My new baby - Epiphone Wildkat, $350.00 from Sweetwater

funny_polymath

funny_polymath

Fractal Fanatic
OK, it doesn't have a case, and in the best of all possible worlds, it'd have a roller bridge and tusq or bone nut.

But... Day-am!!! Epiphone is making some NICE guitars for incredibly cheap prices! $350.00 brand new for a great sounding (pups are potted epi P-90s, but sound fantastic) set neck guitar with a LOT of tonal variation. Knobs are interesting, and remind me a bit of my radiator - 1 knob for tone, one knob each for neck and bridge pup volume and (something the Radiator doesn't have), an overall volume knob at well. I haven't unpacked my AXE since a gig on Sunday, so I plugged into my twin (which reminds me, I've gotta really go head-to-head with the twin now that I'm on 10.02). WOW. Sounds great, shimmery one minute, bluesey the next, jazz box the next. I like both pups on, neck all the way up, bridge volume rolled off a little, tone all the way open best.

Action's a little high, and, after fnally getting used to a strat, it's feeling a little cramped on the lower frets, but wow what a friggin' bargain! This thing is WELL MADE! Now for a setup, and that bone nut. I'll try nut sauce before I spring for the roller bridge.

I love the way Maestro trems look, but I must admit, I am liking the feel of this Bigsby more...

All you brand name snobs, you really should check Epiphone out. Way more bang for the buck, and in some cases (like my Epi SG) just plain better than the new Gibsons I've tried.

This would be a great Rockabilly axe, as the name implies, but for those of us who like off-beat, this would be an excellent slimline alternative to something like a 335 as well.

It is a little headstock heavy, just like my SG - and I do wonder why designers often don't take balance more into account - but hey, life ain't perfect.

View attachment 15993[

ATTACH=CONFIG]15994[/ATTACH]
 
Last edited:
Interesting.. I should look for one locally in one of the shops to try out. I always expect to have to replace the pickups and electronics on any guitar in this range so I like what I'm hearing from you. I could really use a Bigsby guitar at this point.. worth a try. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Pups are so personal, y'know, but these sound like p-90s with a little LP vibe added - thicker than 'purist' p-90s. I like 'em. And cranked, oh lawdie! And though I say the action's a bit high, it's still TOTALLY playable right out of the shipping box. I hear Epi's one of the only companies that has their own factory in China, which means (or can mean) better Quality Control. I dunno but I like!

Seriously, I think if someone handed this guitar to most players, but with a Gibson logo on it, they'd be willing to pay $1200 or more for it.

As for me, I like oddballs, and don't give a rat's ass for brands. I don't even care that much about appearances - one of my faves is really butt ugly - but this one's a looker for sure.

I needed a bigsby too, but I got a whole lot more!

Hope you like one when you try it.
 
I think Epiphones are great. I've played qite a few of them and liked what I saw and how they felt. Big bang for your buxk. My only hang up is with the headstock on the Les Pauls. I just can't get over it, which is too bad. The headstock on yours, though, blends in great with the look of the guitar. Play the heck out of her.
 
I am not a jazz player, but I fooled around a bit on it with the tone rolled down and some 'jazzy' chords. Sounds good to me. I think it'd make a great alternative to many of the other semi-hollow jazz boxes, but just remember - that's what it is, a semi-hollow like a 335, with a big slab of wood down the middle: It's a LOT thinner than the 6120 - almost the thickness of an LP, and the body size is smaller overall. It won't feed back like a 6120 either, though.

Ben Randolph said:
Looks really sweet. Definitely seems like Epi's take on a Gretsch 6120. I wonder how it would sound for jazz.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I'd love a 'good' 6120.. that's high on my list. But I like the price on this one and I also like it being something slightly different. I guess that's the Ry Cooder influence in me.. My problem with these types of deals is having to then replace half the kit to get it sounding and playing right. I ALWAYS expect any guitar I buy to get a setup.. and I don't mind replacing the nut. I just hate getting into replacing pots, p/u's , etc. on top of that. A guitar has to be a little special for me to go down that road anymore.

I'll see if I can track one of these down this weekend here in Austin. It has me curious for sure..
You got a little something recorded with it to delight us?
 
Heard a lot of folks say pups are Epi's achilles heel. For me, these sound like P-90s, but a little bit fatter than the (real) vintage ones I've heard. I like it. I also love oddball guitars. Probably because I'm a friggin' odball is all. But I think this guy's gonna have more in common with a 335 than a 6120. Let me know what you discover...

