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Published on 01/30/12 at 10:36Body
Top AAA Flamed Maple Veneer
Back Mahogany
Binding Cream and Black on Top
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50Neck
Species Mahogany
Profile SlimTaper™; D-shaped
Truss Rod Traditional Adjustable
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50Neck Fit
Joint Mortise and Tenon
Joint Angle Tolerance +/- .015"
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50Fingerboard
Species Rosewood
Frets 22
Radius 12"
Scale Length 25.5"
Binding Cream Binding
Inlays Mother-of-Pearl "Crown" InlaysNut
Material Synthetic Bone Substitute
Width 1.68"Headstock
Logo Epiphone
Inlay Flower Pot
Truss Rod Cover Black and White Antique Bell with engraved 'Nighthawk Custom Reissue"
Tuners
Model Grover™ Tuners
Plating Nickel
Tuning Ratio 14:1
Bridge/Tailpiece
Type Nighthawk fully-adjustable; String-Thru body
Plating NickelHardware
Knobs Gold Top Hat Knobs
Strap Buttons Die-cast Steel and Nickel Plated.
Strings .010 - .046, Swedish steel "hex" corePickups
Neck Position NHR™ Mini-Humbucker; 4-wire
Middle Position NSX™ Single-Coil
Bridge Position Slant NHT™ Humbucker; 4-wire
Magnet Material Alnico IIElectronics
Potentiometers One Volume, One Push/Pull Coil-tapping Tone Knob
Coil Wiring Hand-soldered and Machine Wound
Toggle Switch 5-way Slider
Output Jack Traditional 1/4"Finish
Sealer PolyurethaneFireburstHoneyburstTrans AmberTrans BlackCase
Type Optional Hardshell
Case Exterior Black Tolex
Case Interior Black TolexAccessories
Additional Materials Includes an owner's manual with warranty information, Epiphone poster, Epiphone bumper sticker, truss rod adjustment wrench and economy 10' cord.
UTILIZATION
This is such a cool guitar! Gibson originally released these in the early 90s, but discontinued them by the early 2000s. They have become a cult classic since, with used examples still highly sought-out. Yet, since there weren't a lot made, the old ones are hard to find! Since Epiphone decided to release this, it is now easier to see what the fuss was about. The pickup configuration is the big feature I noticed first - it has 3 pickups: a neck mini-humbucker (COOL), a middle single coil, and a bridge SLANTED humbucker! Wow!
Aside from that, the inlays are distinctive and classy, as is the binding and AAA flamed top. The body shape is very interesting too, resembling a Les Paul mixsed with an SG, but with some outside influence, like maybe a Telecaster.
SOUNDS
As one can imagine, with a pickup configuration such as this, the possibilities are vast. The bridge has a great cut to it, the neck is smooth as butter, and the middle pickup is a nice mid point between the two. The guitar sustains seemingly forever, and has a convenient bridge setup/strung-through-body to assist in this. Mahogany body with a maple top definitely helps the tone - it's a classic Gibson staple!
OVERALL OPINION
I am a fan of this guitar. I hope Epiphone continues to make these longer than Gibson did - the design is just too cool to not be out there. I especially love the feel of the neck and fretboard, as well as the pickups, especially the mini-humbucker. If you haven't ever tried a Nighthawk, now's your chance! Go for it!
Top AAA Flamed Maple Veneer
Back Mahogany
Binding Cream and Black on Top
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50Neck
Species Mahogany
Profile SlimTaper™; D-shaped
Truss Rod Traditional Adjustable
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50Neck Fit
Joint Mortise and Tenon
Joint Angle Tolerance +/- .015"
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50Fingerboard
Species Rosewood
Frets 22
Radius 12"
Scale Length 25.5"
Binding Cream Binding
Inlays Mother-of-Pearl "Crown" InlaysNut
Material Synthetic Bone Substitute
Width 1.68"Headstock
Logo Epiphone
Inlay Flower Pot
Truss Rod Cover Black and White Antique Bell with engraved 'Nighthawk Custom Reissue"
Tuners
Model Grover™ Tuners
Plating Nickel
Tuning Ratio 14:1
Bridge/Tailpiece
Type Nighthawk fully-adjustable; String-Thru body
Plating NickelHardware
Knobs Gold Top Hat Knobs
Strap Buttons Die-cast Steel and Nickel Plated.
Strings .010 - .046, Swedish steel "hex" corePickups
Neck Position NHR™ Mini-Humbucker; 4-wire
Middle Position NSX™ Single-Coil
Bridge Position Slant NHT™ Humbucker; 4-wire
Magnet Material Alnico IIElectronics
Potentiometers One Volume, One Push/Pull Coil-tapping Tone Knob
Coil Wiring Hand-soldered and Machine Wound
Toggle Switch 5-way Slider
Output Jack Traditional 1/4"Finish
Sealer PolyurethaneFireburstHoneyburstTrans AmberTrans BlackCase
Type Optional Hardshell
Case Exterior Black Tolex
Case Interior Black TolexAccessories
Additional Materials Includes an owner's manual with warranty information, Epiphone poster, Epiphone bumper sticker, truss rod adjustment wrench and economy 10' cord.
UTILIZATION
This is such a cool guitar! Gibson originally released these in the early 90s, but discontinued them by the early 2000s. They have become a cult classic since, with used examples still highly sought-out. Yet, since there weren't a lot made, the old ones are hard to find! Since Epiphone decided to release this, it is now easier to see what the fuss was about. The pickup configuration is the big feature I noticed first - it has 3 pickups: a neck mini-humbucker (COOL), a middle single coil, and a bridge SLANTED humbucker! Wow!
Aside from that, the inlays are distinctive and classy, as is the binding and AAA flamed top. The body shape is very interesting too, resembling a Les Paul mixsed with an SG, but with some outside influence, like maybe a Telecaster.
SOUNDS
As one can imagine, with a pickup configuration such as this, the possibilities are vast. The bridge has a great cut to it, the neck is smooth as butter, and the middle pickup is a nice mid point between the two. The guitar sustains seemingly forever, and has a convenient bridge setup/strung-through-body to assist in this. Mahogany body with a maple top definitely helps the tone - it's a classic Gibson staple!
OVERALL OPINION
I am a fan of this guitar. I hope Epiphone continues to make these longer than Gibson did - the design is just too cool to not be out there. I especially love the feel of the neck and fretboard, as well as the pickups, especially the mini-humbucker. If you haven't ever tried a Nighthawk, now's your chance! Go for it!