Epiphone WildKat, AlleyKat Owners Chime In!

[BPSUL]

Anybody want to sell me one???

 

[guitarfish]

Anybody want to sell me one???

Check your PM.

 

[rybass]

I had the red sparkle LE wildkat for a couple years. I lusted over it in a local shop for a few months before I pulled the trigger. I loved it. It had its own thing going on that an LP or ES just didn't have. I sold it to buy my LP but I do miss it.

I changed all the pots after one went out on me. It opened up a bit after that but I didn't feel it was needed until the pot went out. I actually thought it was a pup and epi ended up sending me a brand new set for free with the chrome covers. Great guitar and great customer service.

 

[Guitarzandstuff]

There's a Flamekat at a local store... Anyone know what the FB material is on these? Seems like some sort of plastic?

 

[Travst]

I've been on the lookout for a Wildkat for a couple of months. Sooner or later, the right one is going to pop up.

 

[BadAssBill]

Had one many years ago...feeling nostalgic looking at these. Awesome guitar, I really like them.

 

[Lennox Lewis]

I really don't have a problem with the pickups, but because I enjoy goofing around with swapping pickups in guitars (especially budget ones), I'm toying with some new ones in my new Alleykat. Anyone have any recommendations or luck with changing pu's in these? I've never tried Filtrons on any guitar....I don't know much about them except for that they look kinda cool. Anyone have any good/bad with the GFS styled ones? I also don't have any experience with a mini-humbucker...this is my first guitar with one. Any recommendations there would be great too. Still loving the #### out of this guitar. It totally looks and plays sweet. I have a music room full of expensive guitars: 3 USA Les Pauls, American Strat and Teles, etc. and this guitar fits in great among them. I love the looks of it. Thanks in advance for any advice mentioned above ^

 

[Whiskeyrebel]

I have a GFS Retrotron Hot Liverpool neck pickup in an Epi Special II. This is a PAF-size pickup, not a direct Filtertron replacement.

It sounds great wired parallel, really clear and sparkly. Wired series it's about like a regular medium output humbucker. S I'd say go for it but only if you can add a push-pull for series parallel options.

 

[Lennox Lewis]

I have a GFS Retrotron Hot Liverpool neck pickup in an Epi Special II. This is a PAF-size pickup, not a direct Filtertron replacement.

It sounds great wired parallel, really clear and sparkly. Wired series it's about like a regular medium output humbucker. S I'd say go for it but only if you can add a push-pull for series parallel options.

Hmmm. That sounds kinda cool for giving a bit of versatility sound-wise. I've never done this with any of my guitars. Is it tough to do? I assume you just have to buy a "push/pull" pot, and then wire your pickups differently to facilitate it? Thanks man!

And am interested in any mini-hum recommendations too if anyone has replaced the one in their Alleykat.

 

[Whiskeyrebel]

Hmmm. That sounds kinda cool for giving a bit of versatility sound-wise. I've never done this with any of my guitars. Is it tough to do? I assume you just have to buy a "push/pull" pot, and then wire your pickups differently to facilitate it? Thanks man!

And am interested in any mini-hum recommendations too if anyone has replaced the one in their Alleykat.

Oddly their wiring diagrams don't include that option but Seymour Duncan's probably does, or DiMarzio, or maybe check Stewart Macdonald or Allparts. Just be sure to check up the GFS color code in case it does not match SD's.

It isn't bad to do in a guitar with a cover for the control cavity. Do the Kats have that or are the wires just fished through the body?

 

[Elias Graves]

I really don't have a problem with the pickups, but because I enjoy goofing around with swapping pickups in guitars (especially budget ones), I'm toying with some new ones in my new Alleykat. Anyone have any recommendations or luck with changing pu's in these? I've never tried Filtrons on any guitar....I don't know much about them except for that they look kinda cool. Anyone have any good/bad with the GFS styled ones? I also don't have any experience with a mini-humbucker...this is my first guitar with one. Any recommendations there would be great too. Still loving the #### out of this guitar. It totally looks and plays sweet. I have a music room full of expensive guitars: 3 USA Les Pauls, American Strat and Teles, etc. and this guitar fits in great among them. I love the looks of it. Thanks in advance for any advice mentioned above ^

A little late maybe, but I just finished the pickup swap in my Alleykat. I put a Duncan Seth Lover in the bridge and a Duncan "seymourized" mini at the neck. Wow, what a difference! This thing is absolutely a whole new beast. What was a nice player now sounds like a million bucks. That Duncan mini, in particular, has this open bell tone to it with the sweet upper mids that minis do so well. Man, I shoulda made that change when I got it!

EG

 

[OM Flyer]

Having owned both, I'd recommend the AlleyKat for anyone on a budget who's lusting for an ES-339. Very much the same 335-meets-LP in a small semi-hollow. The mini-hum is awesome.

 

[Zuhzuhzombie!!]

Great guitars. Before I bought my Yammie TVL I was seriously considering one of these.

These and the Epiphone ES295 are pretty solid guitars to be honest!

 

[Elias Graves]

Those 295s are sweet. Tough to find.

EG

 

[Elias Graves]

The Kat with the new Duncans.

EG

 

[Lumpy Trousers]

I put a GFS Hot Liverpool in the bridge position of my AlleyKat - huge improvement over the stock pickup IMHO.

 

[Elias Graves]

The stock ones sounded better after an electronics swap, but the Epi pickups are pretty sub par. I understand keeping prices down and all, but jeez, that's such a simple thing to do to set yourself apart from the other imports.

EG

 

[FrankieSixxxgun]

I have a Wildkat that I got off Craigslist for like nothing. It's completely stock and beats the pants off of my old Gibson Les Paul Standard. Absolutely a sweet guitar for the money! The only reason I don't gig it is because the pickups are unpotted and tend to start squealing at high volumes, otherwise it's a tone machine. A little on the dark side, but that makes it sound great in a trebly amp like my AC30!

I have an Epi ES-295... also an awesome guitar!

I like the stock pickups in both, probably moreso in the Wildkat.

Obligatory pics since we appear to be posting them:

 

[Elias Graves]

Epi makes a good P90...every P90 equipped Epi I've played sounded good out of the box. Their humbuckers seem pretty muddy.

EG

 

[Elias Graves]

Reading this again is kinda sad. My Kat is soon headed back to Epi for warranty...the body warped. It's probably a one way trip.
I keep hesitating to ship it, as I know they don't have another Alleykat to offer. I'll have to take something from current inventory.

EG