Epiphone Fatoumata Diawara SG Ember Red Signature Electric Guitar

Fatoumata Diawara is a Grammy-nominated guitarist, singer-songwriter, and actress known for her distinctive blend of traditional Wassoulou music and contemporary international styles. Born in Côte d’Ivoire in 1982 to Malian parents, she later moved to France to pursue acting before fully developing her career in music.

Her debut album, Fatou, was released in 2011 to critical acclaim, showcasing her artistry as both a guitarist and vocalist. She has collaborated with artists such as Damon Albarn, Paul McCartney, and Herbie Hancock, and has also appeared in films including Timbuktu and Sia, The Dream of the Python. Her work continues to inspire audiences around the world.

Fatoumata Diawara’s love for the Epiphone Muse SG led to the creation of her first Epiphone signature model. She is also the first African female musician to receive an Epiphone signature guitar, marking a significant recognition of her artistry and cultural impact.

Based on the Epiphone Muse SG, the Fatoumata Diawara SG incorporates her personal custom modifications. It features a mahogany body with an exclusive graphic top, a glued-in mahogany neck with a Custom C profile, and a bound rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and pearloid trapezoid inlays. Gold hardware, including a LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge, LockTone Stop Bar tailpiece, gold Epiphone locking tuners, and a Graph Tech nut, provides stable tuning and reliable performance.

The headstock features the Epiphone logo and Gibson Crown in mother-of-pearl, while the 2-ply truss rod cover carries a gold “Fatou” signature reproduction. Many of the visual details are color-matched, including the Ember Red pickup rings, tenon cover, speed knobs, back covers, and switch tip.

The Fatoumata Diawara SG is equipped with two Epiphone Alnico Classic PRO humbuckers and a modern electronics layout. Each pickup has an independent push/pull volume control for coil splitting, while the two tone controls include one standard tone and one push/pull phase switch, allowing out-of-phase tones when both pickups are used together.

With its modern electronics, exclusive graphic top, locking tuners, and hardshell case, this signature SG is both a practical performance instrument and a visually distinctive tribute to Fatoumata Diawara’s musical identity.

Specifications

Body
Binding: Single-Ply, Fretboard
Body Finish: Gloss
Body Material: Mahogany
Body Shape: SG
Body Style: SG

Neck
Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 304.8 mm / 12.0"
Fret Count: 22
Frets: Medium Jumbo
Inlays: Pearloid Trapezoid
Joint: Glued-In, Set Neck
Neck Material: Mahogany
Nut Material: Graph Tech
Nut Width: 43.0 mm / 1.69"
Profile: Custom C
Scale Length: 628.65 mm / 24.75"

Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Alnico Classic PRO
Neck Pickup: Alnico Classic PRO
Controls: 2 Volume with Push/Pull Coil Split, 2 Tone; One Standard Tone and One Push/Pull Phase Switch
Output Jack: 1/4" Recessed Barrel
Pickup Selector: 3-Way Toggle

Hardware
Bridge: LockTone Tune-O-Matic
Control Covers: Ember Red
Control Knobs: Ember Red Speed
Finish: Gold
Mounting Rings: Ember Red
Pickguard: Ember Red Tenon Cover
Pickup Covers: Gold
Strap Buttons: 2 – Bottom and Back of Neck Heel
Switch Tip: Ember Red
Tailpiece: LockTone Stop Bar
Truss Rod: Dual Action
Truss Rod Cover: 2-Ply Bell with Fatou Signature Reproduction in Gold
Tuner Plating: Gold
Tuning Machines: Epiphone Locking

Miscellaneous
Case: Hardshell
Model: EIFDSGMGH1
Headstock: 60s Kalamazoo
Headstock Inlay: Epiphone Logo and Gibson Crown in Mother-of-Pearl
String Gauge: .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046