Epiphone Chris Stapleton Frontier Frontier Burst

Description

The Epiphone Chris Stapleton Frontier is based on the very rare Frontiers that were made by Gibson in the early 1960s. The Epiphone Frontier was originally launched by Epiphone in 1939 as the FT-110, but it was renamed Frontier after Gibson acquired Epiphone in 1958. It was the first square-shoulder dreadnought that Gibson produced in Kalamazoo, thus predating both the Dove and Hummingbird models. The Frontier received its iconic Rope & Cactus pickguard in 1961 and was made until 1970.

The Epiphone Frontier has now been masterfully recreated in the form of this limited Chris Stapleton Frontier model. It is built by Gibson's guitar builders at Gibson's factory in Bozeman, Montana, based on Chris's own Frontier model. The body consists of an AA-grade flamed maple back and sides and a Sitka spruce top that has been torrefied. Torrefaction is a process where the wood is heated to a low temperature in an oxygen-free environment, which reduces impurities in the wood and results in weight loss and increased stiffness. The process produces a chemical reaction in the wood that is very similar to the process wood undergoes when it is dried for decades. The end result is an extra resonant, lightweight top that produces a tone very similar to that of an old guitar that has been loved and played for years. The tone of a torrefied top is impressive, and when paired with a maple back and sides, it results in a guitar with exceptional attack, projection, and warmth.

The neck is made of mahogany with a 'Round C' neck profile and a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard. The nut width is 43.815 mm, the same as on a Gibson Hummingbird or J-45, which means it is slightly narrower than on a Martin D-28. The nut and bridge inserts are made of genuine bone and matched with a rosewood bridge, ensuring optimal contact between the strings and the soundbox. And the Epiphone Chris Stapleton Frontier is, of course, finished in nitrocellulose, allowing the wood to breathe and evolve over the years.

The Epiphone Chris Stapleton Frontier comes with LR Baggs' popular VTC pickup system for acoustic guitars. This system features a low-profile piezo microphone under the saddle that improves the contact between the pickup and the guitar, thereby delivering a robust, lively, and natural acoustic sound with excellent dynamics and delicate highs. A built-in preamp with volume control mounted just inside the soundhole gives you direct control over the volume, without the guitar having to have an unsightly preamp placed on the side of the guitar, as many guitars are built with today.

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