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new epiphone wilshire re-issue


rathole

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I just got my Epiphone Wilshire re-issue guitar about an hour ago----I have only played it for about 10 minutes but I love it!!----I have an original 1964 Wilshire and I had to have this reissue!!

here is a picture of the two together. the re-issue is actually a copy of a 1966 Wilshire but they are almost Identical--I did notice the re-issue has a slightly wider neck than the 1964

Damn I'm happy. :):)

 

0af88e60.jpg

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One thing I noticed is the body was made from 2 pieces of wood---the grain doesn't match---(kind of dissapointing) the bottom 4 inches or so is different from the rest---the original 1964 body was all one piece---the top of the body has been sculptured in the back to fit your belly, I guess, where the 1964 is not sculptured--I hope to get to play it more this weekend to see how it sounds. what little I did play it, I liked it---the neck is perfectly straight. I'll have to do some checking to see what wood the '64 was made from and what the re-issue is made from--other than the 2 pieces on the body, I think I am really going to like it though--I'll take some pics of the grain on the back---my '64 had a more glossy finish--this is more of a satin cherry---more to come.:)

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Congrats on the new Wilshire. I've had mine for almost two weeks now (you can find my previous post and pix elsewhere on the forum) and there have been absolutely no issues with it. I haven't even had to change the strings and, now that they've stretched in, the tuning is rock solid. Frankly I was a little worried that it was made in Indonesia but if this is representative of Indonesian quality control I think that the Chinese should be worried. Love your '64 as well.

 

I'm pretty darn sure the '64 is Honduran Mahogany. The Reissue is three pieces of mystery Mahogany with a two-piece African Mahogany veneer.

 

I can't see any evidence of veneer on my Wilshire. Mine looks like three pieces of wood and you have to ask the question why would they veneer it like that? Plus the wood grain can be seen to continue around the sides.

 

 

JG

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I just got my Epiphone Wilshire re-issue guitar about an hour ago----I have only played it for about 10 minutes but I love it!!----I have an original 1964 Wilshire and I had to have this reissue!!

here is a picture of the two together. the re-issue is actually a copy of a 1966 Wilshire but they are almost Identical--I did notice the re-issue has a slightly wider neck than the 1964

Damn I'm happy. [thumbup]:)

 

0af88e60.jpg

nice axe my friend i just bought the epi lp negative beautiful axe also!!

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Does anyone know where to get WHITE reissue Wilshire from Europe? Where should I ask? I can also buy used ones. Does these 2009 models differ from 2008 models?

 

The 2009 re-issue is more faithful to the original 1966 model as it has the mini-humbuckers and nickel hardware (although Epiphone omitted the vibrola that was fitted at the time) whereas the earlier 2007/8 models were fitted with full size humbuckers which original Wilshires never were. Apart from that I can't see that there's much difference. Thomann are still advertising them on their site in white at Euro 258.00. http://www.thomann.de/gb/epiphone_wilshire_ltd_white.htm

 

JG

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Congrats on the new Wilshire. I've had mine for almost two weeks now (you can find my previous post and pix elsewhere on the forum) and there have been absolutely no issues with it. I haven't even had to change the strings and' date=' now that they've stretched in, the tuning is rock solid. Frankly I was a little worried that it was made in Indonesia but if this is representative of Indonesian quality control I think that the Chinese should be worried. Love your '64 as well.

 

 

 

I can't see any evidence of veneer on my Wilshire. Mine looks like three pieces of wood and you have to ask the question why would they veneer it like that? Plus the wood grain can be seen to continue around the sides.

 

 

JG[/quote']

 

There is no way Epiphone would use African Mahogany on a $250 guitar. Therefore, the top has to be a veneer.

 

itis kinda odd to use veneer. i have an old african mahogany lp, veneered, as it's a cheapy? if so the veneer goes round the edges. can they veneer like that?

 

Odd? Epi veneers every single G-400 and now the backs of LPs. If you Epi LP is old, then it can't have an African Mahogany veneers or be made of African Mahogany because they didn't do that until 2003 (Elitists made of African Mahogany) and roughly 2006 (African Mahogany veneers started).

