Epiphone Broadway

This is the Korean made version of the Broadway bought brand-new from a dealer. As described by others, it is a laminated 17" big box guitar with two pickups, the "Frequensator" Tailpiece, and the usual volume and tone features for a guitar of this type. The scale length is 25.5", which gives it the feel and punch of an acoustic guitar. This is no blues-bender box. Mine is the blonde version. It's really quite pretty, with gold hardware throughout.

These features are exactly what you would expect from this guitar, so there is no reason not to give it a 10.

This guitar sounds terrific. Really. It is a very mellow and sweet sounding guitar. Of course, it is perfect for jazz. But, the middle pickup position has a lot of acoustic mojo if you EQ it properly. In fact, I prefer the sound of this guitar over most piezo equipped guitars because the Broadway doesn't "quack", compress, or give ice-pick highs like many piezo guitars. It does sustain more than a standard acoustic, so you won't necessarily fool anybody into thinking you're playing a Martin, but the sound is very nice.

The pickups sound great, but they have a fairly low output. Doesn't bother me, I like 'em. I can't imagine what I will ever do with the bridge pickup used by itself, but who knows.

Many reviewers go off on the fact that it doesn't sound like a $10,000 jazz box, blah blah. But, they never seem to mention that this can be a good thing. Laminated jazz boxes can have more punch than carved top guitars, and are a bit brighter. If that fits your sound, then you might do yourself a disservice with a carved top guitar. Ply box guitars such as the ES-175 have been used and loved by superb jazz musicians for decades. IT IS true, however, that carved guitars can certainly sound more complex and richer, so you really have to decide what is right for you.

My simple point is that this is a great sounding guitar on its own terms.

I am very picky and difficult to please about my guitars. I have owned well over 40 at this point. I went over this guitar very carefully, set the action way down low the way I like it, moved the knobs around and flicked the pickup switch. It's all terrific. This guitar is setup as well as my guitars that cost two and three times as much. It looks as good, it plays as good.

I am deducting 1 point for scary looking wiring clearly visible in the F hole near the pots. It is a rats-nest of wires all soldered together on the pot tabs. Ugh.

By contrast, My Guild jazz box is clean as a whistle inside. I am going to deduct only 1 point because the knobs work fine and aren't noisy. Whether this sloppy-looking wiring will be an issue some day, who knows.

Well... when I compared it to a hand-carved Eastman, the Broadway seemed built like a tank by comparison. But, this guitar has a thin body to make it more resonant, and it's big and bulky. I can't comment on the hardware because the guitar is brand new. I think a 7 seems about right.

I have no idea, and I never will. I would only go to the manufacturer with gross warranty issues, otherwise I would get them fixed locally.

OK, if you've made it this far, I want to emphasize a point here: A good Epiphone is as good as any comparable guitar you can buy from another mass manufacturer no matter what the price. Period. I bought an Epiphone Dot for my nephew that was far superior in construction and playability to many ES-335s I have seen. And I know, I've owned two of them.

BUT, here is the point that I can't emphasize enough, it has to be a GOOD EPIPHONE. I usually play as many different Epis of the same model as I can get my hands on until I find one that is just right. If you miss, the guitar can be a real dog. I would be really nervous about buying any Epiphone sight unseen from an online vendor or EBay.

Also, this is a Korean Epiphone. They are now making them in China, Indonesia, who knows. The Korean Epis had reached a point of being very cleanly engineered and well built. My guitar had been sitting around for a few years at the dealer.

By chance, this guitar just happened to be a really good Epiphone. So I am giving this guitar a perfect rating because it is a fine instrument. My only wince is over the wiring on the pot inside the F hole. That's not much to complain about, believe me. I played a $3,800 Gibson in the same store that had the nut cut wrong with a high E string that popped off the neck when you fretted on the 4th fret. THAT guitar would need a repair before you take it out of the store brand new.

So my Epiphone is a 10 for real. But yours may not be. Please check your Epi out thoroughly before you buy.

The features have been covered...... I give it a 10 because it has all of the features I was looking for in a jazz box.

I play mostly blues and rock however I enjoy "messing around" with some jazz chord runs, old standards, scale work, etc. just to expand my horizons. I was looking for that jazz sound and experimented with a couple of Ibanez guitars before trying the Broadway. I loved the guitar but eventually replaced the pups with Gibson 57's. The original pickups actually sounded great....I'm a gear head and couldn't resist installing the Gibsons.....they sound fantastic. I couldn't be happier. I used D'Addario Jazz 11's, roll the tone off on the neck pickup and I'm there.

I found no flaws.....I'm fussy. As I mentioned above I'm a gear head and I'm always upgrading or changing the hardware/electronics on my guitars. I thought I might have to upgrade the tuners on the Broadway, but honestly, they are very good and feel like quality. I don't who manufactures them, but they are more then satisfactory. I was almost disappointed that I didn't have to change them. Mine is a sunburst finish. Not crazy about the newer natural finishes...too light...not vintage looking enough for me....but that's just personal taste.

So far, so good. No problems. The guitar really does have a feel of a more expensive instrument.

Never had to use them....

If lost I would try to hunt down another sunburst version. Love the guitar.

The features are well described by others so I won't repeat them here. Excellent build quality on the whole for the price of the instrument. I removed the pickguard because it was vibrating and causing distortion in my output. I don't miss the pickguard one bit.

In fact, the only real negative I have with the guitar's "features" is the cheap little plastic Epiphone "E" on the pickguard, which looks extra-cheesy in my opiinion. They already put one on the headstock's truss rod cover, so why add another on the pickguard? This is a flippin' guitar, not an Epiphone billboard. One 'E' logo plus the full Epiphone name at the top of the headstock seem like more than enough marketing collateral for one guitar!

I bought the natural finish model (didn't care for the Sunburst) and it is an absolutely beautiful with the pickguard out of the way. The woods are beautiful, and the back is beautifully matched.

I play jazz and this is an unbelieveable jazz guitar for the money. It sounds better and feels better than my friend's 1978 Gibson 175, hands down. Maybe his is just a lemon, but the Broadway is one serious contender for the money. I have not played a better jazz guitar at anywhere near this price. You want a great hollow body jazz guitar and don't want to spend $2000 or more, buy this one and you'll be happy.

Set up was ok from the factory, not great but good. So I had my tech do his setup magic on it, and now it plays like a dream. Solid body players pick it up and don't let it go. I have had to politely pull it out of guys' hands after waiting patiently for ten minutes or more.

Mine does have the same little hairline crack in the binding on the upper bout described by others below. But it doesn't bother me, it is a 1/4" hairline crack that they filled at the factory.

When I was at the store purchasing the guitar, I noticed that the tone and volume knobs were loose. Two of them were so loose that they could fall off with barely a tug. So I asked the salesman for a new set of knobs, which the store installed at their expense (list price is about $25 - for a pack of four knobs!!! "Oh, but you see, they are 'Gibson' knobs......") They used the Gibson black replacement knobs. This did the trick, as the new knobs are on very tightly.

By far, the only real gripe I have is with the pickup selector 3-way switch. From day one, mine needed to be replaced, as the middle and lower positions don't always work unless you vigorously move the switch back and forth (did I say *vigorously* ?) for 10 - 15 seconds. I know this is probably fixable with just some electronic parts cleaner spray, but gee whiz, this guitar was new and the selector wasn't working properly on day one. Fortunately for me, all I really use is the neck pickup, as I love its sound for all of my jazz playing. Nonetheless, the middle and bridge sounds are really good as well, so why the heck did they put in such a crappy and cheap switch? I have noticed this same problem on two other Epiphones. Somebody at Epiphone should take heed, as this seems to be a chronic problem, at least from my experience. But nonetheless, I would buy this guitar at the same price I paid even with knowledge of the bad switch. I would buy it without a switch and install one if that were my only option. The guitar makes up for this annoyance in a huge way when you play it.

