Epiphone WildKat

I just wanted to share this with those who have Epiphone WildKats or are interested:

I liked the appearance of the WildKat and didn't want to spend a lot to try out my first hollow body electric, but the instrument I acquired was unremarkable. It had a nice tiger striped gray finish, but not a neck that I particularly liked, and I never could get the action quite as good as on my other instruments. Recently I had resigned myself to the idea of selling it and trying some other hollow body, but on a whim, I retro-fitted some Seymour Duncan 'Hot P90' pickups to the WildKat. While original pickups were muddy, no highs, and relatively weak, with the new pickup the tone is very organic. I feel that they brought the instrument to life. The Duncan Hot P90s and the WildKat turned out to be a complimentary choice to my ears

How to retro-fit pickups to these goofy non-standard shells? You can de-solder the old pickups from the shells with a soldering gun, enlarge pole piece holes with a drill (carefully & then debur), and finally glue the new ones in with silicone, for example. Alternately, you could mount the pickups by cutting and bending brass sheet metal into a suitable shape, then solder the new pickups in place.

So that's it. Now I may actually hang on to this guitar. :-)

Made in China (like most product now), 22 frets, semi-hollowbodied about the size of a Les Paul, master vol + 2 vol + tone, 2x Alnico V P-90s, Flame Maple body, Rosewood neck, thick cherry finish on thin neck, strings are quite close together compared to Stratocasters, tune-o-matic with Bigsby tremelo, Grover machine heads, no case (got a 335 case and put some padding in as it is significantly smaller than a 335). This guitar is chockerblock with features, especially given the price.

Used with Marshall JMP-1 & Marshall 9200 Dual Mono-Bloc 100w + 100w and 2 x Marshall 1936 (2 x 12") boxes. Only effect is Boss DD-3 Digital Delay short slapback. Noisier than PAF's but quieter than single coils. "Thicker" sound than PAFs, even on the bridge. Perfect for rockabilly/rock'n'roll with some crunch and tone. Not suitable for hard rock mainly as the P-90s are better for more traditional sounds. Can be used acoustically but doesn't have a great deal of natural resonance. Got good natural feedback when I cranked it. Pickups are somewhat "microphonic" which is again perfect for rockabilly/rock'n'roll. Could also be used for jazz, blues etc. - any traditional styles - just not hard rock as the pickups sound a little thicker than the average humbucker and the hollowbody does enhance the microphonics. Also, pickups have a little less top-end than average humbuckers so I kick in the slew rate switch on the Marshalls.

Action was reasonably high (but I have been using stratocasters for over 20 years) straight out of box but easy to fix with Tune-O-Matic. Pickups are fixed position (non-adjustable) but in a suitable position (give the P-90s plenty of distance from the string at the bridge). Scratch under master volume pot (pot covers are made of weak plastic and I broke one trying to take it off). Master volume pot was loose in body when taken out of box - fixed it easily but that's when I noticed the scratch. Stickers say that the P-90s are double waxed but I get the feeling they could squeal if cranked really hard. Pickup selector is noisy similar to most 3-way selections on Epiphones. Buzzes a little at the bridge (but I've only been playing a few days and these sorts of things tend to go away). Finish is stunning - Cherry backed and left hand slides easily up/down the neck. Bigsby clicks a little when used (due to size of nut at base of arm tapping the spring) but stays in tune well - I think this guitar has 10-46 strings but there's no indication of that. Jack is at base of guitar so it's best to get a 90 degree angle jack on your cable.

This guitar is well designed for stage - I'll be using this as my main guitar. It's hard to tell whether the hardware's going to last, however there's not too much that could go wrong really. Pickups have a metallic cover. Machine heads seem to be good quality. Bigsby looks solid - time will tell - it's great having a free-floating tremelo which doesn't cause other strings to go out of tune when bending. Finish is so thick it will never wear away! Replace the strap buttons with lockables. I will never gig without a backup ... but I get the sense you could.

Warranty through local distributor. Haven't tried to use customer support.

