Product: Epiphone AJ-35S-VS
Price Paid: US $320
Submitted
10/09/2000
at
04:32am
by
Carl
Email: CarlTone11 at aol<dot>com
Features
:
9
Made in Korea in 2000. Gibson Advanced Jumbo body style with 14 frets clear of the body. Vintage Sunburst. Solid Spruce Top. Mahogany Neck, Back, & Sides. Rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Abalone Rosette. Gotoh tuners.
Sound
:
9
When I first pulled this guitar out of its shipping box it was clear that this guitar had never been played beyond the factory set-up. It was very tight sounding and feeling, with little bloom in the sound. I expect this of a brand new instrument. Heck, it never even saw a showroom floor to be played by customers. In the three weeks that I've been playing the AJ-35S, it has opened up beautifully. It is VERY balanced, almost sounding halfway between a dreadnought and an OM style guitar. Better mids and highs than most big guitars. A tad light in the bass wallop area, but I think this will improve with time.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
The action was okay right out of the box. The truss rod was totally loose and after a half-turn the action became very nice. The fingerboard isn't perfectly straight, so I couldn't get the action as low as I'd like. But then, for $320, give it a break! The string height at the nut is a little high, but this is common and easy to fix. The finish is gorgeous to look at but upon closer inspection is uneven. Luckily, the finish is very thin and uniform on the top and most of the back and sides. The finish around the heel is inconsistent in thickness. The fret are cleanly dressed. The bracing and kerfing is well executed for a guitar of this price. No excess glue inside Still.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
I can't see anything that looks less than rugged.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never dealt with them before.
Overall Rating
:
10
I have been playing for 27 years have always been around Martins and Taylors and used to own a 73' Gibson J-40. This guitar is nearly as nice for a third of the price of the Gibson. Overall, I am very excited about this guitar and have been recommending to everyone looking for a GREAT deal on an acoustic under $400 to order one. If it were stolen or lost and I could afford to replace it, I would without hesitation. The only thing I wish was better on it is the straightness of the fingerboard. I will probably have it levelled and refretted eventually. Still, given the price, a GREAT guitar.