C'mon, how many of us have ever called a guitar manufacturer for support? ("Dude, I can't get no sound" "Dude, is your amp turned on?" "Wow dude, you nailed it, thanks!" .....)

The sound and feel of this guitar are awesome for jazz. This is one of the few instruments I would replace with the exact same model if it were still available. Not that I don't have other good instruments, I do, but this one is special. A great value for the money. It is a joy to own and play. Check one out and see if you agree (jazz players only, rockers wouldn't like a thing about this model. No, to be precise rockers will hate it. But that is not who this guitar is for).

I got a great deal from the store, which sold it to me for $700 including tax. In other words, about $630 plus tax. Go to the stores that still negotiate and cut your deal. While you're at it, short sell the stock of the major US retailer, those guys are in for a clock-cleaning with that new crap they've been spouting about no negotiation on price. Wrong ecomomy for that attitude, boneheads.

Korean made (November 2006) Broadway, 20 frets, laminated "select spruce" top, laminated maple back & sides, maple neck, rosewood fretboard featuring beautiful triangular inlays.
2 volume & 2 tone controls, 3 way pickup selector switch,high quality pots - no crackling or distortion, just the right amount of gradual adjustment. 2 Epiphone passive humbuckers, nice adjustable rosewood bridge which provides excellent intonation at the height to which I lowered it. Poly finish over beautiful natural (blonde) color - other than one tiny spot which is hidden under fretboard where it extends over the body towards the neck pickup, the color & finish are perfect, as are the bindings & fretboard & headstock inlays.
Big fully hollow jazz box, size & shape of Gibson L-5, 17" lower bout, body 3" deep at edges, 4" deep underneath pickups. Non-locking Grover tuners really do the job, stays in tune.
25.5" scale medium C-shaped neck, very comfortable.
Case included in price, arrived separately 4 weeks after I bought guitar new on 8-14-08.

Not only is it a very playable, full & rich sounding jazz guitar, but it works great for blues & rock as long as you watch the volume - these big guitars can really feed-back. I play thru a Peavey Studio Pro 112 or Epiphone Valve Junior, medium to low volume & tone pots on 4 or higher to control feedback. Neck pickup is smooth & jazzy, both produce full & mellow sound, bridge can be bright & raunchy with tone up @ 7 - 10.
Has nice acoustic sound which I often use without amplification.
No dislikes, just gotta be aware of feedback potential.

Bridge pickup was too high, when I lowered bridge to get desired action the high strings were getting hung up it - once I lowered brodge pickup I was able to lower action to 4/64" on low & high E strings at 12th fret, intonation fine, stays in tune, no other flaws.

Well designed & built, finish durable, buttons solid, would gig without backup if need be.

Believe warranty is 2 years, no problems since I bought it new last August.

Completely satisfied, better than I expected - since the case arrived in September it has barely required any tuning adjustment even after being left in case over 2 weeks while I was on vacation.
Been playing on & off since 1964.
Had 3 favorite guitars before I bought this one, now the Broadway gets the most playing time - almost addictive.
Had read in previous reviews that it was best jazz guitar available under $2000, & I agree - before spending extra for an Elitist model or Gibson, try one of these out. Would definitely get another.

The Broadway is a basic hollowbodied archtop electric. It differs from many archtops on the market by being truly hollow. Its single-cutaway design is close to that of the L5, and allows fairly easy access to the high notes. The top is laminated, rather than carved. Two fairly generic humbuckers are built into the body and some OEM Grover tuning keys are also standard. Pickup selector switch and dual tone/volume controls make up a pretty standard electrical configuration.

Finish is a very light blond and is quite attractive. It will be interesting to see how it ages. There are a few very minor blemishes, but they are difficult to see and don't spoil the appearance at all.

The bridge is a rosewood bridge without adjustable saddles (ie, it's not a tuneomatic). While this worried me somewhat going in, it actually gives me pretty good intonation with my chosen strings. Could be an issue with skinny strings, but that's not what this guitar is about.

No case is provided. This is not a good thing, since an archtop guitar is inherently more fragile than a solid body. I purchased an Epiphone Jumbo hardshell case, which fits the guitar well.

I bought this guitar purely for jazz. My days of distortion and string bending are far in the past, and I wouldn't have considered this guitar for that type of music. For jazz, it sounds great. One of my primary needs was for a guitar that sounds good acoustically, since I'll typically be playing with little or no amplification. In that sense the sound is a combination of the acoustic and amplified components. A bit of fill from my Valve Junior amp combines nicely.

But you won't be able to tell much about the sound using the factory strings. Aside from being kind of skinny (.011 first string), they just don't sound very good. The acoustic sound is midrangy and honky. I replaced them, first with Gibson L5 strings and then with D'Addarios. The larger gauge (.013-.056) makes all the difference. The guitar is substantially louder and much more full-bodied. Sounds like a real jazz guitar.

At this early stage, the pickups seem just fine. I've been able to get useful sounds out of both pickups and from combinations. Many owners of this guitar seem eager to swap out the pickups ASAP. I'm going to bide my time and live with them a while. You can easily ascertain that I'm not really about high output.

One thing that will make you a little buggy if you play acoustically is sympathetic resonance. There's quite a long stretch of string between the bridge and the tailpiece, and it sings right along with you. A ribbon of cloth woven between the strings will fix it. Rubber grommets do a good job, too.

I recently had a chance to spend a week with a Washburn archtop (Oscar Smith). While it had its merits, the Broadway is lighter, with better tone, better action, and more acoustic power.

The guitar was set up pretty well. Since one of my first act was to upgrade strings (with heavier gauge), I got to set it up all over again. The trussrod was easy to adjust and new tensions seemed to come to balance within half a day or so. Frets were well-dressed. Overall, the action is pretty good. Over the next year or two, I'm sure I'll do a touch-up here and there, but that's been true of every guitar I owned.

Pickups needed a bit of adjusting, but they always do. This is driven by both strings and amplifier. But since the humbuckers have individual string adjustments, this is easily accomplished.

The one place where I'm withholding judgement for a while is the tuning pegs. They're Grovers, but we can safely assume they're not high-end. The guitar holds tune well while it's in the case, but tuning is a little, um, mobile as you play. I'll play with the tension screws on the pegs for a while, but I can see moving to better tuners at some point.

This guitar feels pretty solid and I expect I could gig with it. But then, I don't jump around like I used to, so the guitar won't receive those extramusical shocks. I see from other reviews that switches may need replacing over time. I'll just have to see about that. I do appreciate the fact that there's a rubber shock mount under the pickup selector switch.

If you play standing up, then you'll need to be careful in your choice of a strap. The upper strap button is positioned in such a way that the wrong strap could pull it away from the body.

So I'm rating this as a 5, since the guitar doesn't have enough mileage to know for sure.

I've contacted customer support a couple of times to ask questions about the guitar. They got back to me very quickly. If the guitar ever needs service, I hope they're as responsive then.

The warranty is a limited lifetime warranty that excludes instruments that have been modded or mistreated. Seems fairly standard, but you never know until you test it.

I spent my late teens and twenties playing guitar professionally. I played sporadically for another ten years after that and then set the instrument aside for a couple of decades while I pursued other things. In my day, I owned many guitars--Gibsons, Fenders, Voxes, Hagstroms and many more. My musical interests started as rock and ended up as jazz and classical.

In resuming playing after so many years, I looked for a guitar was was jazz-centric, good-sounding and reasonably priced. The Broadway has been excellent in this regard. It's not for everyone: it's one big guitar, noticeably heavier, and it demands a solid technique.

The Elitist model of this guitar may be a nicer instrument. Certainly bits of fit and finish may be improved. But the standard Broadway doesn't feel cheap and (once you remove the stick-on 'E' from the pickguard) it doesn't look cheap either. It's a great choice for an old geezer like me or for a player who needs a first jazz guitar.

