1965 Epiphone FT-79 Texan Sunburst, Excellent, Original Soft, $1.00

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 early 1965 Epiphone FT-79 Texan was made before the transition to a skinny nut and a Rosewood saddle. It features the desirable 1 5/8″ nut, original ceramic saddle and early style pickguard just like Paul’s 1964 Texan. This guitar has survived in wonderful crack free condition but does have significant belt buckle scratching on the back and an improperly placed jack hole on the end block. The guitar is otherwise stunning with soft lacquer and almost zero checking. All parts are original to the guitar including chipboard case, tuners, nut, saddle, bridge pins, pickguard and the oft missing Epsilon logo. The neck is straight and the frets have almost no wear to speak of. The guitar is in solid structural condition and should need nothing but proper care for the foreseeable future.

This clean FT-79 Texan is properly setup and ready to go back on the road or in the studio. The long scale length and round shoulder construction make for a boomier, J-45 like tone. The unique Epiphone cosmetics are aesthetically pleasing and harken back to a golden age of music.