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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 2246
Location: Yucaipa, California | good? bad? ugly? whatchathink? $499 new.
Epi Zephyr Regent |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | i enjoyed effervescence the last time i took alka-seltzer. |
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January 2006
Posts: 387
Location: Whitecourt, Ab | Hi Tim,
If you are able to try one out first do it. I find epi's good bang for the buck, but it's hard to get over the narrow neck. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | I didn't look at it, but my first question is whether it's from China or Korea. I've had a couple of MIC Epi Les Pauls, and they were crap. They may have upgraded their QA by now, and those were a different model. But I've tried just about every Epiphone semi-hollow from the Korean plant and found them to be pretty good guitars for the money. The exceptions involved the usual low quality pickups, and a bridge that wasn't precisely placed enough to allow for correct intonation. Nonethe less they were fun to play and decent quality.
I did have an MIC Yamaha equivalent of the Zephyr recently that WAS very well made and cheaper. |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | At that price it's Chinese, but I know the factory they use for these and they're one of the better ones at producing guitars in that price range. |
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| I'd expect it to be a very good deal. Never played a bad epi archtop.IMHO the pups are average rather than bad - but upgrades are easy and you get a great sounding guitar.
Interesting that the UK epi site doesn't give the buy direct option - over here you have to use a dealer. |
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| BTW - the epi factory in China has (according to epiphone) on-site American managers. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Originally posted by schroeder:
Interesting that the UK epi site doesn't give the buy direct option - over here you have to use a dealer. Yamaha have been making noises about going down that route. I hope that never happens over here. If maufacturers and distributors start selling direct to the consumer, in a market as small as musical instruments, it'll be the final nail in the coffin for a ton of dealers, very few of whom are having an easy time right now. |
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Posts: 2246
Location: Yucaipa, California | This review states thet they are Korean made...
Zephyr Regent
Budget archtops used to be something of a joke-all gaudy cosmetics and no tone-but new, Asian-made models from DeArmond, Yamaha, and others prove you can now find classy, good sounding and good playing archtops for under a grand. In this arena, Epiphone's Korean-made Zephyr Regent is a standout, delivering sharp looks, quality workmanship, and serious tone. Based on the primal, one-pickup incarnation of the 175, the Zephyr Regent's main departures from early-'50's designs are its humbucker pickup and Tune-o-matic bridge. With only single volume and tone controls and a full-depth body that erupts into feedback the instant you crank the gain, the Zephyr Regent is not a versatile guitar, but players in search of classic jazz tones at a bargain price will find a lot to like here.
The Zephyr Regent's detailing is impressive. The finish and binding are immaculate, the vintage styled heel and cutaway are quite chunky, and the comfy frets are low enough for fast maneuvers, but substantial enough to get "under" the notes and add precise vibrato.
Sonically, the Zephyr Regent doesn't attain the complexity and depth of a fine handmade archtop, but its tones are very pleasing. The acoustic response is punchy and focused, and the guitar sounds terrific recorded with only a microphone (as Joe Pass sometimes tracked his ES-175). Despite its Tune-o-matic hardware, the Zephyr Regent delivers the distinctive plonk of a wooden-bridge model. Amplified tones preserve the 175 spirit with a lovely mix of full-bodied warmth and pointy attack-there's ample bite for aggressive single-note soloing and enough definition for thick chord melody work. Despite the single pickup, you can get a gratifying array of timbres simply by varying your picking location.
The remarkably expressive Zephyr Regent looks and sounds more expensive than it is, and it can definitely swing a serious jazz gig. It's a superb choice for players wanting to venture into vintage jazz realms without hemorrhaging $4000 or more for a hand made archtop.
--Joe Gore
Guitar Player Magazine
July 2000
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OT: Anyone have experience with one of these?