This Epiphone Broadway Antique Vintage sunburst was made in Peerless Korea in 1997 and is a single cuttaway typical jazz hollow body large archtop 17" largely based on the Gibson L5 (with F holes) but for the frequensator tail and neck (tree of life). Mine has some significant modifications as I replaced the original stock pick ups for USA Gibson Humbuckers classic 57 (neck) and 57+ (bridge), frequensator by a US Bigsby B6, Nashville type roller bridge, and Gretsch style control pot covers/strap buttons. Tuners are I believe Grover (OK but not quite stae tite). Hard case is quite a decent Epiphone badged one.

I originaly wanted to buy a Gretsch 6120 or Duo jet to get Gene Vincent's Cliff Gallup sound with the help of a HH Multi echo and a HH Performer/Fender Twin Amp and simply could not afford It. This guitar proved to be an excellent purchase (second hand) and after my mods, I managed to get one of the most beautiful 50's clean sound any one could hope for (in fact very similar to Cliff). Which raised the question: Are we sure Cliff Gallup recorded on a Duo jet? The sound is truely amazing, playability worth any top guitars if not better (and I played a few). It is simply irresistible!!!

I do not know how the guitar was set up originally, but I would say pretty good at the moment. Not a very low action as one would expect from a jazz but this suits me.
The let down is perhaps very much on some of the finish (not necessarely noticeable to others but certainly to me). The pickup selector is not too great, the pots are a bit noisy, and some of the details are not too brilliant! I love this guitar but I am being honest. This is not an Elitist nor an L5 CES. But then again It was very cheap.
The days of the ET-290 and other crestwood are far for Epiphone.

I only use this guitar at home and I am sure that It will last for years to come. However I do not think that this guitar would have survived well playing 8 months every night during 4 years like I did when I was a member of the rock and roll group The Crazy Caps in the south of France (80's).
It is a beautiful guitar, fun and fairly well made, looks like a million bucks but not for the hard working musician.
I would have a backup: Bigsby are superb but they do get out of tune.

I was trying to replace the pickguard and contacted Gibson: They directed me to the UK distributor which does not seem to sell this part. So not too impressed. Although I will not judge a make as brilliant as Gibson on one experience.

I own a Gretsch G6121W Round up with dynasonic, a Fender Twin amp, a HH multi echo (vintage 1979) a HH Performer 150 Watts (early 80's) a Roland TD3K drumm kit, Ludwig/Tama kit (originally a drummer you see).
This guitar is one of the best any one on a budget could buy and after mods sound as good as any top Gibson. I play It very often and I am amazed every time...I chose this one over a new Joe Pass as It was 200 times better and over a white Falcon (price!!!!). If it was stolen I would hunt the thief to the end of this earth to retrieve it.
If unsuccessful I would purchase the same in Elitist and do the same mods again. If Gibson would only produce the same as my version (minus the imperfections yet remain competitive)they would make an absolute fortune with 50's music lovers.

Mine is a Vintage Sunburst color.

Wood bridge, all original configuration, no alterations has been done.
This one has a spruce top that really give a nice "cling" to the tone.

It has all features I need, but it would be nice to be able to move the saddles to intonate the guitar (wood bridge). Thc pup selection switch might need to be replaced, it makes a "skritchhhh" noise when I switch between pickups.

This guitar as a VERY nice jazz sound. It's not as fully as deep as a Gibson, but it has a very enjoyable sound, with AND WITHOUT an amplifier.

I would say that it is "better" that the Ibanez archtop series.

The frets make some noises, but I think that it has to do with my strings. I should use one step lighter gauge with maybe flatwounds. The noise from the frets can however be avoided with a good playing technique (the tone is all about technique anyways :))

I do not like the fact that the plastic around the microphones makes "buzzez" here and there when playing acoustically. This noise does not however sound in the amplifier.

Nice dark woody sound. Very full and rich. I play with bridge pickup, and the Tone on about 4, this gives a nice jazzy almost "bumpy" sound.

The action could be set a little lower, but then I would have more fret noises so... I feel that this guitar has a little bit of too high action for my taste. Maybe I dislike the action because I tried a Gibson ES 175 before buying this ;)

There is a sharp edge on the pickguard that is not supposed to be there. It is not visible though and it is not in the way whan playing. Other than that I cannot find any flaws.

Nice looking guitar! Very beautiful!

I can depend on this one. I would use this without a backup ( for jazz gigs).

The hardware MIGHT have to be replaced sometime in a distant future. The pickup selector makes some noise in the amplifier when switching between pups (this does not bother me as I only use the neck pickup.

Even though I have given this straight nines (9), I am going to give it a 10 in overall rating, because it was so cheap! A real bang for the buck!
If you are looking for a cheap giggable jazz guitar, this is the one! I would not buy the Ibanez archtop series (they have very ugly lightening flash on the headpice :)).

This is a beautiful guitar with superb tone. I believe that with the right technique, this guitar can sound like pat metheny and also more like a "traditional" jazz guitar.

Finish: Vintage Sunburst (Tobacco). Tune-o-matic bridge added to allow better intonation. 25.5 scale. Gibson Classic 57 pickups added as upgrade (although EPI pickups are really not that bad). I give it a ten in this category because it has all of the features needed for a archtop/jazz guitar.

Nice, full, deep clean jazz sound. I use bridge pickup exclusively. The tone knobs are much more responsive than other Epiphones and Gibsons I have owned or played. It sounds best with the tone rolled off for a true jazz tone. Excellent for a guitar in this price category and higher.

I can't comment on the factory set up as I purchased the instrument used. However, I was amazed at the workmanship and very impressed.

Like any archtop, it takes a little more care, but honestly it seems like it will endure. I don't think you should ever play a gig without a backup, but I'm very confident in the reliability of this guitar.

Have never had to deal with Epiphone (I own two...the other is a Riviera). Haven't heard much positive about their customer support.

YOU CANNOT BEAT THIS GUITAR FOR THE VALUE!! Yes, there is some difference when compared to a Gibson for instance, however not several thousand dollars worth of difference. It is great for what it is designed for......jazz, early rock, etc. Don't plug it into a high gain amp and complain about it. Its not designed for that. If you're looking for sweet tones and a very playable neck/fretboard, then serously consider this guitar.

Epi Broadway, i believe i have a 2006 model... made in korea... natural finish.... you know the rest of the story

like other reviewers have said, this is a JAZZ BOX. it sounds best CLEAN with some REVERB....

before i bought this guitar, i had been 'borrowing' my band mates epi dot deluxe, and i really loved the neck pickup tone, and the way the neck felt in my big hands moreso than my trusted fender tele. so i decided to buy one for myself. however, i played a bunch of hollowbody and semihollowbody guitars, and this broadway was the one that sounded the best to my ears.

WARM WARM CLEAR CLEAN LUSH RICH FULL.... get the idea?

i play rock music and the only tone this guitar doesn't do well is the "pumpkin sound" ie big fuzzy creamy distortion. but everything else sounds great.

the action from the factory was a tad high for my taste. easy fix
the pickups are just right. if anything i might heighten the bridge pickup, but only to make it have more bite.

i haven't found any flaws yet, i have had it for a month. the toggle switch seems flimsy, but if it breaks i'll just get a gibson. everything else seems to be up to par.

reliability and durability have yet to be seen. only 1 month with it so far. always have a backup at your gig, just because. so far it's been trouble free and i have played it every day since i got it.

i play this or a "partscaster" (american parts) thru a boss gt3 into a 1980 silverface fender twin reverb. twin stays at master volume 8, channel volume 2.3, treble 8.5, middle 8.5 bass 4.5 reverb off. plug in any guitar straight in and you'll find out if it's a good instrument. the only time i dont' play the broadway is when i'm going for that pumpkins tone... then i get out the tele.

i played a bunch of archtops and semi hollowbodys, a bunch thru various clean amps, and the broadway spoke to me. it was too expensive, but sometimes you just gotta spend some money.

i think it's rediculous that it didn't come with a case at all. i told guitar center if they wouldn't give me a hardshell case then no sale. they threw in the hardshell case for free.

i've been playing for 14 years.

