Epiphone Al Caiola Custom 1968 (on commission)

Mojo of the 50s to early 60s ES, priced below a new custom shop...
Awesome deal, anyone?

This 1968 Epiphone Al Caiola Custom came to us from a collector who knows a thing or two about good tone. He actually bought it from someone who has great taste in guitars - Gregor Hilden.

When Gregor bought the guitar, the switch section was cancelled and the guitar was already routed for humbuckers, so he put in a special set he kept for a special guitar - the prototype of the Kloppmann-Electrics HB GH (Gregor Hilden) set. For those who are not familiar with the HB GH, it is a Peter Green style set, with an out of phase mid position.

The combination of this wonderful guitar and the HB GH produces an incredible, vintage tone. This Al Caiola Custom has so much mojo it is unbelievable. And to think it is priced less than any collectors' choice or Murphy lab....what a great deal!

The neck position is very big and jazzy/bluesy, the bridge position is in the Rockabilly sphere, and the mid is pretty much a la Greeny...

No breaks
Touch up around the neck joint, does not look like a reset!
Converted to Vol / Tone / 3-Way-Switch wiring
Added Bigsby and repro bridge
Later Grover tuners
Weight: 2,96Kg
Original case included

You can hear Gregor Hilden presenting this guitar in the videos below.