Reprinted from Guitar Player Magazine
September 2001
Bench Tests: Fab Feline Epiphone Wildkat
If you've been aching to get your rockabilly mojo
working but can't swing the hefty price tags on classic Gretsch
or Gibson boxes, your day has come. The Korean-made Epiphone Wildkat is
a budget-challenged rockabilly raver's dream with its P-90 pickups,
flamed maple top, classy binding, Bigsby vibrato, and headstock
nameplate that looks like something you'd find on a 1950's kitchen
appliance.
The single-cutaway archtop features a 2"-deep body constructed
of multiple slabs of mahogany that have been glued together and routed to
create a hollow chamber - a design feature that adds depth and dimension
to the Wildkat's sound. The glued-in 22 fret neck is comfy and inviting,
the fret ends are smooth and even, and the action is reasonably
low.
Plugged into a variety of amps (including a Reverend
Hellhound 40/60 combo, a Vox AC30, and a silverface Fender Twin Reverb),
the Wildkat kicks out cool retro-flavored tones. It's deliciously microphonic
P-90s sound bright and girthy, and no matter how aggressively
you wail on the bridge pickup, the 'kat never sounds harsh. The
dual-pickup mode yields rumble-ready growl, and the
individual volume knobs let you vary the tones from greasy
and mean to lanky spanky. Go, Daddy-O! With it's resonant
body and sensitive pickups, the Wildkat can be
easily coaxed into riotous feedback. But flick to the neck
position, ease off the volume, and crank the reverb for a
creamy sound that's perfectly suited for "Sleepwalk" or scintillating
jazz numbers.
Snapshot: Featuring alnico V P-90 pickups, Bigsby vibrato,
and attitude to spare, Epiphone's Wildkat delivers delightfully retro
tones and drop-dead looks at a price that'll make you do a
double take. The Wildkat wins an Editors Pick Award.
--Shawn Hammond
Guitar Player Magazine
September 2001
Reprinted from Guitar & Bass
July 2004
Epiphone Wildkat - One To Strap On If You're Feeling
Groovy
This sleek little guitar is a great choice for anyone
looking for a rockin'-style instrument without the bulk. Only slightly bigger
than a Les Paul with a comfy, slim neck, it's Murray Mint-tinted finish,
Bigsby trem and '50's headstock scream pure class...
...We could hardly tear ourselves from the rhythm mode
for muted, acoustic-style damping, sweet highs and twangy surfy bass; a setting
so warm you could huddle around it at festivals. The trebly bridge humbucker
emits a wah-like quack when you chop out some chords, with slightly thin-sounding
lead tones; switching between the two gives a far prettier tone. Hiccups
aside, we're adding this guitar to the
we-wish-we-didn't-have-to-give-this-back list.
Guitar & Bass
July 2004 |
