Description
Built in the Samick Factory in Korea, some time in 2001, this Emperor II is the inimitable Joe Pass's final signature model. First released in 1994, just prior to Joe Pass's death, and produced until 2015. Joe's reputation as a Jazz guitarist precedes him. Go look up Joe and Niels Henning Orsted PEdersen doing Donna Lee and weep.Most well known for his solo work, Joe is also well known for recordings with a number of other leading artists of his day - such as Ella Fitzgerald.
16 inch wide, just under 3 inch deep Jazzbox. Laminated spruce top, lightly flamed laminated maple body with two bound F holes. Three-piece maple neck with a nice, fat nut width of just over 1 11/16 inches, a scale length of 25 inches and a medium profile. Ebony fretboard with 20 original jumbo frets and inlaid pearl block position markers. The body of the guitar has seven-ply binding on the top and back, the neck is single-bound and the headstock has five-ply binding. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Epiphone" script logo and pearl "Vine of Life" inlay. Bullet-shaped two-layer black over white plastic truss-rod cover with "Joe Pass" in white and secured by three screws. Individual Rotomatic style closed-back tuners with hexagonal-shaped metal buttons. Two humbuckers, tortoiseshell pickguard with multi-layer black over white plastic binding. 2 Vol 2 Tone, three-way selector switch on upper bass horn. Ebony bridge with pre-set compensating saddle on height-adjustable ebony base and Epiphone 'Gibson Byrdland' style tailpiece. All hardware gold-plated. Inside the bass 'f' hole is the oval orange Epiphone label with "Emperor" stamped in black.
Plays like a lullabye of birdland, weighs just over 3kg. Comes in its original hard case with the gold E on it. SN S(amick)01064534