The gold plating on this guitar is a waste of time. It will be gone within the first year resulting in an older look.The stock Frequensator tail doesn't add much to the looks.(replace) The rosewood bridge takes some fussing to get the guitar in tune. The bridge on this particular guitar is too high for my liking (replace)I don't like grover tuning pegs so they'll be going soon. The plastic nut is really bad (replace)the input jack shorts out because it is loose and needs some work (again)and change the tail.

The pickups are fine but I screwed them down. I put on a set of ghs burnishe pure nickles roundwound 009-42 and they sure brought out some great sounds from this guitar. (Also try Gibson Brite Wires and flatwounds)The tone is fantastic for jazz and would be very suiting for large orchestra playing and advanced solo playing.

The antique black spray paint over the honey colored spruce sound board looks cool if I were wearing chaps and a ten gallon hat and had my name pasted in day glow pink,white and green lettering on the sound board. The binding, inlay are great.As I say, the antique sunburst looks like a guitar for a country band. If your playing jazz go for the natural finish.

This guitar is great for jazz and at the price it would be hard to go wrong.Do some replacements (if you like) and you'll have a great jazz guitar that will last for years.

Been playing for amost 40 years. Would I buy this again YES! (but not the antique sunburst finish)

Very nice looking guitar.I have changed pick ups to Gibson 57
Classics, saddle to Grap Tech, bridge to Gibson tune-o-matic and tail piece to Gretsch/Bigsby vibrato.

This guitar works perfect in rockabilly,blues and rock'n'roll.I play with plastic thumb pick and brass(cobalt plated) fingerpicks. 011-strings and late 70's Fender Deluxe Reverb(Blackfaced mod). In rockabilly stuff I use Dynacord Echocord S62 for slap echo. No other effects.Pick up-selector is most in middle position...

Guitar needed some work, but mainly everything was ok.

Everything is ok.

I've been playing 32 years. I own also National Duolian 1931 and Kay
archtop from 50's. These are my blues machines...But at this moment this Epiphone Broadway is the most important guitar for me ...it works.

This is a Korean made Broadway from around 2000? that I bought used, but in excellent condition. The top is an arched laminated spruce with laminated maple sides and back. The neck is painted, but is likely mahagony w/ a rosewood fingerboard. The headstock is the large retro Epi style with a tree-of-life inlay and no-name cast tuning machines. The neck is inlayed with pearloid block and triangle markers. The body has multiple bindings and the shell pickguard is thick and bound as well. There are two Epiphone humbucker pickups, the usual four control knobs, and a 3-position toggle switch on the bottom upper bout. The cutaway is venitian style. The guitar is finished in a sunburst that fades from a honey to a dark cabernet. The tailpiece is a Frequesator type and the bridge is rosewood. All hardware is gold plated. The guitar comes with a flat plywood case.

I have read people slamming this guitar on other sites. Incredible as it seems, some people actually think they can play heavy metal on this guitar (Ted Nugent and his Gibson Byrdland excepted)! This guitar is fully hollow, without the center 2x4 found in ES335 type thin lines. Additionally, it is a spruce top intead of maple giving it an even richer acoustic sound. It's not as acoustic as say the Epi Zepher Regent, but much more so than the Epi Joe Pass, Riviera, Sheraton II, et al. It will not handle being overdriven or an environment with alot of feedback. This model was made for accentuating the acoustic tones of a cleanly amplified guitar. BB King string benders should look elseware as well. The thicker gauge strings that are designed to bring out the best in this guitar don't bend well. Nor is the wooden bridge ideal for bending. Look to the thin lines with stop tailpieces and lower action for that style. This guitar is made for jazz, period. It has a fine unplugged sound (to me this is most important). Plugged in with a touch of reverb will dial you in to that classic jazz sound. The spruce gives this guitar it's unigue sound, but at the price that it is more vibration sensitive than a similar maple top model. If it was based on acoustic sound alone, I would give it a 10, but the pickups sound muddy and it is difficult to achieve a sound that is both loud and clean. My practice amplifier may be part of the problem and I intend to replace the neck pickup and go to a larger amp.

The finish of this guitar is really unbelievable. For all the binding, there is only one small flaw that I could find and that was a razor thin gap between the neck and one edge of the nut. The inlays are near perfect (are all these now done with a lazer?) The gold finish is awfull, however. This must be the thinest electroplating ever. I can see keeping the cost down, but I would rather have thick chrome than thin gold. If you buy a guitar like this, be prepared to fiddle with the bridge as intonation is approximate at best. I have heard of people replacing the bridge with a metal adjustable version, but I think that would sacrifice the acoustic tone that makes this model special. The toggle switch is another dud. It goes in and out in the middle position and should be replaced. The pickups should be replaced, but not an immediate concern. I do all of my playing in the neck position and may replace just that one.

This guitar easily takes live playing and is a solid product as one would expect from an Epiphone in this price range. As I said, the gold finish on the harware is very poor. I would rather pay another $50 for thicker plating or have had it done in chrome. For those that like a vintage look, you only have to wait a few months and the hardware will take on a 50 year fade. Like I said, the toggle switch is a POS, but can be replaced for a couple bucks. The tone/volume knobs are nothing special and should be replaced based on looks. Everything else is solid.

Never dealt with them, nor to be honest would I ever try.

I've owned may guitars and play in many styles as the mood takes me. Don't get the wrong idea, I love the string bending blues styles of the three Kings as well as rock through death metal distortion and have played those styles on a variety of solid and semi-solid body guitars. IMHO this guitar wasn't meant for those styles. Think chord melody. I compared this guitar to the Epiphone Zepher Regent and Joe Pass models and the Ibenez Artcore models of similar price.

2004 Epiphone Broadway, Vintage Sunburst, Made in Korea. Features have been summarized here alraedy (no changes for 2004). The binding, tort. shell pickguard and nice headstock inlay bump this to a 10 for a guitar in this price range. The Ibanez Artcore series (hollowbody) is close in features.

A very rich, full sounding guitar as expected with a big hollowbody like this one. The sound, through a Polytone MBII is very articulate. The guitar came strung with a set of 12-54's (roundwound, plain 3rd), which are fine. I have no intention of replacing the stock pick-ups, although I had planned on it before buying it. They really are nice sounding. Quiet, mellow, full, clear, no muudy lows or piercing highs. Good range of tone control with the two tone pots and volume control's perform well. The three way toggle switch is fine. Quiet and no problems. Perhaps Epiphone (Gibson) has reacted to the past criticism of this? Feedback at volume is no different than any other hollowbody. Easily controlable. I compared this to the Ibanez Artcore series and the Epiphone was clearly superior sounding to my ears. The Artcore was a bit "nasal" sounding, with weak highs and muddy lows at volume. In fairness, the Artcore was $300.00 (Can.) cheaper than the Epiphone.

Superbe. Simple as that. I am so anal about fit and finish. I checked inside with a small mirror and was impressed with the neatness. No glue drips or wood shavings. Wiring was neat and tidy and securely harnessed together. The nut was absolutely perfect. I'm wondering if the store touched it up? It was profiled properly, string slots cut just right (not too deep). Man, Gibson should take serious notice here. Frets were well done with no sharp edges or high spots. Tuners were straight and aligned (again, Gibson should take notice!). Floating bridge was cut properly. I don't know how many guitars I've gone through with consistently sloppy work in one or more of the above noted areas, including many Gibsons and a few Fenders. Full points earned here.

I will give a no opinion here, because I would be speculating. The finish and construction are top notch, I have no quams there. I expect the gold finish to eventually wear off, it's always so cheesy and lame.

I have no experience here.

