Designed in collaboration with Frank Iero, guitarist for multi-platinum band My Chemical Romance, the Epiphone Wilshire "Phant-o-matic" combines an incredible array of features that only Epiphone would dare put in one instrument. The result is one of the smartest and most flexible guitars on the market with all the vintage styling that made Wilshire models a behind-the-scenes favorite of Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Paul Gilbert, and Steve Marriot.

Classic Form

Like their classic SG design, the Wilshire "Phant-o-matic" features a double cutaway design with a solid Mahogany body. The 24.75-inch scale mahogany hand-set neck has a 1960s SlimTaper profile, a rosewood fingerboard with mother-of-pearl block inlays, a 12-inch radius, and a 1-11/16 inch nut. The neck profile and double cutaway make the Wilshire "Phant-o-matic" a perfect guitar for chunking rhythm or cutting leads. The Antique Ivory finish, black single-ply pickguard, and classic form are eye catching to be sure. But what really sets the Wilshire "Phant-o-matic" apart from the pack is how it sounds.

Premium Electronics

My Chemical Romance have sold almost 7 million albums worldwide -- and know a thing or two about what makes a great, reliable, and cutting edge instrument. Working closely together over several years of research and development, Frank Iero and Epiphone created an axe that puts the sound of a dozen guitars at your fingertips. The result is what you make it -- a straight ahead awesome rock guitar,… read more or something completely groundbreaking. The "Phant-o-matic" employs two classic Epiphone pickups: the famous Alnico Classic Plus humbucker in the bridge and an Alnico Classic humbucker in the neck position. To get the most of the wide tonal possibilities from this pickup arrangement, Iero included a mono VariTone, much like the one used most famously by blues legend B.B. King.

About the VariTone

The VariTone uses a six-way rotary switch which engages 5 pre-set notch filters and a bypass. In position one, the VariTone is completely bypassed. As you rotate the rotary switch into positions 2-6, the center frequency of the notch filter shifts from around 1.9kHz down to 130Hz, providing a player with a wide tonal palette unavailable on most other instruments. Positions 2 through 4 offer tonal shaping while still maintaining great clarity. But keep turning and you'll find Positions 5 and 6 shape-shift the Alnico Classic humbuckers into a single-coil style pickup but without the thin quack usually associated with traditional single coil pickups. Add it all up and between the 6-position VariTone circuit and the 3-position toggle switch, you have 18 unique tones available. And if that wasn't enough, Epiphone has included a high quality horn-mounted kill switch which provides an infinite range of staccato on/off effects. A master volume control is mounted with easy access to the VariTone rotary switch for quick adjustments.

More Premium Features

Like many of Epiphone's classic solidbody electrics, the Wilshire "Phant-o-matic" uses their LockTone Tune-o-Matic/StopBar bridge for tuning and intonation accuracy. Machine heads are nickel Wilkenson vintage-style tuners with green keys. And to protect it, Epiphone has included a premium, padded gig bag. As with every Epiphone, every Wilshire "Phant-o-matic" comes with the peace of mind you get from a Limited Lifetime Warranty backed by Gibson Musical Instruments' famous 24/7/365 day Customer Service. read less