Another NGD Post- Epiphone Wilshire

[Bulinski102]

Ah... straight from the 70s. Definitely has seen it's share of playing.

Couple small damages (chunk of pickguard missing, chrome flaking off tailpiece, sticky and loose tuners) and when I got it, the strings were rusty enough to five me teranus. Tore it down today and cleaned it off- I don't think anyone had cleaned the fretboard since Japan!

Now I just have to sell one...

 

[pondcaster]

Wow! That's very nice. Would love to play that beauty!

 

[Tone Chase]

If the hardware is chrome, it is a Japanese made ET-278 from the '70's. If the hardware is gold it is an ET-290. I have the Cherry Sunburst ET-290. They are unique guitars, that are light weight and fit into a Strat or Tele, fitted case. Give that some thought. The original late '50's early '60's American made Epiphones were designed to compete with the Stratocaster. There are many reasons to like them.

Google ET-Series for more info.

I also have an ET-285 bass guitar.

 

[Bulinski102]

Yeah, it's got the neck plate that says it made in japan. Funny thing about the hardware- the tailpiece is chrome, but the bridge itself looks to be brass. I don't think I looked under the bridge for any markings when I had it in pieces, but the tailpiece did say it was MIJ. Comparing it to other ET-278s, it looks the same except the bridge. Thanks for the info!

 

[lineboat]

Congrats! Those are sweet guitars!

 

[Sandhill69]

Very nice congrats...and if you "have to sell one," just don't let be a guitar

 

[Tone Chase]

Under the bridge on my ET-290.

 

[Tone Chase]

Try out your ET guitar on a good, clean, powerful, vintage, tube amp with a Fuzz or other vintage drive pedal. You will discover what awesome is. That sound can't be duplicated with a modern guitar.

I used my old 1969 Sunn Solarus. At a volume of two, the earth started rotating backwards.

 

[Bulinski102]

Yeah, the bottom of that bridgep looks familiar. Zero chrome left on mine though.

I tried it on my AC30 today. It sounds... heavenly. Perfect really. Only complaints are that the frets are super low (I'm used to the super duper jumbos on my Warmoth) and that it buzzes unless I touch the pickup covers? I've never experienced that before. The buzz doesn't go away when I touch any other metal, only when I touch the cover. Weird. Looks like I'm adding wire.

 

[Tone Chase]

You will get used to the vintage fret wire. The action can be set very, very low if you like on these. I don't have any grounding issues on mine.

You may not want to play this guitar every day, but when you do come back to it, you will smile. It does that '60-70's sound so well.

 

[4 Cat Slim]

That looks like a real sweetheart of a guitar!