I really can't fault anything on this guitar. I tried an ES-175, which sounded quite nice, but had some sharp fret edges, a finish flaw, and a binding flaw. It was $3,100.00 Can. No thanks. I have been playing for some 20 years and favour jazz and blues. I've owned a ES-135, a 137, a 335. I currently have a 333 and a Telecaster. I play professionaly and will not hesitate to use the Broadway. The neck is comfortable, the frets are well done, and the pick-ups are excellent. Drawbacks include a low re-sale value (if that's important to you), and the "stigma" of an imported guitar (jazz circles are very conservative). That seems to be changing though. I have to honestly say, in my opinion, that the Broadway rivals Epiphones own "Elitist" series, and certainly the Gibson stuff. it is a noticeable step above the Ibanez Artcore series in sound and build/material quality (but it's more expensive as well). You really do have to play one though, and grab an ES-135 or 175 for comparison. You can draw your own conclusions. I am extremely pleased with this instrument and am looking forward to many years of enjoyment from it. Well done, Epiphone.

I suppose my broadway was made in Korea like most other epiphones. It's a standard model and with an antique finish (which i find very nice by the way, surprising for a rather cheap guitar).
I got myself a hard case with that because i carry my guitar everyday at school (i study music) and i am quite satisfied by the fact that it doesn't get untuned so easily like other archtops.
I use .012 flat rounds and may i suggest to anyone using a broadway guitar to try flats once. they are fun to play with and sound very nice. a problem is in deed the wooden bridge, which not only cannot be tuned to perfection but i guess will have to be replaced one day because everytime you move it a little wood comes off.

This may sound weird but i like the fact that the screw that it used to tighten the neck or to loosen it is easily accessible, which i haven't found in that many guitars i tried.
For example, the strat (bleh) i have is terrible for that matter.

I bought this guitar for the sound it offered me... i must say that with tone set to 4 and flat .012's i am *VERY* satisfied concerning the sound. i can sound a little like pat metheny cough cough :)
no problem here

Action has 3 dead spots i've discovered so far... this is my only meaningful downside of the broadway i proudly own... i like to have a rather low action and my tenth fret sounds dead on the a and the d strings and there is also a dead spot on the thirteenth fret on the d string. the finish is really nice, it looks awesome.

here is another minor problem i've had with the guitar, like a lot of epiphone guitars (i heard) the controls get loose after a little while. the jack also tends to get loose after a while.

weirdly enough, i had problems with the pickup selector (the guitar stopped producing sound sometimes when i set the pickup to the middle) only when i first got it ... after a week or so it simply stopped happening.

I don't know yet if the guitar will live longer than a year ;)
The wood for this guitar, if it is used properly seems like it will in deed survive years of intense practice. the knobs though seem like they will fall off in a few months, unfortunately. but i consider this as a minor problem that can easily be solved.

i don'tk now and i don't want to know how epiphone will answer my problems. i'd rather not make use of their international help and go to my nearest guitar techie

I am 19 years old and i have been playing for 11 years now. I study music at school.
I currently also have a Godin Artisan ST which i also like a lot.
Oh and I have a Mexican/Japanese/American/Idon'tgivea* stratocrapster i paid 50$ in case i have to pop gigs one day. /me pees on it.

I chose this one because i like playing jazz and my godin artisan st, while having helped me a lot with jazz, sure sounds thin compared to this hollow body semi-acoustic. I thought it was a perfect compromise for my needs and my financial situation.
(oh and by the way pardon my (sometimes) bad english grammar, my native language is french)

Serial number indicates year 2000. Likely Korean. Laminated top, sides, back. Rosewood 20 fret fingerboard. Two humbuckers, associated knobs and switch, normal configuration. Neck of three pieces (maple), well done. gold hardware. It has every single feature necessary to this type of guitar.

I've been using it for electric jazz, traditional. The pickups are not original (were changed before I got it) so I'll skip that, but everything works as it should-- except the pickup selector switch, which is not very reliable (since I only play the neck pickup anyway, this does not affect me. Not a big deal to replace it). I don't buy the idea of different body types affecting pickups. Affecting how the string vibrates, yes. I'll say this-- I am surprised at how well it sustains, considering how acoustic it is. With a soundpost, I might be able to rock out a bit. Frankly, I like a guitar that fights back with squeals and feedback. Obviously there are limits. For higher levels, a guitar like this needs a soundpost and probably a notch/parametric filter.

One thing I dislike is the "Frequensator" tailpiece. I have it on a Emperor, too. It rings like a telephone (er, when telephones had real bells?). I got rid of that on the Broadway, replacing it with a tailpiece off (I think) a Joe Pass model. VAST improvement. Looks better, too, IMHO.

The neck is pretty much like every Epi full-size archtop. It's a tad sharper at the edges-- not much rollover-- which suits me since I like a little wider fretboard and I don't hang my thumb over the top like a wild thing anyway. It PLAYS beautifully. Very fast neck. back to front it is flatter than the one on my '95 Emperor. About as good a neck as I've ever played, and much better than most.

The finish work is better than I felt I had a right to expect from such a reasonably priced guitar. It's fine. There are little places I could pick nits about but nothing ugly and nothing affecting playability. It's a GUITAR, not some object d'art in the Smithsonian.

Of course it's a giggable guitar. It's an Epi. A few little changes like the pickup switch, pickups (there's WAY too much choice out there these days to stick with stock pickups) and it's as solid a guitar as you could wish for. The gold finish is known to wear off on these Epis, but that's largely a matter of how acid a person's skin is and his habits. For a guitar of this price, it seems about normal to me.

I'd trust this guitar as much as any, to gig without a backup. I mean, if I brought a backup, it wouldn't be because I don't trust the Broadway.

Been playing 35 years, traditinal jazz, bluezy jazz, and rough blues. I love these big "jazz-boxes" (a term I don't care much for but what the heck), and have a few. Amps: '64 Bassman, Blues Junior (with a Weber Chicago, man what a combination!), Champ 12 (I liked dimed small amps), Dual Showman, and a few homemade tubers, basically Deluxes-- Tweed, Brown, Blackface.

This guitar, like most 17" archtops, falls in my lap just like my girlfriend of many years standing. Fits. Perfect. Other guitars invite me to get bluesy, even thrash some. This one coaxes jazz out of me like a nice sports-car invites you to use the accelerator. I smile when I play this. I smile when I look at it hanging on the wall. I like everything about it.

One of this guitar's best attributes is that, if it was lost, wrecked, or stolen, I could make a phone call and have another one before I hung up (OK, a week). I have custom guitars. They make me worry. Not this puppy. I know it must seem weird that I say I love this guitar, and yet at the same time wouldn't get all bent if it got stolen or something, but that's the way it is. I DO, however, take very good care of it. It deserves that. After all, it takes care of me.

My Broadway is a 2001, Korean-made model with 20 or 21 frets. The top is laminated spruce with semi-figured maple elsewhere. Everything is bound, including the two f-holes. The body is 17" wide at the lower bout and 3" deep - all hollow with a single, rounded cutaway.

This baby is a full sized jazz archtop with a 25.5" scale. The neck is a multi-piece maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. The neck is slim and narrow (1.68") like msot modern archtops.

The dual Epiphone '57 Classic humbucker pickups have been replaced with a gold-covered Gibson '57 Classic (8k ohms) in the neck and a Classic Plus (9k ohms) in the bridge. During the pickup upgrade, the pickup selector switch was replaced with Gibson hardware for better performance and reliability.

Additionally, a tune-o-matic bridge (ala ES-175) was added in place of the rosewood bridge-saddle. As such, I can switch back and forth as desired. The gold locking tuners are stock and work great.

The guitar sports a natural finish with the surrounding maple being slightly darker in hue than the spruce top. The fingerboard inlays are real - not plastic sheets. In fact, these fancy inlays are only shared by the Broadway, Regent, and the Riviera, while all other Korean-made Epi archtops use the plain, silver grey plastic inalys. All in all a very pleasing sight to say the least.

I have the Epi case made for this guitar, but the guitar does not come stock with it. Plan on an additional $100 outlay, but it's worth it.

