This 1955 Epiphone Harry Volpe is from the end period of Epiphone as an independent company, shortly prior to the Gibson buyout. The Volpe model is an all maple laminate, hollow body, archtop, electric guitar with a 15 1/4 inch lower bout. The neck is mahogany with a rosewood fingerboard.
The guitar is in all orginal condition, except for the binding which we just had redone with a nice amber tint to match the other aging of the guitar. It also has the three treble side tuner bushings missing which we will replace if we can find matches in our spare parts. Otherwise, the electronic, hardware, and finish are all original. The pickup was used in the Volpe model and made by DeArmond and in our opinion represents the best sounding electric pickup that was ever installed in a NY made Epiphone, as one would expect by a vintage, Rowe Industries made DeArmond pickup. It has great clarity and a nice top end, in contrast to the Tone Spectrum "New York" pickup most commonly used in Epiphone electrics. To go along with the pickup these came with very DeArmond style "ice cube" volume and tone control knobs, as seen on this guitar. The pickguard is original, but no longer has the Epsilon logo decal.
The guitar sounds great thanks to the DeArmond made pickup and plays very well, despite some fret wear. The neck is a larger, full C shape, similar to the Gibson 1957 shape. The original tuners work well, although a couple are bent a bit. The finish shows some checking and chipping as can be seen in the photos.
Nut width - 1.73 inches
1st fret depth - 0.93 inches
10th fret depth - 0.98 inches
Weight - 5.75 pounds
The guitar comes with a well fitting hardshell case that is not original. All latches and hinges work.
Ships free in the United States and for very reasonable rate worldwide. Please contact us about international shipping.
top of page
$1,899.00Price
bottom of page