Epiphone Wilshire

Epiphone Wilshire
Manufacturer Epiphone
Period 1959-1970, 1982-85, 2009-current
Construction
Body type solid body
Neck joint set neck
Woods
Body mahogany
Neck mahogany, 24.25" scale
Fretboard Rosewood
Hardware
Pickup(s) 2 soapbar P-90s (1959-1962), 2 mini-humbuckers (1963-1970, 1982-1985, 2009-), 3 mini-humbuckers (1982-1985)
Colors available
Polaris white, Cherry red, Various Sunbursts and custom finishes

The Epiphone Wilshire is an electric guitar made by Epiphone from 1959 to 1970.[1] It was positioned between the higher specification Crestwood and the lower specification Coronet. The Wilshire was reissued in two versions, the Wilshire II and Wilshire III, from 1982 to 1985. It was reissued again starting in 2009 and remains in the Epiphone catalog.

History

The Wilshire was introduced in 1959 as a symmetrical double-cut solid body guitar with a square-edged body and two P-90 pickups.[2] For the 1963 model year, the guitar was substantially changed to an asymmetrical shape with rounded edges and two alnico mini-humbucker pickups. It would remain largely in this configuration for the remainder of its production run. The Wilshire was reissued in 1982 to 1985 as the Wilshire II and Wilshire III. The Wilshire II had two mini-humbucker pickups and the Wilshire III had three. Epiphone once again reissued the Wilshire beginning in 2009. Several models were introduced: the limited edition Pro, '66 Worn (with or without "tremotone" (tremolo)) and '62 USA. In 2011, Epiphone released the Frank Iero signature Wilshire "Phant-o-Matic".[3]

Reception

Doug Robertson of Premier Guitar praised it, saying it was "perfect for old-school garage rock" as well as noting it "is the epitome of functional design. It’s simple, durable and versatile, yet it’s stylish enough to leap off an album cover" while also noting "This neck works great for power chords and tight rhythm jabs, but it may not be the most lead-player-friendly."[4] In reviewing the '62 Wilshire for the September 2009 issue of Guitar Player magazine, it was noted "this thing really rings out acoustically, with a bright snap to the notes that is underpinned by a rich, woody resonance."[5]

Notable Players

References

  1. ↑ Epiphone Wilshire electric guitar
  2. ↑ "Epiphone 1966 Worn Wilshire". Epiphone.com. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Epiphone Wilshire Phant-o-Matic". Epiphone.com. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  4. ↑ Epiphone Worn 1966 Wilshire electric guitar review
  5. ↑ First Impression: Epiphone Custom Historic 1962 Wilshire
  6. 1 2 3 Epiphone Wilshire
  7. ↑ Springsteen's Lost Wilshire
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ Babyshambles Live at Ancienne Belgique


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