Playing for 25 years. Have old Peavey gear (Stereo Chorus 2112), Marshall 2210 JCM 800, lots of Boss FX pedals, Roland GP-16, 2 x 31 band EQ - ditched the lot for the Marshall (JMP-1 pre-amp plus Marshall 9200 100w + 100w with two 2 x 12' Marshall 1936 boxes) and the delay pedal. The JMP-1 is versatile re use of different guitars (Japanese Fender with Dimarzios and Hot Rails, Custom Cargill (Melbourne, Australia) with Dimarzios (2 x single & humbucker with splitter) and (believe it or not) and old Torch with Grovers/Fender pickups.

I'd like to have tried the P-90s - I'm use to them but they are warmer than PAFs but I like the sound. In fact, the guitar "sings" with these pickups/microphonics/high-action rather than "saws" with your average low-action humbuckers.

I would definitely replace this guitar if stolen. I would consider getting a lower end Gretsch but I think you'd be playing for the name rather than the features.

I love the price, construction, finish, playability, features especially given my newfound interest in rock'n'roll/rockabilly. My favourite feature is the semi-hollowbody style - this is the best of both worlds - a Les Paul like body plus its a hollowbody. My second favourite is the price - this is a truly affordable and unique guitar.

I hate the Epiphone signage (the sickle sign), although the headstock has cool retro signage. Some mightn't like the thinner than average distance between strings but I'm rapt with it - this mightn't be the guitar for players with big/fat fingers.

It is "harder" to play than the Stratocasters I have with low action, however that is perfect for the rock'n'roll/rockabilly style I'm playing which is more melodic than other styles I've played. I relied on reviews on this and other sites and I was not disappointed!

This guitar is designed as a more traditional style guitar so don't expect it to be a heavy metal machine. Roll back off the overdrive and enjoy the beautiful dulcette tones.

I got an early model with Gotho tuners. A couple of years into production the WildKat had a price drop, so I went to the store to check out a newer model. It felt very similar, so I am not sure if production year matters. I think it is well built. The paint is way too thick, though. The tremolosystem is unstable and kills tone. It it is a very good idea to block it. You will get a new guitar.
I put a 57 type humbucker i neck position. This works excellent with the knob configuration with master and individual volumes. The humbucker is quieter than the P90, and can be compensated when in combination. You can still adjust the input on the amp standing.
About the neck and fretwork: I think it is decent, like many Epiphones, but it is nowhere near a high-end product. I understand that many people get excitet over the value of this product, but don't have the illusion that this is comparable to anything made by luthiers. The polish on the neck is not the best for fast action.

The sounds I liked the most are Fender amp semi clean. The P90 can push the amp pretty hard and get great tones. This is the big thing with P90 Epi's and the reason I bought it. The pickups are good quality. They don't sound exactly Gibson P90, they are brighter, squeel faster, and perhaps less waxed. You can fix this yourself, I didn't bother. Anyway, I think that the p90's are the decent only pickups which Epiphone makes.
The body is hollow under the pickups, wich give them more vibration. The body is kind of small. I think it sounds like a combination of an Epiphone Les Paul, 335 and Casino. When I first got it, it still had the tremolo, and I thought it was kind of hard to get it to sound acoustic. I tried diffent strings and even with heavy gauge it was a but tame. When I blocked the tremolosystem (picked out the spring and dismounted the arm) it was a lot better. I still think it needs 11's to respond to the heavy wood. For more jazz-like tones, use a wraparound method and let the strings pass over the bar behind the ABR-1.

As i mentioned, the finnish on the back of the neck is an issue for me. I hate this kind of finnish. It forces my patiance and my playing style. I don't get why Epiphone does this to their otherwise nice products.
I saw that the newer tailpieces says "Bingsby" and not "Epiphone". Maybe they have improved this feature. If you want a Bingsby, it will suck a little tone. If you got the "Epiphone" tailpiece, it will certainly suck a lot of tone. Not worth it, so I advise you to lose it.
The controls and switching is ok. You can make subtle improvements if you wish. The pickups are noisy, squeely, dirty, and they should be for their use. The volume control gives many opportunities, especially with two different pickups.
The body finnish is way too thick. I wonder what it would sound like without it. Maybe someday I'll do a John Lennon job on it and sand it down. The figure maple top does not really look like wood flaming. If it is, then it is ruined by the thick finnish.

