Epiphone EF500RA

The EF-500ra has a OOO body with natural satin finished solid spruce top and solid rosewood sides and back. Edge binding and sound hole decoration are simple black and white. The v-shaped neck is 1.75 wide at the nut with attractive asymetrical headstock with gold butter bean unenclosed tuners and rosewood fingerboard with small diamond shaped inlays. Understated but attractive appearance, and the headstock, logo, satin finish, and v-shaped neck contribute to a nice vintage vibe. Not all models have bound headstock, and a fancier model with mother-of-pearl binding is available. I would prefer a model without a pick guard.

The guitar has excellent sound qualities that are definitely more Gibson than Martin in character. Balanced bass and treble tone, but weaker mid-level. Strong volume for 000 style guitar but more suitable for finger style than strumming. Intonation correct up and down the neck.

Close-grain spruce top and book-matched rosewood back. Flawless fret work, satin finish, and overall construction. Some rough edges on the interior but of no consequence. Good factory set-up. Substantial v-shape neck very comfortable for medium-sized hands and up.

Solid, well-built instrument and hardware that will last for years. Satin finish is appropriately thin but shows no wear after first year of daily playing. I recommend the light-weight but sturdy factory case which includes hygrometer and tough nylon cover.

Limited lifetime warranty from Epiphone.

I have been playing guitar for about forty years and have experience with a wide range of mid-range, non-boutique instruments. The EP-500 and other Ephiphone Masterbilt series guitars offer one of the best values on the market. Comparable in value (though different in design and vibe) to Seagull; similar in tone but louder than smaller bodied Gibsons; not unlike recent 000 entries from Guild, though with more of a vintage look and feel. If needed, I would not hesitate to purchase a second EF-500. One of the best finger-style values available and could easily serve as one's primary instrument. Highly recommended.

Satin finish, abalone inlays/trim. Body is 000 style. Tuners are the pre-war Gibsons. 20 frets. Made in 2008. Solid sitka spruce top, rosewood back and sides (yes rosewood for under a grand!), mahogany neck.

The sound of this guitar is amazing. I was in the market for a 000, and only the Martin's pleased me. I seriously considered and critiqued the Blueridge BR-163, but it has what I believe are design flaws (strings touch each other on the headstock before winding on tuners and poor finish--glue visible and sloppy stain).

The sound is rich and mellow in the midtones with some high end soar and bass punch. Rosewood, rosewood, rosewood.

I think the action should come down a bit from the factory setup. All in all, it's decent but I won't keep it where they set it.

The grain on the top is very well matched and the bridge is perfect.

I am very, very critical (lawyer by trade) and there is only one "flaw" that I can find; a tiny amount of stain is on the abalone trim cap on the heel of the guitar. I showed this to a friend and he doesn't believe it's a flaw. It's that small. Size of a period or so.

This guitar appears substantial and solid. I am very impressed. I do not suspect that there will be any issue with the guitar failing due to craftsmanship. Check one out. You can feel the quality.

N/A at this time.

I've been playing for 10 years but only seriously for 2-3. I play mostly acoustic, and most of that is fingerstyle and blues.

This guitar sounds great fingerpicked or strummed. It's a gem!

There is nothing I dislike about this guitar. While it loses out to the $2800+ Martin 000's, it hold its ground and beats, in my opinion, many Martins and Taylors between $1000 and $1800. I do not know of a better 000 for the money. Also, I would add that you're not buying a budget rig here. This thing delivers. I am very, very critical and have played many guitars over the years and in my search for a 000. This thing cannot be outdone for the money and build.

This is a Martin OOO sized Epiphone flat top with a solid Sitka Spruce top, Rosewood back and sides, V-shaped Mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard and star abalone inlay markers and white bindings on a 20 fret neck.

It has Abalone inlay around the sound hole and around both the front and back bindings, with "Epiphone" inlayed in abalone in the headstock.

I noticed that while the fingerboard is Rosewood, it is not of the quality that you would have found in Martins dating to the 70's and before. My fingerboard is probably Indian Rosewood with reddish to dark brown flame and with some openess in the grain. Its very attractive but not firstclass.

The tuners are "Gold" plated. The top has a dark-burst finish with a tortoise shell pick guard.

The nut, bridge insert, pegs and pin all appear to be plastic but I'm sure that the nut is composition. It aint bad...

I Play finger style blues and slide guitar and find that the 500-RA is just right in a "Gibson style" way. Not as boomy as the big Gibbys and not as heavy and sweet as the martins, it has a style of its own with lots of presence, ring and personality. Notes are well defined, chords have a piano-like quality and I liked the guitar right out of the box. I think it's well balanced with a bouncy personality.

A few years ago I owned a '31' National but it wasnt as much fun to play slide on as the Gibby. The National had that "national thrash" but te EPI just rings and sings! It's very lively and in-your-face. I like that! The Epi compares very favorably to the Martins I've owned but it's a completely different animal and not nearly as serious.

I'd rate this guitar a 8 but only because $2500+ Gibbys are better, as are $3000+ Martins. In it's own price class this one gets a 10. OK.... I'll give it a 9!

