NOTE: Although these guitars are not actual pieces of the museum, they have a place on this site in order to provide the visitor with a complete picture of all the Epiphone made acoustic archtop models from 1931 until 1957.

There are only four Emperor Concerts and one De Luxe Concert (s/n 58520) that we know off. From left to right: Emperor Concert s/n 58518, Emperor Concert s/n 58809,  Emperor Concert s/n 58825 and Emperor Concert s/n unknown. The Concert model is also known as the Johnny Smith model.

“The Emperor Concert model appeared for the first – and last time – in the price list of March 15, 1948  announced under “new models” along with Epiphone’s first cutaway guitars. There were “Concert” versions of both the Emperor and De Luxe (Wiedler : close-up # 28)

NOTE: Epiphone also used the model name “Concert”  before on one of there gut string classical guitars. (Epiphone catalog 1939)

A 1940s advertisement for the Gretsch “400” Johnny Smith signature model with the same trapezoid sound hole as the Epiphone Emperor Concert. (courtesy Paul Fox)