tvguit Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Hello everyone this is my first post on the epiphone forum. I am going to look at this guitar in the next couple of days and I couldn't find as much information on it as I would like. Does the label look right? How about the general body shape? Maybe it just looks strange to me because it is a natural finish and not a burst. Also, I read somewhere that the truss rod adjustment is at the body end of the neck pre 1951 or so and then it switched to the peghead. This guitar is supposedly from 1943 so why is the nut at the peghead? Thank you very much for your help, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el capitan Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 I would have thought truss rod adjustment at the body end was later not sooner (Fender?) Guitar looks fine to me -tho' I wonder about no sleeves on the machine-heads.Very rare find- keep us posted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvguit Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 O, you are right about no sleeves around the pegs. I didn't even see that good call. Now that I am looking at the truss rod it doesn't look like that is the nut end. Could that just be an exposed anchor for the truss rod? Also, does the finish look original to you guys? I was also thinking that I have not seen a natural top on a New York Epi FT-79, could anyone guess if that would make it more or less valuable? Thanks again, without you forum members I would just be stumbling around in the dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ship of fools Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Lots of info out there and here is one page with a pic. http://forums.epiphone.com/default.aspx?g=search#1|5 The one you are going to see is absolutely correct and there should have been sleeves, but that doesn't take away from the guitar here's another picture and the truss rod cover is in the right place http://forums.epiphone.com/default.aspx?g=search#5|5 And from the vintage Epiphone series. http://home.provide.net/~cfh/epiphon2.html#ft79 Hope this helps you out.Ship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvguit Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 Thank you for posting those links. The first two didn't work would you mind trying those again? I am really interested in looking at those. The home.provide.net page is a great page. I've seen that one but the only problem is that it doesn't have that much information on the year model I am looking at. I would love to see those first two links. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 The serial number is correct for 1943, as is the tie-pin h/stock inlay, and if it`s an early one, it should have walnut back & sides, but from what I can see, it all looks O.K. Incidently are you, in Birmingham U.K.? Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Problem is the pre-1950 FT-79s are rare as hen's teeth - I have never even seen one for sale. The guitar in the pics looks spot on for a '43 - including the truss rod adjustment at the nut (that would be Epiphone's Exclusive Adjustable Thrust Rod (yeah, thrust not truss). The guitar should have a walnut body and cherry neck. It came with a natural finished top. By the way, Epiphone stopped offering the guitar in 1944 do to manufacturing issues caused by the war and did not resume production of it until after. The only thing I might do is research the label. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Found the website you need to look at - www.acousticmusic.org - go to the research & history section. They have a copy of the 1944 Epi catalog (as well as others) you can download. Take at look at the F.T.-79 - it should help put your mind to rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvguit Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 Thanks so much for all the helpful replies. That acoustic music site is great. I think everything looks right except for the bushings on the tuning posts. Does anyone know if those should be kluson's or not? Sorry, I am in Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.A. Thanks again for all the helpful replies, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 I don't have a clue on the tuners but would guess individual nickel Grover Sta-Tite butterbeans. I would not sweat out the tuners. This is a flippin' rare guitar and chances are you will never run across another one. And I miss the South (I lived in the southwest corner of Mississippi for alot of years). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvguit Posted August 12, 2010 Author Share Posted August 12, 2010 Thanks again. I am 99% sure on this guitar. The finish just doesn't look old enough. Does anyone know of a good way to tell if it has been refinished or not? He mentioned that the back has a good bit of belt buckle scratches but didn't include a picture of them. Typical. But he also says none of the scratches are through the wood so I guess that is ok with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 I thought the top looked awful good in the pics as well but it is pretty hard to tell much from a photograph. You should see a ton of crazing and checking in the finish - even if the guitar has been stored away for alot of its life. Scratches, nicks and other light damage and play wear is to be expected. Don't let that kinda stuff put you off. Sometimes you will see the binding has shrunken a bit as well. What you do need to check carefully is the neck. If it is inky you will be looking at a neck reset. Again, it is not uncommon to find an old guitar that needs a neck reset and it should not be a deal breaker unless the neck is so badly twisted it would have to be replaced. If the guitar is refinished you are probably looking at least a 30% decrease in value even if it was professionally done. Although