Hotplate said:
I'd love a 'good' 6120.. that's high on my list. But I like the price on this one and I also like it being something slightly different. I guess that's the Ry Cooder influence in me.. My problem with these types of deals is having to then replace half the kit to get it sounding and playing right. I ALWAYS expect any guitar I buy to get a setup.. and I don't mind replacing the nut. I just hate getting into replacing pots, p/u's , etc. on top of that. A guitar has to be a little special for me to go down that road anymore.

I'll see if I can track one of these down this weekend here in Austin. It has me curious for sure..
You got a little something recorded with it to delight us?
Click to expand...
 
Excellent choice, my man!:)

I have a FlameKat that I seriously love playing. Same guitar only with mini-hums instead of P-90 style, and the ever popular flames-with-red-dice-knobs look for the discerning guitarist.

I'm looking to put a pic of it (and some other rather unique items) on the 'show-your-guitar' thread as soon as I figure out how to get around the dang 1MB upload limit...

TT
 
There is certainly some weird and completely unjustified snobbery around. While I've got my share of ridiculously expensive guitars, I've also got a Mexican Fender telecaster which is a damn fine axe.

I've also played some ridiculously expensive guitars which were garbage... a mint condition 1961 Strat (asking price $20K) comes to mind - it was freaking awful. Shoddily made, poorly crafted neck and unfixable intonation problems.

You play the guitar, not the name or the price.
 
Nice fiddle man... I wouldn't mind a hollow body but I want an ES330 style :mrgreen . I look at the Rondo Agile line every now and then but just haven't pulled the trigger.
 
Tommy Tequila said:
Excellent choice, my man!:)

I have a FlameKat that I seriously love playing. Same guitar only with mini-hums instead of P-90 style, and the ever popular flames-with-red-dice-knobs look for the discerning guitarist.

I'm looking to put a pic of it (and some other rather unique items) on the 'show-your-guitar' thread as soon as I figure out how to get around the dang 1MB upload limit...

TT
Click to expand...

My band mate, an inveterate collector of guitars, plays his FlameKat often. He's also in the 'Apocabilly' band 'Pitchfork Militia', so it suits him to a 'T'.
I am definitely more of a single-coil guy (I own 2 guitars with Humbuckers now, after putting a Zexcoil Juicybucker into my Strat's bridge position - I must own at least 10 or more single coil driven axes). The FlameKat's output sure is higher, and it's more 'rock and roll' in that respect, and the damn thing is cute as hell (love those silly dice knobs!). Both great axes, both ridiculously cheap for the quality.
 
Manning said:
There is certainly some weird and completely unjustified snobbery around. While I've got my share of ridiculously expensive guitars, I've also got a Mexican Fender telecaster which is a damn fine axe.

I've also played some ridiculously expensive guitars which were garbage... a mint condition 1961 Strat (asking price $20K) comes to mind - it was freaking awful. Shoddily made, poorly crafted neck and unfixable intonation problems.

You play the guitar, not the name or the price.
Click to expand...

I hear you! Another band mate of mine, in Clear Light Ensemble, has a '61 strat that's light, sounds great, and has a great neck in terms of feel. it's also noisy as hell and the intonation is never right for some reason. It's worth something like $30K (well, worth that to someone, not to me!).

I own Factory Special Run strat from Mexico. I changed the pups for Zexcoils, but only because this guitar has no pickguard and hence, is very susceptible to RFI. But even stock, it had a great strat sound, was playable as hell, well made, and mighty pretty too.
 
funny_polymath said:
My band mate, an inveterate collector of guitars, plays his FlameKat often. He's also in the 'Apocabilly' band 'Pitchfork Militia', so it suits him to a 'T'.
I am definitely more of a single-coil guy (I own 2 guitars with Humbuckers now, after putting a Zexcoil Juicybucker into my Strat's bridge position - I must own at least 10 or more single coil driven axes). The FlameKat's output sure is higher, and it's more 'rock and roll' in that respect, and the damn thing is cute as hell (love those silly dice knobs!). Both great axes, both ridiculously cheap for the quality.
Click to expand...

If he really wants to be styling, I've got a pair of brand new flame Converse high tops that match up really well with the FlameKat (size 9 1/2, I wear ones size 10 and always get compliments.) :)

I'm lusting after Zexcoils to replace the Duncan 1/4 pound pups on my strat -- how are you liking the Zexcoil, and do you have it split?

TT
 
I'm loving my Zexcoils. I do have the juicy bucker split, but don't use it much, because I do most of my 'quack' with neck/middle, not bridge/middle. Mr. Juicybucker mostly comes into play when I need a pure, fat humbucker sound. This is not to say the spit doesn't work, it does, and just fine, I just don't use it much. About 80% of my playing is Neck pup alone, 15% Neck & Middle, and 5% on the Bridge, with split off.

Shoes sound too big for Pete's feet, but I'd love a picture! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom