A Near Mint 'Inverness Green'
1965 Epiphone Wilshire

This early 1965 super rare 'custom color' Epiphone Wilshire weighs just 6.40 lbs. and has a nut width of just over 1 9/16 inches and a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches. Solid mahogany body, one-piece mahogany neck, and Brazilian rosewood fretboard with 22 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 outputs of 7.36k and 6.91k, 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: "134 6445" (Centralab October 1964). Black plastic ribbed-sided knobs with metal tops and red markings. Three-layer (white/black/white) plasic pickguard with ten screws. ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic retainer bridge with metal saddles. Epiphone Maestro Vibrato tailpiece secured by three screws. This forty-five-year-old example is in totally original and near mint (9.25) condition, with no fading to the incredibly rare Inverness Green finish. There are a few very small and insignificant surface marks on the edges of the guitar. Housed in the original Epiphone rectangular dark gray hardshell case with blue plush lining (8.75).

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!!