The factory set-up was first class. I havnt changed anything but the strings.

The finish is 100% geat. I'm not crazy about the mat finish but I'm too lazy to polish it. OTOH, it's growing on me and I think that it'll look really kool as my hands and body polish the neck and sides. This thing will probably be just beautifull with 20 years of accumulated Mojo.

Fret work is spot on.

I spent an entire evening inspecting the guitar both inside and out. I found only two flaws. At the heel plate there is a tiny smear of stain and in the interior bracing there is a small flaw where a crossbrace meets the kerfing. Everything else about my example is PERFECT but In all of the Martins I've owned (4 or 5) I have never been able to find any such flaws so the Epi gets an 9 at best and since I already mentioned the wood used in the fingerboard is not the nicest (YMMV.), it gets an 8.

Thes guitar appears to be solidly built to a very high standard. It should thrive under live/heavy use.

The hardware is very nice and solid. I like the open back tuners. Light and effective.

I am NOT crazy about the plastic bridge and end pin, so I'll be swapping those out shortly. Everything works fine but I have me likes and dislikes.

I would take this guitar anywhere. It is definately a pro-quality instrument but since I'm strictly an amature, I won't need a back-up.

I have no idea what Gibby's customer service is like but if I had a problem I'd probably take the guitar to my local luthier.

I've been playing since about 1960 and I've previously owned a Martin D-18, an OM-28 (Which needed a neck reset 6 months after I bought it!), a D-41, A 1931 National 'Don" Model, and some other accouistics.

I currently own a Fender EJ Strat, a MIM Strat, three Squier 51s and a Brawley Threat SSS. I also have three amps. A 1/2 watt Gilmore Jr, a Pignose G-60 and a 100 watt peavey Artist, plus a couple if battery powered vintage pigs, etc, etc.

The only thing that I wish I had asked before buying this guitar would have been for a lower price. As it was, I got a steep discount. List price is $1498.00 and paid I paid $799 OTD after my 'good customer' discount. At that price, I consider the EF-500RA to be a HUGE bargain. Probably the best buy that I've ever made when buying an accoustic. They are currently available online for $899 butI understand that quantities are limited.

Why did I buy it? I was hanging out with the owner of my local music store and mentioned that I was looking for a 000 sized fingerstyle guitar and he walked over to the wall, pulled down the Epi and thrust it into my hands saying, "Here.. Play this!" I was completely knocked out and paid for it on the spot. I don'y know about all of these EF 500's but mine is an exceptional guitar and I knowan exceptional guitar when I hear one.

As a package, I really think that the Epi looks and sounds better than any of the Martins I've owned. No Kidding. Its bright and punchy with a friendliness that you have to experience to understand. Everyone who plays this guitar either likes it or loves it. Some people have an issue with all of the abalone but I like it. My old D-41 was just as fancy with the inlay and all but somehow that guitar was intimidating and off-putting. As I said... The Epi is just the opposite. Once someone picks it up they seldom want to put it down.

I also think that it's better than any of the $1400 list price Yammaha's, Martins, Taylors or Gibbys. If I had known that these Epiphone Masterbuilts sounded so good, I'da bought one years ago.

The only thing that I wish that my Epi had would be a bone nut and Ivory pins, bridge insert and end pin. Once I have those items installed, I probably won't cange a thing, unless I need to install a pick-up.

If I lost this guitar or had it stolen, I would be on the phone and the internet every day untill I found someone who still had one in stock. Once you figuir in inflation, every accoustic guitar that I've owned was much more expensive than this Epiphone but whenever I sold one of the others, it was gone and forgotten. This Epi is the only accoustic guitar that I feel like I'd really miss (Ok... I still miss my Martin D-18.)and I intend to keep it for a long time.

Lastly...

I've been concentrating on my electric guitars, so the Epi has spent the last month in it's case. Last might I wanted to play some slide and got the guitar out. I hit the strings and the guitar was completely in tune. I was astonished! I have NEVER owned a guitar that was this stable and I consider this to be even more evidence of the superior build quality of these Epi Masterbuilt Guitars. If the other Chinese manufacturers begin performing to these standards, we'll be seeing some fantastic guitars coming out of China in the next few years and prices for imported guitars will definately climb.

Please excuse me if it soundslike I'm a member of the Gibson/Epiphone Army. I'm not. I'm actually a 'Fender guy' through and through but If you're looking for a fingerstyle accoustic, you owe it to yourself to try one of these Epi masterbuilts while theyre still available. It appears as if the supply is slowil drying up as word gets out and rumor has it that the replacements wont be cheap!

The features of this guitar appear to be basically the same as the currently reviewed EF-500R with the exception of a very beautiful abalone trim. The back and sides are solid rosewood and the top is solid spruce.

