Back In Black - The new Epiphone EM-1 is not the kind of guitar you take home to meet your parents. Just like the legendary EM guitars that went before it, this mental new model is mad, bad and dangerous to own, with a bark and a bite that have made it one of the most eagerly anticipated Epiphone releases at the 2007 Winter NAMM show in Anaheim. Now the wait is over.

Everybody loves a bad boy, and the new Epiphone EM-1 certainly qualifies. Its unmistakable double cutaway body has always epitomised the style and swagger of rock ‘n’ roll, and in 2007 it looks better than ever with an ebony finish, a stylish non-reverse headstock and classic dot inlays. To put it simply, you won’t get a cooler guitar round your neck for a more competitive price.

If the new EM-1 looks good, then it plays even better. As you’d expect from Epiphone, quality materials and impeccable construction are the calling cards of this stunning model, with premium alder employed for the solid body, hard maple used for the new ‘SpeedTaper’ satin-finish neck, and die-cast tuners and a tune-o-matic bridge ensuring that the EM-1 takes life on the road in its stride. Even string changes can’t slow this guitar down, thanks to a string-through body design that adds tone and sustain while making maintenance a breeze.

With 24 smooth-running frets and unbeatable comfort beneath the fingertips, you won’t be able to put the EM-1 down. And with a pair of hot open-coil humbuckers (700T/650R) supplying the beef and the bite, you’ll be desperate to crank it up.

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