What can you tell me about this Epiphone?

[jlarsson]

Hi All-

 

This guitar was found in my late stepfather's basement. What can you tell me about it? My husband and I know nothing about guitars so we are hoping someone here can help us.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for any info you can provide.

 

I tried putting that number into the website that tells you what factory your guitar was made but it came back as unknown.

[pohatu771]

It's an Epiphone Serenader, which you can tell from the label.

 

Using the Epiphone page of Guitar Dater Project, it doesn't work. But if you use the Gibson page, it says it's a 1964.

 

I did a search for the FT85, and it appears in the 1964 Epiphone catalogue.

 

So it was made in Kalamazoo.

[johnl]

They appear on eBay fairly regularly if you want to get an idea of what you could sell it for. Yours looks to be in really good shape (except for the missing bridge pin). Does it have a case?

[jlarsson]

Yeah is has a hardshell case. We also took it in to get the pin replaced and the shop recommened putting it under humidification. I guess they also clamped and glued the bridge down and cleaned and restrung it. The pics are prior to this work.

[TommyK]

Excellent find! Congrats.

 

I'll give you 20 bucks for it! :D

[jlarsson]

](*,)/ I think I'll have to pass on that offer! :D/

[littlesongs]

You have found a beautiful old Epiphone. It will never sound as huge as a 'Bard' or Gibson B-45, but it is still a nice vintage folk guitar. To my ears, a good example can be one of the sweetest sounding small bodied twelves ever built. I can also confirm that it is a 1964. It is essentially identical to the Gibson B-25N-12 of the same time period. Both were introduced in 1962 and built in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They used solid spruce tops and mahogany for the neck, back and sides. Production of the Epi FT-85 model ended in 1969 while the Gibby B-25-12 was available through 1977. The Epiphone 6 string version was called a 'Cortez' or FT-45. All of these models have their roots in the Gibson LG series. The six string B-25N and 'Cortez' can be traced back to the "X" braced natural top LG-3 that was introduced by Gibson in 1942. I believe Gibson recently produced a limited number of 'new' B-25s.

 

All the work that your luthier has performed will make your guitar happy for many years to come, but be sure to take their concerns to heart. Largely due to the sheer volume of instruments they produced, those years of Gibson and Epiphone acoustics can be rather hit and miss. Both the B-25-12 and FT-85 model went through several bridge and saddle styles. Many were tried with varying degrees of success. I played a 1965 model with a natural top for over a decade after rescuing it from a local bargain rack. Unlike yours, it had no pins. It also had a rosewood bridge and adjustable saddle, but the strings went straight through like a stop bar tailpiece on an electric guitar. The tension naturally caused the front to slowly stove in over time. In addition, it had been very badly treated, back cracks had been poorly repaired and it looked positively battle scarred. I was ginger with it and tuned down a step to slow the cave-in. I still wore it out with daily use. In the end, I faced a four figure repair estimate for a rebuild, so it was retired, replaced and is still missed.

 

Thankfully, I found myself another 1965 'Serenader' last year in much better shape. This one is a keeper. It has a sunburst top, mahogany bridge, adjustable rosewood saddle, and yet another variation, the trapeze tailpiece. Even with all of their quirks, diminutive size and sometimes wild variations in build quality, I thoroughly enjoy prime examples of these instruments.