Epiphone FT-110N Frontier

This is a review of my 1966 Epiphone FT-110N Frontier, purchased in 2008 on eBay UK for GBP 875 including a non-original Hiscox Liteflite case (and a free copy of the seller's CD - thanks, Andy). For those not in the know, the FT-110 was part of the range of Epiphone flattops produced by Gibson at Kalamazoo following their acquisition of the brand in 1957 and ending when the brand was transferred to a budget range manufactured for Gibson by Matsuoko of Japan from 1970. The Frontier was the absolute top-of-the-range Kalamazoo Epi flattop, apart from the custom-order-only FT-120 Excellente which appeared in 1966 and resulted in only 137 examples. The Frontier is a dreadnought with spruce top and unusual maple back and rims, the direct Gibson equivalent being the Dove, to which the Frontier was structurally identical but without the Dove's lairy red/natural colour scheme and fussy cosmetics. Classic X-bracing to the top. Scale is the usual Gibson 24.75 inches, with 20 typical '60s jumbo low-profile nickel silver frets, 14 clear. Tuners are enclosed single-band Klusons with pearloid keystone buttons and gold plating. The neck inlays are the pierced rectangles unique to the Frontier and inherited from its pre-Gibson New York Epiphone FT-110 predecessor. The neck has the definitive cup-into-your palm Gibson C-profile but the fretboard is relatively narrow for a 60's acoustic, as compared to similar-period Gibsons I've tried, and perhaps even very slightly narrower than my '63 Epi Casino, though the feel is very similar and makes switching from the electric to the acoustic instrument and back a snip. My example has had the unsatisfactory adjustable saddle replaced by a wide compensated bone saddle with an Ashworth (?) transducer fitted below, exiting to a gold-plated strapjack. Otherwise it's totally original. Serial number is 845*** which dates to either 1966 or 1969, but the style of scratchplate makes it a definite 1966 - by 1969 the large squared-off teardrop tortoise FT-110 scratchplate had been replaced by a smaller, less shapely item which I believe was screwed rather than glued. 1964-on flared Gibson Epi headstock and squared-off teardrop scratchplate which was a reversion to the pre-Gibson FT-110 style, replacing the rather gaudy batwing job with the cowboy etchings which Gibson introduced in 1959. Mine is also a factory natural finish top which seems rarer than the iced-tea sunburst style, hence the N in FT-110N. Body and neck are triple-bound, black/white/black. Maple back and rims are finished in a very dark mahogany nitrocellulose. This is a beautifully-appointed, luxury flattop, superior in all respects to the FT-79 Texan which remains the Holy Grail simply because of the McCartney connection. Other than the retrofitted pickup, no features, just a superbly built acoustic from Gibson's golden period, hence 10.

For forty years I've idolised the mellifluous sound of a sixties Gibson acoustic, whilst such a paragon remained firmly out of my price range - until I discovered that you can still pick up a 60's Epiphone for about forty percent of the price of the directly-equivalent Gibson. Anyway, soon after buying the Frontier I caught a replay of James Taylor's 1971 concert on BBC TV, and his J-50 sounded identical to my Frontier. If you know Gibson acoustics you'll know the sound: mellifluous and polite, simply the sweetest sound going, much sweeter than a Guild or Martin. The whole frequency range is present, without a trace of mushiness, and every string sounds clearly and distinctly. Simply definitive. Strings are currently Martin phosphor-bronze 12s, but I'm considering reducing to 11's as a mark of consideration for this old-timer. The untreated sound from the Ashworth is a bit harsh and harpsichordish, as is common with undersaddle pickups, but it mellows down nicely through the acoustic simulation on my Roland Cube 60, and I have a Fishman Pro EQ II to feed it direct to my PA system when space is at a premium.

The action is perfect as it came for my Travis picking (thumbpick, fingerstyle and frailing), following just a trace of trussrod adjustment. Nothing left to speak of on the saddle, so if the top ever bellies at all it'll be a neck reset, but just fine as is - barre chords buttery up to fret nine which is as far as I ever go with these. The only flaw I can find is the headstock inlay being slightly crooked! But it would take an expert to spot it, and it doesn't affect the playability, of course.

I play live only occasionally these days, and it tends to be in more sedate company, so I'll readily use my Frontier in public as there's no real risk. It is however a fragile piece and I take extraordinary care of it. I wouldn't entrust it to Tommy Emmanuel! I wouldn't use it as a busker or campfire guitar: step forward the Fender Newporter for these more arduous duties. Unsurprisingly given its age, my Frontier has one professionally glued and cleated crack in the top running downwards from the soundhole, plus a couple of much smaller untreated ones running upwards from the edges of the pickguard and probably due to shrinkage of the latter. All are stable and do not affect the sound of the instrument. Lots of crazing ("checking" to our US cousins) in the 60's nitrocellulose finish, and lots of pickwear around the soundhole - someone really used to welly this baby. (It won't get that any more, not from me.) No headstock breaks, thank goodness.

Hardly applicable to a forty-three-year-old guitar. I'm my own luthier, short of a refret or neck reset.

I have a small collection of vintage flattop acoustics including a '65 Hagstrom H-45E, '66-ish Fender Newporter, '67-ish Fender Villager with Shenandoah neck, '86 Guild (Westerly) D-25NT and a recently acquired '50s Kay (Chicago) flattop tenor. (You can find reviews of all of these by myself on HC.) I love them all, but the Frontier is definitely the jewel in the crown. Apparently Noel Gallagher uses an identical '67 model for his songwriting, if that means anything to you. Anyway, as already stated, I consider I got my Frontier at a bargain price - I've seen examples from US dealers for up to USD 2,995. My advice to readers is to snap up any '60s Epiphone acoustic - they're every bit as good as the Gibson equivalents, and why pay up to three times as much, or more, for the "other" name on the headstock?