It is very heavy and the finnish can probably protect me agains gamma-rays, so it also works as a survival utility guitar. Keeps in tune after I got rid of the tremolo.

Never bothered to pay attention to warranties.

The body size is perfect for stage use. Hollowbody P90 guitars are not necessarily the easiest gigging axes. This one has a little better feedback handeling. It is a wonderful guitar that sounds better than it plays, but its shortcomings are not really a big deal. It is a part of the price range and some can be improved. I think it is important that people know what to expect. It is a very good buy, and one of the more useful designs from Epiphone.

Same features as everyone knows about. Semi-hollow body, Mahogany body, Maple top, P-90 pickups, Bigsby-esque vibrato, 1 master tone, 2 individual volumes, 1 master volume, and the worlds thickest polyurethane finish.

Plinky - Very little character -sounds like an average solid body guitar. But the volume controls allow you to maximize it's averageness. careful with your stomp boxes. These pickups would rather squeal than give string feedback. For the most part it's a lot duller than you would expect after reading these reviews. It's not bad - just not what you'd expect with all the "10's" posted in these reviews.

Good -
Finish is well applied on Epiphone's part. No goofs.
The nut and frets are well done also.
I had to set it up when I discarded the 10 gauge strings that came with it for 11's. It was no big deal - just an intonation.

Bad -
Headstock heavy and not balanced.
This thing is HEAVY. 8 Lbs gets a little uncomfortable after playing about an hour.
Saddle for the "A" string buzzes.
Polyurethane finish is too thick (although, indestructible).

I had the pickup selector go out on me mid gig (no output at all). It was easy enough to fix myself. Other than that, it's rock solid. The vibrato has gotten a bad rap here. If you use a little light machine oil on the nut and where the strings go over the saddles then it works well.

Dunno.... It does have a warranty plastered on the ugliest orange sticker known to man, which is inside the upper F hole.

I bought this guitar after reading the glorifying reviews from this site. My local dealer was out of stock, so I purchased one mail order from Musicians Friend. I was really disappointed with the sound of this guitar. It just didn't match the hollow body/rockabilly impression. It sounds like an average SOLID body guitar with very little character. I've since played a demo model at my local dealer to find that my initial impression was correct - it sounds average. I do like the playability, controls, and look of the Wildkat (which makes it usable). I've been playing since 1984 so I've accrued enough gizmos to make this guitar sound good. But, If I just plug it in directly to my amp (Fender Deluxe Reverb) then it sounds like wasted money. So, if you have some COSM effects or a plethora of stomp boxes then this guitar may be for you. If your looking for an honest, stand alone Rockabilly git box then......Move along....This one's not for you.

very nice appeal immediately. I'm a sucker for that "RocknRoll" roots guitar look. I rate it a 10 easily. Bigsbys have the majesty of a white 74 Cadilac Eldorado. Not sporty, but classic. Put that on a maple bookmatched with F-holes, hey that just looks good to me. I'm biased.

The Eiphone licensed Bigsby tremo is pretty sweet. Can add the perfect amount of tremolo. Although, players who are used to hard dives on their Floyd Rose locking tremelo systems might not be suited for a Bigsby.

The P90s are very nice.
This is guitar is perfect for a person who really prefers humbuckers over singel coils. So having said that; in the "Les Paul vs. Stratocaster " generalizations. I think this really appeals to the Les Paul fans more so. If this is what P90s sound like, I've been missing out.

I'm totally amazed by the sound but mostly the versatility. The master volume and independent volume controls (in parallel not in series like the LesPaul) are very useful.

When playing live I use the same amp tone but adjust the volumes to play everything from Beatles Sabath. I hate to admit it, but my LP can't do that.

A welcome weight switch from the Les Paul.

I also own a hollowbody Washburn. It is also light weight but most of the weight is in the neck. The wildkat being a semi-hollow has more of a presence and is balanced very well.

I like the P90s but not being able to pickup heights leaves me feeling a little restrictive is terms of changing the setup.

It does do very nicely playing live. It aslo took a full pint shattering on it and drenching it (note: don't put your guitar rack underneath a window ledge). I qiuckly wiped it up and put it away. A good cleaning and it was back at it the next gig.

