[jlg327]

Been slowly cobbling together a "new acoustic guitar" fund, figuring that I'd spend no more than $1,000 when all is said and done. I'm a little over half-way there. That being said...

I was at Guitar Center and really liked the sound of the Epiphone EF-500RA. It's an all solid-wood guitar, designed for fingerstyle, with a parlor body, v-shaped neck, and really nice abalone inlay.

Has anyone had any experience with this guitar or any others from the Masterbilt Series?

Does anyone have any suggestions on other solid-wood acoustics?

I've been playing an Ovation Custom Balladeer from '76/77 that I pretty much inherited from my mother - I remember her playing it when I was a young child, but around 1990 things got too busy and I became the owner of a very nice vintage guitar! I love its tone, but I am looking to get a guitar which I can call my own.

I'd like an all solid-wood guitar, ideally. Bare minimum would be a solid spruce or cedar top. I liked the sound of the Seagulls I've played, but the nut is too wide for my small hands (it was uncomfortable and made me want to put the guitar down after 20 minutes of trying it). I've tried a few of the $800-$900 Martins, too. But of course, those have laminated sides and backs. Not that laminated sides instantly put a guitar out of the running, after all, it's all about the sound. It's just that I like the idea of the sound of a solid-wood guitar "maturing" over the years and developing alongside my skill level.

Enough waxing poetic....any advice?

[razmablues]

my friend has a masterbuilt, i think a lower end model than yours, but it's definitely a.... acoustic specific type of guitar. it has a very trebly thin tone, so it sounds really weak if you're planning on doing leads, but sounds great with fingerpicking/strumming.

hope that helps

[jlg327]

my friend has a masterbuilt, i think a lower end model than yours, but it's definitely a.... acoustic specific type of guitar. it has a very trebly thin tone, so it sounds really weak if you're planning on doing leads, but sounds great with fingerpicking/strumming.

hope that helps

Thanks for the response, razma. I guess I should've written a bit more in my initial post, but I felt it was long enough already.

The particular guitar that I played at Guitar Center was one of the pricier Masterbilts ($899), though I was under the impression that the higher price was due to the large amount of abalone. Unfortunately, that was the only Masterbilt they had in stock and I've been unable to find another at other local music stores. I wanted to try out some others from the line, but was out of luck.

As for the tone, the one I played was very mid-heavy, with the D and G strings ringing out more than the rest. It also had a surprisingly large amount of projection from such a small body, something I attributed to the use of all solid woods. From reviews I've read online, the bass end should fill out as time passes and the guitar matures, though that will be limited due to the size of the guitar (less space, less bass). Though one reviewer said he was surprised at how much the bass developed in the first twelve months alone!

The comparably-priced Martins I played against it did have more bass, but they actually seemed a bit muddy when strumming full chords - maybe they needed new strings, maybe it was just a bad lot, I don't know.

With regards to the style of guitar I want to get into playing, I'm not looking to do any fast and furious lead work. I love the Dead, but I also enjoy blues, especially delta style. I'd like to develop some finger-picking chops and be able to solo competently in a laid-back style. I'm a strong believer that the best musicians make as much, if not more, out of silence than the music. So being able to insert a few choice phrases, where appropriate, is my end goal. I'm not looking to front a band nor am I looking to shred. I just want a guitar with a nice sound that will allow me enjoyment when all alone as well as the occasional jam session with another acoustic guitar player.

So I appreciate your input about the lower-end Masterbilt your friend has. I'm nervous that the thin sound might be a constant across the entire production line, and that I may have just found a diamond in the rough. If that is the case, I'm hoping that nobody snatches this one up before I get the chance to squirrel away enough cash to pick it up myself.

Once again, I invite anyone else out there with experience to chime in. Most reviews that I've read online are extremely positive, but then again, people rarely take the time to review a product unless they have very strong feelings about it.

So, any recommendations?

[jlg327]

So I stopped by GC yesterday to visit the Masterbilt I've had my eye on for a few months, only to find that they now had an assortment of Masterbilts on display.

At the recommendation of the same salesman who had initially clued me in to the Masterbilt series, I tried the AJ-500RE (Advanced Jumbo, Solid Sitka Spruce top, Solid Rosewood sides and back, with the E-Sonic2 onboard electronics). I loved it. After a day of hemming and hawing, I returned to the store and purchased it instead of my beloved EF-500RA. I just got home and maybe it is still the honeymoon phase, but I can't stop playing. I love this guitar.

I am an amateur to the extreme, but if anyone is interested, I will post my thoughts on it a few weeks down the line, once I've really gotten a chance to work with it.

I also picked up the "Session" software with the USB interface from Best Buy, and so I'm looking forward to testing that out.