Need help identifying an old epiphone archtop

[ethanh86]

[VintAxe]

Hi ethanh86.

The seller in your auction got his information from Jim Fisch and L.B. Fred's book Epiphone: The House of Stathopoulo. In the book, Jim supplies specs for the Kent as well as a color picture. The guitar in the auction looks like a clean original example.

I'm not sure what specific information you are looking for but the information in the auction description is correct.

[ethanh86]

Thanks for the reply. Here are my specific questions...Any idea on how many of these were produced? Is there currently a market demand for this instrument? And, mine is in bad condition with a non-working pick up and no pick guard, any idea of what it might be worth and who would want to buy it? I purchased it on a hunch specifically to flip it. If not, it looks cool and I might just hold onto it and play it.

[VintAxe]

There are no company production numbers for specific Epiphone models like you can get for Gibsons. Jim Fish and L.B. Fred have offered some tentative production numbers based on serial numbers issued during various periods in company history. They estimate 9,633 Acoustic and Electric guitars were produced by Epiphone between 1951-56. My hunch is very few of these were Kents.

I would say market demand for this model is low. It was never a popular Epiphone model. Your most likely buyer is an Epiphone collector that simply wants to acquire all the models during this period. You might also find a buyer that wants a guitar very few people have.

If the pickup doesn't work, I would suspect oxidized pots before a bad pickup. Sorting this out is important before you sell the guitar. Take it to a luthier and have him check it out. Don't try to sell it "as is" since buyers will anticipate the worst and discount the price accordingly. You can probably get an oxidized pot cleaned up for $35, rewinding a pickup is a different story.