Used Vintage 1958 Epiphone Texan

Sonic Evaluation

If we had to pick one phrase to encapsulate the experience of playing this wonderful '58 Epiphone Texan, it would be a toss-up between "pure acoustic joy" or "holy guacamole!" and you know we don't make avocado-based exclamations lightly here at Wildwood. It's the kind of guitar that makes you exhale and go "Ahhhh...all is right with the world" when you strum a couple chords. If the tone of a vintage Kalamazoo-made acoustic with a spruce top and mahogany back and sides is like a grilled cheese and tomato soup for the ears (comforting, familiar, and unbelievably satisfying), this serial is like that dish brought up to Michelin Star standards.

For starters, it does The Vintage Acoustic Thing beautifully: that magical, warm, woody tonality that indicates a guitar has stories to tell. The lows are robust and have plenty of depth, but the lower strings have a punchy clarity that aids in note separation and overall balance. The midrange is round and open at lower volumes but "hulks out" when you pick harder, attaining a lovely presence without attendant harshness. The highs have a sunny sweets, and they really bring the jangle when you open this thing up. Overall, it's an extremely touch-sensitive guitar with superb projecting power and a balanced voice that lives in The Goldilocks Zone (which is like The Twilight Zone but for perfectly-balanced things). Though it's a champion strummer and flatpicker, it's also a delight if you drop the plectrum and play fingerstyle because of its responsiveness. The prospect of using it in the recording studio makes us salivate, too!

This Epiphone Texan is a truly special guitar, and we have no doubt it will prove an inspiring companion for some intrepid acoustic adventurer.

Condition Report

This '58 Epiphone Texan sounds beastly, and, though it has a few battle scars, it's dripping with vintage mojo! It shows the typical dings and checking we expect to see on a piece that has this many trips around the sun under its belt. There's a repaired pickguard crack with a large cleat, and there's a crack in the rosette. Also, there's some finish missing along the edge of the fingerboard, on the sides of the body, and the peghead. On the inside, the label is missing, too, and there's a big ding/gouge on the bass-side lower bout. There's minimal fretwear, so it's ready to rip, and it sounds so good you won't be able to put it down! It comes with a non-original heavily-padded gig bag. Also, it's worth noting that this piece has been consigned by the original owner who had it as a child--pretty cool!

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