Vintage Epiphone Coronet - USA 1963

One of the first guitars to be rolled out after Gibson bought Epiphone, the Coronet snagged a few famous players, like Kurt Cobain and Johnny Marr. Its body shape is pretty unique, but not uncommon for a number of solid bodies released by Epiphone at the time.

The original Coronet was 1 3/4″ deep – same as a Telecaster, with the squared-off edges of a Tele. The wraparound bridge-tailpiece was the same one found on Gibson’s Les Paul Special and Junior. The headstock had the metal plate Epiphone had been using on electrics since the ’30s, along with the old-style metal-stamped Epi truss-rod cover.

The Coronet changed specs every year for the next five years. By the end of 1959, Gibson had run out of the New York pickups and began fitting the Coronet with the more powerful Gibson P-90. A year later, the body depth was thinned to 1 3/8″ and the edges were rounded off; at the same time a new, symmetrical pickguard appeared. The next year, the peghead plate disappeared. In ’62, a vibrato was optional.

1963 brought major changes in the Epi solidbody line. The bodies were redesigned with a slightly longer bass horn, the P-90 got a metal cover, and the peghead went to a six-on-a-side tuner configuration with the treble-side cut in an E-shape; it came to be known as the “bat wing” peghead. As you can see, from the photographs of this Epi, it must have been an early 1963 build as it still retains the symmetrical body and pickguard, earlier headstock with 3 tuners each side and the black P-90 cover.

The Coronet is very similar in design to Gibson’s SG Junior, and delivers a solid P-90 punch similar to a 50s Les Paul Jr, but at rather less cost. A very straightforward, simple design that just works - one piece solid mahogany body, mahogany neck, Brazilian rosewood fingerboard.

This guitar is in amazing condition coming into its 61st year. Just a few small dings and scratches, with very light weather checking. The pickguard has broken away from the screw near the upper horn, a very common occurrence on these Coronets. It appears to be completely original with no changes or modifications that we can see.

This guitar was marked as a factory second with a "2" stamped into the back of the headstock along with the faint impression underneath the serial number of a previous serial number before receiving the factory "stinger" on the back of the headstock.

Neck is a slim C profile - 1 11/16" nut width, neck starts slim and gets thicker as you go up the neck. Plenty of life in the frets.

Crazy light at a flyaway 4.9 lbs, this thing will deliver everything from sweet, twangy textures to all out roaring rock tones.

Comes with what we think is its original cardboard case which is in remarkable condition.