Epiphone EJ-200

This a 2002 model, in ebony (it was in stock--I wanted natural--but there's a waiting list for those. Imagine that: for a Korean made acoustic. Gold tuners (that work!) Beautifully inlaid fret board and headstock, cool looking "mustache bridge--with gorgeous inlay work).

It came with no electronics, but more about that later.

This jumbo monster is laminated maple w/ rosewood fret board, so it's bright. I ordered the HSC case for the jumbo. At this price, why not?

Holy crap. I read the reviews before I bought, but I'm always skeptical about using the ears of others as a yardstick of how I might feel about a particular sound and its source. That being, I was not disappointed. I bought it as a stay-at-home, songwriting guitar, but with the few inexpensive modifications I did (got electric in my blood), it's going to its first gig this afternoon. Here's why:

Kicked around the idea of somehow wanting to amplify the EJ-200. I looked at all the options from Fishman, et. al., and read a few reviews on the Dean Markley "Sweet Spot" piezo. Strictly passive, under-bridge, not even a volume control. Popped 'er in, and plugged the jumbo into my Roland JC-77. Holy crap! I have never, ever heard a guitar, pick-up, amp combination (with just reverb and chorus, mind you) that swirls around the room and just drenches you in guitar. It is the most amazing live acoustic sound I've ever heard--and it's all analog.

Acoustically (which is what this supposed to be about--sorry, I'm just floored by the amplified version), this guitar is bright and full. I know it lacks some bottom end, but it is all maple, and the hard-woods have a tendency to brightness. All in all, I like the tone. It's great for flat-picking, and I've even pulled off some decent finger-picking. The guitar mellows out when it's strings are not being strummed or picked with a plectrum. You lose volume, but I think that the jumbo body helps increase the decay time, so it rings just enough. Most of the sound seems to come from the top, not out of the sound hole. Perhaps that's the reason that it sounds so good with an under-bridge pick-up. For a laminated top, it responds wonderfully; as close to an archtop as one can get, from my experience (think Howard Roberts).

It came from Musician's Friend and they use their generic set-up before shipping. One size does not fit all, so some personal adjustments were needed. Other than that, I was very pleased with entire package, from case to guitar. Not a high-dollar item, but it looks and sounds like it cost as much as the Gibson version. I had a Blues King Electro that didn't sound this good. This thing plays like butter, too. Typical Gibson neck and action. No buzzes. Nicely done.

Well, I'm using it live today. I sit and play, so the danger of lopping off the head-stock by hitting the ceiling fan while table-top-dancing is reduced. It's one of those dipped Korean guitars, and from experience, I know they're everything but stupid-proof. Run it over with you van, and it's gonna bust. Keep it in a decent LOCKING guitar stand, put it back in its case--and don't do a Lizzie Grubman on it, and everything should be Jake. It's a big bastard though, so be careful swinging it around.

Never needed. Lifetime (limited) warranty. Who's lifetime?

Been playing professionally (and unprofessionally sometimes) for over 35 years. Solo and ensemble work. My sound is very important to me. People hire me because they love my "sound," and expect to hear it when I plug in. I am, by no means, a provincial when it comes to instruments. I audition and purchase both domestic and imported gear, and--for the buck--the imports offer the best bargain. I support the American economy in other way--I don't feel I have any other responsibility to waste my hard-earned dollars on big-dollar American brands when an import of much lesser cost and almost equivalant quality. It's almost a moot point with many musicians. I see lots of Ibanez, Epiphone, and now even Jay Turser (the next Ibanez / Tokai collector's item, I believe. Awesome guitars and laughably low prices).

The only thing I wish this guitar had was nothing. I wanted to keep it simple, and it turned out better than anything I could imagine. A lot of that is in the JC-77, but I played my staple guitar--an Ibanez AE-30, through it, and though its Fishman system sounds great through the JC-77, the Sweet Spot, EJ-200, JC-77 combination just melts you.

Finally the Epiphone Ej200 arrived. I ordered it on January 7 and it showed up on May 7 - so there is a backlog for this guitar. As you have read in other reviews this is a copy of the Gibson J200. Since no one has given a history lesson on what the EJ200 is based on - here goes what I know.

Back around 1937 Gibson and Epiphone were competitors - and both manufacturers were starting to get serious about making flat-top guitars - at this time archtops were more common. So Epiphone made a very large flat-top at 16 inches. Gibson - not to be outdone made a flat top called the SJ or super jumbo SJ200 at 17 inches - so Gibson could call thier guitar the King of the Flat-tops. Back before WW2 Gibson was using Rosewood - after WW2 they went to maple. The neck on the Gibson sj200 or j200 is based on the L5 which was their best archtop jazz guitar of the time.

So the irony is that gibson now owns epiphone - first SJ200 was specifically built by Gibson to beat Epiphone - things go full circle given enough time. The neck on the epihone ej200 is moderately narrow and does play fast if you want to set it up this way - almost like a jazz guitar. The sides and back are laminate maple and the top is laminate spruce. I have the natural finish and this wood is very pretty with lots of nice yellow binding on the on the body and neck.

Some people may not like the all the decoration on this guitar - but I think it is very pretty - it is a country guitar based on a gibson design going back to 1937 and then re-issued in 1957. Lots of inlay on the rosewood fretboard, a rosewood bridge, gold plated Gotoh tuners - of medium quality. For the money $450 from zzounds with a decent hard case - I give this guitar a 10.

For a laminate guitar - the sound of the ej200 is amazing. I have played at two parties and everyone was asking me - what kind of kind of guitar is this? I never thought a laminate could sound this good -those Koreans must shave the wood pretty thin and use some kind of glue that transmits sound vibrations. Odd though the sound comes almost directly out of the sound hole? More so than my guild guitars.

When I first got the ej200 it needed some help - the action was too low and it buzzed. Also, the only cheap thing I didn't like was the plastic nut and saddle. So I payed a good guitar repair guy to make a new nut and saddle out of bone. The Sadle was tough - it is a compenstated sadle which means it has to be cut with angles for each string to get the intonation correct.

So for $120 I had the nut and sadle replaced and also had the guitar set up for medium level strumming with no buzz. The sound with the these two new parts will blow away many guitars that cost a whole lot of money. Set up was not cheap - but worth it if you want really good sound - also made it brighter, louder and bass is stronger.

The is the brightest guitar I have ever played - the highs resonate and literally sing. The bass is not boomy. The other thing I have to get used to is the volume this guitar can put out - it is loud if you want to be. Before the new nut and saddle I would give the sound a 7 - but with the new bone nut and saddle and professional set up this baby sings!

As I stated the factory set up was not too good. Also - replace the nut and saddle - either with bone (Water buffalo) or use that good synthetic plastic. The Sadle will be a pain in the neck to replace - it is almost 1/4 in thick - so Rob - my guitar fixer - glued two pieces of bone together and then cut the angles on the sadle to get the intonation correct. The Intonation is perfect. Really good - so the Koreans must have set the neck up right - the fretwork is decent.

All the wood on the guitar is perfect - no flaws on the finish - the fretboard looks very nice. So fit and finish are good - especially for the price. I have not put a pick up on this guitar - when I am playing for money I use my Guild D40 with LR Baggs - double barrel. Compare this to Fishman - see what you think?

I am only giving this category a 7 becuase I really think you need to replace the nut and saddle - then you will have a guitar that is a 10

The ej200 might just get on stage - it has a lot of showbiz in the looks and we'll see where we go with it.

I have only played this guitar at two parties so far. It stays in tune with no problem. The good side of laminate construction is that they are do not expand and contract as much as solid wood. The tuners are medium quality - not as good as my guild - but good enough for the money. This guitar is well made and will last - when you look inside - the construction is very neat - no sloopy glue or mistakes - I looked inside. Has two nice strap buttons - one on the bottom of the neck and one on the bottom of the guitar - solid.

A word of advice - when you are working - always have a backup guitar - strings can break. Shit Happens - and it happened to me once in front of a lot of people - so always have a backup.

I don't know about the customer support - I can say zzounds was very good about letting me know about the delays. There is a warranty - but I doubt I will need it. This is a well made laminate guitar.

I have been playing guitar a long time and bought the ej200 for fun. Studied classical, jazz, swing as a kid - had an old italian guy with lots of music degrees teach me how to play the guitar. Started playing at age 8 and now am 48. That's a long time - but with guitar you can always learn more.

If it were lost or stolen I would be very pissed. This instrument is fun to play - I would buy another - and then have to wait 5 months and then fix it up to play like it should.

I have two classical guitars - a guild Mark 3 - solid rosewood - nice classical sound. A Guild d40 - and a guild F212 - 12 string. The guilds have better base and better tuners and they are solid wood. The also cost about a $1,000 - street price and retail around $1,500.

So if you are tight on money and need a good jumbo or you want a less expensive guitar for parties etc. the epiphone is a nice guitar. Believe me - I wouldn't have spent this much time telling you about this guitar - unless I thought it was something very special for the price - just give it a new nut and saddle and this big guitar sings!

Made in Korea, 2002. Has Epiphone Gotoh tuners, and is really beautiful. Just standard features for an acoustic guitar, but somewhat strange that the back and sides are made of maple. Natural finish.

Very rich, full, thick sound. Bassy, but not so overpowering that you can't hear the treble strings. This is one of the best sounding guitars I have ever played.

Factory set up was very nice, I'm going to leave it this way I think. Low action, almost like an electric, with no buzzing. I don't see any flaws at all on this guitar, such a nice finish. The only thing I saw that probably wouldn't even be considered a flaw, just sloppiness, would an extension of a crayon mark under the tag visible through the soundhole, probably marked to identify the piece or something. But that doesn't bother me.

This guitar seems very sturdy, and heavy. The hardware seems tough, the finish also seems like it could take quite a bit before even scratching. The strap buttons seem solid, even one mounted on the heel so you don't have to buy one and install it there. I would depend on this guitar easily, under normal use. I wouldn't recommend taking a sledge hammer to it, however. I would use it without a backup probably.

The only bad thing with this guitar is I ordered it in December 2001. It is now May 2002. Epiphone was backordered when we ordered it. It was worth the wait though. I originally ordered a vintage sunburst finish, but it was going to be a while longer for that. So I had them change it to a Natural finish. I think these things are rare.

I've been playing for 2 years, I own various other guitars, including an Epiphone Les Paul (very nice as well). If it were stolen, I would buy another one just the same. I just hope the wait won't be as long. I compared it to one of its Gibson counterparts, the J-150 I think, and don't think I can tell a difference. I chose this one because of the price, why pay $1000 more for something that's nearly exactly the same? I plan on installing a pickup in it at some point. This is a great guitar! Buy one if you have a chance.

Mine was made in Korea. I never even removed the stickers. I bought it in Germany in '97, but I'm not sure when it was made; the Epiphone web site doesn't have information on the serial number. I was looking for an affordable jumbo worth playing, and the EJ200 was pretty much the only guitar in that class. Initially I would have preferred a solid top over the laminated one, but the guitar impresses me even so. Mine is natural colored, and the maple Body and neck are a joy to look at. The ornaments are, well, an aquired taste. Personally I would have preferred a copy of the less flashy Gibson SJ100. The one thing that I like better in the Epiphone copy than in the Gibson original is the hedstock. The brigde design is unique and works well. The stock tuners have never given me reason to even think about them, they just work well in an unobtrusive way.
I really like this guitar. That said, the overabundance of ornaments is the reason I give the EJ200 a only a 7 in this category. It's really a matter of personal taste though.

That soud is just impressive! I find it very clear and precice, the dynamic range is enormous, and it doesn't emphazise the bass as much as I had initially expected. It also has a very long sustain. After nearly five years the sound is still changing, improving actually. Figuring out what to do with that big sound took some trial and error. I play fingerstyle guitar with a repertoire ranging from delta blues to celtic instrumentals. I'm a reluctant singer, so the immediate problem was that this guitar was often too loud for my singing, and I have had to adapt my playing a bit. I found the EJ200 most useful for instrumental pieces with complex harmonies, especially slower tunes where I can show off the long sustain.
There is some, but not very much room for improvement in this category so it gets a 9.

The action was very questionable when I first bought it, and it took me some time to get it right. Something is to be said for the factory setup though: If you're playing slide in open tunings, it's really good and I used it as a template for the setup of my dobro. For an all purpose guitar the factory setting has ridiculously high action, and havin .12 strings on it doesn't help. I lowered the action by tightening the trussrod to the limit (and then some) without any altearations on the bridge or nut. The resulting low action makes for a good multi purpose guitar that I still can play good slide on. The strings should be .11 Everything else worked right away. I didn't find any major flaws when the guitar was new, but I wasn't too particular about them, because I expected the guitar to be my travelling /party/ messy gig guitar.
A great guitar, but only if you do the homework. That's why it gets seven points in that category.

This guitar will withstand a lot of abuse, in fact sometimes I think it's armoured. My roommate's enterprising cat once dropped my espresso machine on it (thanks, Oskar...) and all the damage that resulted was a minor scatch in the top. It's still the guitar I would play around animals and children and on parties. I've also used it on live gigs several times, and it's absolutely reliable.
As mentioned above over time the sound got better but nothing else faded or wore out, except the tuners that have picked up some superficial corrosion. I think this guitar will last a long, long time.
Gets ten points in this category but really deserves eleven.

I never even tried.

This guitar was mmeant to be the backup for my cherished '91 Yairi DY52 and Regal resonator guitar, to be played in places I wouldn't want to take te other two. Properly set up it exceeds all my expectations and finds it's place as the guitar of choice for large number of pieces. Strangely even with a lower action and the same strings bending is harder on the Epiphone than on the Yairi. The Jumbo body is a mixed blessing, because while it gives great sound, the position of my right arm (I play sitting down) takes some getting used to especially after playing the Yairi for a while.
When playing live, I amplify my guitars through a regular boom microphone, no pickups. Works well for all my guitars but best for the EJ200. I'm still looking for a hard shell case with backpack type straps like I have for my Yairi. That would make life much easier, after all the thing is fairly heavy. If I were to loose this guitar, I would most likely buy it again, although I might have a close look at a Gibson SJ100.
With some misgivings about the ornaments and the fuss setting up the action, the overall rating is still 9.

Laminate top. Black. Beautiful pickguard and inlays. No pickup though. Beautiful finish on the guitar, slightly splodgey stain job on the fretboard but it took me a week to notice and the punter's aren't gonna know are they? Only gave it a 9 coz no pickup and no cutaway. It's also got a really large radius on the neck which I didn't like at first but I've come to really love it. This is a beautiful guitar!

I bought it second hand and it hadn't really been looked after. It needed a bit of work on the neck and the saddle but nothing major. All the sorts of things you'd change anyway if you bought it straight from the factory. It has a beautifully warm sound. I'm going to buy a clip on pick up for it and pre-amp. Something that will compensate though for the tone and bring out the highs a little more. But acoustically, its an absolutley beautiful starting point! I'm using it mainly for accoustic rock and contemporary Christian music at the moment and it suits that perfectly. Also could do country very well on this guitar. Jumbo body size gives it a great tone unlike all this smaller bodied accoustics like ibanez keep putting out!

I'm not too sure what the action was like when this guitar was new. I bought it second hand, but you'd rarely find a guitar with perfect action right off the shelf. I had the guys in the shop raise the action for me a bit and put some shimmy under the saddle too to keep the strings from buzzing on the fret board but I think these were problems created by the previous owner, not the factory coz all the other reviews here say that new, the ej-200 has a very high action. The fit is fantastic and the finish... well, is not that fantastic on the fret board, a little splodgey, but it took me a week to notice and it's not bad enough that I'm going to do anything about it so it still gets a 10.

This guitar is a tank! Someone go drop one of these on Bin Laden and he'll know it!!! The tuners are fantastic, I can put it in the case for a day and it will still be in tune the next day unlike my other guitars. I'd use it without a backup defineately. Its a fantastic guitar, very roadworthy.

Well I've never had to deal with them but the store I bought it from was great. Fixed up the action and everything for me and didn't charge a cent for labour.

I've been playing for about 5 years and the jumbo's my first decent guitar that I wouldn't be embarrased to gig with. It has a fantastic sound and if it were stolen I think I'd probably cry. It has the most incredible tone and the neck is a joy to play. I compared it with a lot of guitars, a lot of them 3 times the price of the epiphone but only a 1/4 of the sound. Its a great guitar!