For what it is - a jazz archtop, it has all the features I want and need. I'd give it a 10, but it doesn't have a "ton of features" like the category grade says. So, in deference to guitars with a piezo pickup, on-board tuner, and coil tap switches, I'll give the Broadway a "9".

This guitar was created with one thought in mind - jazz! Though I play other styles, this guitar is my jazz box. I use it exclusively for that.

I run the Broadway into a 1996 Fender Princeton Chorus amp for excellent jazz tone. I only use the on-board stereo chorus on the amp and play only on the clean channel. Beleive me, for lower volume playing - duo stuff, that's all you need.

This guitar is not noisy when idle or when playing or when switching the pickup selector.

Rolling back the volume or tone controls gives me darker jazz tones. I can brighten things up a bit by running both pickups together.

Acoustically, this guitar sounds quite good! Better then my ex-Joe Pass model. I don't play acoustically, though.

For jazz and clean pop, this guitar is excellent. There is nothing I dislike, so she gets a "10" in this category.

This gutiar is in perfect shape! Still has that new smell! Plays fantastic even with the 12's with which she's now strung. No annoying buzzes or weird noises either! All cosmetics are perfect, too. I can't say enough... OK, there is a little rough edge on the fretboard where it joins the neck in a spot or two. With that, she gets a "9".

This guitar was made to play live. hardware will last just fine as long as you don't use a metal polish which will take the gold plating off. The finish is excellent.

Haven't needed them on this guitar, but Epi has come thorugh in the past on other guitars with no hassle support.

I've been playing about 10 years on and off over the last 25 years. I play in a rock/blues band currently and have other guitars and amps to handle that stuff. The Broadway is my dedicated jazz box which I use primarily for self-enjoyment. I also own a Gibson ES-137P semi-hollow archtop, Fender Super Amp (tube), the Fender Princeton Chorus amp, and 5 or 6 pedals.

I've owned lots of guitars - Gibson ES-135, ES-135LE, Epi Joe Pass, Epi Regent, DeArmond X-155, 70's Lyle L5 copy, 70's SLM Howard Roberts Artist copy, '61 Gretsch Clipper (6186), and a whole host of other jazz and non-jazz guitars. Sadly, all have been sold over the past few years...

Amp-wise, I've owned SFSR, SFPR, BF and SF Champs, Sunn T50C, Marshall tube stack, oddballs like Alamo Capri/Gibson small amps, and many others.

Overall, I'd say that I am very, very pleased with this guitar. I love those Gibson '57 Classic humbuckers on this guitar, though on others I found them to be bright. The playability is perfect as is intonation. No complaints.

Would I buy it again? If I got the same exact deal? Heck, yes. Do I still want a Heritage Super Eagle? Yes... and a 50's ES-175 as well as a 60's Gretsch Country Club... you get the idea. I want it all! Which guitar player doesn't?

Untilt he time that I become a millionaire arrives, I am finding this Broadway to be mroe that suitable for my level of play and tonal expectations. It's the best jazz tone I've gotten to date from all mypreceding guitars, including my Epi Joe Pass which I heavily modified.

Oh, a word about the Epi Joe Pass... I sold mine and regretted it, whcih prompted me to buy this one. To get an idea how serious I was about my Epi Joe pass, why not visit my site:

http://www.geocities.com/oasysco/joepass.htm

and see for yourself. It is the definitive site on that gutiar as you will see. That said, I like the tone of this Broadway every bit as much and perhaps even a tad more.

I give the Broadway a "10" in this category, not because it is such a "Fantastic Value", but because I couldn't be happier with it.

At $800 for the guitar, $100 for the case, $300 for the dual Gibson pups installed, and another $50 for the tune-o-matic bridge, $1250 might not seem like such a "Fantastic Value". But having owned a $1,100 Gibson ES-135LE as well as an Epi Joe Pass that I had almost $1,000 into, the $1250 spent on the Broadway was well spent!

2002; maple sides and back, spruce top--this is important, I think, because I genuinely believe the spruce gives it a warmer acoustic sound. natural finish. true hollow-body--and big and fat (3" wide). I give this a '7' for the spruce and the rect/tri inlay and the binding on the sides, neck, f-holes, and the pickguard. I wouldn't give it more than that, just because of the pickups--which still sound great.

I bought this because I'm into jazz/swing and western swing. I've played tons of archtops--most of which cost a thousand bucks more. This has the best sound for anything I've played under $2k. Gibson's ES-175 sounded better plugged in, but, not as good, IMHO, acoustically. I won't play this acoustically at a gig, but I think it's important to start with the best unplugged sound you can get. Pickups are upgradeable. This could do jazz/swing/rockabilly--maybe blues, too, but I'm not a blues player.

Setup was very good. No complaints. Came with flats-11's. The finish isn't perfect, but it's very close, and i've been over this thing with a magnifying glass.

I'm used to playing acoustics exclusively, so I don't figure this one'll be any harder to take care of. And I just picked it up today, so, can't comment.

No contact as yet.

For the money, I don't think it can be beat. But that's largely based upon the fact that it has the sound I want--which is the most subjective thing in the world...I would've loved to buy purely American, but I would've had to lay down an additional 1000-1500 bucks to get the sound I wanted. Money I do not have, needless to say. I may upgrade the pickups in the future, but unless I succumb to buyer's guilt and return it, I think I'll be very happy with this guitar for a long time to come.

This is a 2001 model as specified in the seriel#. I think it must have new Gibson designed pickups as stated on the tape that covered them.... what a drag since you have to clean the goop off. This "IS" a jazz guitar and dont have any doubts about it ! Two gold plated humbuckers,rosewood stepped bridge,freqentsator tailpiece,extreeeemly nice inlays,medium light roundwound strings....they ought to be shot for this is a jazz guitar......etc...Plain maple body & spruce top,with rosewood fretboard and all gold hardwear. 17" X 3" body...nice!

I try to play jazz and blues mix without a great deal of success but I dont care I injoy it .....for about 37 years of injoyment!I play it through a converted Fender Quad Reverb(to 2X12 instead of 4X12). What a rich but bright full jazzy body this one has. I have read all the other reviews and some are on and others are off. I cant explain this, maybe its like a new model car... bad times in the beginning and time heals. Or maybe others are just expecting to find the all-a-round guitar, the answer to the alpha and omega....Who knows? To me "IT'S GREAT"

Here we go again... it "WAS THE WORSE SETUP IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND'. The guitar would not play out of the box. Yes I ordered it by internet.But after about an hour it was playing as pretty as it looks, and boy does this Ant.Sunburst look like a $4000 guitar. Purfling was beautiful as was all the finish. The only down side was one of the pickups had a lot of scratches on the side where it looked as though someone was drunk trying to set it up at the Factory. Beautifull frets but too square on the edges, it is roughon me fingers! They really nead to start rounding them off a bit.

It should be as dependable as any other jazzbox.

Not yet....

Great Buy! DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN & AGAIN &>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

2000 Model, natural finish with Gold hardware. Spruce top, Maple sides and back. Frequensator Tailpiec and 3-way toggle.Rosewood Neck with nice looking inlay. Came with a Rosewood Bridge and Gotoh Tuners, which even Epiphone didn't know!. Nice Binding and a very well made product. The Guitar was outstanding out of the box and the best bang for my buck. After having the Neck Set up it really was nice then i did the following - Replaced the Rosewood Bridge with Schaller Tune-O-Matic roller Gold and replaced the toggle switch to a Gibson and replaced the Epiphone Pick Ups with Gibson Classic 57'S - Did I say that this Archtop sounds as good as any guitar i can find.I didn't have to make the changes because the guitar sounded great but i figured that for the price i paid i might as well invest in it. And i am in love with this thing.

With the changes i made the Broadway is just sweet and is perfect for the Blues which is where i am at. I use a Musicman HD212 old (early 70's)Amp and a DOD-GS30 Effects unit.

