CheshireFrog
Well-Known Member
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- Dec 13, 2016
- Messages
- 553
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- 618
After promising I wouldn't do it, I made the mistake of stopping by GC. I've resisted the temptation of the Wildkat before, but this one caught me at a weak moment.
NGD
- Thread starter CheshireFrog
- Start date
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NoBucks
Well-Known Member
Sweet! HNGD! It's okay to give into those kinds of temptations. 
Paruwi
Kraut-Rocker
Congrats & Happy New WildKat-Studio Day
Scootermuppet
Well-Known Member
You got mauled by a Wildkat! 
Lovely guitar - HNGD!
Lovely guitar - HNGD!
Steven Howes
Active Member
So, How is it? I've always wanted one but no stores around me have stockd one in years. Or, if they have I missed the week it was unsold.
Davis Sharp
Well-Known Member
HNGD!
Shadow Explorer
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- Dec 3, 2016
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- 1,009
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Very very nice guitar there!
Nothing to dislike about it!
Enjoy her mate!
Nothing to dislike about it!
Enjoy her mate!
Schimmelaw
New Member
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- Aug 12, 2016
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Yep, I'll agree. Nice guitar.
CheshireFrog
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2016
- Messages
- 553
- Reaction score
- 618
Thanks all.
I went into this purchase with my eyes open. It's a bit dark and muted, I knew it would be, and the time I spent with it before buying it bore that out. You can get around this with EQ, but I'll be rewiring it to brighten it up soon, maybe this weekend if we get all the rain they're calling for. I have a spare Switchcraft switch that I'll swap in at the same time. The future will likely bring a bone nut, and that's it. I'm a fan of the P90s, so those stay, and even though a lot of people swap the chrome covers for plastic to tone down the feedback, I'm all about that chrome. The soft edges remind me of a 50s vintage Cadillac bumper.
Set-up off the rack was pretty good, a little tweaking of the bridge was all that was required. Since this model doesn't have the Bigsby (I wouldn't know what to do with it anyway) staying in tune was no problem. The neck profile is a good fit for me.
Finish is great, no blemishes that I can find, with beautiful binding on the body and neck. The lack of binding on the back may seem odd until you realize the back and sides are milled from a single piece of mahogany. This faux semi-hollow construction upsets some purists, probably in the same way neck-through semis like the 335 did to hollow body purists back in the day. That sort of thing will only bother you if you're more concerned with how a guitar is constructed than how it plays. In the case of the Wildkat this build gives it more sustain than a true hollow body would have. The flame maple top is beautiful, and in the right light it becomes eye-popping.
The Wildkat has a reputation for being made for Rockabilly, possibly because of the P90s, but the look just screams jazz to me. Sure, with a little overdrive it has a natural crunch to it, but that's not the only way to play it, it also has a great clean sound. Remember, back in the heyday of swing and Big Band ALL pickups were single-coil.
In short, I love it, and I have for a while. If I could have had any WildKat I wanted I would have gotten either Sunrise Orange or Turquoise, but both of those are out of production and command a premium price. If I held out for one I'd still be waiting, so no regrets.
I went into this purchase with my eyes open. It's a bit dark and muted, I knew it would be, and the time I spent with it before buying it bore that out. You can get around this with EQ, but I'll be rewiring it to brighten it up soon, maybe this weekend if we get all the rain they're calling for. I have a spare Switchcraft switch that I'll swap in at the same time. The future will likely bring a bone nut, and that's it. I'm a fan of the P90s, so those stay, and even though a lot of people swap the chrome covers for plastic to tone down the feedback, I'm all about that chrome. The soft edges remind me of a 50s vintage Cadillac bumper.
Set-up off the rack was pretty good, a little tweaking of the bridge was all that was required. Since this model doesn't have the Bigsby (I wouldn't know what to do with it anyway) staying in tune was no problem. The neck profile is a good fit for me.
Finish is great, no blemishes that I can find, with beautiful binding on the body and neck. The lack of binding on the back may seem odd until you realize the back and sides are milled from a single piece of mahogany. This faux semi-hollow construction upsets some purists, probably in the same way neck-through semis like the 335 did to hollow body purists back in the day. That sort of thing will only bother you if you're more concerned with how a guitar is constructed than how it plays. In the case of the Wildkat this build gives it more sustain than a true hollow body would have. The flame maple top is beautiful, and in the right light it becomes eye-popping.
The Wildkat has a reputation for being made for Rockabilly, possibly because of the P90s, but the look just screams jazz to me. Sure, with a little overdrive it has a natural crunch to it, but that's not the only way to play it, it also has a great clean sound. Remember, back in the heyday of swing and Big Band ALL pickups were single-coil.
In short, I love it, and I have for a while. If I could have had any WildKat I wanted I would have gotten either Sunrise Orange or Turquoise, but both of those are out of production and command a premium price. If I held out for one I'd still be waiting, so no regrets.
The Convert
Well-Known Member
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Congrats! I love those! Someday maybe... 
Paully
Well-Known Member
HNWCD