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  • 2 weeks later...

Still haven't had much time to play this yet, but the few hours I have, I have to say I really like it so far--The strings are still stretching a little (don't know what kind was on it--I am going to change them soon) I think it plays great, sounds great. the picture below shows the mis matched wood--you can see a definate line where it looks like the bottom four inches is different than the rest. thats my only complaint, and it is a small complaint, because looks doesn't matter to me as much as how it plays and sounds. I think I am really going to like it. the second picture shows the original 1964 wilshire back and the new wilshire back

 

0b258020.jpg

 

0b758020.jpg

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There is no way Epiphone would use African Mahogany on a $250 guitar. Therefore' date=' the top has to be a veneer.[/quote']

I don't think that anyone has said the Wilshire is made from African mahogany, I certainly didn't. I've now had the scratchplate off of mine and I still maintain that I can find no evidence of veneer. I work in the furniture industry and I know what I'm looking for. My Wilshire is obvously made of three pieces of wood and, as I wrote in an earlier post, little or no effort has been made to conceal that fact. If you were going to use veneer you would use one or two pieces to disguise the mismatch, otherwise why bother?. As you say Epiphone would not use African mahogany on a £250.00 guitar but whatever they've used, and putting aside the mismatched body pieces for a moment, what they've done for the money is IMHO amazing.

 

JG

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what they've done for the money is IMHO amazing.

 

I'm with JG for the money, I think this is a great guitar--I don't know for sure what they sold for in 1964 or 1966--My dad bought mine a a pawn shop for $100.00, but I'll bet they were 250-300 dollars new and 43 years later you can buy the reissue for $379.00----I think thats a great deal..IMHO----the website says mahogany body and mahogany neck, doesn't mention veneer anywhere but I am not a wood guy so I am clueless.

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[cursing][blush] HNGD!! I would love t ohave an original and am GAS'n for one of the new RE-issues with the mini'buckers. I got one of the Arctic White Wilshire Customes for Christmas last year and love everything about the guitar. I do not care if the fullsize humbuckers are not "corerct" as they do sound good and that is what counts. The best part of the look to me is the bat wing headstock. It is hoads down THE best looking headstock ever put on any guitar to me. Again HNGD!!!O:)[thumbup][sneaky][scared][rolleyes][razz][cursing][blush]
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Was in Wichita, on a Music Store "crawl," and couldn't find a single "Wilshire," anywhere.

When I inquired, at Guitar Center, they told me: "We can't keep them in stock..." So...???

Seems to be popular, around here...for the moment, anyway. Who knows, what will happen

with the "new model" thing wears off. But, they seem to be great guitars...especially, at their

price point. I (personally) haven't had a chance to really play one, cranked...but I noodled around

on one, when they first appeared in stores. It was nice! It was a faded cherry...the lighter one,

and the wood match was pretty decent, on that particular one. I guess, I should have bought it...

but, I'm trying to resist, any more guitars, right now. Even though, "Resistance is Futile," I know... ;>b

 

CB

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  • 2 months later...
so whats the verdict fellas' date=' solid wood or not? viniered or not?, how do you like the guitars now? and wasnt one of the finishes a little more glossy than the others? thanks I am pretty positive I am going to pull the trigger on one of these with the prez day sales going on, its either this or the firebird studio thanks![/quote']

Well, I've had the Wilshire for three months now and I'm still pleased with it. It's definitely not veneered. I'm not saying that it's the best or any sort of exotic mahogony but it is solid wood, not laminated. There's been no major problems but I did have to widen the nut slots a little (there was a slight tuning problem which I blamed on the tuners but they were/are fine) and gave the truss rod a tweak to stop the strings choking around the middle of the neck. It's great having such access to the top of the fretboard and I seem to spend more time there on this guitar. The sound's not really Gibson or Fender but it's still very usable. The only thing that really bugs me is the pickup selector switch which (for me) is badly placed and easily hit. Still, it's in the same place as the original so that's life. I can't say that I find it neck heavy but I do use a wide leather strap that grips my shoulder. I think if you try one you'll probably like it. It's great value for the money.

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