Hot or Not? Epiphone Wilshire "Phant-o-matic"

Tig

Fucktangular
I've never been a huge fan of the previous Wilshires, but this one has a bit more going for it. I could care less aboutFrank Iero, however.
Street price is $499.

The Wilshire "Phant-o-matic" features a double cutaway design with a solid Mahogany body. The 24.75" scale Mahogany hand-set neck has a 1960s SlimTaper(TM) profile, a rosewood fingerboard with mother-of-pearl block inlays, a 12" radius, and a 1-11/16" nut.


The "Phant-o-matic" employs two classic Epiphone pickups, our famous Alnico Classic Plus(TM) Humbucker in the bridge and an Alnico Classic(TM) Humbucker in the neck position. To get the most of the wide tonal possibilities from this pickup arrangement, we've included a mono VariTone(TM), much like the one used most famously by blues legend B. B. King.

The VariTone(TM) uses a six-way rotary switch which engages 5 pre-set notch filters and a bypass. In position one, the VariTone(TM) is completely bypassed. As you rotate the rotary switch into positions 2-6, the center frequency of the notch filter shifts from around 1.9kHz down to 130Hz, providing a player with a wide tonal palette unavailable on most other instruments. Positions 2 through 4 offer tonal shaping while still maintaining great clarity. But keep turning and you'll find Positions 5 and 6 shape-shift the Alnico Classic(TM) humbuckers into a single-coil style pickup but without the thin quack usually associated with traditional single coil pickups. Add it all up and between the 6-position VariTone(TM) circuit and the 3-position toggle switch, you have 18 unique tones available. And if that wasn't enough, Epiphone has included a high quality horn-mounted kill switch which provides an infinite range of staccato on/off effects.

T
he Wilshire "Phant-o-matic" uses our LockTone(TM) Tune-o-Matic(TM)/StopBar bridge for tuning and intonation accuracy. Machine heads are nickel Wilkinson(TM) vintage style tuners with green keys. And to protect it, Epiphone has included a premium, padded gigbag.

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Specifications:
Body Material:Mahogany
Neck Material:Mahogany
Neck Shape:1960's SlimTaper (TM)
Neck Joint:Glued-In
Truss Rod:Adjustable
Truss Rod Cover:2-Layer (Black/White) with vintage "Epiphone" logo in gold
Scale Length:24.75"
Fingerboard Material:Rosewood with mother-of-pearl BLOCK inlays
Headstock:Clipped Ear(TM) 3-on-a-side with vintage "Epiphone" logo in gold
Bridge Pickup:Alnico Classic Plus(TM) Humbucker
Neck Pickup:Alnico Classic(TM) Humbucker
Controls:Master Volume Control, 6-Position Rotary VariTone(TM) notch filter. (Position 1: Bypass, Position 2: 5db at 1950hz, Position 3: 12db at 1100hz, Position 4: 16db at 620hz, Position 5: 18.5db at 360hz, Position 6: 21db at 120hz), Momentary KillSwitch(TM), 3-way pickup selector with black toggle cap
Binding:Fingerboard - Single Ply
Fingerboard Radius:12"
Frets:22; medium-jumbo
Bridge:LockTone(TM) tune-o-matic/stopbar
Nut Width:1-11/16"
Hardware:Nickel
Machine Heads:Wilkinson(TM) Vintage style with Green Keys
Pickguard:Black; Single Ply
Other:Epiphone StrapLocks
Colors: Antique Ivory
Includes:Premium Gigbag
Options:Hard Case
Warranty:Epiphone Limited Lifetime

 
I've never been a huge fan of the wilshire shape, but it has kind of grown on me over the last few years. Marketing, I guess. Anyway, I like the variatone circuit, and the rest seems to be regular wilshire stuff. Maybe a slight upgrade in pickups and some neck binding, but the rest seems like the stock epiphone model. You could have bought one of the 249 models and add the variatone wiring for like 30 bucks.

I guess I don't see $200 dollars more guitar than the old wilshire. I would get a closeout model for 249, a set of used gibson 57 classics, and some variatone parts, and still have money left over. I guess the binding labor makes up for some of the difference, and some of the hardware might also be better on this one. When it hits 399, I might be interested.
 
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I didn't even look for a price...
so there's a cheaper version with simpler electronics?
that would work way better for me.
I don't need all the bells and whistles.

really, I'd be buying it for the looks more than anything.


assuming it doesn't play like a turd
 
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