Vintage Epiphone Coronet – USA 1965
by Epiphone
$5,495.00 21206One 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.
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, rosewood fingerboard.
This guitar is in amazing condition coming into its 56th year. Just a few small dings and scratches, with very light weather checking.
The current owner installed a high quality MojoAxe compensated bridge which assists greatly with accurate intonation, particularly with an unwound G string. The original bridge & trem arm are in the case. We have included pics of the guitar with both the trem and MojoAxe bridges.
Apart from that, it appears to be completely original with no changes or modifications that we can see.
Neck is a slim C profile - 1 9/16" 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. Screaming chrome P-90 reads 8.12 on the meter.
This guitar was recently recorded and used on a video clip by a very high profile Aussie band. It has been set up beautifully and is in every way a pro level instrument.
Comes with what we think is its original cardboard case which is functional but has seen better days.
Two demos here –
