1940 Epiphone Century
This was an impulse purchase undertaken mainly because I knew I'd never find another one in this condition. The seller described it as a 1960s Epiphone Venetian, but one look and I knew it was a pre-Gibson instrument. In fact, the serial dates from the turn of 1939/1940, making it one of the first Century mandolins built. I've owned a couple of post-War Epi Zephyr mandolins, but this Century has a nicer tone and better playability.
The neck does have a little bow, but not so much that you actually notice while playing. Mostly it manifests itself as a kickup where the fretboard meets the body, but the frets are tall enough that a little dressing should take care of it. The profile is nice and chunky. The brace running under the bridge (and across the f-holes) has come loose, something I will have fixed, but it's not buzzing and I don't see any appreciable sinkage of the top. The only replacement parts I see are the screws holding on the back panel; everything else, including all the electrical components, is original. The tuners are new to me, though - I think they're Grovers, but I have never seen them with a floral pattern stamped into the plate. It's somewhat unusual to see an old Epiphone with all the plastic parts intact.
What really impresses me is the string balance. The E strings are a tad weak, but compared to every other pre-War electric mandolin I've played, it's close to perfect.
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Originally Posted by nmiller
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