This shrimp hollowbody has obvious similarities to a ’60s Gibson ES-140T, in conjunction with its dimension, single Florentine cutaway, and P-90-worship pickups.
Final month, I became talking about fragile guitars and how I’m always anxious of harmful or marring silent things. Successfully, this month, I’ll take one other perceive at a shrimp hollowbody that, after I first got it, haunted me in a diverse form of contrivance. Mild reader, this guitar became alive—and I mean that in a gradual contrivance. Lawful effort; this shrimp guy vibrated and shook worship an outdated-college 1970s stereo at elephantine tilt! Let me introduce you to the St. George EP-85, relationship to round 1964.
Within the early days of guitar importing, there were just a few Individuals who ventured over to Japan, and Anthony George became one in every of the dear. Mr. George owned several George Tune Shops in upstate Unusual York and one in Los Angeles, California. And, you guessed it, he used “St. George” as his stamp title. He became influential in getting instrument producer FujiGen Gakki up and operating, and he became a somewhat prolific importer of Eastern guitars. He would generally dangle specifications to Eastern factories and inquire of for obvious devices. Many of his early designs had been originals, and kinda cool in their dangle lawful. The guy had an behold for blueprint and sales, so most of his guitars sold somewhat unheard of. Right thru one in every of my journeys to Japan, I got the likelihood to perceive over sales receipts and transport orders (FujiGen saved all the things), and Anthony George became all over the set apart the earliest recordsdata. (Certainly one of his grandsons is restful round, and is a graceful fella!)
Now, the St. George EP-85 became made by Kawai, since the firm became earlier to the game than FujiGen. Kawai had already designed just a few pickups and had a elephantine woodworking manufacturing facility, since their old alternate became in making pianos. The Kawai firm had several a protracted time of woodworking abilities, and it had gathered a stockpile of effectively former wooden. Some of the finest wooden I’ve ever considered could be found on the earliest Kawai guitars. Seriously, there’s fine Brazilian rosewood and finely flamed maple on standard pupil devices! I’m no longer on the entire a wooden fanatic, but I even dangle considered Eastern factories with entire warehouses elephantine of 100-yr-outdated wooden, and I’ve considered drying facilities with classical tune being pumped in so the wooden could be at liberty, I bet. What I’m searching for to direct is that in the oldschool Eastern draw, they take their paintings seriously, no matter what the medium. And this undersized EP-85 is a supreme instance.
“Lawful effort; this shrimp guy vibrated and shook worship an outdated-college 1970s stereo at elephantine tilt!”
I no longer dangle this guitar, but I bear in mind my abilities with it somewhat clearly. I’m guessing that this mannequin became designed to resemble an early 1960s Gibson ES-140T on fable of the dimensions, single Florentine cutaway, and P-90-worship pickups. The St. George has a a comparable wooden direct to the ES-140T as effectively. I even dangle some abilities with older Gibson hollowbodies, because there became a Gibson retailer in my home, and I used to witness some cool examples shroud up in the classified adverts reduction in the day. I also dangle a 1956 Gibson ES-125, and that thing tasks worship a cannon! The St. George, though smaller, also tasks effectively, and after I first carried out it, it became shakin’ all over the set apart! The guitar became one in every of maybe the most resonant devices I even dangle ever owned! I even dangle guitars striking all over the set apart the partitions here and I generally lawful strum them and listen, or in fact feel, for resonance. The EP-85 became always the belle of the ball!
The electronics characteristic a typical structure of two volumes and one tone knob, and then a pickup switcher located on the upper bout. The pickups, in frequent Kawai vogue, learn out at round 4k. But additionally in Kawai vogue, the wiring is in assortment, so the heart arena places out end to 8k, which would possibly in fact drive a shrimp tube amp. Fortunately, the neck angle is serviceable, which in fact is a blessing since the truss rod isn’t adjustable.
For move gamers, this guitar is the bee’s knees! It could care for somewhat of overdrive with out fully shedding it, and the constant string contact lets in for some preserve watch over over the feedback. Otherwise this guitar needs to take off and cruise into the feedback zone, which is always form of a cool adventure.
This mannequin most appealing had a quick flee, and became long past from Kawai catalogs by round 1965. Those colossal white cupcake knobs and pickups reduction to arena a date of the early 1960s, and since the years passed, so did the quality of Kawai electrics. The firm did plod thru an insane blueprint share in the unhurried 1960s, but no longer one in every of the guitars shake worship this one. And, I didn’t shatter it!
1964 St. George EP85 Guitar Demo