Including new Inspired by Gibson models and Wilshire and Crestwood reissues.
Christmas is right around the corner, and with today’s immense product announcement, it looks like the festive season could be Epiphone’s for the taking, with the brand today unveiling a run of eight new models to join their stables.
First up, there’s new reissues of the Epiphone Wilshire, Coronet and Crestwood Custom, initially introduced into the company’s catalogue way back in the ’50s. All models feature upgraded pickups and a new Kalamazoo-inspired headstock, bringing the brand’s retro aesthetics back for today’s modern player.
The Crestwood Custom features a double-cut mahogany body with a medium C profile neck, while a 22 fret Indian laurel fretboard allows for nimble shredding up and down the neck. There’s also a Tremtone vibrato and a Tune-o-Matic bridge to keep things in tune, while a pair of Epiphone Pro Mini hum buckers with dual tone and volume controls lets you sculpt a variety of tones.
Next, the Wilshire serves as a hardtail variant of the Crestwood Custom, with Epiphone opting for two Epiphone Pro P-90 pickups and a LockTone Tune-o-Matic bridge to deliver a rocksteady model for the non-fussed player.
To round out the vintage revival, there’s the Epiphone Coronet – an even more stripped back variant of the Wilshire, with a sole P-90 pickup and Epiphone Lightning Bar wraparound bridge promising scuzzy blues and honky rock tones.
Epiphone have also debuted two new Inspired By Gibson hollow-body models, taking the classic shapes of the ES-335 and ES-339 and making them all the more affordable for contemporary players.
Both models offer a layered maple top, back and sides with a solid maple tone block to minimise feedback, and are rounded out by mahogany necks with Indian laurel fretboards. The ES-335 and ES-339 also boast Alnico Classic Pro Humbuckers and CTS pots for less electronic noise, and are available in a range of eye-catching finishes such as Raspberry Tea Burst, Pelham Blue and Cherry.
Finally, there’s a trio of new Inspired By Gibson acoustic guitars, with a Hummingbird, J-45 and J-200 allowing guitarists to obtain the tones of classic songwriter acoustics without shelling out a minor fortune.
The Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Hummingbird features a solid Sitka spruce top and mahogany back, neck and sides, with parallelogram mother of pearl inlays and a decorative pickguard making it as much of a visual treat as it is socially.
This guitar also features a Fishman Sonicore pickup and matching Sontione preamp for when you need to plug in and get loud, and can be purchased in both six and twelve-string variants.
For something a little less decorative, the Epiphone Inspired By Gibson J-45 shares similar specs to the Hummingbird, and can be purchased as either a standard dreadnaught or cutaway model.
Last – but certainly not least – we’ve got the Epiphone J-200, the Super Jumbo that’s enchanted players since its introduction way back in the Golden Age.
With a solid maple body, Sitka spruce top and maple neck wth mahogany centre strip, this one’s a no-brainer for anyone requiring a big-bodied acoustic to cut through the mix with a big, crisp tone.
Head to the Epiphone website to find out more details about the range today.
