'61-62 Epiphone Wilshire Pickguard?

[honkytone]

Anyone have '61-62 Epiphone Wilshire--original or reissue--they'd be willing to send me a tracing of the pickguard from? Am hoping to put this baby a little closer back to stock. Thanks.

[dem00n]

Ive never seen one like that...whats the story on it?
No offense but this thing would look a lot better without a pickguard...its really something else!

[honkytone]

It's an original of the '62 Wilshire Gibson reissued not long ago (Spotlight On the 1962 Epiphone Wilshire Reissue). Originally would've had a cherry red finish, two black P-90s, Kluson tuners, nickel hardware, and a tortoise pickguard. I bought this one as is 30 years ago for my younger brother, who played it for a few years, and it's sat in our parents' attic for at least the last 15 years. The P-90 on it might be a pretty old one--the cover is for sure, it's one of the paper thin ones from the '50s. And the Dimarzio (or whatever it is) humbucking obviously came from the '70s or early '80s. Hardware on it now is '60s era chrome, with a mish-mosh of chrome and nickel Grovers. Knobs are original. Pots look to be from the '60s, too, but it has what I suspect are original paper-in-oil Sprague bumblebee caps. Frets are original but shot. It weighs a ridiculous 5 pounds 15 ounces! I told my brother I'd sell it for him, but now I'm thinking of getting P-90s with black covers, maybe some reissue nickel hardware, refretting it, and lettin' her rip. Fun guitar.

[Litcrit]

Originally Posted by dem00n

Ive never seen one like that...whats the story on it?
No offense but this thing would look a lot better without a pickguard...its really something else!

2 pickup version of (virtually) the same guitar that Steve Marriot played in the Humble Pie days. His was a "Dwight", which was a store-branded name for an Epi Coronet.
http://www.last.fm/music/Steve+Marriott

That guitar will SING if you put some nice old P-90's in it..old wood: Honduras Mahogany, light and resonant, with B-board. Can't go wrong (unless the neck is wobbly...)

[honkytone]

Yeah, I'm leaning toward hanging on to it. Lot to be said for playing a legit vintage guitar that you don't have to worry about. It's so light though that having those Grovers on it really pulls the neck down. Might try to retrofit some Kluson type pegs on it. Damn those big washers, though. But the neck is straight as can be and the joint is solid.

[honkytone]

Pickguard be damned. Here's how it looks today. Just refretted it with stock-ish medium jumbos, put another P-90 in it, got some black covers, had the old nickel bridge and tailpiece around, also an old switch ring and amber tip, and put TonePro retrofit Klusons on there which I aged a little bit. I'm not big on naming gutiars, but I'm calling this one "Red Willy." Lovin' it!