I like the finish. I can't tell if it's a photo-finish. Or a real mapel cap. Regardless, it's a nice flame maple, bookmatched honey top.

Grover tuners; Very nice. Always a good sign that guitar has some redeaming qualities.

I do depend on it. I do use it at gigs so much that my Les Paul Standard, which I though was the shizzle, has now become my backup guitar to my WildKat.

Strap buttons are ok, but I should put locking straps buttons on it. I think that goes for any guitar you enjoy really.

I've been playing for 17 years and I've owned over 8 guitars. I also own a 97 Les Paul Standard that I covetted for years before getting it. Now, I grab the Wildkat first. It's just more versatile for all songs. A big plus when playing live. The weight is far easier to take than the LP when palying for 2 hours at a stretch.

I would replace it if stolen.

The only thing I would like is the bridge to have locking set screws on either side to keep it stationary when restringing. StewMacDonald offers it as a product and I've always thought that it just makes sense to have that in this style of bridge system.

If it were an actual "Bigsby" tremelo and not a "Epiphone" licensed copy, people would take it more seriously. If Epiphone is trying to establish itself as a quality guitar manufacturer like their parent company, inlcuding a "Bigsby" would be a plus.

OK enough has already been said about this guitar but I must add my comments thinking that this guitar exceeds expectations. I bought the guitar on ebay - transparent black finish, chrome hardware, real Bigsby, no modifications, "never been taken outta the house". I would rate the ebay seller at a 10.

Super clean frets, setup high on 12, but in tune, intonation on the mark someone set it up, this cant' be factory. The P90s are vibrant and microphonic, very live, wow. good gawd these pickups rock. Dial em down and you get that nice jazz thind. I find the middle position with both pickups is the most intersting. The sound is fantastic. The rosewood fretborad is gorgeous. My frets never needed leveling. OK the bigsby. Of course: I bought this guitar for 395 on ebay with the sole intention of putting another 400-500 into a roller bridge, graphtech nut, and serious bigby tuning. INSTEAD: I put a set of ernie ball 11s ion it, and cannot let go of the ax long enough to take it down to have the work done!! Good god this guitar has got some serious mojo and attitude and the p090s just rock your world. I am playing this guitar through a Fender Champ (70s) with no effects. I cannot put the guitar down logn enough to do the work on it that a) I envisioned adn 2) it needs. It sounds too good

It will not stay intune. Welcome to wildkat/bigsby. I will address that issue by installing graphtech nut and roller bridge. The bigsby is gorgeous, if you don't press it too much, then everything goes out. I woud have had the work done last week, but I can't put the guitar down I got the transparent black on ebay $395. Epinphone don't ship that any more, and I am so happy. I cannot believe this guitar is under $500. The frets, fit finish, binding is just AWESOME, and smooth. So gorgeous. Laying on the bed it looks like a $3000 Les Paul black custom with a bigsby until you go -- oh-- that's an ... Ephiphone what??
This is a $500 guitar. Wow. So I will take this from a factory shipped 8 fit/finish t a 10 when i replace all those things...

The transparent black is so nice I have not bothered to try to see the book maching on the maple top - but it is there and probably is ok.

Big note: one reason I bought this guitar is because it is supposed to have a big phat ass Gibson neck on it. My particular guitar has a gorgeous neck but it is more like a 335 or a Telecaster. It is not a fat Gibson neck, but a fast, thin jazz neck. I'm not complaining -- it's gorgeous and althought eh binding/fret bmps arenot the smoothest onearth, it's just SO nice.

Very tough, stays in tune (I put .11 slinkys on immeidately) don't touch the Bigsby, it is awesome. Play the bigsby and ok ,you enter that territory. I put 11s on, intending to have hardware repalacement s done at a guitar center, but, never got there. CAn't put hte ax down -- it just rocks.

Never called Epiphone.

I cannot believe this ax is less than $500. I have a 99 tele and a 56 Gibson vintage jazz box with P90. I was shopping either a Pat Martino or a Johnny A Gibson Custom but saw the Wildkat and got it. What a personality this guitar has. The P90s have a "quack" which when you hit them too hard, is evident. you only do that on guitars you like (heh). I'm rating this a 9 - I'm not wealthy enough to understand what a 10 is.

