Epiphone Masterbilt AJ500M

Very nice, gloss top sitka, satin back and sides great quality mahogany (Sapele?)used. The overall look is clean. Well built.

Love the sound, dislike the pick guard.

Inside the soundhole on the treble side I saw what appears to be dried nitro drops. The pickguard isn't properly aligned with the rosette radius.

Absolutely. It has a great sound and the playability is fast and easy.

Gloss top: premium solid sitka spruce. Satin back and sides: premium solid mahogany. Neck: mahogany. Fingerboard: rosewood with dots, bound. Frets: 20 mediums. Hardware: Nickel open-gear Grovers. Nut and saddle: bone!

This guitar went head to head with a Taylor DN-3 and Martin MMV and won me over. Strummed or fingerpicked it really sings. Get serious and this guitar has a great (loud) voice. Recommend going to Elixir mediums over the factory set for a really nice sound experience.

Great action. No runs, drips or errors. Cool retro appointments-black headstock with vintage tuners.

Got fingers crossed.

Called 1-800 number for Gibson as no paperwork provided at the time of sale. They will provide care and feeding manual along with warranty info. Nice folks.

Hard to give anything a 10 (sorry Epi). A great sounding guitar with killer understated vintage looks that stold the show from the Martin and Taylor costing more than twice as much. Have had an Epi Sheraton since 05 and this acoustic rounds out my sonic muse. Very good value. Needs an Epi monikered hard case, though.

Gloss top, satin back & sides, natural finish. Same as the others. Fit & finish look to be flawless. Nice headstock.

I mostly flatpick fiddle tunes & bluegrass stuff. This thing is an unbelievable value. I've owned & played some very nice guitars. This thing holds its own with any of them. Sonically, it's twice the guitar that my Martin HD35 was. I just visited a local bluegrass festival, and this guitar got many compliments. It is extremely loud, even when compared to several Martins and a Collings. Tone is punchy and very balanced, much like a good Martin D18GE. Treble strings REALLY cut through when you're flatpicking.

Setup is excellent, with the action on the low side. No flaws that I have found yet. Very pretty guitar. I replaced the factory pickguard with a nice Greven. Has nice inlays and a bound fretboard.

Everything seems very solid. Time will tell.

Been playing for 30 years. Currently own or have owned: American Tele, American Strat, Mexican Tele, G&L ASAT, G&L Will Ray, Squire Tele, Martin D16RGT, Martin HD35, & many more. This is already my favorite flat top. Can't believe they can make this kind of quality instrument for $450. If I were to purchase a Martin with the same materials and features of this Epiphone, I would have to spend more than $2000 bucks. That's the same materials!!!!

Per spec Natural Satin Finish
Great Antique tuners
Solid Body, Sitka Spruce Top
Mahoghany B & S

Full sound, plenty of bass but good balance also through to treble sings whch sing nicely. A nice Americana sound to it. A tone I've been seeking for several years

Great action for me, no alterations needed as I have had to do with other guitars. Hands felt at home on fret board from the off, nice smooth flow also. Finish is beautifully simple.....you could imagine this guitar sitting in the corner of an American style log cabin, overlooking a Montana Range.

Light but solid no problems to date hey aren't we all careful with our guitars !!

Warranty seems sound and bought from a reliable dealer.

Really a nine and three quarters but will hold back for that holy grail of guitars out there somewhere.

This is a belter, excellent value for money with a great rigid case.

Solid spruce top, solid mahgony back and sides. BONE NUT AND SADDLE. Old fashioned open gear tuners, nice tortois pickguard, minimal adornments. A very basic all wood 1930's style retro guitar. I give it an 8 because it is not supponsed to be an ornate guitar. This guitar is not about bells & whistles or "bling". This guitar is all about quality materials, playability and sound.

Rich full base with sustain for days. Balanced midrange and bright highs. Very well rounded sound. My wife simply says "That is one sweet sounding guitar".

Mine is flawless with low action, no buzz, smooth fret ends and no excess glue visible inside. The satin finish is not as thick as you find on other guitars. (one of the reasons it sounds so good) As such, it will be less durable if knocked around a lot. (take off your belt buckle, put your keys in the other pocket !)

I would have no problem playing this guitar anywhere. (except outside in bad weather) My only concern might be keeping an eye on it because I could see someone wanting to steal it.

I am told Epiphone has a good warranty, but I have never had to use it.

