Product: Epiphone 1963 AJ45 Reissue
Price Paid: USD 200
Submitted
08/14/2007
at
03:11pm
by
Anonymous
Email: blurchin at yahoo<dot>com
Features
:
8
All black slope shoulder dreadnought. Solid spruce top with laminated sides and back. Rosewood fretboard, 24 3/4 inch scale, genuine Grover tuners. The neck is thick and comfortable, typical of acoustic guitars. Made in 2007 in Indonesia. Not much features to speak of
Sound
:
8
The sound is loud in all registers, as loud as any jumbo acoustics. Compared to a Gibson, it is not as sweet, but you are talking about a $200 guitar with a solid top. I am hoping that the sweetness will come with age. If you play with other people on acoutic guitars, I am sure that this thing will drown everyone out. On single notes you have no doubt you are playing a fine guitar. It is clear and the notes ring. Strum a chord and you get unmatched volume. But it is volume without the sweetness of a real Gibson.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
The finish is just flawless. Epiphone quality control is first rate on this guitar. Disregard the country of origin -- this guitar rivals anything made anywhere. I was able to lower the saddle to get low action, and there was still adequate string angle down to the pins. To me, that is the sign of a quality guitar. The workmanship is just near perfect, with no sloppiness or misalignment.
Reliability/Durability
:
9
I believe that this guitar will be very durable, judging from how solid it feels. I foresee no issues in this area.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I have never dealt with Epiphone. The guitar comes with a lifetime warrant, but I cannot imagine needing warranty service.
Overall Rating
:
8
I did not want to spend the megabucks on a real Gibson AJ45, so I figured that maybe the next best thing would be an Epiphone knockoff of the same guitar. I came across this on sale at $200 by a well-know internet dealer and I grabbed one. I have no regrets. For the price I think it is a bargain, and it compares very well with any guitar. I'm just waiting for the brashness to subside and the sweetness to set it, and with a solid top there is a good chance of that happening. The slope shoulder design and the solid top sold me. Maybe one day I will have the real thing, but I am very impressed with this guitar.