Lots of cool cosmetic features. Deluxe inlays, etc.
No factory electronics but they usually don't sound that good anyway.
Very well made

I've always loved the sound of the Gibson Jumbos but the price was out of my range since I only play acoustic occasionally. I saw this at Guitar Center and dug it. I was able to do a side by side comparison with the Gibson J200. There was suprisingly little difference in tone. The Gibson had a touch more low end but the Epiphone had a little more high end clarity. The Gibsons construction was better-flamed maple - solid sides instead of laminated but the sound of the Epiphone was VERY close to the Gibson and cost $2000 less!!!

The setup off the rack is very good, especially for a $375 guitar. I almost always have to tweak a guitar when I first get it but this one was fine right away. The action is low (better than most of the Martins and Taylors I played at the store!) The frets and fingerboard are very well dressed. The finish is clear, glossy and flawless.
This really is a great value for the $$$.

It's still pretty new but it seems like it should hold up very well. I have worked as a guitar tech for several local musicians (some now have gold records) and have built several custom solidbody guitars so I know my way around and this Epiphone is built quite solid.

Haven't had to call on this Epiphone but have called in the past about Gibson products and they were very helpful

I can't believe this guitar was so inexpensive. I would deffinately try to replace it. even if I had unlimited funds I would actually choose this over most of the guitars I tried that were in the $1000 range

This is Epiphone's version of the classic Gibson J(SJ)-200.
I would love to own the real thing someday, but I came across this and got a good deal on it (new)and have used it as my main acoustic for live gigs for nearly five years now. I believe these were made in Korea.
I had a Martin gold line transducer and bone nut and saddle installed right off the bat. The finish is very nice and even. The grain is also eye-catching. Nothing about it looks second rate and it should age nicely. The neck is fairly fast for an acoustic and is almost too easy to play, compared to some of the others I have. I belive the top is spruce and the sides and back are maple. It is a laminate, but I've been told this is more stable for live situations.

In the living room or mic'd in the studio it sounds very good, esp the highs and mids. In live situations a good sound man can really make it come to life from highs to lows. Solo onstage it can have a very full sound; as rhythm with a band is can be dialed in for what I seen called "the sound of a really good ride cymbal". That is kind of odd, but accurate. Maybe it's the spruce top, but this thing sounds pretty vibrant, even when you play darker stuff like drop D tunings.

In live settings I have also run the signal to an A/B box with one signal going to the DI and the other to my amp rig (Tube Driver/Tremodillo/Crystal Chorus/Echoplex (sometimes Proctavia) into my amp. Stomping on this at certain points really accents the mood of a song like howling into a canyon at the end of the world. Just be sure not to overdo it. You cry wolf and it's not as effective.

Frets needed to be dressed a little, new nut and saddle; set the action. Pickup added. Nothing unexpected.
Grain throughout, esp back, is very eye-catching.

I have been playing this out and in the studio for five years and it's been pretty durable. Broken strings and new batteries is all the maintenance I've done. Initially thought it would be more delicate due to the light weight, but it is light and tough. A few dings of my own doing, but only minor cosmetic stuff. I did splurge and buy a high quality hardshell case right away. Can anyone explain the concept of a gig bag to me?
PT Barnum was right. I love my guitar so much I'm gonna protect it with a nylon bag -- come on.

N/A

Other acoustics include '65 Epiphone Caballero (B-25 style), Ibanez version of J-200 (prob lawsuit era), Washburn, other mid 70s Epiphone 6 & 12s with bolt necks (these are surprisingly cool -- try the smaller body ones), dobro.

Lost or stolen, I would definitely keep this in mind - depending on my financial situation. I have written enough songs on it to know it has a very cool personality. Recording it has been very easy.

The love affair with these things is the body shape and the sound -there is a true aesthetic quality to the J-200 style. I'll stop short of comparing it to a good woman.

I played an old Gibson J-200 and an even older Epiphone Texan in stores and they sounded like angels singing. Both were far beyond my budget -- the Epiphone is my reality. If one turns up cheap and youare in the market, give it a try.