I have been playing daily for almost 3 years.(wish I had started when I was a kid) I own an Ibanez Artcore, an Epiphone Les Paul, a Washburn D10S (my first guitar which now sounds great with bone nut and saddle - BIG difference) a Masterbilt DR500 rosewood and the Masterbilt AJ500 mahogany above. If it were lost or stolen I would cry, swear a lot, and get another one right away! I compared the Masterbilt against several other guitars. The only ones that sounded as good were almost anything Martin or Taylor, certain Gibsons and the Guild GAD-30. In the past 3 years I have bought, sold and traded several guitars. The Mastebilts will one day be inherited by my children.

The finish is statin, the neck joint is tapered dovetail.
The Construction is Hide glue joined. ( WOW)
The body back and sides are Mahogany.( very nice grain.) High grade
The top is fine grained Sitka Spruce.( very High Quality)
The Nut and Saddle are both bleached Bone. ( Above average)
The Tuners are the Same stay tights by Grover that stew mac has.( 18to1) very good.
The inlay on the headstock is tasteful. ( stick pin like a vintage 30s model epiphone. Very classy.
No inlay that really jumps out at you. The quality of this guitar deserves more fancy inlay. I will leave it at extremely understated but flawlessly done.

Sound is very resonate. There is a woody sound that is blended with a very distinctive punch.
Slightly compressed .
The overall sound or tone is beautiful.
The sustain is long.
The sound is very well balanced.

The action was a bit low.
Asked for another saddle and Customer service sent me one no charge.

The string spacing and the neck is very comfy.

Very nice neck setup and finish.

The finish of the whole guitar is an understated satin that does seem to let this guitar project very clearly its own voice. ( a good Choice )

Very sturdy neck joint and wide neck heel that connects the body and neck.
The binding is very precise and so finished that it looks simpler than it really is.
Mine is sunburst. ( very well done and durable )
The whole thing could be steamed apart and rebuilt if it needed to be due to the fact its hide glue. ( martin makes a hide glue d28 for 35000. LOL)

Customer support is very good.

No problem getting spare parts due to the fact the tuners are standard stay tight grovers . Easy to replace if you get a bad one.
The saddle is a standard size as well.( easy to adjust or replace.)

This is an incredible value.

This model is an all solid wood Chinese made 14 fret to the body slope shouldered dread with a satin finish over natural wood, a dovetail neck to body joint and a 1 & 11/16th inch nut width. Top wood is sitka spruce with back and sides made of sapele (Epiphone calls it mahogany but it is most certainly not Honduran mahogany). The build is very light weight. Tuners are open backed grovers. Neck profile is a medium C shape. It is not flashy but an understatedly attractive instrument with nice attention to detail (bound fretboard, nice headstock inlay, simple but elegant rosette, bone nut and saddle) in the classic Gibson slope shouldered design. Purchase price included a padded case (like a super gig bag) complete with truss rod tool, lots of storage area and an built in hygrometer (nice touch!)

Beautiful woody tone with clear sweet trebles, warm mids and a tight bass thump. All of that along with exceptional projection and good volume. A very "mahogany-like" dry sounding quick response to a bare fingers fingerstyle approach. Hard strumming with a pick does produce a bit of compression and a noticeable volume ceiling.

This guitar was sold as a "second" with a supposed finish flaw. I have yet to discover a flaw in the satin finish. The sitka top wood is an exceptionally nice piece. Perfect bookmatching with straight grain and a good bit of silking. Sides are a nice example of standard sapele with a couple of attractive dark grained ribbons running throughout. The back is unexceptional but for a small (1-2 inch) grain imperfection on one side. I'm guessing that this is what was deemed the "finish flaw" that prompted this to be considered a factory second. Set up from the factory was excellent confirmed by a guitar technician document included in the purchase materials that listed the string height settings when shipped (nice attention to detail!).

The satin finish is not going to be very protective. Additionally I'll see if in the long run the light build of this guitar produces any problems. Initially at least it seems to be a very well constructed instrument

N/A

Been playing for more than 40 years. I own several other guitars including a truly wonderful Collings D2H. The Epiphone Materbilt AJ is not up to the build quality of that guitar (precious few guitars are) but it certainly holds its own in the tone department. From playability and intonation to looks this guitar is a very good performer and for the money it is an exceptional value. If it were lost or stolen I would most certainly replace it with another.

This Guitar features nickle plated Grovers. These tuners are the open kind. Mother of Pearl inlay for the emblam and the Epiphone name. Mine was the only one in the shop with very pronounced striping no the top. The Fret Board, Frets, borders and head stock are a work of art. Its all solid wood, top Sitka Spruce and Sides Solid Mahagony. Holding it makes me want to cry it is that beautiful. The sloped shoulders make it very sweet to play and hold.

