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Epiphone Wildkat


slk

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Anyone here have a Wildkat? How do you like it. I heard that the F holes were trimmed out with binding on these. If so I bet that was a challenge. I saw on in the store the other day and played it, but did not even think to look at the F holes. To me it had a pretty good tone and it sure did play easy.

 

Steve

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Anyone here have a Wildkat? How do you like it. I heard that the F holes were trimmed out with binding on these. If so I bet that was a challenge. I saw on in the store the other day and played it, but did not even think to look at the F holes. To me it had a pretty good tone and it sure did play easy.

 

Steve

Great little guitars for the money. Binding on the F holes, body, neck.

 

bodyclose-1.jpg

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I had one that I got back in the mid-90's, AWESOME guitar! I sold it, and bought it back from the same guy years later. From that point on I could NEVER get it to stay in tune. I'm sure it was something trivial, but even after a couple of set ups it still would jump out. Coupled with the fact that I always lose my temper changing strings on a Bigsby guitar....I gave it away. :)

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Awfully temped to get one, if not for anything else just the looks. At $399 it is a good price I just wonder if they will come down a little before Christmas. I have a 15% off coupon I could use also. They probably have it priced at rock bottom as it is. Will wait a few days more and see..

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Awfully temped to get one, if not for anything else just the looks. At $399 it is a good price I just wonder if they will come down a little before Christmas. I have a 15% off coupon I could use also. They probably have it priced at rock bottom as it is. Will wait a few days more and see..

 

For a year or so they were all $299.00.......M.F. recently sold me a new one for less than $299.00......They're nice at any reasonable price.

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Guitar center in Oklahoma City has a Red Royale now that's a gem!

 

I once owned an AlleyKat and I've played dozens of Wildkats along the way. Any time I see one, I'll grab it.

The design of these appeals to me greatly, but I've been disappointed with nearly all I've tried.

The master volume setup is awful. It makes these guitars sound so dark. I change that on my Kat and it helps a great deal.

 

But I digress.

 

I grabbed the red one at GC tonight and plugged it into the good old DRRI reference amp. It was still on the dark sounding side but that's fixable.

However, the way this one played was just about three notches better than most I've tried. The action is super low but doesn't buzz. The strings do not hang on the bridge or nut with Bigsby use. The frets were very nicely done and the finish was gorgeous.

 

If anybody is in the market for one, call GC in Oklahoma City and buy that one. Somebody is gonna get a sweet guitar in that one.

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the only problem I've had with the Wildkat guitars is that the nut that holds the whammy in place loosens up a bit, and then the screw turns and the whammy bar "locks up". I put a piece of felt "washer" under the locking nut, all better now as the "loosening" is no more, stable. Nice instruments, sound great, and the play-ability and feel, to me, is very nice, comfortable neck...

Royal Red...2015 msp_thumbup.gif the future is looking goodmsp_smile.gifmsp_sleep.gif

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  • 2 weeks later...

Anyone here have a Wildkat? How do you like it. I heard that the F holes were trimmed out with binding on these. If so I bet that was a challenge. I saw on in the store the other day and played it, but did not even think to look at the F holes. To me it had a pretty good tone and it sure did play easy.

 

Steve

 

I've had mine since August 2014 and think it is my best guitar ever. [thumbup]

 

I got my very first electric guitar back in 1964 and have played and owned many others since. This time round I wanted a NEW guitar that combined features of a couple of classic guitars that I no longer have - a Hofner Club 50 single cutaway hollow arch-top and a Gibson SG Junior solid with P90 pickup. I wanted to try out the combination of a small semi-solid fitted with P90s as part of a 50's nostalgia project.

 

After a long search on-line I thought the Wildkat was close to what I was looking for. The specification seemed to tick all my boxes – with the added bonus of the Bigsby.

 

Went to a UK dealer, Guitar Village, to try one for real and bought it without any further hesitation. This guitar is a stunning looker, up there with the likes of the Gibson Custom Shops.

 

It has the great vintage P90 sound, is remarkably comfortable to play and the neck and body 'carpentry' is excellent. More importantly, being new and cheap, I now could forget about using fragile or expensive museum pieces.

 

I had no tuning issues related to the nut, bridge or Bigsby. The guitar was 'factory' fitted with Gibson Brite Wire .010-.046 strings, which didn't need replacing with something heavier.

 

Dave

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  • 1 month later...

image.jpg

 

I noticed today that Guitar Center is currently offering the wine red Wildkat at $299.00 and the case at $99.99. Due to past experience I don't order from GC, so I phoned their sister company Musician's Friend who also offered the wine red (at $399.99) and case (at $103.95) and requested a price match.

 

They did for both items.

 

Being a hound for hollow bodies, P90s and Bigsbys, I look forward to checking this baby out when it shows up next week. I figure it'll be a picture perfect companion to my wine red Gibson Les Paul Studio Pro.

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I noticed today that Guitar Center is currently offering the wine red Wildkat at $299.00 and the case at $99.99. Due to past experience I don't order from GC, so I phoned their sister company Musician's Friend who also offered the wine red (at $399.99) and case (at $103.95) and requested a price match.

You do know that GC and MF are in fact, one and the same, no? In any event, I'm sure you'll love your 'Kat as much as the rest of us do. Pic's when it gets there!

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You do know that GC and MF are in fact, one and the same, no? In any event, I'm sure you'll love your 'Kat as much as the rest of us do. Pic's when it gets there!

 

I do, that's why I referred to MF as their sister company. I've had much better results from MF customer service through the years though...

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Anyone here have a Wildkat? How do you like it. I heard that the F holes were trimmed out with binding on these. If so I bet that was a challenge. I saw on in the store the other day and played it, but did not even think to look at the F holes. To me it had a pretty good tone and it sure did play easy.

 

Steve

 

The Red Pearl Wildkat I just bought has what I would describe as a very "light" binding in the F-holes. I think it is very well done and a heavy binding would, IMO, be a bit too much for the looks of the guitar.

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Here's the wine red I just received courtesy UPS.

 

It's a very nice $299.00 guitar, no question. Next to its cousin, the wine red 2013 Gibson Les Paul Studio, it's not quite as dark. No complaints, the 2 piece cap on the front is quite gorgeous and very nicely matched.

 

1cMOLOA.jpg

 

 

89cFsWq.jpg

 

 

The fingerboard is pretty dry, but I'll take care of that along with a set of new .011s.

 

AOM5u6p.jpg

 

It's got a very nice clean tone. I haven't tried it with distortion or overdrive, but I won't be using it that way anyhow.

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Here's the wine red I just received courtesy UPS.

 

It's a very nice $299.00 guitar, no question. Next to its cousin, the wine red 2013 Gibson Les Paul Studio, it's not quite as dark. No complaints, the 2 piece cap on the front is quite gorgeous and very nicely matched.

 

1cMOLOA.jpg

 

 

89cFsWq.jpg

 

 

The fingerboard is pretty dry, but I'll take care of that along with a set of new .011s.

 

AOM5u6p.jpg

 

It's got a very nice clean tone. I haven't tried it with distortion or overdrive, but I won't be using it that way anyhow.

The wildkat is real nice who put the Bigsby on the Gibson its not centered. Nice guitars ....[thumbup]
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