Mine was made in 2000, in Korea. Spruce top with maple back and sides, finished in Natural. Rosewood retboard. The finish is a beautiful high-gloss with no flaws that I could find. The grain of the various woods is very nice, although not quite as eye-catching as the flame on the real Gibson SJ-200s. The body is a "Super Jumbo" acoustic with split back. The neck and body are multiple bound, and there is extensive inlay work on the fretboard. The tailpiece is an Epiphone version of the Gibson "moustache" bridge that has inlays where the outside holes are on the Gibson. The tuners are Gotoh gold/chrome plated

The sound of this Jumbo acoustic is one of the best off-the-rack guitars I've ever played. I played several Gibson jumbos before buying the Epiphone, and the sound of the Epiphone compares favorably with the much more expensive Gibson that it is a copy of. My wife said she "couldn't tell the difference." It is strong and resonant, with rich full bass, and bright treble, and responds well to variations in attack.

My guitar came with 12s and the action is not as low as it could be. It doesn't buzz at any fret, and the frets are nicely polished. Overall the finish work is excellent. I own about 30-some guitars, several of which are Epiphones, and the EJ-200 is far and away the best finished Epi I own.

This guitar feels sturdy and inspires confidence. The hardware, tuners and the like are high-quality. The finish better than any other acoustic that I own, including Yamaha, Fender, Epiphone, Rogue, and Washburn. It has one feature that is really nice -- two strap buttons, one at the heel of the neck, with nice felt pads. As for whether I would use it without a backup - when they make strings that don't break, I'll consider ever playing anything without a backup!

Have had no occasion to need factory support, but the local Epi dealers are great guys, so I don't predict any problems.

I have been playing for over 30 years (yikes, how did I get so old?) I own too much gear to list, but a short version would include 16 tracks of ADAT decks, ProMix 01, 30+ guitars - including a bunch of Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, SGs, Ric 340-12 string, Sheraton, Zephyr Blues Deluxe, Wildkat, MM-50 Epi mandolin, acoustic 6&12 strings, keyboards, etc, etc... You can check out my setup and sample some of my tunes at http://home1.gte.net/wlburn. If my EJ-200 were lost or stolen, I just hope I could find another one (they're pretty hard to find!) So far, it's my favorite "sit-around-and-strum" guitar. I love the way it "feels" and the sound is very conducive to long sessions of jammin'. The only thing I could say I don't like about it is it has so much bass that it is hard to record, but I have several smaller-bodied guitars to use for acoustic tracks. This guitar works great for un-amplified live performance. I can't believe it's possible to get a guitar that looks this nice, has this quality of construction, and sounds so good for so little money.

My guitar was made in Korea in either '99 or 2000. It has 20 frets, and a solid, book-matched Englemann spruce top. At least it looks like an Englemann grain. The sides and back are a laminate with a natural finished maple veneer showing on the outside. The entire laminate may be layers of maple, but it's hard to tell. The neck is a solid piece of maple, and very pretty. The instrument is finished in a high-gloss polyurethane that looks like glass. I expect it to wear like iron.
The body style is a "jumbo." This Epiphone is a Gibson-authorized replica of the Gibson SJ-200 you've seen Emmy Lou Harris play. In fact, Pete Townsend is roaring away on the $4,000 Gibson version on the cover of the September 2000 Guitar Player magazine. My replica has the trademark "moustache" bridge, and a nicely compensated cast plastic bridge saddle. The tuners are locking "gold" Gotoh tuners.
The neck is one of the more interesting features of this guitar. Like most set-neck flat tops, it has a compound profile so that, up near the headstock, it's flatter and thinner from front to back of the neck. At the other end, near the body, it grows thicker as it curves down into the heel where the glued joint attaches to the body. What's distinctive in the EJ-200 neck is the profile over the middle of the neck, where you actually play the guitar. It's got a "V" profile, much like some 50s Stratocasters, with very little "shoulder" to get in the way of short fingers or a thumb curling around the edges of the fret board. I have small hands, so this is a big plus for me.
The neck is also fairly narrow for such a big guitar; 1.68" at the nut. This makes it easy (for me) to playwith minimal problems switching between my electric (a new Gibson ES-446s) and the EJ-200. If you play in a finger picking style, the neck may actually be too narrow, since the narrow nut puts the strings fairly close together. I'm a student of rock, R&B, folk, and country flat picking styles, so this neck is just fine for me.
I bought it with an Epiphone deluxe hard case, an Allen key for the truss rod, and a bunch of picks. Standard "extras," I supppose. The EJ-200 has one otherneat feature I've not seen on other acoustic guitars. It comes from the factory with two strap buttons so you don't have to pay someone to drill the neck and mount a second button. Also, each strap button is cushioned with a felt washer between the base of the button and the beautiful finish on the guitar's body. What a nice touch. I had my guitar tech make and install felt washers on my electric too. It's a great idea if, like me, you plan to keep your guitars for a long time and want to keep them pretty.

