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A Classic Epiphone Tone Monster, Now With Whammy Power!

Not unlike its cousin the SG, the 1966 Worn Wilshire Tremotone has a double cutaway body made from solid mahogany with a glued-in mahogany neck that joins the body at the 22nd fret, affording ultimate upper-fret access. The Wilshire's rounded, asymmetrical horns give it its own unique look, however, and present a style that's a lot less common on stage or in the studio. Lightweight and comfortable, the Wilshire has excellent resonance and natural acoustic tone—even unplugged—and is easy to play strapped-on for long sets without shoulder fatigue. A popular SlimTaper™ profile makes this neck extremely comfortable and super-fast in the hand, while 22 medium-jumbo frets and a 12" fingerboard radius combine to make it a great guitar for everything from blues bends to rock lead work.

Born in 1959 with two Gibson P-90 pickups, the Wilshire was refitted with Epiphone's own acclaimed mini-humbucking pickups in 1963, and evolved into its optimum configuration in 1966, the model that is represented here in the 1966 Worn Wilshire Tremotone. These pickups have powerful Alnico V magnets for plenty of bite and sting, yet retain excellent warmth and clarity when played clean. The piece de resistance on this new rendition of the Worn Wilshire, however, is its totally re-engineered Tremotone™ vibrato tailpiece, with rosewood insert and metal "E". A rarity on original Wilshires, this unit offers extremely smooth operation, outstanding return-to-pitch capabilities, and accurate and even manual vibrato tones thanks to its clever and unique design, which wraps the strings around staggered flanges rather than one consistent "roller bar", to detune each string somewhat differently according to thickness and tension. The result is a more balanced vibrato of chords, with notes detuned more equally.

Great tuning stability is also aided by Epiphone's Tune-o-matic with hardened steel roller saddles, which is both solid and resonant, and smoothly any hitching or catching of strings as they move over the individually adjustable saddles. Up at the other end of the strings the Wilshire features Epiphone's own "batwing" headstock. A classic design that improves tuning ease and accuracy by offering a straight string-pull design, the headstock is adorned like the original with the vintage "Epiphone" logo in gold, and six-a-side premium die-cast tuners with an efficient 14:1 turning ratio.

Top it all off with a thin satin finish in your choice of Aged Cherry, Worn Cherry, or Worn Black, and you've got a hip retro guitar reborn from the mid '60s, equipped for all your great music making today. Only 398 original 1966 Wilshires were produced—very few with vibrato tailpieces—and are selling today for $10,000 or more depending upon condition.

Only some 800 examples of this Limited Edition will be produced, but at least that doubles your chances… at a much, much lower cost! As with all Epiphones, the 1966 Worn Wilshire Tremotone is backed by Epiphone's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Service. Each guitar also includes an Epiphone poster and bumper sticker, a truss-rod adjustment tool, and a 10' cord.
Body and Finish
Just like the original, the 1966 Worn Wilshire Tremotone is made from a solid slab of resonant and lightweight mahogany with an asymmetrical double-cutaway design. It is completed with a thin satin finish in Aged Cherry, Worn Cherry, or Worn Black to give it an aged look and feel, and to allow its full tone to ring true.
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The 1966 Worn Wilshire Tremotone carries a period-correct glued-in mahogany neck with a fast '60s SlimTaper™ profile, a tilted batwing 6-in-line headstock, and a rich brown rosewood fingerboard, all important components in its feel and tone. It is built to the traditional 24.75" scale length, and offers outstanding playing access right up to the 22nd fret.
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Pickups and Electronics
With its historically accurate mini-humbucking pickups, which are brighter and clearer tonally than full-sized humbuckers, and its individual volume and tone controls, the 1966 Worn Wilshire Tremotone accurately reproduces the sound and performance of the original Wilshires, making it a versatile guitar suitable for anything from blues, to rock, to country or surf.
Click Here To Learn More Hardware & Electronics Hardware
The 1966 Worn Wilshire Tremotone is equipped with a legendary hardware set, including Epiphone's Tune-o-matic bridge, equipped with roller saddles for excellent tuning stability with the redesigned Tremotone™ vibrato tailpiece. Quality die-cast tuners round out the package. All hardware is nickel plated.
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