Like I said, this guitar came out of the box just great. I did have the neck and action adjusted to my particular taste but it was very good. The three weak areas on any Epiphone Guitar is the Pick Up's, the Toggle Switch and the Bridge. Not they are bad but this is where they save money. I suggest replacing these three if possible but at the very least change the Toggle Switch, it will break!

Archtop Guitars are always more delicate the solid body guitars due to the floating bridge and the type of Tailpiece. If you know how to set the bridge ypu will be ok. I play out always and don't have any problems. The guitar is as reliable as anythig esle in this world. But you must change the switch because it will break!

If you registar your guitar and use their web-site tech-support center as well as their forum which is all on the Gibson Site you WILL - NOT have any problem. They are very quick to help and are very pleasent to deal with. I used their advice to make the changes i made and they where dead on. Gibson/Epiphone customer support makes Fender look sick. I am selling all my Fenders and going back to Gibson all the way.

Been Pplaying for over 20 years and was mostly a Fender nut. If it where stolen i'd be really upset and i may replace it but then again i may buy a real Gibson and save the upgrades.FYI: I am a real shopper, not so much for the price but i am always comparing spec's.If you can't afford a Gibson or you are just getting started the Epiphone Brand is excellent and you can always make the upgrades. I went with the Epiphone because i didn't really know if i would like the Archtop type guitar. Now i know what i want and i also love the Archtop.

Recent model bought in 2000. L-5 CES copy, Frequensator tailpiece (some strings are not long enough!), 3 inches thick as opposed to L-5's 3 1/2. Standard two humbucker setup with a toggle switch and a pair of volume/tone controls. The top is laminated spruce. I saw the laminations when I replaced the toggles switch; there are two thick layers of spruce and some veneer. The back and sides are plain maple. Fingerboard is rosewood. Rosewood wooden floating bridge. The brochures say that the guitar has a three-piece neck - what a joke! There are three pieces, but not longitudinaly split, as you would expect. One piece is the headstock, attached in a really strange fashion, the other is the neck itself, and the third piece is what extends over the top. The guitar came with a hardshell case that seems to be made for dreadnaught-style guitars

I use it for jazz. I use a Boogie Mark I. The guitar absolutely kicks ass. The sound is excellent. Geat jazz sound. Great sound with little distortion. Big, fat sound.

Great playability. I had lighter strings on it for a while and the upper frets were buzzing a bit, but with 13 - 54 there are no problems. The neck feels great.

Seems reliable enough.

Don't know

I've been playing for 30 years, have a degree in music. I own a Heritage Golden Eagle and use the Epi for more electric situations. I also want to install RMC pickup on it for piezo sounds and synth access. I compared it in the shop to a Heritage Eagle, some Gibsons, and other guitars and the Epiphone won hand down. It's got some dead notes, but most archtops do. If it were stolen, I may get something else or replace it. I think it was a bit too expensive, but overall it's still a great deal. Don't waste money on expensive Gibsons!

This is a followup to my original review. I had the modifications done ( Gibson gold tune-o-matic bridge, Gibson gold tone and volume knobs, D Addario EGC25 high finish ribbon wound light gauge strings, neck truss rod adjusted, intonation adjusted. This guitar is pisser!!

Really nice fat jazz and decent twang depending on what pickups are selected. Plays real smooth and easy, flatwounds make sound and playability super. Great blues sound!

Action is perfect . The flatwound strings are like silk and play really nice.

This is a archtop hollowbody. Don't drop it. It looks like no other guitar i've ever seen... a real beauty. All gold and natural finish (my dog put paw marks on it one day but they polished out with simi-chrome mold polish, still looks perfect!) I will use this guitar for most all of my playing now. It looks,plays and sounds awesome!

Lifetime warranty, register online.

If you ever go to Cape Cod check out The Guitar Shelter in Buzzards Bay. They setup this guitar perfectly and for a decent price (guitar cost $750, setup with new bridge, flatwounds, knobs and neck and fretwork was $75) Only complaint was that factory setup, well good, still needed a little customizing to make perfect (dont all guitars need a little personsonalization though?) Go to the Epiphone web site and check out their instruments. "Goldie" is perfect now!!

I got an Epiphone Broadway electric guitar for myself for Christmas 2000.This is an electric archtop. This guitar has a natural finish, 2 pickups, 4 control knobs, Epiphones "frequensator" tailpiece. The guitar plays pretty nice. Has a "medium" thick neck (not as wide as a jazz neck, not as thin as a Strat)
The A string buzzes a bit and I'm thinking of changing the strings from medium gauge "round wound"(the ones the guitar came with) to light/medium light flat or "half flat" wound strings (if I can find strings long enough to fit the freqensator tail piece). I also am thinking about changing the bridge from the wooden bridge (can't adjust intonation) to a Gibson replacement "Nashville" type bridge , I'm going to have to check out which would be the best bridge to change as I hope I can just put the "adjustable" part of the bridge (the piece thats used to adjust intonation that the strings lay across) on top of the height adjustment knobs of the "bottom" part of the wooden bridge. I know Gibson makes 2 types of adjustable replacement bridges so this is something I'll have to look into. I think not having a bridge that you can adjust the intonation on is
possibly the worst thing with this giutar, but it does give it a nice mellow jazz tone using the top pickup. It doesn"t "scream" like a Les Paul but I don't think its actually designed to play "metal/hard" rock (Get an Ibenez solid body and play like Joe Satriani). I'll find out if and when I change the bridge (I think I can get the kind of bridge I want for another $50 and flat/half flat strings will be another $10. I'll see if it screams then).

I play all kinds of music but this thing seems to be suited to blues, jazz and less than "heavy metal" rock. I've played about 30 years (off and on). I'm no way a professional musician but have a pretty good "laymans" idea of guitars. For the price ($750) this is a good deal. The thing has nice tone, good sustain and harmonics (I need to see what different string sound like for harmonics, bending , hammering as the strings it came with are a little stiff for my playing)

This is a nice guitar actually beautiful. I didn't see any flaws,shines up nice with guitar cleaner and a little lemon oil.The adjustment knobs work good throughout the full range (no dead spots or tone/volume "jump" at small adjustments). Gold plated hardware looks a little thin. This is a Korean built guitar but it is "set up" in the USA. The nuts and frets are smooth, the pickup selector works the way it should. I play through an Epiphone EP-SC210 amp (has reverb,chorus) and it sounds VERY NICE. The freqensator tailpiece gives the tone a "bright" tone

After playing this guitar for about a month I have to say I like it better every day (I play when I get home from work for about 1/2-1 hour just about every day and jam with some other "friends" for a couple hours 2 or 3 times a month. I haven't broken any strings (yet) but don't really know if changing the bridge and strings will effect this. I think this would be a good guitar for someone like myself (a non-professional or semi professional). Its not a Gibson,Gretch or Heritage but for the price (half the price of a Heritage, 1/3 the price of a Gibson) It will do just fine and I will use it as my main guitar (I have several other "mid range" guitars, strat, Ibenez, older Aria and have played Gibson ES335,Les Paul, SG, Tele, Strat ..many others and I would buy this guitar again without hesitation). This is not a "high end" guitar. I would like to have tried playing an Ibenez archtop to compare it to but I think a "high end" Ibenez hollow body arch top is in the $2000-3000 range

You can register the Warranty on line at the Epiphone/Gibson web site. Has a lifetime (one owner) warranty.

If you are looking for a decent, reasonably priced "all around" guitar with good playability, nice tone, and great looks you might want to look at this one. Its not a solid body and the body is kind of thick (its not a "thinline" hollow body). Has good sound projection unamplified also. Doesn't have a vibrato "wammy" bar and is a little "buzzy" but for the price I give it a 10+

This is a 1966 model as the serial no. and blue label designate. The finish is an Amber to iced tea burst or honey mustard burst in different lighting conditions.The Neck,rims and back are a walnut colour. Top is Laminated Maple with maple back complimented by mahogany neck and sides. Rosewood fretboard complements the Mop Inlay on the board and headstock. This is a Gibson made guitar but as many Epis of that time, it has a thin neck in contrast to the Jumbo neck Gibson was placing on the larger Jazz instruments .
The guitar has 2 chrome finished(not Nickle) Mini-humbuckers with 2 volume and tone controls. The 17 inch body projects a more full sound yet mellow with the rosewood bridge. There is a cutaway of course and this instrument is a full depth guitar unlike the Sorrento model which is a similar shape but on a thinline scale. Tuners look like Klusons with mother of toilet seat covering.

