This 1989 Epiphone Emperor in Vintage Sunburst is a Korean-made, full-depth hollowbody archtop from the early period of Epiphone's Korean production.

Built with a spruce top, figured laminated maple back and sides, set maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, the Emperor combines classic jazz-box construction with twin humbuckers and traditional independent volume and tone controls.

Its gold hardware, ornate trapeze tailpiece, multi-ply binding and decorative headstock treatment give it the premium appearance historically associated with the Emperor name, while the fully hollow body provides an open, resonant response that works beautifully for jazz, blues, soul, rockabilly and clean electric playing.

This example is presented in Very Good Condition, weighs 6.82 lbs, and is sold without a case or gigbag.

At A Glance

Detail	Specification
Brand	Epiphone
Model	Emperor
Year	1989
Finish	Vintage Sunburst
Country of Manufacture	Korea
Body Type	Fully Hollow Archtop
Top	Spruce
Back & Sides	Laminated / Figured Maple
Neck	Set Maple
Fingerboard	Rosewood
Scale Length	24.75"
Frets	20
Pickups	2 x Humbuckers
Controls	2 Volume, 2 Tone
Bridge	Adjustable Floating Bridge with Rosewood Base
Tailpiece	Ornate Trapeze
Hardware	Gold
Weight	6.82 lbs
Condition	Very Good
Included	Guitar Only – No Case

Condition Overview

Very Good Condition

This 1989 Epiphone Emperor is presented in Very Good Condition.

Under the Fair Deal Music grading system, Very Good Condition means the guitar shows some cosmetic wear consistent with careful previous ownership while remaining fully functional.

Given its age, some natural ageing to the finish and gold-plated hardware should be expected and forms part of the character of the instrument.

What's Included?

✔ 1989 Epiphone Emperor Vintage Sunburst

✘ No Case Included
✘ No Gigbag Included
✘ No Additional Accessories Included

Condition Notes

• Very Good overall condition
• Vintage Sunburst finish
• Korean-made
• Fully hollow construction
• Twin humbuckers
• Gold hardware
• 6.82 lbs actual weight
• No case or gigbag included

Fair Deal Quality Control Assessment

This pre-owned Epiphone has been assessed for general operation and playability.

Checks include:

• Neck pickup operation
• Bridge pickup operation
• 3-way pickup selector
• Both volume controls
• Both tone controls
• Output jack
• Neck condition
• Rosewood fingerboard
• Frets
• Nut
• Tuning machines
• Floating bridge
• Trapeze tailpiece
• General hardware
• Hollowbody structural condition
• Overall playability

Service / Setup Work

All pre-owned guitars at Fair Deal Music are checked for general setup and playability before leaving the shop.

Key areas assessed include:

• Action
• Neck relief
• Fret condition
• Intonation
• Tuning stability
• Pickup operation
• Electronics
• Bridge positioning
• Hardware
• General playing feel

As a full-depth hollowbody instrument with a floating bridge, care should be taken when removing all strings simultaneously, as the bridge position can move.

What Makes The 1989 Epiphone Emperor Special?

The Emperor is one of the longest-running names in Epiphone's archtop history and traditionally represents the company's premium full-size jazz guitar format.

This 1989 Korean example belongs to the period before the later Joe Pass Emperor II became the more familiar version of the design. It retains the traditional full-depth hollowbody construction, ornate visual appointments and twin-humbucker configuration while offering a distinctly late-'80s Epiphone character.

At only 6.82 lbs, it is also notably manageable for a large hollowbody guitar.

Fully Hollow Archtop Construction

Unlike a semi-hollow guitar such as an ES-335, the Emperor does not use a solid centre block.

The fully hollow body provides:

• Strong acoustic resonance
• Open clean tones
• Excellent touch sensitivity
• Natural dynamic response
• Rich chordal character

The trade-off is increased sensitivity to feedback when using high levels of gain or stage volume, which is entirely normal for this type of guitar.

Spruce Top

The Emperor uses a spruce top, a traditional choice for archtop guitars.

Spruce provides:

• Clear attack
• Good projection
• Dynamic sensitivity
• Strong response to lighter picking
• Excellent note definition

Figured Maple Back & Sides

The back and sides use laminated maple construction, with figured maple providing much of the guitar's striking visual character.

Maple helps keep the response defined and articulate, balancing the warmth of the fully hollow body.

Set Maple Neck

The neck is constructed from maple and uses a set-neck joint.

This provides a solid connection between neck and body while retaining the traditional feel expected from a large archtop electric.

Rosewood Fingerboard

The rosewood fingerboard offers a smooth playing surface and traditional dark appearance.

