Masterbilt Century Collection De Luxe Archtop Acoustic-Electric Guitar

The Masterbilt De Luxe Classic Acoustic-Electric Guitar is a large body guitar that produces a strong, full tone capable of cutting through any mix. It features an arched solid spruce top with traditional longitudinal bracing, replica tortoise-style pickguard, and a round sound hole. Inside the sound hole is a 1930s-era replica Epiphone label. The De Luxe is available in traditional Vintage Natural and Vintage Sunburst aged gloss finishes, each with unique color tones inspired by Epiphone’s priceless vintage collection in Nashville, Tennessee.

Case sold separately.

Like Epi’s first generation of archtops, the modern De Luxe has a unique body profile with a 17" lower bout, a 12.6" upper bout, a 10.25" waist, and a 21" body length. With its round sound hole, the De Luxe has a deeper bass and an overall fuller tone than most archtops but with more punch than a flat-top. Both the body and top feature 3-layer ivory and black color binding while the fingerboard has single layer ivory color binding. The 5-piece hard maple and mahogany neck has a full-rounded C-profile that is glued to the body with a dovetail joint for a precise fit so the De Luxe will resonate as one piece of wood. The ebony fretboard has 20 medium frets, a 25.5" scale length, and pearloid “Notched Diamond” inlays modeled after the original Masterbilts.

The full tone of the De Luxe sounds beautiful unamplified on a small stage or in the studio. But now the cutting-edge eSonic HD (High Definition) preamp system and Shadow NanoFlex HD Under-saddle pickup make it possible for archtop players to hear their instrument amplified exactly as they hear it unplugged. No archtop player has ever heard an acoustic guitar more accurately represented through a sound system before. The Shadow NanoFlex HD Under-saddle pickup has easy-to-access controls for Master Volume and Master EQ mounted just inside the sound hole. Now you have complete control over how much of the acoustic guitar is amplified.  The pre-amp system is powered by a standard 9-volt battery that is easy to access, located near the 1/4" output jack.

Historic Epiphone Hardware

The De Luxe comes with Historic Epiphone Re-issue Tuners with Marboloid "Crown" buttons with an upgraded 18:1 tuning ratio for fast and accurate tuning. The tuners are mounted on an Epiphone Dovewing headstock with Pearloid "Banner" logos. Unlike many vintage archtops, the De Luxe has a dual action truss rod to allow for easy and perfect setup. The floating adjustable ebonoid bridge is made from a synthesized material that has the grain-like texture and look of ebony but is harder and more reliable for years of playing. The historic aged all-nickel trapeze tailpiece is also inspired from Epiphone’s vintage Masterbilt collection. Every Masterbilt Century guitar is setup at the factory with Cleartone 12-53 gauge strings. 

Lifetime Guarantee

The Epiphone Masterbilt® De Luxe Acoustic-Electric Guitar comes with a limited lifetime guarantee and world renown 24/7/365 Gibson Customer Service.

Epiphone’s Masterbilt Century Collection

Epiphone’s first Masterbilt archtops quickly rose to popularity during the 1930s “Big Band” era and were renowned for their warm woody tone, wide tonal range and punchy volume. However, with the invention of the electric guitar pickup, archtop acoustic guitars quickly became equipped with magnetic amplification and were for the most part, forever transformed into “electric” guitars. Until now...

Epiphone, the leader in affordable professional archtop guitars, reinvents the archtop again by combining our original, time-tested designs with 21st century acoustic guitar electronics to bring you the Masterbilt Century Collection. The first collection of archtop “acoustic-electric” guitars designed to be played and amplified as true acoustic instruments. Just play one and you will immediately feel and hear the difference between today’s common “flat top” acoustic guitar and the unique voice of a Masterbilt Century. Plug one in and prepare to be amazed!  Really.  You have to hear it to believe it.

Now with the eSonic HD preamp and Shadow NanoFlex HD Under-saddle pickup, you can plug in any Masterbilt Century arch top acoustic-electric into an amp or any PA and hear your guitar’s beautiful and dynamic true acoustic tone on any size stage. For flattop guitarists who have only played old plywood archtops, the sound of a Masterbilt Century guitars will be a revelation.