Single-pickup guitars are flat-out cool: think Leslie West, Keith Richards, Johnny Thunders, Steve Marriott, Johnny Marr, and Jimi Hendrix. Once fluffed off as a one-trick pony or a kid’s guitar, simple pieces like the new Epiphone Coronet USA can be versatile – even great in the right hands – and they’re undergoing something of a revival.

Introduced in 1958, the Epiphone Coronet was manufactured in Gibson’s legendary Kalamazoo factory, and has been reborn as the latest offering to Epiphone’s USA collection, made in Nashville.

Constructed of mahogany, like its predecessor, the Coronet USA uses the same symmetrical body shape, three-and-three headstock with the “bikini” logo, and identical pickguard, but with updates including a wider 1.695″ nut, a Slim Taper neck, a slimmer body (1.375″) and a Gibson Soapbar P-90 instead of the infamously underpowered Epiphone New Yorker version. Purists may object, but these are improvements.

Weighing in at just over six pounds, the Coronet USA is well-balanced while both sitting and standing, with zero neck dive. The finish on our tester was flawless, and the cream-colored pointer-base Volume and Tone knobs are vintage-faithful. The wraparound bridge negates perfect intonation, but that has never stopped anyone. The tuners held tune nicely even after the guitar was subject to a lengthy run of slashing power chords and extreme string bends.

Plugged into a reconditioned vintage tube amp, the Coronet impressed with a clean, snappy Fender-like tone at lower volume, while the Tone knob proved truly versatile. Cranked up with a Klon-style OD added to the signal chain, the Soapbar P-90 came to life, snarling with abandon and offering no-holds-barred classic-rock tone beloved by so many (thank you, Mr. West).

Not everyone will be fond of the Coronet USA’s Slim Taper neck, but its retro-cool design – with Vintage Cherry, TV Yellow, and Ebony finishes – and modern appointments will nonetheless make it a welcome addition for any player looking to implement a single-pickup axe to their arsenal.

This article originally appeared in VG’s October 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.