Period examples feature decorative rectangular/block-style position inlays that complement the Emperor's premium appointments.

24.75" Scale Length

The guitar uses a 24.75" scale length.

This gives it a slightly softer string feel than a 25.5" scale instrument, making chord work, bends and vibrato comfortable.

Twin Humbuckers

The Emperor uses two full-size humbucking pickups.

These provide:

• Warm neck tones
• Clear bridge sounds
• Reduced hum compared with single coils
• Smooth jazz voicings
• Rich blues tones
• Strong clean and lightly driven response

Traditional Four-Control Layout

The electronics use the familiar arrangement of:

• Neck Volume
• Bridge Volume
• Neck Tone
• Bridge Tone
• 3-Way Pickup Selector

This allows each pickup to be balanced independently.

Floating Bridge

The bridge sits on a rosewood base rather than being permanently fixed into the top.

This traditional archtop arrangement allows the top to vibrate more freely and contributes to the instrument's acoustic response.

Because the bridge is floating, its position is important for correct intonation.

Ornate Trapeze Tailpiece

The decorative trapeze tailpiece anchors the strings at the lower end of the body.

Its ornate appearance reinforces the Emperor's place as one of Epiphone's more luxurious archtop designs.

Gold Hardware

The guitar features gold-plated hardware, including key visual elements such as:

• Pickup covers
• Tailpiece
• Tuning machines
• Bridge hardware

On a guitar from 1989, some natural fading or tarnishing to gold plating is entirely normal.

Multi-Ply Binding

The Emperor receives extensive decorative binding around areas including the:

• Body
• Fingerboard
• Headstock
• F-holes

These appointments distinguish the Emperor from simpler hollowbody models.

Weight

6.82 lbs

This is the actual measured weight of this individual guitar.

For a large full-depth archtop, 6.82 lbs makes it pleasantly manageable for seated playing, long sessions and live use.

1989 Korean Production

This guitar dates from 1989 and was manufactured in Korea.

This period represents the early years of Epiphone's Korean production, when the company was expanding its range of classic archtop and semi-hollow designs.

The 1989 Emperor sits before the better-known Joe Pass-branded Emperor II models that followed.

Emperor vs Joe Pass Emperor II

The later Joe Pass Emperor II developed directly from this broad style of instrument, but the 1989 Emperor belongs to the earlier pre-Joe Pass production period.

That makes it especially interesting to players looking for an older Korean Epiphone archtop rather than the later, more commonly encountered signature model.

Emperor vs ES-335-Style Guitar

The most important difference is the body construction.

An ES-335-style guitar uses a solid centre block.

The Emperor is fully hollow.

This means the Emperor generally provides:

• Greater acoustic resonance
• More open clean tones
• Lighter feel
• More interaction with the amplifier
• Greater feedback sensitivity at high volume

Who Is It For?

Jazz guitarists – Warm humbuckers and a full-depth hollowbody are naturally suited to traditional jazz tones.

Blues players – The hollow construction provides excellent dynamics and expressive response.

Soul and R&B players – Clean neck and middle-position sounds work particularly well for chordal playing.

Rockabilly players – The archtop response and bridge pickup deliver plenty of vintage character.

Studio guitarists – Its hollowbody character provides a useful alternative to solidbody and semi-hollow guitars.

Vintage Epiphone enthusiasts – A genuine 1989 Korean example from the pre-Joe Pass Emperor period.

Suitable Genres & Applications

Particularly well suited to:

• Jazz
• Blues
• Soul
• R&B
• Rockabilly
• Swing
• Traditional pop
• Americana
• Roots
• Clean studio work
• Singer-songwriter
• Light rock
• Live performance

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Product Type	Fully Hollow Archtop Electric Guitar
Brand	Epiphone
Model	Emperor
Year	1989
Finish	Vintage Sunburst
Country of Manufacture	Korea
Body Type	Full-Depth Hollowbody
Top Material	Spruce
Back & Sides	Laminated / Figured Maple
Body Width	Approx. 16"
Neck Material	Maple
Neck Joint	Set Neck
Fingerboard Material	Rosewood
Scale Length	24.75"
Number of Frets	20
Nut Width	Approx. 1.68"
Pickup Configuration	HH
Neck Pickup	Epiphone Humbucker
Bridge Pickup	Epiphone Humbucker
Electronics	Passive
Controls	2 Volume, 2 Tone
Switching	3-Way Toggle
Bridge	Adjustable Floating Bridge with Rosewood Base
Tailpiece	Ornate Trapeze
Hardware Finish	Gold
Weight	6.82 lbs
Included	No Case or Gigbag
Condition	Pre-Owned, Very Good

Vintage Specification Note

The 1989 Korean Emperor belongs to a relatively early period of Epiphone's Korean archtop production.

