Epiphone Al Caiola 1968 - Sunburst

Here we have, in remarkable condition, one of the rarest guitars Gibson produced during the 1960s. The Epiphone Al Caiola was made in a total of only 166 examples between 1966 and 1969, with just 24 produced in 1968—that is exactly two guitars per month for the entire world.

Relatively unknown to the general public today, Al Caiola was one of New York’s most prominent session guitarists. He played with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Ben E. King and many others, while also recording around fifty albums under his own name. It was therefore only natural for Gibson, and consequently Epiphone, to entrust him with his own signature model. The first version appeared in 1963 with mini-humbuckers, followed in 1966 by the simpler and more understated Standard model equipped with P-90s.

A true Swiss Army knife for the studio musician, this guitar surprisingly does not allow both pickups to be used together. And that is actually part of what makes it so interesting: it is either one pickup or the other. The push buttons, however, can be combined! It is a little like being able to combine several positions of a rotary Varitone circuit with one another.

There are no F-holes, allowing the guitar to retain the light weight and immediate response that are so desirable in a thinline hollowbody, while considerably reducing feedback issues.

The neck is equally unusual. It measures 43 mm at the nut—the highly desirable pre-1965 width—and features a 25.5″ scale length, comparable to a Stratocaster or Jazzmaster. This was highly unusual for Gibson at the time; in fact, this was the only model in their lineup with such a scale length. It gives the guitar a certain clarity and tighter low end, and the difference is striking when compared with a Casino.

As you have probably gathered by now, I am a huge fan of this instrument. And to top it all off, it has one of the most playable necks I have come across in a very, very long time.

No modifications. No repairs. Nothing but pleasure.

Supplied with its original hardshell case.