The Silver-Fox Rides Again…

This super rare 'custom color' 1964 Epiphone Wilshire weighs just 6.10 lbs. and has a nut width of 1 9/16 inches and a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches. Solid mahogany body, one-piece mahogany neck with a medium-to-thin profile. Brazilian rosewood fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and inlaid pearl dot position markers. Black faced headstock with gold silk-screened "Epiphone" script logo. Six-on-one-side 'single-line' Kluson Deluxe tuners with oval metal buttons (secured by four screws). Two patent-number mini-humbucking pickups with black plastic surrounds and matching outputs of 7.15k and 7.16k, each with a rectangular black label on the underside with "Patent Number 2,737,842." Four controls (two volume, two tone) plus three-way selector switch, all mounted on pickguard. The potentiometers are stamped: "137 6XXX" (CTS - the last three numbers on each potentiometer are obscured  by solder - but they all appear to be original). Non-original black plastic ribbed-sided control knobs with white markings. Three-layer tortoiseshell over white and black plastic pickguard with eight screws. Later Gibson Tune-O-Matic non-retainer bridge with black plastic saddles. Later stud-bar tailpiece fitted. Housed in the original Epiphone three-latch, shaped gray softshell case with blue felt lining (8.00).

This guitar originally had a factory Epiphone 'Tremotone' vibrola tailpiece which was removed by a former owner and a later stud-tail fitted. There are three small holes on the top of the body where the 'Tremotone' has been removed. At that time the pickguard was replaced and also the control knobs and strap buttons. The guitar has been expertly re-fretted with the correct gauge fret-wire. The original 'Silevr-Fox' finish on the back of the neck is quite worn and there are some areas of wear on the back of the body (down to the wood). The previous owner has engraved his name on the back of the headstock. There are a few small surface abrasions, marks and dings but overall this is a great playing and sounding little guitar in the very rare Silver-Fox finish at a fraction of the price of an all original and untouched example.

The Wilshire, Epiphone's equivalent of the Gibson SG Special, was added to the Epiphone solid body line in 1959 at around $195.00, but by 1962 the price tag had risen to $235.00. Originally it had two white P-90 pickups, no doubt left over from the Gibson Les Paul's conversion from P-90s to metal covered humbucking pickups. The white P-90s were replaced by black P-90s (which were still in use on some Gibson's) in 1961. In mid 1962 the p-90 pickups were replaced with patent number mini humbuckers. Later in 1963 the Wilshire's body shape became asymmetrical with the upper bass horn slightly longer than upper treble, and the headstock received six-on-a-side tuners. The price in 1965 was $265.00 + a huge $15 extra for the custom color!!