The touchy-feely assessment is further buoyed by the two-piece mahogany neck: not only is it amongst the skinniest we can ever remember coming from Epiphone - it measures 22mm deep at the first fret - but it has been given a super-smooth matt finish too.Īside from anything else, this combination will efficiently show up any flaws in the fret finishing, and we're glad to report there are no problems in that area here.Īs a complement to the maple top, all hardware is gold, a feature that will polarise opinion as comprehensively as the merest mention of Yngwie Malmsteen. We should say here that the internal areas of our Ultra were disappointingly untidy but, as they say in the best commercial kitchens, 'what the eye doesn't see the chef gets away with': be advised nonetheless.
What's more, the Ultra is chambered, with acoustic pockets either side of the central block and associated strut work, leading the guitar as a whole to weigh in at a mere 6lbs. A subtle U-shape, it extends to the central line and adds to the tactile character of the guitar.
