Epiphone Masterbuilts

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/media/product/video/epiphone_masterbilt.wmv

cool video, thanks Mark!

AJ500RV is the one I am interested in.

I played one of those at Guitar Center yesterday, and it played beautifully. I truly believe these are one of the best quality for money deals out there. I've got to recommend the satin Sunburst finish though. Heres a pic or two of mine (EF model):

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a300/andy_woods/Picture084.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a300/andy_woods/Picture053small.jpg

I tried those at feedback recently (dutch guitar center type of operation) really good guitars.

I love that jeff black is in the video, he's one of my favorite singer/songwriters

I got to play a few today. The ones that I played were all slope-shouldered dreadnoughts, AJ-500 I guess is the model name. They had two or three in rosewood and one in mahogany. The action felt decent and was superior to the typical Martin -15 series guitars that I have tried (but not as good as the occasional gem that I have come across in the Martins). What shortcomings there were to the tone were actually about the same as those of a an older Gibson slope-shouldered dreadnought that I once had on extended loan for about a year. It's kind of a dry, old-timey sound. Not so much sparkle for fingerstyle playing but it sounded good strummed.

The discount price was $600 for the rosewood model and $550 for the mahogany. Case was not included. (Epiphone case is about $70 I think.) They are nice guitars for the money and I would definitely consider them alongside the Larrivee -03 series. My impression is they are worth checking out. In this price range I would try before I buy.

Case was not included. (Epiphone case is about $70 I think.)
Hmm. They are supposed to include a rigid gig bag style case. Anyway I tried them when Epi announced the first two models, and was impressed. As mentioned above they are equal to Martin/Gibson mid-line models. Very nice for the price range. And now they have over a dozen options to choose from. I hope they get around to a Masterbilt in the little L-00 body sometime.

Hmm. They are supposed to include a rigid gig bag style case.

okay i wasn't aware of the gig bag situation but if you want a hardshell case you should still figure another $70 or so into the equation.

i too would love to see an 00 sized Masterbuilt.

what exactly is the 00 size?

what exactly is the 00 size?
Parlor style, smaller body. Like the Gibson Blues King (http://www.gibson.com/Products/Gibson%20Acoustic%20Guitars/Gibson%20Acoustic%20Guitars/Small%20Bodies/Blues%20King/) ($1800), and Epi has the EL-00 (http://www.epiphone.com/default.asp?ProductID=76&CollectionID=9) ($350) in their regular line.

Here's a good guide (http://www.mguitar.com/guitars/choosing/size.html)to traditional body sizes and designations.

am an Epiphone fan. I really think the entire line has really gotten better and better over the years. I think some of them rival their Gibson counterparts. I'm really glad to see the Epiphone acoustics getting more attention. You don't have to pay $2-3,000 for a great acoustic guitar.

I'm probably in the minority here, but I think the new Fender acoustics sound great too.

Johnny Isaacs

I agree. I've always been surprised that Gibson allowed Epiphone to slip into the "Squier" range in terms of quality and prestige, especially considering the brand's association with The Beatles.

The masterbuilt acoustics that I got to play were nice enough for an owner of higher end guitars to enjoy playing but also affordable for students. They'd make a great guitar to take camping or what not, and in fact may be too nice to take camping. I can see why the dreadnoughts are easier to find in stores since that's a more popular body size, but I'm not really in the market for another dread. I'd like to try out one of the "EF" fingerstyle models.

I wouldn't trade it for anything else! I have an AJ-500 MNS which I bought at Guitar Center for $499 including the rigid gig bag which is almost as good as a hard shell case IMO. A couple of years ago I was in my local GC not looking to buy anything, just looking, when I went to the acoustic room and was pickin' on a couple of guitars. One guy was in the back corner playing this guitar which had a great tone and I thought it was a Taylor or something like that. When he left I went over and took it off the wall and was surprised to see it was an Epiphone! I played it a little and immediately fell in love with the thing! I checked it out against Gibsons, Martins, and also some Taylors and found that it help up next to those much higher dollar instruments. I found the salesman as the instrument had no price tag on it and he said it was $549 but he'd give me $50 off so I told him to ring it up. Since then I've taken it to acoustic outdoor jams and such and someone always says how great it sounds. I believe they're made in China which is becoming a source for great low dollar guitars (example: Ibanez Artcore models)..... I've been thinking of installing a Martin thinline pickup in it but I'm afraid it might do something to the sound. Has anyone here put a p/u in one of these babies? .......Thanks, JH in Va.

Hey JH. I put a pickup in my Masterbilt about a month after I got it. I used the LR Baggs I-Beam pickup, which mounts inside the body, under the bridge area. This pickup is it for me, it transfers the tone incredibly well, and was a cinch to install. However, it is pretty nervewracking drilling the endpin/jack hole in a brand new guitar! Wouldn't change it though, I love it

I have been watching the video over and over again for ages just to watch Darrell Scott do his thing.