Epiphone EL 00

I'm happy to concur with what others have said about the wonderful Epi EL-00, and notice that most people here who have bought it are playing 25 to 40 years! I was also happy to read the review which pre-empted what I had to say about the EL-00VS and the Gibson L-00. Having both guitars (a modern, standard 'bottom-of-the-range' Gibson, looked down on by vintage fans) I can say that the Epi is almost a totally different guitar, certainly bigger, and with a darker sunburst finish. I was quite amused to see the Epi give the Gibson a run for its money.
The Epi is almost as big as a Martin 000, and almost as loud. It fits inside a standard (385mm) classical-guitar case which the 000 does not.
As noted by others - this guitar is gorgeous. Your family members may stop and stare at it as they walk by. I was over-charged for mine, but it should be very cheap. I have another Tennessee (Gewa) L-00 copy which also kicks ***, but the Epi's thin body keeps it percussive sounding and boom-free.

You could say I came to the Epi for the size and stayed for the sound.
I'm sorry I can't describe the sound very well. It's not like a Martin at all, more light and percussive, with bounce and a crying(?) quality that makes it kick so much *** for folk and blues. I played it at a session few weeks ago, with about 12 other instruments, never even dug in fully with the plec, it was always there, bouncy and resonant in the 4th and 5th strings especially.
The Gibson sounds better, but hey that's ten times the price!

The guitar was in poor condition when it came from the factory and I feel sorry for any kid who gets this thing for Christmas then gives up guitar within a week. It's because the neck is awful and needs a good twist from the allen key. In doing this you may well get confused by the sketches on the instructions, and go the wrong way. Do it right, and your Epi nightmare will be magically transformed into a great guitar.
I also took off that awful E symbol and the plate over the truss-rod.
The neck is a bit thick to hold but you get used to it, and it's fine.
It came with both strap-nuts installed, which is more than Martin & Co can manage.

I wonder if the guitar will last - the tuners look cheap, cause guess what - they are. The body itself looks like it should last a long time. The finish will probably look even better if it takes on a few 'wrinkles'.

I am not going to try to phone Epiphone in Asia, god help me if it breaks.

I'm playing 25 years and this guitar is coming on the road with me this Summer. People's experiences with airlines seem to vary - my experience is that anything in a classical-size soft case or gigbag gets on board - that means L-00 yes, 000 & dreadnought no! Perhaps it is different in different places, airlines etcetera. All in all this is a great guitar once you get it set up! www.mairtinomurchu.ie

Body could be a tad smaller and a bone nut and saddle would be nice but other than that it is a very nice guitar for the price. An unbelievable guitar for the price actually. Finish excellent inside and out and the sunburst color is awesome. Not overely done for features but definatly nicely made.

The sound is why I like this guitar. One person said it does not have the ring of a larger body but I have a Dean dreadnaught that sounds dull compared to my ELOO. I had a Larivee parlor guitar guitar that didn't come close, and it cost a whole lot more. Maybe I got a good one but it's a keeper.

Action is fine maybe a little high but not bad. Inside the guitar is very nicely made, well sanded, no glue anywhere. Fret board very nicely done. Removed the stupid stick on Epiphone logo from the pickguard immediatly, a rather tasteless little touch. A very beautiful and well made guitar. The scale folks measures 23 3/4 inch measured from the nut to the center point of the saddle, not 25 1/2 for crying out loud.

I have had it over a year and it has given me no problems at all so far. Finish seems very durable.

I can't comment as I have never needed any customer support.

Have had 2 Mexican Strats. Have had a Larivee Parlor guitar, I have a Dean dreadnaught and have just purchased a little Morgan Monroe parlor guitar. I love my Epi EL-OO. It is my favorite by far. I haven't received the Morgan Monroe parlor guitar yet but it is a lot smaller than the EL-OO so I doubt it is going to sound as good. For the money I just don't think your going to find a better guitar than an Epiphone ELOO. I would definatly replace it if it were stolen.

2008 el-00, frm Musicians Friend. absolutely beautiful guitar, I mean, like sweet dark caramel, dark sunburst with classic cream binding in a hi-gloss finish, substantial silver tuners, and great dark to orangey tones on the neck. The neck is somewhat thin but great for my not so large hands. Frets are kind of thin as well. The solid wood top is plain and nice, the laminate body also seems a hair thin, but gorgeous.

