Epiphone - 1964 SG Standard Reissue Maestro Vibrola Cherry Red + Etui

When you pick up this Epiphone 1964 SG Standard Reissue Cherry Red, you immediately sense that it's more than just a nod to retro. The 60s-style glued SlimTaper neck fits into the mahogany body with a long tenon, guaranteeing stability that even your stage tripod would be jealous of. Playing becomes fluid, even when the solo degenerates into an over-ambitious demonstration. Nothing moves except your fingers.

When it comes to aesthetics, Epiphone hasn't skimped on the little details that make all the difference. The trapeze-style mother-of-pearl inlays, cream fingerboard purfling and nickel hardware give the instrument a look that doesn't need to be overdone to impress. Special mention must go to the Maestro vibrato which, beyond its distinctive look, does the job with disconcerting suppleness. Your bends will have no excuse.

On the sound side, it's as if George Harrison himself had spent a night in the wiring: there are 2 Gibson Custombucker humbuckers with Alnico 3 magnets, combined with old-fashioned internal components, the kind you just don't hear anymore. CTS potentiometers and Black Beauty capacitors align to produce full, fat, sometimes rough, but always well-defined sonic nuances. A real riff machine, especially when you're asking your amp for a vintage crunch.

Comfort, often relegated to second place, has not been forgotten on this Epiphone. The two-piece mahogany body, with its characteristic bevelled edges, moulds to the shape of the player in a natural posture. Whether you're standing, sitting or balancing on a wobbly bar stool, the guitar remains docile. The well-distributed weight avoids the 'head dive' effect so familiar to SG fans.

This Epiphone 1964 SG Standard Reissue is also a nod to an era when logos took on a natural patina and screws sometimes needed a screwdriver. With its aged Epiphone logo, vintage Gibson crown on an 'open book' headstock and hard black case lined with goldenrod plush, the whole thing exudes attention to detail. Both musically and visually, it fully embraces its heritage - and slips you seamlessly into the legend.