The Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente is the revival of a rare Square Shoulder model that was only produced 141 times in the years 1963-1970. Originally designed for country legend Loretta Lynn, the guitar comes in traditional dreadnought design with several remarkable accessories. A solid Sitka spruce top produces distinctive and clear highs that harmonize perfectly with the bass-rich solid Ovangkol body and give the guitar a very balanced sound. A maple neck with a 5-piece walnut and maple center stripe and an ebony fingerboard make the guitar extremely comfortable to play in all positions. The narrow fingerboard, the short 643 mm scale length and the flat C-profile allow the player excellent access to all 20 frets. The unique design of the pickguard, inlays, headstock and bridge authentically embodies the spirit of the 1960s.
The Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente combines the classic look and feel of the 1960s.
The Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente features solid woods.
A solid wood body
The body of the Masterbilt Excellente is made of the best solid woods and offers the player a distinctive sound, which is very noticeable in heavy strummings. A solid Sitka spruce top gives the guitar expressive highs and adds a very bright and clear colour to the overall picture, that is especially apparent in the overtones. Back and sides are made of solid Ovangkol and provide a very powerful note in the bass frequencies, completing the sound with a warm and powerful tone with very solid response.
Both in playability and hardware features the Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente impresses.
Playability and high-quality hardware
The manufacturer has more than succeeded in creating a flat neck in a comfortable C-profile. Decorated with a 5-piece Walnut and Maple Center Stripe and equipped with a fine ebony fingerboard, the neck offers excellent playability on all 20 frets. The headstock, decorated with an "Excellente Block Cloud" inlay, features precise golden Kluson Wafflebackvintage tuners and fully embodies the spirit of the 1960s. The Fishman Sonitone pickup system converts the guitar into the perfect stage instrument, which convinces with its authenticity both in sound and appearance.
The pickguard of theEpiphone Masterbilt Excellente is decorated with stunning ornaments.
Excellente
Aesthetically, this guitar is particularly appealing. A colorfully decorated pickguard with an ornament of an eagle and a cactus in combination with the "Historic Pearl Cloud" inlays and the golden Kluson Waffleback vintage tuners create a unique appearance that can hardly be surpassed in its details. Even the woods are perfectly matched visually, so that the lightly tinted Sitka Spruce top and the strikingly grained Ovangkol body form a harmonious unit.
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