Zephyr

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Epiphone Zephyr
Epiphone Zephyr Headstock
Epiphone Zephyr
1940 Epiphone Zephyr Mastervoice Plate

The Zephyr guitar is easiestly identifiable by the Notched Block fingerboard inlays along with its metal "Bikini" peghead plate.

From its introduction in 1939 until 1954 the Zephyr electric guitar was part of the Zephyr range of instruments and amplifiers including the Zephyr Banjo, Zephyr Mandolin, Electar Zephyr Hawaiian Lap Steel Guitar and Zephyr Amplifier. This line of instruments was available in "complete outfits" or "starter packs" as we know them today. These outfits typically included the instrument, case, amplifier and a cord. Zephyr amplifers were available in AC or AC-DC models. The Zephyr guitar was available in Spanish (conventional), Tenor (4-sting short-scale) and Plectrum (4-string long-scale) versions. Plectum versions were usually special order only.

The Zephyr guitar, along with the Tenor and Plectrum versions, retailed for $100.00 in 1939. All Zephyr guitars came with a Masterbilt fleece lined case. A Zephyr AC Outfit retailed for $189.50, while the AC-DC outfit cost $204.50.

See: Zephyr Series


Introduced in 1950, the Zephyr Regent was Epiphone's most popular electric cutaway guitar. Epi's journeyman 17" instrument, the Zephyr Regent was positioned against its main competitor, the Gibson ES-350. Featuring a deeper cutaway than its Gibson rival, the Zephyr Regent facilitates upper fingerboard access by two to three frets.

Early Kalamzoo-made Zephyrs used older, pre-Gibson, Epiphone parts including pickups, and the classic metal Epiphone bikini headstock logo. John Lee Hooker used a thinline Epiphone Zephyr widely throughout the 1960s.

Zephyr Guitar Variations from 1939-1963:


The Zephyr Regent was reissued in 1999 until 2008 as a full-depth hollow-body guitar. Distinguishable by the flourentine cutaway and a full-sized humbucker pickup in the neck position, the modern Zephyr Regent bears little resemblence to the originals Zephyr guitars.


Contents

Models


Zephyr

Epiphone Zephyr
1939-1940 Epiphone Zephyr
Epiphone Zephyr
1941-1942 Epiphone Zephyr
Epiphone Zephyr
1942-1949 Epiphone Zephyr - Model Missing Pickguard
Epiphone Zephyr
1950-1953 Epiphone Zephyr - Model Missing Pickguard
  • 1939-1958
  • Model E321 & E322

Body:

  • Full-depth non-cutaway body
  • Maple body with maple top
  • 16.375" body width (1939-1949)
  • 17.375" body width (1950-1958)

Neck:

  • Set mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard with mother of pearl notched-block inlays
  • Metal peghead logo plate
  • 25.5" scale
  • 1.68" nut width

Binding:

  • 1-ply pyralin body & neck binding

Electronics:

  • Epiphone Master pickup (1939-1949)
  • NY pickup (1950-1953)
  • DeArmond pickup (1954-1958)

Pickup Position

  • Pickup in bridge position with metal cover (1939-1941)
  • Pickup in middle position (1942-1949)
  • Pickup in neck position (1950-1958)

Controls:

  • 2 control knobs on Mastervoicer plate (1939-1950)
  • Mastervoicer discontinued (1951)
  • 1 Vol. 1 Tone controls (1951-1958)

Hardware:

  • Nickel hardware
  • Nitrocellulose pickguard
  • Rosewood bridge & base
  • Trapeze tailpiece (1939-1958)
  • Optional frequensator tailpiece (1950-1958)
  • Carousel knobs on white pyralin dial with position markers

Colors:

  • Natural Blonde - E321
  • Sunburst - E322

Zephyr Tenor

  • Model 321T & 322T
  • 1939-1958
  • 4-string short-scale guitar

Zephyr Plectrum

  • 1939-1949
  • 4-string long-scale tenor guitar



Zephyr Regent

Epiphone 1952 Zephyr Regent
Epiphone 1952 Zephyr Regent with 1 NY Pickup
Epiphone 1958 Zephyr Regent
Epiphone 1958 Zephyr Regent with 2 NY Pickups
Epiphone 1958 Zephyr Regent
Epiphone 1958 Zephyr Regent with 2 NY Pickups
  • 1950-1958
  • Model E311 & E312

Body:

  • Single rounded cutaway
  • Maple body with laminated maple top
  • 17.375" body width

Neck:

  • Set mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard with notched block inlays
  • Metal peghead logo plate
  • 25.5" scale
  • 1.68" nut width

Binding:

  • 1-ply body & neck

Electronics:

  • 1 & 2 pickup models available
  • New York pickups (1950-1958)
  • Avaliable with DeArmond pickups (1954-1958)
  • 1 Vol. 1 Tone controls (1 pickup version)
  • 2 Vol. 2 Tone controls (2 pickup version)
  • 3-way selector switch (2 pickup version)

Hardware:

  • Nickel hardware
  • Nitrocellulose pickguard
  • Rosewood bridge & base with trapeze tailpiece
  • Carousel knobs

Colors:

  • Natural Blonde (E311)
  • Sunburst (E312)



Zephyr Electric

Epiphone Zephyr Electric
1959-1960 Epiphone Zephyr Electric
Epiphone Zephyr Electric
1960-1961 Epiphone Zephyr Electric
Epiphone Zephyr Electric
1961-1963 Epiphone Zephyr Electric
  • 1959-1963
  • Model E312T & E312TN

Body:

  • Laminated arched maple top
  • Maple sides and back
  • Non-cutaway model (1959-1963)
  • Single rounded cutaway (1959-1963)
  • 17.375" body width
  • 1.875" body depth

Neck:

  • Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard with slotted block inlays
  • Metal peghead logo plate (1959-1960)
  • Inlaid Epiphone logo on the headstock (1960-1963)
  • 25.5" scale
  • 1.68" nut width

Binding:

  • 1-ply body & neck

Electronics:

  • 2 New York pickups (1959-1960)
  • Mini-humbucker pickups (1960-1963)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone controls
  • 3-way selector switch

Hardware:

  • Nickel hardware
  • Adjustable rosewood bridge on rosewood base
  • Trapeze tailpiece
  • Elevated tortoise pickguard
  • Gold reflector knobs

Colors:

  • Natural (E312TN)
  • Sunburst (E312T)



Zephyr Regent Reissue

Epiphone Zephyr Regent
1999-2005 Epiphone Zephyr Regent Reissue with split-paralellogram inlays
Epiphone Zephyr Regent
2006-2008 Epiphone Zephyr Regent Reissue with dot inlays
Epiphone Zephyr Regent
2006-2008 Epiphone Zephyr Regent Reissue with dot inlays
  • 1999-2008

Body:

  • Single Flourentine cutaway
  • Full-depth body
  • Mahogany body
  • Laminated maple top

Neck:

  • Set maple neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard
  • Split parallelogram inlays & crown inlay on headstock (1999-2005)
  • Dot inlays & no inlay on headstock (2006-2008)
  • Vintage style heel
  • 24.75" Scale
  • 1.68" nut

Binding:

  • 1-ply Body and neck

Electronics:

  • 1 Alnico Classic Humbucker
  • 1 vol. 1 Tone controls

Hardware:

  • Gold hardware
  • Tune-o-matic bridge with rosewood base
  • Trapeze tailpiece
  • Elevated pickguard
  • Gold bell knobs
  • Deluxe tuners

Colors:

  • Vintage Sunburst (VS)



Imperial Series 1950's Zephyr

Epiphone Imperial Series Zephyr
Epiphone Imperial Series Zephyr Reissue
  • 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)



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