I bought this for the size, I always wanted a smaller guitar. My main acoustic is a great 70's guild dreadnought. The EL-00 is bright, punchy, and clear but somewhat anemic. Like you lowered various bands on a graphic eq. But it is clear and bright and great for fingerpicking and country leads lines. The tone is even and pleasant, and I think the solid top is beginning to open up some. This would work in a small room as a solo instrument, or with a lo-fi ensemble. It actually reminds me of how guitar recordings from the 30's sound, maybe like Jimmy Rogers

I had the nut and saddle replaced with bone, and set it up a little high, so I can dig in and rip.
I really like the neck feel, and the small scale makes it easy to reach everything. The finish is just beautiful, you just want to sit and look at it under various lights.

Well positioned strap buttons, very easy to play. This is a solid feeling guitar, although very light. Because of it's realtive thinness and lightness, I wouldn't expect this to last as long as my dreadnought has. This guitar will last me plenty long for the way I play it.

Playing for 40+ years, I own Guild d-44m, Tele 8502, heritage 555, les paul jr. I bought this guitar online, based on reviews, price, and most importantly size. For the price, this is nice lyin' around the house guitar, it's easy to play, has good dynamics, looks fabulous, and is under 300 dollars. I mean this guitar should be held by some model in vanity fair.

The guitar is styled after the famous Gibson L-00 models first made in the early thirties although there are many differences. It has a beautifully applied sunburst finish. The tuners are made by Grover. The scale length is 24.75 inches with the 14th fret at the body. Solid spruce top and laminated mahogany back and sides and a mahogany neck. The neck shape is rounded unlike the V shaped neck of the Gibson L-00. The body is wider in the lower bout than the Gibson by about 3/4 of an inch and about 1/2 inch wider in the upper bout. The body is thinner than the Gibson L-00 by 1/4 inch. The EL-00 is also about 1/4 inch longer in the body. The sound hole on the EL-00 is closer to the fingerboard such that it is actually slightly under the end of the fingerboard where the L-00 soundhole is clear of the end of the fingerboard. The neck is thinner at the nut by about 1/8 of an inch.

The sound compared to my 1933 Gibson L-00 is quite different. While it isn't a very fair comparison given the age of the Gibson, the Epiphone EL-00 has a thinner sound, less bass but plenty of midrange punch and clear highs. Looking at the internal bracing they are quite similar (at least what I can see with a mirror through the soundhole) The Gibson has the woody growl that they are famous for with a very balanced sound. While the Epiphone sounds thinner, it has good sound quality in general and is pleasing to listen to. I can't help but believe that a few years of playing and aging of the wood will only serve to improve it's sound. I find many guitars tend to loosen up and gain a bigger voice when played for a few years. Overall, I am pleased with the sound of this guitar and it will certainly find it's place in my collection when it's type of sound is called for.

The set-up is pretty good as it came. The action is reasonably low and easy to play. The frets are nicely dressed with no sharp edges. I will probably make a new nut of bone (or maybe ebony as the original L-00) that will spread the strings out a bit, taking advantage of the width of the neck. The factory plastic nut does not take advantage of the width of the neck leaving quite a bit of unused neck on either side of the strings. I will also replace the plastic saddle with a new one made of bone. These upgrades will also help the sound quality of the guitar to some degree. The finish of the guitar is beautiful, very clean, no blemishes. The inside of the guitar is also very cleanly done, no glue drips or un-sanded braces, very nice.

Having only had the guitar a short while I can only guess as to it's reliability or durability, but it seems well constructed of good quality materials so I don't foresee any problems. Certainly the design is well time proven. I am sure if properly cared for it will last as well as any guitar.

No opinion here as I haven't had to contact the manufacturer.

Overall, I am very pleased with the guitar and am glad that I purchased it. It will give a guitar to play similar to my old Gibson which I worry about taking out sometimes. While it doesn't have quite the sound of the Gibson, it has a very nice sound and is fun to play. I am very glad that Epiphone chose to use Grover tuners as they are very smooth and easy to tune with. I own or have owned a number of guitars from a variety of makers such as Gibson, Fender, Favilla, Lyon and Healy and Ibanez. I am also a luthier making guitars, and a few other odd stringed instruments. I value good craftsmanship and I find this guitar to be well made and a great value for it's price range. Regardless of where it was made, it exhibits top notch quality of manufacture and care in it's construction.

