This is a very rare and unusual vintage Epiphone Batwing headstock guitar that people just love to play-and for good reason. I have never played one that wasn't just awesome. This one is from 1966 and was produced at the original Gibson factory in Kalamazoo Michigan, U.S.A. It features a set-neck design with a one-piece mahogany body and a one-piece mahogany neck; just like a Les Paul Junior. The guitar's design and construction give it a very characteristic resonance and sustain. This guitar is all-original with the exception of one tone capacitor and the pickguard is from a different Crestwood Custom guitar-but still a vintage piece. The are no breaks and the guitar is super-solid. It has been professionally set up and is ready to play-it needs nothing.
The body is a one-piece mahogany unit and wears the original cherry red stain. The color is a translucent dark red and the clear coat has line checking-which is difficult to see unless at a shallow angle-see photos. The mahogany grain is very beautiful. The body has typical handling evidence on the front, sides and back. The neck joint is solid and the neck angle is perfect. The neck itself is super straight and has a smooth feel. The nut is 1.62" wide and the neck has a vintage C-shape profile. The neck depth starts out at .808" at the 1st fret and graduates to 1.020" at the 12th fret. It is a really great feeling neck and many professional players have stated that the Crestwood Custom neck profile is one of the best of all time. There is a line crack in the binding but it is stable and a just a cosmetic-see photos. The tuners all function and the guitar stays in tune well. The headstock and logo display loads of patina and wear. There must have been an old-school hootenanny strap used under the strings which rubbed the finish considerably. It may have been touched up at some point-it is difficult to tell. The logo and original black finish are certainly evident. The nut has been shimmed at some point-see photos. The rosewood fingerboard is nice and clean with a soft feel. The cool 'capsule' position markers all display nicely. The frets have been professionally leveled, crowned and polished. They are a low profile like a Les Paul Custom from the late 60's. They have a nice flat top with clean edges. The action is set low for a fast and easy playing experience. The string height is currently .010" at the 1st fret and .050" at the 12th fret. The guitar plays great up and down the fingerboard.
The pickups are the original patent-sticker mini-humbuckers. They both have an excellent signal. The neck reads 6.87 ohms and the bridge reads 6.69 ohms. The wiring harness is very clean and the potentiometers date to 1966. As previously stated-the front capacitor (neck position) has been replaced at some point. These guitars' pickguards are notorious for shrinking/warping/cracking-especially around the output receptacle. This one was replaced with another vintage Epiphone unit at some point. It fits nice, and it looks great. It is crack-free and nice and flat. The two front screw holes did not line up quite perfectly in the body so there are two extra holes-which are completely covered with the pickguard on-see photos. The guitar sounds nice and loud with a killer resonance and amazing sustain. The pickups have a slightly driven tone and wide-range.
The bridge is the original standard Gibson tune-o-matic and it is in great condition. The vibrato is the original "Vibrotone" unit. Most of these tailpieces have lost their vibrato arm-but this one is present (yay!). The roller does not function as it is stuck. Consequently-you can't use the vibrato as the arm just pivots on the shaft. Also consequently-the guitar stays in tune very well LOL.
The guitar is super lightweight-it only weighs 6.71 lbs. It is very comfortable and feels amazing in your lap or on a strap. This guitar sounds killer and would be a great addition to anyone's collection. It is equally at home on stage or in the studio-and is lots of fun just playing around on the couch too.
