut

Binding:

  • Deluxe 5-ply body binding
  • 1-ply fingerboard and headstock
  • 3-ply nitrocellulose tortoise pickguard

Electronics:

  • Epiphone pickups
  • "MasterVoicer" controls
  • 3-way selector switch

Hardware:

  • Gold hardware
  • Adjustable maple bridge with rosewood base
  • Frequensator tailpiece
  • Epsilon-logo tuners



Zephyr Blues Deluxe

Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe
Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe
Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe
Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe
Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe
Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe
  • 1999-2005
  • Based on the Gibson ES-5

Body:

  • Single rounded cutaway
  • Maple body & top
  • Flame maple veneer

Neck:

  • Set Maple neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard with block inlays
  • "Vine of Life" inlay on headstock
  • 20 frets
  • 25.5" Scale
  • 1.68" nut

Binding:

  • 5-ply body, neck & headstock

Electronics:

  • 3 P-90 Pickups
  • Middle pickup reverse polarity for hum cancelling
  • 3 Vol. 1 Tone controls

Hardware:

  • Gold hardware
  • Tune-o-matic bridge with rosewood base
  • Frequensator tailpiece
  • Gold speed knobs
  • 3-ply evelvated pickguard

Colors:

  • Natural (NA)
  • Vintage Sunburst (VS)



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