The Epiphone Phant-O-Matic Wilshire

[Andrew W]

Some young whippersnapper from a modern popular music beat-combo of whom I've never heard has collaborated with Epiphone to make a sort of Wilshire/Les Paul hybrid. Leaving aside that it should arguably be a Crestwood/Les Paul hybrid as it has block inlays [pedant]cough[/pedant] I'm not quite sure what I think of it.

I suppose I'm so used to seeing a Wilshire with mini-humbuckers or P90s that the full size humbuckers look a little unbalanced to me. I do love Wilshires though (I have a mid '60s one that is an absolute blast) so I could be talked around to liking it though I do slightly struggle to see what this does that an SG doesn't already do. Anyway an interesting spin on what I think is a bit of a neglected classic.

More info...

[Ian Price]

I quite like that! It wouldn't work for me though as it has HBs.

[gwEm]

I don't hate it, but I won't be rushing out to buy it.

[sgmypod]

Damn you, I already wanted a whilshire now I want this as well

[Philly Q]

I don't hate it, but I won't be rushing out to buy it.

Likewise.

In principle, a Wilshire (or Crestwood) is cool, but there are too many details I don't like:

• Necks with block markers should have binding
• I'd prefer a wraparound bridge
• The controls look a bit annoying
• Pickups are too close together (OK, that's understandable, so as not to weaken the neck joint too much)

What does Phant-O-Matic mean?

[Telerocker]

Like it is in this color, but would not be my first love.

[Ian Price]

What does Phant-O-Matic mean?

I'm stumped. At least Gretsch had an obvious link in the name of the Stump-O-Matic.

[Loomer]

A bad pun on "Phantom?"

[Ian Price]

Maybe. But why? The bloke who plays this is in My Chemical Romance  :?

[Loomer]

Well, phantoms are sort of Goth-y in a Hot Topic sort of way, aren't they?

[Ian Price]

Somebody got paid to come up with that name as well!

[Loomer]

Someone should look for a new job then..

[FELINEGUITARS]

I don't hate it, but I won't be rushing out to buy it.

But EPI Wilshires and Crestwoods were Paul Gilbert's favourite guitars when he was younger - in fact it was the first guitar he had Ibanez copy for him

[Philly Q]

I don't hate it, but I won't be rushing out to buy it.

But EPI Wilshires and Crestwoods were Paul Gilbert's favourite guitars when he was younger - in fact it was the first guitar he had Ibanez copy for him

Yeah, I seem to remember he and Bruce Bouillet had pink and green ones with minibuckers and Kahlers!

[FELINEGUITARS]