The stand out features of this guitar is that it does have a solid spruce top and Grover tuners. Oh, and the finish is GREAT! A beautiful vintage sunburst.

This guitar has a really full sound, for its size, it wil surprise you.

I bought mine used and did not have the slight set up problems that others have posted here but mine plays like a gem. And like I have already stated, the finish is top notch.

I have had this guitar for about 6 months and seems to be very solid. I haven't gigged with it yet but i am very confident that I could without any problems.

Haven't needed them.

I have been playing for 25 years and gigging for about 15 of those. I have owned quite a few acoustics and this one ranks right up there in the top 5 that I have owned that includes a Gibson j-45 and a very cool Guild d-25M, which I miss greatly. This guitar just has a great feel and very good sound. Very easy to play, thats why I rank it up there with the much higher priced guitars, not that this can replace a j-45 but its just as fun to play. I actually have plans to do some small upgrades to mine to make it stage friendly, like change the nut, saddle for ones made of bone and replace the bridge pins for some ebony ones then add a under the saddle PU so I can plug it in. And then I am toying with replacing the tuners for vintage style Gibson ones, but that would be just for the looks, the grovers that are on there now work just fine.

This is an acoustic guitar made in China. Sunburst finish (gloss), solid spruce top, laminated mahogany sides and back. Top bout is very small, almost like a parlor guitar, but the lower bout is significantly larger. It has a 24.75 neck scale, grover tuners, and dot neck markers. It's not very fancy, but is well put together.

It sounds very nice for what it is. Don't expect the booming bass of an old dreadnaught. However, it sounds surprisingly full for a smaller guitar. Actually sounds as good as many much more expensive guitars of this type I have played.

The guitar was not set up well when I received it. The truss rod was as loose as could be, and the neck had 'way too much relief. I figured I'd better try to adjust it before panickimg, while promising myself never to buy an acoustic guitar sight unseen again. After tightening the truss rod properly, I was quite surprised to find that this little guitar played like a dream! Coupled with the fact that the fit and finish were great, I have to give this guitar high marks here. The neck adjustment was an easy fix, so I didn't deduct any points for that.

It looks well-made, but I have only had the guitar for a few days, so I can't rate this section accurately

Epiphone has always been helpful in the past

I've been playing for over forty years, and have had just about everything at one time or another. I bought this guitar because I haven't owned a smaller-bodied acoustic for some years, and wanted something a bit different than my dreadnaughts. I was quite pleasantly surprised by the looks, sound, and playability of this guitar, given the price point. The build quality of some of the newer Chinese instruments is remarkable. If you're looking for an acoustic of this type, I would highly recommend this model. It is a bargain, and you get a lot of bang for the buck!

2007, Solid spruce top, Mahogany body, Set mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard, with dot inlays, Chrome hardware, 25-1/2" scale, 1.65" nut width. High Gloss finish.

Have to say out of the box for $300-349 bucks its a pretty good deal. I am a die hard Martin fan. But this thing sounds pretty full. No what you'd expect for the price. Its not boomey like a Martin mahogany 000-15 but it for sure has some balls. You'll be able to keep up at a campfire acoustic jam no sweat.

Set up was fine. Better than most import guitars I've seen. Actually some one signed the set up card and checked the string heights. I may raise the saddle when I replace it a tiny bit so I can hammer away on it. It has a high gloss finish. So if you just look at it its marked. Oh well. The neck and frets are actually nicely finished. A slight radius on the fretboard. The tuners seem fine. Only thing that I'll change is the plastic nut, saddle and pins. And see if I can get the pickguard logo off. I suppose looking at it with glasses on one could find the finish isnt 110% but at least 99%. 110% being Martin, Taylor, National type.

I have enough guitars for live playing. I got this so I don't have to take my expensive guitars camping and to partys. If someone bangs it up will just make it look better. If you pass it around don't expect it to come right back. Its fun to play.

It has a warranty of some kind.

I've been playing on and off for years. Own tons of acoustic guitars and equipment. For a musician on a budget this thing will get you a long ways. The only thing I dont like is it looks too shiny and good. Almost makes you want to take some sandpaper to it and rough it up a little and give it some aging. A satin finish on this would be killer.
I was expecting to open the box strum it a few times and send it back. I think I'll abuse it this summer at open mics and campfires.