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ca. 1966 Epiphone Howard Roberts

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Serial #: 408849

Body size at lower bout: 16". Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut Width: 1 5/8"

Finish: Sunburst finish, nitrocellulose type

Materials: Solid bookmatched spruce top; Honduras mahogany back and sides; highly figured one-piece solid curly mahogany neck; solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with split-block pearl inlays; pearl peghead inlay and logo; five-ply top binding, bound back and neck, original bone nut.

Hardware: Original striped tortoise pickguard; original compensated adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge; original nickel sealed Kluson tuners; original chrome Gibson Johnny Smith floating humbucking pickup; volume and tone controls with original amber bonnet knobs; trapeze tailpiece with raised parallelograms on crossbar; original epsilon logo truss rod cover.

Notes: Featured on untold thousands of major studio recordings, movie and TV soundtracks as both a sideman and soloist, the late Howard Roberts may well have been the most prolifically recorded jazz guitarist of all time. Like his contemporary Johnny Smith, Roberts also consulted in the creation of a number of technically innovative instruments. Introduced in 1964, the Epiphone Howard Roberts Model combined an arched 16" Florentine cutaway body with a unique oval soundhole, a design with roots in Orville Gibson's very earliest guitars. Borrowing the newly designed Johnny Smith floating humbucking pickup, this innovative guitar became an instant classic, with it's fast neck, fat sound, and stylish looks.

This sunburst electric version is the original and earliest version of the model. Designated "HRE" in the ledgers, it was made for only four years, from '64 (when 10 were produced) to 1967. We believe this example dates to 1966, where it would be one of only 24 made in its model year. The guitar is in outstanding condition, showing no pick, buckle or thumbwear, and only light normal checking and a few random finish dings in the subtle tobacco sunburst top. The neck is carved from a single piece of curly mahogany, a rare and very attractive figured wood. Also noteworthy is the original Johnny Smith pickup in a chrome finish, a version unique to this model alone.

Lovingly maintained, the instrument appears to have had very little play, as the original medium jumbo frets remain in pristine condition. The electronics work flawlessly, and apart from some finish restoration to the back, all the guitar needed was some new strings and a setup. A five digit number was added to the back of the peghead by a previous owner, presumably as an ID mark. In the decades since the last original was made, the Howard Roberts has been revived numerous times, and become one of Gibson's most popular Artist Models ever. Here's a rare opportunity to own one that was there at the beginning.

Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge foot contour inspected and fit to top as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.

This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel wound strings (.013-.057). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.

Case: Original Epiphone grey tweed hardshell case.

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