Way back at NAMM 2020, the big story was Epiphone’s Inspired by Gibson range, which brought classic Gibson models down to Epiphone price points. But alongside that series, a number of Epiphone models were revealed to be receiving USA-made treatments, chief among them the Texan acoustic and Casino archtop.
Now, for 2021, Epiphone has officially unveiled a made-in-USA version of the hollowbody beloved by The Beatles.
As you’d expect, the USA Collection model has a number of specs that elevate it above the regular Epi version. Chief among these is a pair of dogear Gibson USA P-90s, which feature vintage, braided two-conductor wiring and wax potting to cut down on feedback. Those pickups are hand-wired to Orange Drop capacitors.
The guitar’s three-ply maple and poplar body features quarter-sawn spruce bracing and cream binding, and is finished in nitrocellulose, with a choice of Vintage Sunburst (with black P-90s) or Royal Tan (with nickel P-90s).
A solid mahogany neck features a rounded C profile, topped off with a 12”-radius Indian rosewood fingerboard, equipped with a Graph Tech nut.
Finally, a Thinline Trapeze tailpiece, ABR-1 bridge and Vintage Deluxe tuning machines round off the spec, accompanied by the trademark white pickguard with Epiphone logo.
Of course, those upgrades and USA build come at a price – $2,699, to be precise. But for die-hard Beatles, Kinks and Paul Weller fans, this is as close as you're likely to get to the original '60s-era look and build – especially given a rumored Paul McCartney Casino never came to fruition.
For more info, head over to Epiphone.
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