Epiphone Nighthawk Custom Reissue Electric Guitar

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Rock with the potent triple pickup combination of the Epiphone Nighthawk Custom. This lost classic single-cutaway packs plenty of tone and style.

When a guitar design is introduced, history says that guitarists don't immediately accept it. Such was the case with many, now iconic guitars including the Flying-V, Explorer and even the Les Paul. But ultimately, if the design is a great one it will stand the test of time and eventually, find it's place into the guitarist's arsenal of "go to" axes. When the Nighthawk was first introduced in 1993, it represented a departure from Gibson "tradition" with it's 25.5-inch scale length and it's versatile combination of coil-tappable humbucking and single pickups. Now, 18 years later, guitarists who originally dismissed the Nighthawk as too "different" now recognize what a great guitar it really was and is.

Great Tone Woods & Premium Construction

The design of the Nighthawk is essentially a combination of a SG (lower bout and thinner body) and a Les Paul (upper bout). Like those classic guitars, it features a solid Mahogany body (with added "belly" scarf for comfort) and a glued-in SlimTaper(tm) Mahogany neck giving it a well rounded, warm tone with excellent sustain. To add brilliance as well as a smooth, durable playing surface, the Nighthawk Custom is fitted with an Rosewood fingerboard. For even more tonal spice as well as killer looks, a AAA Flame Maple veneer is glued to the top. And don't forget, the Nighthawk bridge with it's "string-thru" body design ensures even more sustain and power.

Versatility and Function

With it's unique pickup package that includes a full-size read more NHT humbucker (bridge), a NSX single-coil (middle) and a NHR mini-humbucker (neck) combined with a 5-way slider and push/pull coil-tapping tone knob, you have 9 different "tones" at your fingertips. From a powerful and warm humbucker to the unique clarity of a mini-HB to a thin, bright single-coil - and everything in-between - you can do it all.

Killer Looks & Premium Features

Epiphone is known for making great, affordable instruments and the Nighthawk Custom is no exception. One of the first things you notice is the gorgeous Flame Maple top in rich, see-through finishes and the mother-of-pearl "crown" inlays on the fingerboard. Premium 14:1 ratio Grover(tm) machine heads make for excellent tuning accuracy and stability while Epiphone's heavy-duty output jack and long-lasting 1-inch potentiometers make for worry-free opertion.

The Total Package

Combined with Epiphone's Limited Lifetime Warranty backed by 24/7/365 Customer Service, you can rest assured that the Nighthawk Classic will give you years of worry-free performance. So if you missed out on the first Nighthawks because you thought they were a little too "different" now's your chance to redeem yourself and pick up this classic for a great price!
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- Body Material: Mahogany
- Top Material: AAA Flame Maple Veneer
- Neck Material: Mahogany
- Neck Shape: SlimTaper ; D-shaped
- Neck Joint: Glued-In
- Truss Rod: Adjustable
- Scale Length: 25.5"
- Fingerboard Material: Rosewood with mother-of-pearl "Crown" inlays
- Fingerboard Radius: 12"
- Frets: 22; medium-jumbo
- Bridge Pickup: Slant NHT(tm) Humbucker; 4-wire
- Middle Pickup: NSX(tm) Single-Coil
- Neck Pickup: NHR(tm) Mini-Humbucker; 4-wire

Controls:
- 5-Way Slider
- Master Volume
- Master Tone with Push/Pull Coil Tapping

- Bridge: Nighthawk fully-adjustable; String-Thru body
- Nut Width: 1-11/16"
- Hardware: Nickel
- Binding: Body and Fingerboard

Machine Heads: Grover 14: ratio
Colors:
- Fireburst (FB)
- Honeyburst (HB)
- Trans Amber (TA)
- Trans Black (TB)
Includes:
- User's Manual
- Truss Rod Wrench
- Economy Cord
- Epiphone Poster
- Epiphone Bumper Sticker

Optional: Hard Case (940-EGCS)

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 800-4GIBSON
Web: https://www.epiphone.com/en-US/Support/Contact

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. (32 ratings)
Submitted July 26, 2014 by Joe Churchwell in Hot Springs, AR

"Finally broke down and bought one"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
I am a Fender guy. I have owned numerous Gibsons, LP's & SG's and have never been satisfied with the way they play versus a strat neck. I may keep this one.

Sound
Very good. The pickups are good enough quality to not worry about replacing. They did require adjustments. I DO like the pickup combinations and versatility.

Features
The parts and components are good quality. Truss rod didn't "quite" get the neck back where I wanted it but it was acceptable when i got finished with the setup.

Ease of Use
If you play electric guitar it is right there for you.

Quality
The quality is very very good for a $350 guitar. I have been looking at these since the original version came out. My love/hate relationship with Gibsons has kept me from dropping the Gibson$$ because I have never kept one in my "players" bunch. Always pick up a fender when its time to get down to business however, i figured for this price I couldn't get hurt. Glad i bought it. NOW...... I read a lot of these reviews and the "right out of the box " great playing nighthawks went somewhere besides my house. The neck was wasn't anywhere near where it should have been and the intonation was ear-bleed bad. We had to completely remove the springs behind the Low E and G saddles to make it work. I was afraid i was going to have to remove the nut and make a real (non-molded plastic) one with a spacer in read more front but barely escaped that route. In other words the bridge was mounted about .25" forward of where it should have been. Frets are a bit rough, some string grind on bends but thats to be expected on a brand new axe in this price range. They were finished nicely at the ends and the binding on the guitar is everywhere, which is NOT to be expected on a guitar in this price range. Very nice. Sooooo it fell off the Fedex truck at noon and after new strings and about 30 minutes of tweak-age by by friend and guitar-extraordinaire Brent Frazier, I decided to give it a shot at the gig. I played it for two sets as my standard-tuned main axe and it was fine. Better than fine actually in the sound and tone department. I will keep this and just might even find a Gibson. Not because I think it would be $800 better than this one but because if I'm going to play one, and I probably will, I prefer the Gibson on the headstock.

Value
I think it is well worth the $$

Manufacturer Support
Just bought it yesterday.

The Wow Factor
The looks, style, weight, size and sound are everything I have imagined. Not disappointed at all.

Musical Background:
Gigging 25 years

Musical Style:
Rock and roll from the Stones to STP
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