Tell Me About This Old Epiphone.

[Murphy Slaw]

I found Nora a few years ago. She was a little kid banjo player with an old soul. I check in often and she has only cemented her style, so far, and has taken up some guitar.

This old Epi reminds me of Dave Rawlings, but I really know nothing about old Epiphone archtops. It's just cool.

[Osage]

It looks like an early 50's Zenith but someone has modified the headstock logo a bit.

[Steve DeRosa]

New York-era Epi Byron, early '50s - a student-grade guitar slightly smaller than the postwar Zenith at 15-3/8", with plainer trim but still boasting a carved top like all pre-Kalamazoo Epis; least expensive model in the postwar lineup @ $70 and TMK also the last all-acoustic archtop design introduced by the New York operation (the final authentic NY Epi was the short-lived Harry Volpe electric, a single-pickup non-cutaway beginner model produced only in '55 and very early '56) - fairly rare BTW, since most entry-level players apparently preferred to go with the larger Zenith (or its similarly-sized Gibson L-48/L-50, Guild A-50, or Gretsch New Yorker competitors)...

[Osage]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

New York-era Epi Byron, early '50s - a student-grade guitar slightly smaller than the postwar Zenith at 15-3/8", with plainer trim but still boasting a carved top like all pre-Kalamazoo Epis; least expensive model in the postwar lineup @ $70 and TMK also the last all-acoustic archtop design introduced by the New York operation (the final authentic NY Epi was the short-lived Harry Volpe electric, a single-pickup non-cutaway beginner model produced only in '55 and very early '56) - fairly rare BTW, since most entry-level players apparently preferred to go with the larger Zenith (or its similarly-sized Gibson L-48/L-50, Guild A-50, or Gretsch New Yorker competitors)...

Yep, you're totally right! I didn't even think of a Byron because you just never see them. I've had a large number of Epi archtops from the 30's-50's and have never had a Byron.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Osage

...I've had a large number of Epi archtops from the 30's-50's and have never had a Byron.

Chances are you never will, they're just that rare: FWIW I'm just old enough to remember the final glory days of Manhattan's 14th Street "Pawnshop Row" (interestingly enough, just a couple blocks from Epiphone's last New York factory) and 48th Street "Music Row" in the early 1960's, seen just about every other archtop model produced by the original family-owned operation - skinny-neck prewar Emperor/Deluxe/Broadway comp boxes (sorry I didn't grab one while they were cheap - I really liked those 1-9/16" V-necks), Triumphs by the busload, Spatans (a hard sell in its day, as a premium 16-incher competing against the 17"/18" Big-Band cannons), the usual assortment of Zeniths and Blackstones (had a sweet little '46 myself back in the '80s-90s), more than a few David Rawlings-style small-body Olympics ($100-125 in the mid-70's depending on condition, sometimes less for a beater), a couple Devons, and even a wartime-production Ritz (which I also should have grabbed) - but after 60+ years in this game I too have yet to see a Byron in person...

[zuzu]

Back in the early '90's I had my friend's Byron for a couple of years, took it home to fix it up for him, as he had neglected it, and he didn't bother to ask for it back. Pre "vintage" craze. We were at my house a couple of years later and he noticed it and asked if he could trade it for a fly rod of mine. I turned him down and he took it home. I changed my mind later and wanted to buy it but he only wanted that fly rod. Now he has had it buffed and it hangs on a nice wooden stand (a piece of art in itself), not in his music room, but his living room, as art. It is simple, yet beautiful and sounds great. And btw, that fly rod is still my #1 saltwater fly rod.

[Murphy Slaw]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

they're just that rare: after 60+ years in this game I too have yet to see a Byron in person...

Wow.

She's quite the talent and I love it when gifted musicians find rare and unique instruments to create their sound.

Very cool.