Imperial Series
Between 1992 and 1994 Epiphone released a line of guitars called the Imperial Series. These were remakes of the classic Epiphone archtops of the 1930's through the 1960's. Each instrument was hand made in the Fujigen Workshop in Japan to the original specifications of each instrument.
From the top-of-the-line acoustic archtop Emperorwith its huge 18 1/2" body to the elegant curves of the Howard Roberts to the retro look and feel of the Zephyr, every Epiphone Imperial is hand-built like the originals. - Epiphone, Imperal Collection 1992-1994 |
Contents |
Models
Imperial Series 1939 Emperor
- 1992-1994
- Made to original Emperor specifications
- Made at the Fuji-gen workshop in Japan
Body:
- Solid, handcarved, bookmatched, graduated spruce top
- Solid flame maple back
- Hand-bent flame maple rims
- 18.5" body width
Neck:
- 5-piece maple/mahogany
- "C" shape profile
- Rosewood fingerboard
- V-block mother of pearl and abalone inlay
- Offset headstock with Pearl tree-of-life inlay
- Bone nut
- 25.5" scale
- 1.68" nut width
Binding:
- 9-ply ivoroid body
- 3-ply f-holes
- 3-ply heel cap, pickguard and headstock
- 5-ply neck
Hardware:
- Gold hardware
- Sealed tuners with original style machine head buttons
- Adjustable rosewood bridge with rosewood base
- Frequensator tailpiece
- Tortoise shell pickguard
Colors:
- Antique Natural (AN)
- Vintage Sunburst (VS)
Imperial Series 1950's Zephyr
- 1992-1994
- Made to original Zephyrt specifications
- Made at the Fuji-gen workshop in Japan
Body:
- Solid, handcarved, bookmatched, graduated spruce top
- Solid flame maple back
- Hand-bent rims
- Standard f-holes
- 17.375" body width
Neck:
- 3-piece laminated mahogany neck
- "C" shape profile
- Rosewood fingerboard
- V-block mother of pearl and abalone inlay
- Masterbilt-style offset with pearl Vine-of-Life headstock inlay
- Bone nut
- 24.75" scale
- 1.68" nut width
Binding:
- Multi-ply body & neck
- 3-ply pickguard
- Single-ply headstock
Electronics:
- Two NY-style mini-humbucker pickups
- 1 Vol. 1 Tone controls
- 3-way selector switch
Hardware:
- Gold hardware
- Adjustable rosewood bridge with rosewood base
- Frequensator tailpiece
- Sealed tuners with original style machine head buttons
- Carousel knobs
- Tortoise shell pickguard
Colors:
- Antique Natural (AN)
- Vintage Sunburst (VS)
Imperial Series 1960's Howard Roberts
- 1992-1994
- Made to original Howard Roberts specifications
- Made at the Fuji-gen workshop in Japan
Body:
- Solid curly maple top
- Laminated maple back & sides
- Oval soundhole
Neck:
- 3-piece maple neck with set dovetail neck joint
- Rosewood fingerboard with slotted-block inlays
- Original open-book headstock
- Black veneer with vine inlay on headstock
- 25.5" scale
- 1.68" nut width
Binding:
- 5-ply body
- Single-ply neck, headstock & sound hole
- 1-ring multi-ply rosette
- 5-ply pickguard binding
Electronics:
- One floating mini-humbucker pickup
- 1 Vol. 1 Tone controls mounted to body
Hardware:
- Gold hardware
- Tune-o-matic bridge with trapeze tailpiece
- Rosewood bridge base with two pearl inlays
- Gold reflector knobs
- Translucent red pickguard with metal "E" emblem
Colors:
- Cherry (CH)
See Also: Howard Roberts Signatures
Imperial Series DeLuxe
- 1992-1993
Imperial Series Broadway
- 1992-1993
Imperial Series Triumph
- 1992-1993
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