Semi-hollow body guitar with P-90 single coils pickups and Bigsby tremolow. Guitar quality was okay, similar to many other $400 dollar Epiphones, WildKat over priced at $1200 suggested list price. On sale for around $400 is about right.

Many found the P-90's to their liking but for me I felt they were too muddy. I have had other guitars with P-90's and like the fat sound they get but the WildKat just seemed muddy and lacking in tone. I tried it with various tube and solid state amps and over all disliked the sound.

Action was a bit high but over-all it played satisfactoraly, pickups cannot be adjusted for hieght, finish was flawed on the neck (probably why the guitar was sold at discount) but the rest of the guitar was finished nicely. Frets were okay, similar to $400 Epiphones, tuning pegs were a little rough.

Guitar seems built well and should hold up fine to regulare use. Nothing stood out as being cheap.

Never used them

Okay cheap guitar but falls flat in tone department, stuck within a small range of tone and can be quite muddy.

Light stained flame top with a super shiny finish, sort of a big les paul style body. Tune-O-Matic bridge with Epiphone Bigsby (newer models have a genuine Bigsby). Grover tuners and medium frets. 2 chrome dog ear P-90's, 2 independent volume controls with master volume, one tone control and your usual Gibson style 3 way switch. Cool embossed Epiphone nameplate on headstock.

I play mostly classic rock, early metal, punk and blues. The Wildkat fits the bill everything, probably not for metal though. I have never owned a hollow or semi-hollow body guitar before or anything with a Bigsby, but this thing had a great buy it now price, so I figured what the hey. The best word to describe the sound is MEATY! This guitar sounds great clean and really good overdriven through a Marshall 15 and a silverface Fender Twin. Lots of bottom end and midrange punch. I swapped the .038 tone cap for a sprague orange drop .022 a few days after I got the guitar. I will probably put the .038 back in as some of the highs were lost. The P-90's sound great, not particularly noisy at normal volumes, but you can get some serious "screach" with overdrive at higher volumes. Dip 'em in wax if it's a problem. I have played plenty of P-90 guitars, and these pickups are keepers. I personally like the master volume control. All of the electronics look high quality to me, no scratchy pots and no problems with the 3 way switch here.

I'm gonna go with a "7" here (though it is a 9 now, after some work). I got mine used but I still had to file the nut a good bit to get everything right. The bridge pickup was screwed on slightly crooked, I will fix that later. The finish and flame top are very shiny. This guitar CAN be an awesome axe BUT you have to spend a few bucks and do a little work on the Bigsby to get it to stay in tune. It CAN be done, more on that later...

I would definitely gig this, but always carry a back up. Hardware seems quality, finish looks quite durable and the guitar feels solid overall. Straplocks are the first thing to add to all my electric guitars. I beleive this one will last a very long time.

N/A

I have been playing about 20 years. Had to sell all my Gibson's, can't afford them right now. I currently own an Eastwood Stormbird, a Takamine G series Acoustic, the Wildkat, a silverface Fender Twin, a solid state 15 watt Marshall and an Epiphone Valve Junior head. This is a great guitar at a great price. The main problem is the Bigsby. Mine wouldn't stay in tune even if I DIDN'T use the Bigsby. I think the problem is the string angle is too steep at the back of the bridge with the roller on. It had intonation problems as well. Here's how I fixed this and made this guitar play GREAT!!! The first modification to do is GET RID OF THE ROLLER BEHIND THE BRIDGE!!!! Loosen the strings, Remove the snapring on the side closest to the volume knobs, and pull the thing out upwards, then throw it in your parts box. This will give the strings an almost straight shot from the end of the Bigsby to the bridge. I also invested $23 in a new set of Graph-Tech saddles. I ended up having to turn the bridge around to where the screws faced the Bigsby, as the Graph-Tech's are shorter and the strings were hitting the screws. A little filing on the saddles and this thing stays in tune damn near perfectly. Intonation is spot on now too. Now I like everything about this guitar. I can't put it down!!! I'm giving it a "9" overall, after the modifications. I would definitely track another one down if it came up missing. The only other thing I would like to share is, Kids, if you are still playing with .009's, do yourself a favor and throw some 11's on your axe (or at least 10's) and find out what your guitar should sound like!!!

