Proveance on vintage Epiphone

[Franklin Reiche]

Hi all. I recently acquired a 1937 Epiphone Electar Model M. When the guitar arrived it had been modified to 8-strings. Non stock bridge and nut. Very wide horseshoe pickup (that sounds amazing). I am attempting to establish if the original config was 6 or 7 strings. Can anybody direct to a registry or resource to validate my find?

Gibson has been little help. Any info would be great.

Thanks

-F

[Noah Miller]

The arrangement of the tuners should indicate whether it was a 6- or 7-string.

[Franklin Reiche]

I wish the answer was so simple. This is what I received

[Nathan Laudenbach]

Is the pickup original? A wider pickup would have most definitely been for a 7 string. Otherwise you could take the a couple tuners off and see if the original mounting screw holes are plugged.

[Franklin Reiche]

The pickup is very wide. I haven't taken anything off yet, I will eventually and measure the specs.

I currently have it strung 7-string A6 and it is the tastiest tone I have ever heard.

I am hoping to find a serial number registry that describes the config. However this plays out I have a piece of pre-war history that hold it's own.

[Noah Miller]

The only thing the serial will tell you is the year, which is 1936.

[Gary Trego]

It looks to me like it was a 7 string by looking at the photo. The left side tuners are not lined up perfectly like the ones on the right side are.
particularly the top one. It is a little crooked and the spacing is irregular.