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Pros:
- Great Value
- Relatively Affordable
- Lovely, Balanced Sound
Cons:
- A bit of hum is present
Let’s talk business ladies and gentlemen. In this case, by business I mean let’s discuss hollow body electric guitars that look just as good, or even better, than they sound. Why? Because there is not enough discussion of affordable hollow body guitars on the market right now, and really, who wants an instrument that looks just out of their league when they play it? Which is why we are going to take a close look at the Epiphone WILDKAT Royale and see if it is the right guitar for you.
Body Quality
The design of this hollow body wonder is on the traditional side for all of the classical hollow body guitar design enthusiasts. It boasts its two f-holes, with its rounded tail and a single cutaway, making it look like it could have been made at the beginning of the hollow body guitar age. Yet the design feels fresh and likeable, since most hollow body guitars will always feel right. The white and gold coloring of the guitar serves to give the instrument a distinctive, appealing look.
The body of the guitar is made out of mahogany through and through, including the top back and sides of the guitar. This allows the guitar to have a nice resonance level with the low tones produced by the instruments. The low tones of the guitar are thick and pronounced. The guitar comes with a slight spike to the mid-tones of the guitar, though the high tones might feel a little fleeting at times. The sturdy nature of the wood allows the guitar a long life without many issues, scratches or dents.
The neck of the guitar is made out of maple, a standard choice among most guitars, especially more affordable ones. The maple is a very sturdy hardwood that allows the guitar to have a long life without issues with stability or warping issues. The neck of the guitar is set through the body, which allows for a nice lifespan and stability of the guitar, as well as alignment. The fretboard of the guitar is made out of rosewood.
Hardware
The instrument comes with a Lockton tune-o-Matic design and a stop bar. This allows the guitar some nice string stability and some great action. It also comes with a Bigsby-designed vibrato bar.
The nut of the guitar is made out of a midrange quality synthetic material. This allows the guitar a clean sound and some great harmony, though some hum is present still.
The tuning machine of the guitar is designed to work well with the body of the guitar. The tuning stability is nice with the guitar not having much trouble for days at a time.
Electronics
The instrument comes with a dual pickup setup, with two single-coil pickups located at the neck and the bridge of the instrument. The two pickups have a very clean and clear sound, with brightness and power that most pickups would envy. The two AlNiCo V P-90 Single-coil pickups are well designed, specifically for the hollow body guitars.
The controls of the guitar are rather simplistic, with two individual volume control knobs and one knob serving as a master tone control.
Epiphone WILDKAT Sound
The guitar has a distinctively well-balanced sound, especially for an affordable hollow body guitar. The mahogany body of the guitar does a great job of enhancing the low and midtones of the guitar, while the single coil pickups balance this bias with a detailed and bright high-end tonality. Overall the sound is versatile and beautiful, something to fall in love with the moment you start playing the instrument.
Conclusion
This is definitely one of the best affordable hollow body guitars out there. It provides the players with great sound and lovely design, while looking way more valuable than it actually is.
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