This guitar of course has a very Jazzy sound but can hit some real nice highs with the mini hummers. The pickups are out of phase at lower and highest volume so I can really mimic the intro to "Jive Talkin". I use 2 mid 60`s Ampegs with this guitar and can really get the Grant Green lead sound If I want. This guitar can get very loud without feedback even though it has no centre block. Traditional Jazz tone is no problem but a Beatles, country or even funk possibility exists with this instrument. Stevie Wonder had a guitar player who sported a Cherry Coloured Broadway during his early to mid 70`s funk period and Duke Robillard recently sold a 1958 model which looked strikingly similar but it had 70`s Gibson mini humbuckers. Sometimes it sounds a little too thin with low projection and roundness if strings are not completely new. A tuneamatic bridge would probably do the trick of solving that little quirk.

Pickups are slightly out of Phase and I probably will not change that for a while. The top and the back are reasonably detailed and the back is flamed maple stained by a dark walnut finish. Thank God it is not the ugly walnut colour seen on 335s but brown with a rich chocolate hue. The Nickel Plating is not worn on the tuners but most hardware including the frquensator is chrome and is in almost mint condition. No blemishes except one wear spot around the lower neck where the strap was wrapped around. You think Gibson or the first owner would have done this but in 1996 after 33 years of existence I had the first strap button installed on the neck. The rim already had one. guitar was sent to me already set up for 11`s

I have played this guitar through crappy pa systems and solid state amps and it always sounds good. The finish is in immaculate condition and this guitar will be with me for many years to come. I could use this amp without a backup due to its tonal versatility and would not be afraid to gig with it for long periods.

I ordered an American made Epi Sheraton from a store in Memphis back in the fall of 1993. The guitar never arrived and my sales rep called several times to find what was taking so long but they never responded with a truthful answer. I eventually got my deposit back but I was saddened by this episode because I really wanted the instrument. I later found out that only the stores authorized for custom shop or historic series sales could order the instruments so I talked to the historic series authorized sales rep in Memphis and he said they were not fulfilling his orders either. I have heard horror stories from Gibson authorized repair people on how difficult it can be to get assistance in customer service and ordering parts.

I love this guitar for many reasons and i traded 3 crappy korean Epiphones and 1 Japanese made Casino to afford this one. Did i get screwed on the trade? Yes most definitely except I have a guitar which blows all of the others away (except for the Japanese Casino)and my guitar will appreciate in value. The finish and vibe are timeless and the tone has been mistaken for a 335 because of the lack of feedback it is that good! It is also my opinion that Gibson has basterdized the Epiphone name by allowing another company to create the crap that is out there on the market and then put the Epiphone label on it. ! Pete Townshend even wrote a song concerning this matter. The finish on the new guitars is nothing like what is seen on my Broadway. The Emperor Zephyr Regent I owned had tremendous amounts of Polyurethane which dampened the tone. The Joe Pass model I have had to have all of the pickups and pots replaced and the neck inlay looked like scotch tape. The Cherry 335 I owned could sound good at times and flat at others. The Casino was a superb instrument and made at the same factory which made the Ibanez guitars according to what I have read. Maybe the newer Broadways are different from other Korean made Epis but I dont see how they could be since Samick is the manufacturer and selling the same instruments for $100 with different labels.It is a shame that to get a decent Epiphone today someone will have to pay hundreds of dollars to electronically upgrade an otherwise worthless instrument or pay $2,500 for a John Lennon model(which looks totally killer by the way). Epiphone/Gibson needs to do like Fender has done with Guild and keep the craftsmanship here in the U.S. while building on its past reputation and focusing on quality or otherwise it will fall back into the financial condition it was in in the 1970`s and early 1980`s. There is obviously a demand for the Epiphone reissue models as sales have continually grown over the past 10 years but eventually a competitor will come along and build a completely well rounded instrument and capture the market from the Epi division unless quality improves. Maybe Gibson will stop focusing on marketing and hype and take back responsibilty of th Epi name by taking Samick or whomever out of the manufacturing process and establishing the complete assembly points in Nashville, Memphis or even Montana. People will pay the difference in price because the final product will be that much better.

Standard archtop meets les paul set up. Two humbuckers and a hollow body. Beautiful gold hardware. Two volume, two tone and a three way toggle.

I play jazz and bebop blues. For that it's not too bad. It squeels when my amp is too loud, but just about any hollowbody does. I'm using a marshall 100 watt duel reverb combo into a 4X12 cab and it sounds fairly good. It doesn't deal well with loads of gain which is fine by me.

It's an Epiphone. It's not too bad, but not much to write home about either. For the price it's exactly what I expected.

I would never trust one hollowbody at a gig. But I don't know many that would.

Never had to deal with them.

I don't think I would buy this exact guitar again if I had the chance, but at the time it was what I wanted at a good price. I'd rather have one of the new Gibson 135's with the humbuckers in it. I hope they keep that option open. I'm not a p-90 fan.

1998 Model, I believe. Solid spruce top, laminated maple back & sides. 2 Epiphone humbuckers. Sunburst finish. 2 tones, 2 volumes. An absolutely BEAUTIFUL guitar, right out of the case. Finish is beautiful. As good as many Gibson archtops I had looked at.

I play a swing/rock-type thing with this guitar (think Brian Setzer), but also love blues rock (Black Crowes), and this guitar shines in both areas. I am going to replace the pickups with Gibson Classic '57s, but the Epi humbuckers really aren't too bad at all. (Probably not clean enough for straight jazz, though.) Acoustically, a very good sounding archtop, especially in this price range. It's the large body and spruce top. It sounds better than alot of (all-maple) Gibsons, in my opinion. It has a much more rich, open sound. Not tight. Electrically, it sounds like an old, beat-up rock and roller. (This probably due to less-than-standard pickups; but I like this sound- it's great for the music I'm playing!) A loose sound, electrically.
This guitar really "breathes" nicely, acoustically and electrically.

I bought this guitar from Eldery Instruments, which I have never had complaints with. This guitar must have been up on the wall for awhile, because the strings were in hideous shape, and the thing needed a slight bridge adjustment, truss rod adjustment, and a good cleaning. After that, it looked & played like it had just rolled off the factory line! The bridge pickup should be a little closer to the strings, maybe this is a problem with alot of archtops(?) I plan to address this problem, but haven't yet. Good action, a little buzzy on the E & A strings, but I haven't "dialed-in" the action perfectly yet. Nothing to worry about.
No finish flaws. Yeah, the inside of the f-holes might be a little "messy", as if they rushed through the job, but for $2000 less than a Gibson, that's alright with me!!

Everything seems very durable. I am using it live, with no problems so far. The finish is not thin...it's thick. Everything seems solid, no rattles or anything, and every day I own it, I like it a little more!

I'll be honest with you, Epiphone has given me absolutely rotten customers support over the last year. I'll never bother asking them for anything again, unless it's to honor my Epi Warranty. Elderly, on the other hand, are wonderful people. Never had any kind of problem with them, EVER.

I've benn playing for 14 years, this is my first archtop, I played ALOT of Gibsons ($1500-$4000 price range), and liked this Epi better than all of them. I would definitely buy this guitar again. I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting a good ELECTRIC archtop. If you were going to be playing more jazz/acoustic music, I'd recommend the Epi Regent- it's got a better acoustic sound, and a floatinf humbucker for a more natural electric sound.