Epiphone AlleyKat Ltd Review

A recent trend in guitar manufacturing is the production of instruments that reference traditional models without emulating them identically. Maybe it's because they're running out of reissues, but companies like Fender (American Standards), Danelectro (Hodad), and Epiphone (WildKat and AlleyKat) are now producing models that offer modern mods to meet the needs of today's players while managing not to throw out the vintage values "baby" with the bathwater.

Stylin'

The metal nameplate on the Alleykat's headstock vividly recalls the style of earlier Epiphones. There are other nods to classic design in the semi-hollowbody with its central solid block, set-neck construction, block inlays, cream binding, and jazzy single cutaway. The scale length is a Gibson-style 24.7" and the nut width a comfortable1.68". The maple neck, with its rosewood fingerboard, is solid-chunky and round without being baseball bat-like (a boon to more dainty-handed folks like myself).

The styling starts to veer from the conventional with the single-cutaway body shape, which is smaller than a Byrdland but bigger than a Les Paul. Even with a lightweight body, large headstock, and a neck that joins the body at the 16th fret, the AlleyKat balances well. Also innovative is the combination of an "NY" mini-humbucker in the neck and a full-size '57 Classic humbucker in the bridge position.

Though the name conjures up a certain degree of funkiness, the tested model's laminate flamed-maple top, binding, inlays, and Translucent Black finish made it a class act. The finish and fretwork were excellent. The guitar came set up for jazz with low action and a wound third string, but switching to a set of .010's with an unwound third required only a slight intonation adjustment-the neck remained straight and the action low. The flat, wide Gibson frets permit fast, smooth jazz sliding through ii-V-I licks with just enough room left over for string bending.

Wired Up

The AlleyKat borrows its master volume-on-the-cutaway bout feature from Gretch and some 335s from the 70's. This allow you to put the three-way pickup selector switch in the middle, find a favored balance between the bridge and neck pickups, and turn your overall guitar volume up and down without affecting that balance. It also allows volume swells with both pickups on, and is conveniently placed for performing those or any other volume adjustments. Two individual pickup volumes and one tone make for an uncluttered look, but they don't allow you to roll the tone off the bridge pickup only while both are on. Unfortunately, the abrupt taper on the individual volume pots made it difficult to dial in much variation in balance, and the master volume had a tendency to roll off high end when lowered. This last minus became a plus when going for a mellow jazz tone-much better than rolling off the tone.

All Around Sound

The AlleyKat's sound has a surprising acoustic quality, given its small, thin body. Normally, this kind of resonance would lead to feedback problems, but this guitar resists feeding back at higher volumes-a mysterious but quite welcome feature. The instrument also puts out the kind of low end one would expect from a full-size, completely hollow jazz box. At higher volumes, lowering the amp's bass easily removes any unwanted woof.

The mini-humbucker offers plenty of warmth for jazzers, yet retains clarity when cranking the fuzzbox; turn up the amp's treble and gain knobs, however, and you are instantly in biting bluesland. The classic bridge pickup is crisp without lacking lows. On a gig, through a Fender Blues Junior, the AlleyKat excelled at B.B. King-style blues tones and funky jazz licks.

Many modern guitarists are growing up playing more than one kind of music. A working musician these days is likely to be conversant with rock, blues, country, swing, rockabilly, jazz, hip-hop, and music that incorporates any combination thereof. The AlleyKat's sonic potential, from acoustic mellowness to full-throated rock roar, makes it equally at home in any of these musical situations. Owners of expensive semi-hollowbody guitars, vintage or new, or archtop jazz instruments can comfortably take this axe out on funky bar gigs with less worry about damage or loss-but with out sacrificing sound or style. If any of this sounds like you, this Kat is right up you alley.

--Michael Ross
GuitarOne Magazine
November 2000