Tak Matsumoto DC Standard Plus Top

Epiphone announces the new Tak Matsumoto DC Standard Plus Top Cherry Outfit, a stunningly beautiful guitar designed by Epiphone and Tak Matsumoto exclusively for Japan. From his blistering solo work and his long-standing association with the band B'z to his GRAMMY winning albums with renowned artists like Larry Carlton, Tak Matsumoto has proved himself not only one of Japan's true masters of the fingerboard, but one of the world's most powerful rockers. With a searing tone that is utterly infectious, Matsumoto has bridged the musical gap between East and West and proved that rock is truly a universal language. Now, Epiphone brings Tak’s unique design and superior tone home with the one-of-a-kind Limited Edition Tak Matsumoto DC Standard Plus Top Cherry Outfit which embodies Tak's own asymmetrical take on the popular DC Standard Les Paul style with a carved Hard maple cap with AAA Flame maple Veneer and a stunning Black Cherry finish.

Like all Epiphones, the Tak Matsumoto DC Standard Plus Top comes with our Limited Lifetime Warranty and Gibson’s 24/7/365 customer service for a lifetime of worry-free rocking. The Tak Matsumoto DC Standard Plus Top is made exclusively for Japan.

Epiphone Hardware for A Lifetime

Epiphone has long been a fan favorite for its virtually indestructible nickel hardware. The Tak Matsumoto DC Standard Plus Top features Epiphone’s LockTone™ Tune-o-matic bridge and StopBar tailpiece, which combines precise adjustment for intonation and action with rock-solid resonance. This design holds tight to the posts for hassle-free string changes and unparalleled sustain. Control knobs are Gold Top Hats with metal points. The vintage style machine heads have a 14:1 ratio and feature “Tulip” style buttons. The Plus Top also includes Epiphone Strap-locks. And best of all, each new Tak Matsumoto Signature DC Standard Plus Top comes with a custom hard case featuring the Tak Matsumoto signature and a certificate of authenticity.

Holy Grail PAF Style Pickups

Gibson USA BurstBuckersTM are among the most accurate renditions of the hallowed vintage "PAF" humbuckers of the late '50s that are available today and are made with similar turns of the same 42 AWG wire along with unpolished Alnico II magnets and unbalanced coils, which is one of the secrets to the great edge and detail heard in original PAFs. For the Tak Matsumoto DC Standard Plus Top Cherry Outfit, we use a Zebra Open-Coil Gibson USA BurstBuckerTM 2 in the neck position which is wounded toward the middle of the range of original PAFs for a warm, thick vocal tone.  For the bridge position, we use a Zebra Open-Coil Gibson USA BurstBuckerTM 3, which emulates the hotter PAFs, giving you more wail and crunch from the bridge position. Unlike original PAFs that are nearing the end of their life, these BurstBuckersTM are vacuum potted to combat microphonic squeal at high volume. And believe us, you will want to play your Tak Matsumoto DC Standard Plus Top at high volume! The pickups are routed through Tak's own preference for an independent volume control for each pickup and a master tone control, with a three-way toggle switch on the upper body horn.

Classic Styling and the Sound of the Future

Just like all great Les Pauls, the Tak Matsumoto DC Standard Plus Top Cherry Outfit has a solid mahogany body for a broad, rich, ringing tone with outstanding harmonic color and an extremely well-balanced frequency range. The top features a carved Hard maple Cap with a beautiful AAA flame maple veneer. The mahogany SlimTaperTM 1960s “D” profile neck has a 24.75” scale and is attached to the body with a deep-set glued-in neck tenon which further enhances resonance and sustain. The 22 fret rosewood fingerboard has a 14” radius for fast and easy fretwork and includes a 1.68” nut and abalone Trapezoid inlays. The headstock features the Epiphone logo in pearloid with a signature “Tak Matsumoto Model” in gold silkscreen and “Limited Edition” logo on the back of the headstock in gold. The 2-layer black and white trussrod cover has the Kalamazoo factory-style bell design. Both the top and neck feature single layer black binding and the color finish comes in gorgeous Black Cherry.