Epiphone Wilshire Solid Body Electric Guitar (1961)
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Item # 10651
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Epiphone Wilshire Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1961), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, cherry lacquer finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
One of the rarer and more interesting solid-bodies to come out of Kalamazoo in the early 1960's, the early Epiphone Wilshire is an often overlooked P-90 tone machine. From 1960 up through late 1963 Epiphone solidbodies were built to this pattern with symmetrical double cutaway bodies and a Gibson-style 3-on-3 headstock. For the 1964 model year the entire line was re-modeled into a more Fender-esque design with a single-sided headstock and uneven cutaways. The re-styled line was somewhat more successful but all these the Epiphone solidbodies are fairly rare as they never gained the prestige or professional acceptance of their Gibson equivalents, despite being made alongside them in the same factory!
The cherry-finished double cutaway Wilshire was the equivalent of the SG Special in the Epiphone line, but in some ways is a more deluxe guitar. The Wilshire is also one of the very few solid-bodies combining the 1960's P-90 sound with a Tune-O-Matic bridge and stop tailpiece (SG Specials use the non-tunable bar bridge), which gives the guitar especially good playing characteristics. The lack of a vibrato was probably considered an omission in 1961, but later generations of players usually prefer this solid "stop tail" configuration.
By the end of 1963, these Epiphone solid-bodies were re-designed in a more Fender-like mode. The original (and now much better loved) style with the 3-and-3 headstock and symmetrical double cutaway body were phased out into obscurity at that time. One sonic distinction of the Wilshire is that the neck pickup is mounted quite far back on the face of the guitar, resulting in a rather distinctive tone both by itself and when mixed with the bridge unit. This 1961 Wilshire is fairly rare, a lightweight P-90 delivery service with a wide mahogany neck that has the typical early '60s slimmer depth profile and handles perfectly.
Overall length is 37 3/4 in. (95.9 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This guitar shows a decent amount of general wear but no structural damage is an excellent player with a killer sound. The finish has a lot of fade to the face, the back and neck retain stronger color in the cherry finish. There are dings, chips and scrapes overall, with some deeper pressure marks on the face above the tailpiece. The original pickups and all wiring are intact. The hardware is original except the Tune-o-Matic bridge is chrome plated; it is an authentic Gibson part but more recent than the guitar. The stop tailpiece has also been replaced; as far as we can tell it was originally gold plated and was once probably on a Les Paul Custom! The frets appear original and have been re-crowned a bit but retain good height. This guitar has NO neck, heel or body cracks (all common with these) and is super light and handy, a fine player and a fairly rare early 1960's Gibson-made solid-body. Overall Very Good + Condition.
One of the rarer and more interesting solid-bodies to come out of Kalamazoo in the early 1960's, the early Epiphone Wilshire is an often overlooked P-90 tone machine. From 1960 up through late 1963 Epiphone solidbodies were built to this pattern with symmetrical double cutaway bodies and a Gibson-style 3-on-3 headstock. For the 1964 model year the entire line was re-modeled into a more Fender-esque design with a single-sided headstock and uneven cutaways. The re-styled line was somewhat more successful but all these the Epiphone solidbodies are fairly rare as they never gained the prestige or professional acceptance of their Gibson equivalents, despite being made alongside them in the same factory!
The cherry-finished double cutaway Wilshire was the equivalent of the SG Special in the Epiphone line, but in some ways is a more deluxe guitar. The Wilshire is also one of the very few solid-bodies combining the 1960's P-90 sound with a Tune-O-Matic bridge and stop tailpiece (SG Specials use the non-tunable bar bridge), which gives the guitar especially good playing characteristics. The lack of a vibrato was probably considered an omission in 1961, but later generations of players usually prefer this solid "stop tail" configuration.
By the end of 1963, these Epiphone solid-bodies were re-designed in a more Fender-like mode. The original (and now much better loved) style with the 3-and-3 headstock and symmetrical double cutaway body were phased out into obscurity at that time. One sonic distinction of the Wilshire is that the neck pickup is mounted quite far back on the face of the guitar, resulting in a rather distinctive tone both by itself and when mixed with the bridge unit. This 1961 Wilshire is fairly rare, a lightweight P-90 delivery service with a wide mahogany neck that has the typical early '60s slimmer depth profile and handles perfectly.
Overall length is 37 3/4 in. (95.9 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This guitar shows a decent amount of general wear but no structural damage is an excellent player with a killer sound. The finish has a lot of fade to the face, the back and neck retain stronger color in the cherry finish. There are dings, chips and scrapes overall, with some deeper pressure marks on the face above the tailpiece. The original pickups and all wiring are intact. The hardware is original except the Tune-o-Matic bridge is chrome plated; it is an authentic Gibson part but more recent than the guitar. The stop tailpiece has also been replaced; as far as we can tell it was originally gold plated and was once probably on a Les Paul Custom! The frets appear original and have been re-crowned a bit but retain good height. This guitar has NO neck, heel or body cracks (all common with these) and is super light and handy, a fine player and a fairly rare early 1960's Gibson-made solid-body. Overall Very Good + Condition.