Royal s/n 5721 : pictures

The museum purchased the instrument October 2011 online from LA Guitar Sales, Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood. The guitar came in a Sorrentino case (manufactured by Geib & Schaefer). No further history known.

The Royal was a rather short-lived model: Still listed in the 1933 flyer (with price increased to $95), but phased out by the time the 1934 catalog was published. It was replaced by the $100 “Spartan”, a new 16 3/8″ model with a round soundhole. Due to the brief production period, Epiphone Royals are among the less commonly seen Masterbilt models:  Although I am pretty sure this figure only represents a fraction of the total model production, I doubt that more than a hundred or two were made. (Wiedler : Royal s/n 5721)