Old gold: '57 Epiphone Zephyr De Luxe Regent

Introduction

Gibson didn’t have the monopoly on cool hollowbody electrics in the 50s, as this royally-appointed Epiphone attests...

Tailpiece

Despite its ’57 pedigree, the jazz-era stylings, such as the elegant ‘Frequensator’ tailpiece, hark back to the earliest versions of the model, which was introduced in 1948.

Pickups

In fact, the De Luxe Regent - sold as the Deluxe Electric in its latter years - was discontinued the year after this model, equipped with two New York mini-humbuckers, was made.

Body

During the model’s lifespan, the body width grew from 17.75 to 18.5 inches in some mid-50s examples.

This particular Zephyr, currently residing at Vintage & Rare guitars, Bath, sports a blonde finish on its laminated spruce top, but the model was also available in a Sunburst.

What’s it like to play? Well, of course, it’s a breeze...

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