The sound was astonishing and markedly different from others at Guitar Center in the same price range (@1000). I was originally going for a Martin GT or a Taylor DN3, but head to head, the EF-500RA had a much richer tone in my opinion. Not trusting my own judgment, I asked two witnesses to say which of the 3 guitars they preferred and both also picked the Epiphone. It is hard to describe the sound but the phrase that comes to mind is rich and full, really for all strings, with special punch for bass, but also character for the higher strings.
One thing I must note for those who would balk at paying $300 for abalone, I tried several other EF-500R and EF-500M, and much preferred this particular EF-500RA, not being able to try out a second one of that exact same model. So part of my comments about outstanding sound relates to the observation that a particular guitar may "come together just right", and another one may not duplicate the effect. I cannot say whether the "right" EF-500R ($300 cheaper) would sound as good or not. I just couldn't find one that matched it.

In my view very well set up and so far has not needed any additional adjustment. The finish appears flawless, the abalone as well.

So far, so perfect.

no problems so I dont know.

I own one Ibanez electric, one Baby Taylor, and the Epiphone. In my opinion as an adult guitar student (about 6 months) it is way better than I likely need but it is a tremendous motivator so that I play every day. If I lost it for any reason I would try to duplicate it, but am fearful it may turn out to be "one of a kind" since the other Epiphone EF-500R I tried was not nearly as good. I liked it much better than the Taylor and Martin. The Larrivee was close but still not up to the challenge.
If I had to replace it, I would play a large variety of guitars, preferably either solid rosewood or mahogony back and sides and hope that one would stand out and speak to me.

This is a great OM sized guitar.Solid Sitka spruce top with solid rosewood back and sides for a very reasonable price.The Masterbilt line comes with a satin finish but on the (RA) model which means it has abalone everywhere,I chose to buff it to a gloss finish.It just fits with the extra flash of the abalone.It has a mahogony neck with rosewood fretboard and bridge and bone nut and saddle(all the good stuff).Top that off with a set of gold Grover sta-tite vintage tuners and you have a modern guitar that looks like it arrived in a time machine from the thirties.One of the main things that attracted me to this guitar was the wide nut.I have big hands so the 1.75'' width suits me perfect and the string spacing is wide enough for me to finger pick with plenty of room to spare.A guitar this sweet needs to be protected and Epiphone took care of that too.The case is a mixture of a gigbag and a hard shell case.It's ridgid but has fabric on the outside with the cool Masterbilt logo stiched into the compartment on the front.Inside it has plush blue felt and a humidity sensing hygrometer.All of this topped off with a combination lock to keep unwanted hands off your beauty.Enough with all the specs,lets get down to the sound.When I first bought it,the sound was already sweet enough to convince me to take it home but the transformation that took place after that was amazing.After a little over a year of gigging with this guitar night after night,the sound has matured into something I never thought a guitar in this price range could achieve.The sustain has doubled especially in the lower registers and it vibrates so much now I can feel it all the way to my back bone.Sound is a hard thing to describe but this guitar has changed sooo much (for the better) since the day I first picked it up.I tried all kinds of pickups in it because the (RA's) don't come with one and I finally settled on the LR. Baggs Element onboard with notch filter.It's the only pickup I've found that accomodates the wide string spacing.Magnetic pickups never lined up right and most piezo's aren't as wide as the saddle on the EF's.

Great sounding guitar and continues to mature and get better.Great Strummer,fingerpicker and great for leads.It does it all.

When I first bought it it had perfect action an in almost two yaers it hasn't moved a bit.Factory finish is satin but I polished it to a gloss finish and I love the way it looks.The gloss finish also makes it easier to keep clean.

This guitar gets played hard at least 4 or 5 nights a week and it has never let me down.It's always in tune,it keeps up with guitars that are 3 and 4 times more expensive and usually gets more compliments than the expensive ones.

I love this Masterbilt line but most of all I love my EF-500ra.It sounds GREAT,it looks even better and all in all it makes me want to play it and that's all I could ask from any guitar!I'll never get rid of this one!

This is a gorgeous guitar.It has a solid spruce top,solid rosewood back and sides all trimmed with abalone.Mine is natural satin finnish but it is also available in vintage burst.The bridge and fretboard are rosewood.The neck is mahogany.It has vintage style open Grover tuners,the nut and saddle are bone.The case is very nice as well and has a built in hygrometer and includes a humidifier.Large exterior pocket,shoulder straps and even a combination lock.

The sound is superb.It truly compares very well with guitars costing much more from Martin,Taylor,etc.Very full well balanced tone.The stock strings are decent but I've found several others I prefer more.Both DeAadario PB lights and GHS Bright lights sound great on it.

Overall build quality is excellent.The wide-1 3/4" nut width combined with the V neck is very comfortable and ideal for finger-style players.The string height is a tad high but not bad at all.All the woods and trim look terrific.I can see no flaws whatsoever.

I can see no reason why this guitar should fail if properly cared for.The tuners are nice and smooth and hold very well.

The guitar is covered by a lifetime warranty.All questions were answered to my satisfaction via phone.Never tried emailing or had any problem that needed fixing so I cant say how that goes but all I've heard so far from others has been positive.

I think this is one of the best sounding and playing guitars out there.The only ones I've liked better all cost over 2k.Even then they weren't that much better sounding.For what you get the value is simply outstanding.I've played several other Masterbilts and the AJ500 RC 12 fret will be my next guitar.Very nice contrast between the two.I cant recommend this guitar highly enough.I love it!!!