I like thesound of this guitar. It's as balanced and resonant as you can get in a laminate guitar. And much better than I expected. I traded my old ('67) Guild F-212 and some cash for this EJ-200.
The Guild as a solid wood guitar with an Englemann spruce top and mahogany back and sides. It was also beat up. Cracked back seam. Cracked top. Loose top bracing. Needed a new bridge and saddle. I could have taken better care of it. At any rate, a solid wood guitar, especially one that's 33 years old, is bound to have better balance and resonance to its tone than a new plywood guitar, and my Guild did. In fact,even beat up it rang like a piano. But time, the tide, a family, two dogs, and a mortgage can eat away at your willingness to hassle with 12 strings, know shat I mean? And, the Epiphone fills up a room, righs as long as you letg it after a good strum, and sounds just great too. Nice balance, good volume. In short, it works just fine for me.

Three words describe the factory-set action on this guitar. "High and Hard." It had a set of strings on it that must have been at least .o12s. The string tension was amazing. We're talking big game cross-bow pull weights here. Coupled with a nut that was as hight as an elephant's eye, and a saddle that needed a severe shave, it was nearly impossible to play anything except the most rudimentary chords on the top three frets. I paid $32 for a pro set up including a set of D'Adarrio .010s (bronze woound acoustic extra light strings) and the problem is solved. The action is now very easy; alsomst like an electric guitar.
I recommend a professional set up for any new guitar, electric or acoustic. Before you develop cramps in your fretting hand, or a bad case of post-purchase depression over your new baby's playability problems, let a pro optimize your new axe. The factory doesn't do this; in fact, they leave 'em hight and hard on purpose. They expect you to have someone who knows what they're doing adjust the guitar to fit your own techniques and preferences. so, they leave in plenty of extra space and material to allow for adjustment. Precision Guitar, here in Phoenix, does a great professional job of a set up, quickly and cheaply. They filed the nut, lowered the saddle, adjusted the truss rod, and put on the extra light strings. NOw the EJ-200 is a pleasure to play, as nay new guitar should be, right? An the solution to the problem action only cost $32.
As for fit and finish, with two exeptions both are very nice. This guitar is a real beauty. Even my lovely and forgiving wife, who thinks I spend too much on my hobby, remarked about what a pretty thing this guitar is. In fact, other non-guitarists say the same thing as soon as the case is opened.
There's just yards of this pretty yellowed-ivory colored binding everywhere on this guitar. The body edges, top and bottom. The neck. the head stock. The stuff is everywhere and it makes me feel like a rich guitar ace just to pick up and play a guitar that's this pretty.
That being said, let me point out two flaws. Neither is a big deal. First, the carved "moustache" bridge was a mess when I got the guitar new, but only in a cosmetic sense. It was well installed and properly positioned so, as I said, the guitar now plays beautifully.
But, there was a scratch on the bridge that must have beeen a production mark. It wasn't big. I didn't even notice it until I looked at the photos I took to show my brother and to send to my insurance agent.
Also, the bridge is stained to a dark mahogany color, but the stain had been applied unevenly. Parts of the bridge were definitely ugly. I mean, they were "Oops! Somebody didn't do their job on this part of the production line" UGLY.
I fixed both of these things myself. I bought a permanent markerwith a fine point in a dark brown color and touched up the scratch and the thin areas of the stain until it looked like it should. The fatory's errors are now invisible, and that's all I require. I used to work as a commercial artist, so I know that fixing or covering your blunders is part of the "art" of the artist. I don't care if there's been a mistake. But I don't want to have to look at it. Especially at these prices.
The second flaw is, in retrospect, probably not a flaw at all. Some things get done better on more expensive instruments than they do on mass produced economy models like the EJ-200. I know a man, John Reuter of the Robert-Venn School of Luthiery, who make custom acoustic guitars by hand here in Phoenix. I've seen his mother of pearl and abalone inlays up close. They have a fit that is breathtaking. It looks like you couldn't really get the inlaid material in there because there seems to be no clearance around the edges. Now, there has to be clearance, right? And the illusion of seamless fit is achieved with se