Got mine used from a pawn shop. It's the turquoise color, and I like the color. Mine has the "official" bigsby. Never had a Bigsby before and when I put strings on it it was really tough(I hate to re-string any of the guitars I have). It has the grovers and whover had it beofre I did must have hardly played, it was really like new when I cleaned it up. Has the P-90's which sound good. I like the bound fretboard and body-it looks quality for the price. Can't tell where it was made, but probably it was Korea.

The sound is rich, mid-rangy compared to the others I have. Pots a little scratchy. I plan to spray some tuner/cleaner in them soon. I use a Univox combo amp with a 12" speaker tp practice (it's all tube-old and vintage) and it sounds good with the Wildkat. Im use a Sovtek that I had hot rodded (new pots, a master volume-and other upgrades) on stage. It has 50 watts and when cranked-it smokes.

When I first got it, I had to set the intonation for 11's I put on it. Was not out much. A problem I found was 2 slightly high frets on 2 string locations. I took my files to them, polished them out and now the action is as good as any of my guitars. I don't like doing this, but for the money tis cost, it's all you should expect. I raised the neck PU by placing thin pieces of cork underneath the screws that hold the PU on. It is now closer to the strings and sounds fuller-you can't see the cork either. Binding is good, finish thick and rich.

I will use it live, but will carry a backup in case a string breaks-the Bigsby is tought to string. Two screws were stripped and I had to put toothpicks in the holes to get a good grip for the screws-another quality issue.

Don't expect I'll use it....

Been playing 35 years or so. I own A Taylor acoustic 4 Ibanez Les Pauls with set necks (the lawsuit ones-excellent guitars-my main ones). A Samick San 450 (very nice) An Ibanez L-5 copy jazz box (another lawsuit one also excellent), and 2 Squirer stat copies both made in japan-also excellent quality. I like the fat neck on the Wildkat-real comfortable to play, and the fit and finish is good. I also like the sound. Not sure I'd replace it if it was stolen. Overall the Wildkat is a good guitar-it feels and sounds good-just some quality issues I have with mine-high frets, etc.

I have the transparent black finish. Not my first choice (it's hard to see the wood grain) but it was used and the price was right. I think mine is a couple years old.

Nice big neck, extremely comfortable to play. Everything else is mentioned by others (dual P90's, bigsby, etc). Exactly what I wanted.

Sounded ok in the store, but once I got it home and put some 11's on it the thing came alive. I think it had 9's on it, what a shame, the previous owner probably never knew what this could sound like.

The rhythm pickup is outstanding to my ears. It's got a nice deep tone that works great for bassy rhythmic blues riffs (think Black Keys). The treble pickup is the "billy" part of the "rockabilly", gets a good sharp tone with the tone knob in the middle.

I don't understand why this is but the sound of this guitar is somewhat similar to the midrange Gretsch models I played before I bought it.

I play this mainly thru an Epi Valve Jr.

Bought it used so I don't have an opinion of the factory setup. The previous owner wasn't a fan of the bigsby so the spring is still really tough. This makes it a little hard to use (a buddy's Gretsch is much looser, much easier to use).

It looks like mine was put to use, has quite a bit of scratches on the top (I assume from wild picking technique) but is structurally perfect and all the hardware is in great shape.

My only complaint is the master volume knob is scratchy.

Seems to be built well.

Stays in tune unless the bigsby is exercised. I bought some graphite nut lube and lubed up the nut and bridge with minor success. My saddles have been worn by the wound strings so they don't slip and slide, they grab on the strings. I believe this is the root of my tuning problems. Roller bridge wouldn't hurt. The tuning problems are definitely minor anyways.

No cause so far.

Eh... 10 years or so. I've got a 50's Harmony archtop, a resonator guitar, and a couple miscellaneous other guitars.

I think I would replace it if stolen. I love the sound, and it's just really comfortable and suitable for what I want to play. And it's just totally different from your average strat, LP, or Ibanez axe.

I compared this mainly with the Gretsch line, the other Epi's, and a couple Artcores. Gretsch definitely has some nicer guitars but for 1/4 the price the Wildkat is the only guitar that would do.