Contemporary surviving examples confirm the core specification used here, including:

• Spruce top
• Maple back and sides
• Maple neck
• Rosewood fingerboard
• 24.75" scale
• 20 frets
• Twin humbuckers
• Floating bridge
• Trapeze tailpiece
• Gold hardware

As with any guitar of this age, this listing does not claim that every internal electronic or hardware component remains untouched unless specifically verified.

Case Note

No case or gigbag is included.

Appropriate protection should therefore be considered for storage or transport, particularly given the larger dimensions of a full-depth archtop guitar.

Power Requirements

None.

The twin humbuckers and traditional controls use passive electronics.

No battery or external power supply is required.

Fair Deal Music Verdict

The 1989 Epiphone Emperor in Vintage Sunburst is a particularly attractive option for anyone looking for a traditional full-depth electric archtop without moving into modern signature-model territory.

Its combination of spruce top, maple body, set maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and twin humbuckers provides the warm, open response expected from a classic jazz-box design.

Its Korean manufacture and pre-Joe Pass production date also give it additional interest within Epiphone's history.

At just 6.82 lbs, it remains surprisingly manageable for a guitar of this size.

Presented in Very Good Condition, this is a characterful late-'80s Epiphone suited to jazz, blues, soul, rockabilly and clean studio work.

No case or gigbag is included.

Why Buy Pre-Owned From Fair Deal Music?

Every pre-owned guitar at Fair Deal Music is individually assessed so its actual condition, measured weight and included accessories are clearly represented.

On this Emperor, the 1989 production year, Korean origin, Very Good condition, 6.82 lbs measured weight and absence of a case are all stated clearly.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

When you buy from us, you benefit from:

• Family-run independent retailer established in 1987
• Birmingham's largest independent music store
• 6,000+ Trustpilot reviews
• Expert musician-led advice
• Extensive experience with pre-owned and vintage guitars
• Pre-owned instruments individually assessed
• Clear condition grading
• Secure ordering
• Fast UK delivery
• Large Birmingham showroom
• Friendly support before and after purchase

Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Your existing guitar could help towards the cost of this Epiphone.

Fair Deal Music buys and part-exchanges guitars, basses, amplifiers, effects, keyboards and other musical equipment.

Contact our team for a no-obligation valuation and find out what your current gear could be worth towards this 1989 Epiphone Emperor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What year is this Epiphone Emperor?

This example dates from 1989.

Where was it made?

It was manufactured in Korea.

Is this the Joe Pass Emperor II?

No. This is an earlier pre-Joe Pass Epiphone Emperor from 1989.

What condition is it in?

It is presented in Very Good Condition, showing some cosmetic wear consistent with careful previous ownership while remaining fully functional.

What finish does it have?

It is finished in Vintage Sunburst.

Is the Emperor fully hollow?

Yes. It is a full-depth fully hollow archtop guitar.

Does it have a centre block?

No.

What is the top made from?

Period 1989 examples use a spruce top.

What are the back and sides made from?

They use laminated/figured maple.

What is the neck made from?

It uses a set maple neck.

What fingerboard does it have?

It has a rosewood fingerboard.

What is the scale length?

It uses a 24.75" scale length.

How many frets does it have?

It has 20 frets.

What pickups are fitted?

It uses two Epiphone humbuckers.

What controls does it have?

It has two volume controls, two tone controls and a 3-way pickup selector.

Is the bridge fixed to the body?

No. It uses a traditional floating bridge with a rosewood base.

Can the bridge move when changing strings?

Yes. If all strings are removed simultaneously, the floating bridge can move. Its position should be retained for correct intonation.

How much does the guitar weigh?

This individual guitar weighs 6.82 lbs.

Is it suitable for jazz?

Yes. Its fully hollow body and twin humbuckers are particularly well suited to warm, traditional jazz sounds.

Can it be used with overdrive?

Yes, particularly at moderate levels. Like all fully hollow electrics, it can become more feedback-sensitive as gain and stage volume increase.

Does it require a battery?

No. The electronics are passive.

Does it come with a case?

No. No case or gigbag is included.

Can I request a video demo?

Yes. Our Request a Video Demo service is ideal if you would like to see the Vintage Sunburst finish and individual condition or hear the twin humbuckers before purchasing.

Can I part-exchange another guitar against it?

Yes. Fair Deal Music considers trade-ins and part exchanges across a wide range of guitars and other musical equipment.