Epiphone Japan Imperial Series HR-1 Howard Roberts

Epiphone Japan Imperial Series HR-1 Howard Roberts

Nice one piece mahogany neck w/slotted block inlays, all gold hardware, slim Epiphone headstock with Grover style tuners, and has the unique Gibson ES-175 type tailpiece and 2 vintage knobs.

A wonderful Guitar with a fat jazz sound plugged in, is acoustically very loud, with the notes ringing out loud and clear. And has a warm resonant woody sound.

• 1992-1994
• Made to original Howard Roberts specifications
• Made at the Fuji-gen workshop in Japan

Body:

• Solid curly maple top
• Laminated maple back & sides
• Oval soundhole

Neck:

• 3-piece maple neck with set dovetail neck joint
• Rosewood fingerboard with slotted-block inlays
• Original open-book headstock
• Black veneer with vine inlay on headstock
• 25.5" scale
• 1.68" nut width
• D profiled maple neck

Binding:

• 5-ply body
• Single-ply neck, headstock & sound hole
• 1-ring multi-ply rosette
• 5-ply pickguard binding

Electronics:

• One floating mini-humbucker pickup
• 1 Vol. 1 Tone controls mounted to body

Hardware:

• Gold hardware
• Tune-o-matic bridge with trapeze tailpiece
• Rosewood bridge base with two pearl inlays
• Gold reflector knobs
• Natural Ebony Pickguard

Colors:

• Cherry (CH)

The guitar was part of the "Imperial Series" which was a line of somewhat higher-end guitars made in Japan between 1992 and 1993. The line also included Emperor and J-45 and SJ acoustic models. The line was made at the Fujigen Gakki factory which until recently made the solid-bodied Elitist models.

Manufactured in Japan with faithful vintage specs and high quality, it is now one of the rarest Epiphone models. Please don't confuse with cheap reissues with extra large sound holes, etc.. This is completely to Howard Roberts' specs--essentially an ES-175 with an oval sound hole.

The guitar's condition is excellent with only a tiny round ding on the top, visible in the last picture. Includes a Hard Shell Case.

Please feel free to contact me if you need any further information.

Thanks for looking.