Pricing and availability
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Price
Average Price: $388
Budget/Beginner
$500
$1201+
Price Tier
Budget
Standard
High-end
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Description
Unleash your musical wild side with the Epiphone WildKat. This distinctive archtop guitar is ready to rock your world with its vintage tone and unique sound, making it a standout addition to your guitar collection. Its semi-hollow body, smaller than most, is crafted from mahogany set with a dazzling flamed maple top, creating a complex resonance and extended sustain.
The guitar's maple neck, carved in the classic SlimTaper D-shape profile, provides a comfortable and smooth playing experience. The glued-in neck-to-body joint ensures solidity that you can feel in your hands, perfect for extended playing.
The WildKat is fitted with two Alnico V P-90 pickups -- a P-90R in the neck position, and a P-90T in the bridge position, delivering a super-vintage sound with lots of crisp transients and shimmer. The inclusion of the Licensed Bigsby Vibrato ensures you can create wild bends and tremolo effects, while the Grover 16:1 tuning machine heads maintain solid intonation.
Key Features:
- 2 x Alnico-V P-90 Pickups
- Chrome Hardware
- 24.75-inch Scale
- Hand-Glued Set Neck
- Maple Neck
- Pau Ferro Fretboard
- Mahogany Body
- Flame Maple Top
- Bigsby Tailpiece
Product specs
| Brand | Epiphone |
| Model | Wildkat |
| Finish | Aged Tiger, Antique Natural, Sunrise Orange, Trans Black, Turquoise, Wine Red |
| Year | 1999 - 2019 |
| Made In | China |
| Categories | Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitars |
| Body Material | Mahogany |
| Body Shape | Single Cutaway |
| Body Type | Semi-Hollow Body |
| Bridge/Tailpiece Type | Tremolo Tailpiece |
| Color Family | Black, Blue, Brown, Orange, Red, Tan |
| Finish Pattern | Sunburst |
| Fretboard Material | Rosewood |
| Fretboard Radius | 12" |
| Model Family | Epiphone Wildkat |
| Neck Construction | Set-Neck |
| Neck Material | Maple |
| Number of Frets | 22 |
| Number of Strings | 6-String |
| Offset Body | Non-Offset Body |
| Pickup Configuration | SS |
| Right / Left Handed | Right Handed |
| Scale Length | 24.75" |
| Series | Epiphone Kat Series |
| Top Material | Maple |
| Wood Top Style | Opaque, Plain |
FAQs
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What type of music is the Epiphone WildKat best suited for?
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The Epiphone WildKat is versatile, making it suitable for genres like rock, blues, and jazz, thanks to its semi-hollow body design which offers a warm, resonant tone.
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What kind of pickups does the Epiphone WildKat have?
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The Epiphone WildKat features two P-90 single-coil pickups, known for their bright, punchy sound, which is ideal for achieving classic rock and blues tones.
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Does the Epiphone WildKat come with a tremolo system?
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Yes, the Epiphone WildKat is equipped with a licensed Bigsby tremolo tailpiece, allowing for smooth pitch modulation and vibrato effects.
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How does the neck of the Epiphone WildKat feel?
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The Epiphone WildKat has a maple set-neck with a 24.75" scale length and a 12" fretboard radius, providing a comfortable, smooth playing experience suitable for various playing styles.
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Is the Epiphone WildKat a good guitar for beginners?
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While the Epiphone WildKat offers features that appeal to both beginners and experienced players, its semi-hollow body and Bigsby tremolo might require some setup knowledge, making it slightly more suited to players with some experience.
Videos
Guitar Center
Product Spotlight - Epiphone Wildkat Hollowbody with Bigsby
Product Spotlight - Epiphone Wildkat Hollowbody with Bigsby
Guitar Center
Epiphone Wildkat | Review
Guitar Interactive Magazine
Dylan Rose of Archer Demonstrates The Epiphone Wildkat
OfficialEpiphone
Epiphone Wildkat Guitar Antique Natural - Quick Look @ PMTVUK
PMTVUK
The Epiphone Wildkat
OfficialEpiphone
Epiphone Wildkat
Jack Fossett
2011 Epiphone Wildkat Demo
Muktown Music Cafe
Reviews
PROS
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Stunning aesthetics with a beautiful flame maple finish
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Versatile sound suitable for multiple music genres
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Master Volume control offers excellent tone shaping
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P-90 pickups deliver a unique, punchy sound
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Bigsby tremolo provides smooth whammy action
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Solid build quality with a comfortable neck
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Excellent value for the price compared to similar models
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Lightweight design enhances playability
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Highly praised for its clean and rich tones
CONS
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Bigsby tremolo can cause tuning instability
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Visible wiring through the F-holes may require adjustment
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Some users report a "muddy" sound without modification
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Lacks separate tone controls for each pickup
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Epiphone WildKat.
Build quality
Mods and upgrades
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Replacing the bridge with a roller bridge improves tuning stability with Bigsby use; it fits directly without modifications.
Source -
Owners recommend replacing stock coaxial wiring to reduce high capacitance and improve sound clarity.
Source -
Tension bar extenders for the Bigsby can correct severe break angles, improving usability, though DIY solutions are also considered.
Source -
Replacing stock pickups with GFS P90 dogear pickups significantly improves sound quality.
Source -
Shimming the Bigsby's front roller or installing a Biggsfix can improve stability and feel, addressing common tuning issues.
Source -
Replacing the Bigsby with a Duesenberg Les Trem II offers a cleaner look and wider tremolo arm range, as experienced by some owners.
Source
Use cases and applications
User experience
Features and functionality
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The WildKat's small semi-hollow archtop design with P-90s is praised for its distinctive sound.
Source
Value and pricing
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Seen as a good platform for modification, especially if purchased around $300.
Source
Critic Reviews
4.5 out of 5
Based on 9 Reviews and 43 Ratings
Great guitar, insane price
Love my Wildkat. She's metallic red, and her name is Scarlett. This guitar is an insane value, but I did have to swap a few things. For me, the Grover tuners and stock bridge were subpar, but I swapped to a roller bridge and auto trim tuners, so I'm set. You won't regret this guitar though, as long as your willing to put in a little bit of work!
3485
I've always wanted one of these.
40997
Wow, you don't like Grovers? were they Sta-Tites or Rotamatics?
Actually not sure, I put the Grovers on my acoustic (where they work very well). I think the Grovers just couldn't handle the constant movement. Locking tuners play well with bigsby.
12
great choice for guitar if you don't have much to spend
First of all, this is the best guitar I have ever owned so far. I have had it for around a year and it's held up nicely. It's a quality instrument despite the tuning problems a Bigsby can have, retuning your guitar once a week should keep you in check. Overall, I'll give it a 8/10 solely because there are better guitars out there but this is an exceptional instrument and I recommend it to those who aren't loaded.
47
Great sound, nice bite
This guitar gets really aggressive when you turn up the gain. perfect for a bit of White Stripes.
only issue is the Bigsby that was used which has a history of causing tuning stability issues on any guitar it is put on. planning to fix this or make it hard tail.
224
I have the Wine Red version
Super nice for a low priced semi hollow. Plays great, the Dogear P90s are super impressive. Overall a very very versatile guitar along with the bigsby this one was a no brainer when I found it for under $400 brand new at a local guitar show. It was the perfect time for me to add a semi-hollow to the arsenal.
224
Well, this one is no more. Just sold it last week. Still a nice guitar, but I got an offer I couldn't refuse for it.
34
Solid guitar with tuning issues
Solid guitar with tuning issues.
The guitar can get some pretty cool tones out of it. Decent low end, but can't stay in tune ever.
297
Wild Animal
I have this guitar and I love that it doesn't weigh a tonne. The P-90's are really cool, plenty of beef with clarity you just can't get from a humbucker. Tuning stability leaves a little bit to be desired but that's probably a Bigsby thing. Great rock n' roll guitar!
362
My semi-hollow
The only semi-hollow guitar I own, at the moment. Great sounding, great feel, and very affordable.
Great free modifications
This guitar required a roller bridge and a rewire job to clean up the tone, but I love it even more now.
The Most Beautiful Guitar On Earth
This guitar is incredible. It is my go-to electric when I lead worship. I could never get rid of this thing. It's too beautiful. It also sounds amazing.
Artist usage
Add artist
In the official music video for "Welcome To The Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance, Ray Toro is visibly using an Epiphone WildKat during specific shots, as seen in the video provided by My Chemical Romance on YouTube.
"This is a lot of guitar for £300" - Rob at 22:50.
Playing Epiphone WildKat in this post. Seen playing the guitar often on tour in 2023.
In this photo, one can see Williams with an Epiphone Wildkat.
Used a black/flame coloured Wildkat in the "Live by Request" concert in 2001 and possibly during other concerts/recordings.
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"I’ve always played Gibson acoustics—Hummingbirds, Sheryl Crow models, and Songwriter Deluxes. For electrics, I played Epiphone Wildkats for a long time, but last year Gibson built me two beautiful new electric guitars—a pink Gibson 339, and a black Les Paul Junior with a custom purple pick guard and truss rod cover." - Lambert about Epiphone WildKats.
In this photo, Brian McCorkle can be seen using a turquoise Epiphone WildKat.
Album Usage
The Epiphone WildKat has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Epiphone WildKat, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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Community setups
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