Will it withstand live playing? Yes, I think so. I was in a band in college. We played "out" 3 or 4 times a week. Ever hear of Might Yasha and the Pearls? We once opened for Jay Walker and the Pedestrians. Never heard of either one, eh? Actually, I didn't think you had. And it's just as well.
But I have played live in front of rowdy drunks and, yes, this guitar would cut it. One thin you can say for laminates; they're strongerthan thin layers of solid wood. The construction and hardware of this guitar could take it. Yes, I can depend on it for anything I need it to do. If I still played for money I'd useit on a gig without a backup.

They treated me right the one time I needed them. I was an easy problem and they were pleasant, courteeous, and helpful. The local warranty service is done by the shop that did my initial basic set up. I like them, and they do very good work. I expect no problems in the support area.
The warranty is a limited lifetime warranty to the original purchaser against defects in materials and workmanship. It's well documented and easy to understand. Read it. And keep it for future reference.

I'm very, very happy with this guitar. I've been playing for 32 years, and I give this guitar a 9 for what it is. It's not one of Joh Reuter's hand made Koa beauties. Nor will I ever own one of those. But when I went out to shop for this guitar, I thought I was going to have to spend $1,000 to be happy. I played a lot of Instruments in the $1,000-2,000 MSRP range that weren't as sweet as this Epiphone. I played severeal that were sweeter, of course. In general, thought, if they sounded betterthey weren't decorated at all. Now for that kind of money, I can't make myself buy Mar & Pa Kettle's guitar no mattter how good it wounds and no matterwho says it's a "fine instrument." I wand some visual buzz when I open my case. Too many years playing flashy electrics,I suppose.
Other gear? I own an electric 6-string ( a new Gibson ES-446s), a Fender Deluxe Reverb '65 reissue, and a POD 2.0.
What do I wish I'd asked before I bought this guitar? A good question, counselor. I wish I'd asked "Have yougot one this pretty with a shorter scale length?" The EJ-200 has a 25" scale. This puts the first few frets quite far apart for Mr. Stubby Fingeres here. But I can live with it. My fingers have been short since the day I was born, and I've played a lot of long scale guitars. I'm going to keep this one for a long time, and I plan to give it to my daughter orher husband when the time comes.
A word about time. Keep your acoustic guitar humidified, and keep it in a hard case. It makes them last. If you live in Sattle, Miami, or New Orleans this may not be an issue. Here on the Arizona desert it is very important. The tonal balance and volume of the EJ-200 greatly improved on a daily basis for the first two weeks after I got it home and put a humidifier in the sound hole.
Would I buy another? Probably. Though I'd have to give the Epiphone version fo the Hummingbird a try. It's a dreadnought, and I don't like that sound as well. But it has a shorter scale length and is nearly as pretty.
What do I love about it? The combinaation of good looks, playability, and low price. Hate about it? Nothing.
I compared this guitar to a new Guild JF-65 that lists for $2300 and sells for about $1200. It was just beautiful, but it sounded like someone had put a large damp sock in it. Surprising, considering the price. On the low end, I considered a Fender SJ-65 that lists for $800 and sells for about $500. It wasn't as pretty, nor as sweet sounding, and "boo" to the dark binding. I also played numerous Martins, Gibsons, Taylors and L'Arrivees. Too expensive for what you get, I figure. The EJ-200 is the one for me.
One final word. Shop for your next acoustic guitar for at least 6months. go out and play the dealer's inventory. It's fun. If you find one you like, especially if it's being kept in a humidified room, go back and play it again in about 3 days. The difference is very instructional. And, if you have my needs, habits, and budget you can get all the acoustic guitar you'll need or want for $500 or less.