you can't tell much about the tuners without a photo of the back of the headstock, they may well be original. The FT-79 was not a top of the line guitar and would have had some cheaper appointments like plastic buttons. Good Luck with it and let us know how you make out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ship of fools Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 I think he could lose a lot more if the top was re-finished then even 30% more like 50% but then it depends on the buyer if he is buying to play or to keep as a collector item and to be hoinest I would be very concerned that it may require other things like a neck re-set and zomby is on the button with the nickle gorvers the sleeves you should be able to find a set to re-place the missing ones, the one thing you didn't mention was how much he was asking for it, if you prefer to not mention the price could you PM me and let me know if he is close to fair market.ship oh and the missing links just type in FT-79 in the search and you'll see a 43 on I believe the 3 or 4 page of searchs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwalin Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 I don't have a clue on the tuners but would guess individual nickel Grover Sta-Tite butterbeans. I would not sweat out the tuners. This is a flippin' rare guitar and chances are you will never run across another one. And I miss the South (I lived in the southwest corner of Mississippi for alot of years). You miss the Southwest corner of Mississippi? Where? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 You miss the Southwest corner of Mississippi? Where? Natchez - where the Old South lives (and they ain't kidding). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvguit Posted August 12, 2010 Author Share Posted August 12, 2010 Well guys the seller bailed on me. He is going with a guy in Los Angeles for a grand more than I would have payed. He says the guy will paypal him the money and then he will ship it. We will see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 The problem with these kinds of guitars is so few hit the market it is tough to figure out what the going price is so pretty much it comes down to the guitar is worth whatver someone is willing to pay for it. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvguit Posted August 12, 2010 Author Share Posted August 12, 2010 I agree. I just wasn't willing to pay that much. I hope the guy doesn't get scammed. He probably won't, but you never know. I don't think it is that typical for someone in LA to be looking at the CL that I was looking at. Who knows, if it isn't a scam then at least it is going to someone who will really appreciate it as much or more than I would. Thanks for all your help guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delorean8202 Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Hi guys, I'm the fella who bought the FT-79. I'm a guitarist from Los Angeles with a huge passion for old Epiphone acoustics, and I knew what this was as soon as I saw it pop up in a national Craiglist search...thing is, I've only seen one other one in many years of searching, and that one is in a guitar book (Tony Bacon's History of the American Guitar). So today I'm reporting that it is definitely all original with no repairs or modifications, it sounds and plays incredible (after shaving down the saddle a bit), and it is the only one I've ever seen like it outside of a book. Great score. Let me know if any of you know of other Wartime Epiphone Dreadnoughts...I'm happy to pay a premium for them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvguit Posted September 22, 2010 Author Share Posted September 22, 2010 Hi guys, I'm the fella who bought the FT-79. I'm a guitarist from Los Angeles with a huge passion for old Epiphone acoustics, and I knew what this was as soon as I saw it pop up in a national Craiglist search...thing is, I've only seen one other one in many years of searching, and that one is in a guitar book (Tony Bacon's History of the American Guitar). So today I'm reporting that it is definitely all original with no repairs or modifications, it sounds and plays incredible (after shaving down the saddle a bit), and it is the only one I've ever seen like it outside of a book. Great score. Let me know if any of you know of other Wartime Epiphone Dreadnoughts...I'm happy to pay a premium for them! Congrats man! While I was a little sad that I lost that cool Epiphone flat top, it needed to go to you anyway. I thought it looked like something special! I am glad you came to the forum because some guys were asking to put up pictures and more information on the guitar because there is only a little available. So welcome to the forum! By the way, I ended up getting a good deal on two Gibson flat-tops ('36 and '53) so I wouldn't have been able to buy all three. Congrats again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ship of fools Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 Great grab delorean, if not you it would have been mine but it didn't work out for me either, such is life.Ship...........e-mail me off line and lets see what else you need or want I do come across them every so often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 So today I'm reporting that it is definitely all original with no repairs or modifications, it sounds and plays incredible (after shaving down the saddle a bit), and it is the only one I've ever seen like it outside of a book. Ahhh, the poor man's neck reset. Down in Mississippi I kept hearing about a guy who owned a pre-War FT-79 and FT-110 but I never seemed to be able to run into him. My FT-79 was made in the 1950s and has the different body style with a burst finish. Epi was still using that wood saddle though. Great score and enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.