This is my 1963 Epiphone Crestwood. It
was given to me by my uncle Carey around 1980. He used it for much
of his early professional career. The 1963 date is based on the serial
number on the back of the head. The tuners were changed when I got
it and I also changed them to a third set. I removed the Bigsby spring
to make it non-tremelo. I never used it and it's more stable now.
From everything I've read, the Bigsby is not factory installed. There
are 2 small screw holes above the word "Bigsby" that are probably from
the original tail. The switch tip is not original. The mini-humbuckers
needed to be wax-potted since they were feeding back at higher volumes.
It worked perfectly. It involves dipping them in melted paraffin
at around 135-140 degrees until the bubbles stop. After drying, the
coils are sealed from any microphonic movement eliminating the feedback.
It has the best action of any guitar I've played.