This guitar has the most beautiful perfect sound I ever heard out of any guitar. It has full range from lows to mids to highs and projects and performs beautifully at any volume. When I first played it I was stunned. I played the one right next to it and although it was a good guitar, it was not the same as the first one, the magic one. I insisted they a Masterbilt DR model for me it and still nothing could compare. This guitar belonged in the Martin and Taylor & Gibson Humidor. I was shocked they had it sitting out with the common Guitars. I almost cry when I play it. I did not let it go and I did not put it down and the price was too good to pass up.

Almost everything on this guitar reflects the work of a skilled Luthrie. This Guitar was Handcrafted and it shows. Its satin finish allows the wood to vibrate and ring like nothing I have ever seen. The sustain is perfect. The nickle plated grovers are a joy to look at. The guitar enables me to play up and down the neck with ease. The nut and saddle are made of bone and both are cut with obvious precision.

There is a small hair line crack on the white border that runs around the fretboard. I think it might have qualifed this guitar as a second for some reason cause the store was asking about 100 dollars less than they show on their web site as the asking price. I have no idea and I could care less. I love that hairline crack.

Its so well built with care it should last a life time and more. The case is a thing of beauty. Inside it looks the best house of ilrepute that I can imagine. Inside is a Humidor Thermometer Hygrometer. The Neck is attached to the body by dovetail.

My model number is AJ-500mns. I called them to find out what the "n" and the "s" stood for. Got right through. They said Nickle and Satin. They were very cool.

I have been playing for 25 years. I owned a Taylor 710 and it was awesome. This guitar has a different sound than a fine Taylor but I think its sound is just as good and I think it will have far more versitility. I have been thinking of getting a Yamaha L series hand made guitar but they dont even sell them here in the USA so I could not get a chance to sit down and play a few. I was dissapointed but now I could care less. I wont ever want another Acoustic. This is it. This is what I have been looking for.

Years ago I went into a high end bike store and they were selling bikes made in Tawain for thousands of dollars. They were among the most expensive bikes in the store. I remember thinking how high tech they were and how impressed I was with the craftsmanship.

This guitar was made by Masters.

An all solid wood guitar for this price?
This guiltar has a solid silka spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides,what a deal ,and the whole guitar is made from start to finish by the same luthier!
I walked in to the guitar center acoustic section to check out a Parkwood acoustic that was on sale ,cant say I was that impressed,it looked nice but sounded a bit dead.
I was ready to walk out of the store until I picked up the Epiphone AJ500M,wow was I blown away,I couldnt stop smiling ,it sounded so awesume.
Believe me,the double the price Taylors have nothing on this guitar.
There are so many positives with this guitar ,the only little grip that I can think of is ,Im not sure how good the tuners are ,the are the open style ,they dont look like they are the quality of say ,grover or shaller,but Im not a guitar tech ,so Im not sure.
The other issue is the rigid gig case,time well tell how well it holds up.
These are small complaints in comparison to the fact that this is a great guitar.

All I can say is put some new strings on it and expect to be wowed.
Full spectrum bass mids and treble ,very balanced.

Auction is great,I think it was set up by the guitar sales guy, he said he sets up most of them on the bottom frequently played row.
This is a personal preference thing and not a problem with the guitar ,but in a perfect world ,the neck would be wider,I have large fingers and like the width of a classical guitar neck.

Have only had it a month now ,to too early to see how it holds up,but it all looks to made well

dont know never contacted

-Satin finish
-Advanced Jumbo Body
-Long Scale (25.4)
-Grover Open Back Tuners
-Slim neck, nut looks to be 1 and 23/32
-Came with hard gig bag with built in hygrometer, and soundhole humidifier
-2006 Manufacture
-21 frets
-Solid Sitka Spruce Top, Solid Mahogany Backs, and Sides
-Ivoroid Bound Body and Fretboard
-Bone Nut and Saddle

This is where this guitar shines. This is probably one of the best sounding guitars I have ever heard. I play bluegrass mostly and was looking for a good mahogany guitar to take with me to jams, and that would record well. This guitar is a BANJO KILLER in the most literal sense. It is far and away the loudest guitar that I have ever played, while still maintaining an extremely rich tone. It has volume on top of volume. When I am in jams I find that I often have to back off because its just that loud. It also mics extremely well, as most mahogany guitars do, but this one inparticular I hardly ever have to EQ it much at all when I am playing live gigs. Let me just reiterate again that this guitar is a CANNON! I will admit where I bought this guitar they had 6 or 7 other AJ500Ms there as well, and non held a candle to this one. I must have gotten a special one or something. This a monster of a guitar.

Perfect, could not find a flaw

Play out fairly regularly and has held up well. Light as a feather so wouldnt bang it around too much, but seems durable enough

Awesome guitar. Cannot reccomend it any higher.