1964 Epiphone FT-79 Texan Sunburst, Excellent, Original Hard,

The Epiphone FT-79 model made quite a transition when the Gibson company purchased Epiphone in 1957. The FT-79 had previously been made with a long scale neck and a peanut shaped body with an arched back. The Gibson acquisition meant that many of the half finished parts from the old Epi factory were shipped from New York, NY to Kalamazoo, MI. Like many of the 1957-1960 Epiphones, Gibson mated leftover Epiphone necks to Gibson made bodies. The new Texan was essentially a long scale J-50 meaning loud long scale volume and big mid to low end Gibson thump. Once the New York made necks ran out, Gibson continued the long scale length as the main structural difference between the Texan and the J-45/J-50.

This 1964 Epiphone FT-79 has survived in wonderful, crack free and original condition with the help of its original Harptone grey and blue hard case. The only non-original parts are the strings and likely a dealer installed heel strap button. The frets have light play wear but have plenty of life left in them. The neck is straight and the action is a proper playing height. The lacquer is soft and shows light checking throughout.

This Kalamazoo made Epiphone Texan was manufactured in 1964 and matches all the specs of Paul’s famous guitar except for the sunburst finish. It came to me via the wife of its original owner and it’s clear that her husband took great care of his instrument throughout his lifetime. It’s ready to go in the studio or your private collection.