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IB 1964 Texan I got me one


revolver66

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Hello everyone. Watford(UK) Acoustic Central calling. New to the forum and glad to be. I'm a fingerstyle regular on the local/Greater London, open mic, folk club and festival circuit.

 

Middle aged but beautifully marked. Married, two daughters, a dog and no money. I am a total Beatle nut and folkie. My current guitars are a Martin 00-15 and Sigma 0001MST. However my world has been severely rocked and shocked to it's core but the recent purchase of my beautiful IB 1964 Texan purchased 27 December 2013.

 

Found myself playing at more and more venues where I needed to 'plug in'. I have been currently using a Seymour Duncan Woody soundhole pick up. Great little unit but very basic and you are at the mercy of the guy operating the sound system wherever you are playing. So I wanted a bigger bodied acoustic, with a retro look and built in pick up, Budget £300(GBP).

 

Saw that Coda Music, Luton had both the natural and sunburst finishes in stock. Now Coda is a real guitar player's shop. However it ain't a muso's shop where you have to show your chops and play a few jazz chords to get a smile. Well they handed me the little beauty(natural Finish) and for a good 40-45 minutes they let me fool around.

 

I was totally floored. Firstly looks aren't everything(ask my wife!) but this is such a pretty guitar. The workmanship is top notch. No sharp frets, glue smears, bad finish etc. It is very nicely put together. Now I knew it would be a good rhythm music, and it strummed and flatpicked beuatifully. I was really surprised at how well it responded to flesh and nail. I find myself slipping into singer songwriter mode very easily. Treble was clear and defined, bass prominent but not overpowering and the mids rich and full. Also with the spruce top it's gonna keep on giving.

 

I have not played the Martin since.....................

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I keep hollering that the Epi acoustic line across the board includes some of the best "bang for the buck (pound?)" anywhere.

 

Glad you're happy, although IMHO anybody running the board has the picker/singer in the situation of hoping things work regardless.

 

m

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Congratulations! The Texan is a great guitar! I love my Epiphones better than some of my other Martin and Taylor guitars. Luckily I found out that Epiphone has wonderful sound, tone, and sustain! Many of my high end guitars are now sold off to the rich who just sit around and look at their expensive guitar collections. Epiphones are for playing! And they do play great for the price!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wish i hadn't read this post. Just took delivery of a brand new natural model made in indonesia. Had 2 previous models over the years but there definitely seems to be a rise in quality with this latest model. More sustain and the electrics are great thru my vox vt15 amp. This will be a nice backup to my j45.

 

Recommended. Nice to see them on sale in the uk.

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Hi Steve. I got it from steven james music in middlesborough online. If you search 'epiphone texan' in google and then choose the 'shopping' header i'm sure gak and a few others have them in stock. All free delivery at £299. Thomann has them as well.

 

Amazing value.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I'm always glad to see posts like the OP...I played a 1960's Gibson Heritage Jumbo...last fall, I got a used Epiphone Masterbilt and could not believe how great a guitar it is. Since then I have bought 4 more Epiphone acoustic and A/E guitars, and the one I just bought very early this morning is a 2013 Texan AN, with hard case for $299.

 

I can not believe that so many people look down their noses at Epiphone guitars without ever having played one. EVERY ONE I have, all different models, sound like they cost 3 or 4 times what they really do. They are VERY good players, well made and sound great.

 

Keep making the great Acoustics Epiphone and bring back the Masterbilts. msp_thumbup.gif

 

mark

 

added:There is a lot of misinformation on Epiphone guitars online, such as people saying some specific models are made of laminates when they are solid woods. PLEASE check the Epiphone site for the model guitar you are interested in...there is a section -BODY-that will tell you what woods you guitar is made of and if they are laminates or solid woods. For some reason, there are a lot of peopls who have "opinions" on Epiphones who have no real knowledge about them..go to the source for your information.

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I'll absolutely concur on the general quality of Epis, although I only have 4 epi ae, 2 Dots and a bass for the Mrs.

 

I do think that some of the teenage angst once reserved for genuine Nike shoes might be reflected in this'n.

 

In fact, nothing against my own big body Masterbuilt, my current most-used is indeed a laminate top, the PR5e, simply because of playability due to shape/size and how I do my fingerpickin.

 

Oh, and the super-cheapie PR4e beginner package with an amp at $200 isn't a deal, it's a steal. Set up the little parlor guitar for old-time fingerpickin' and it's fantastic at any price - a little boxy-sounding all acoustic, but I used it AE for several fairly big "on stage" deals and I guarantee nobody knew if it were a $6,000 custom or what amounts to a $120 "cheapie." In fact, it's likely one of Epi's most under-rated deals if it's set up correctly. Given that the work was with some 50 elementary school age kids in those gigs... I felt a lot less stress than were it a $6,000 custom, and as I said, it wasn't as if I were doing a fine art guitar pickin' gig.

 

Work has kept me off new strings for the shiny new EL00 Pro, but with the shorter scale it should be a contender. We'll see. I'd druther have paid that price tag for a PR5e shorter neck but... we'll see if the smaller body will make it more or less comfortable.

 

Dunno if that's old age speaking or what. <grin>

 

m

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Hello everyone. Watford(UK) Acoustic Central calling. New to the forum and glad to be. I'm a fingerstyle regular on the local/Greater London, open mic, folk club and festival circuit.

 

Middle aged but beautifully marked. Married, two daughters, a dog and no money. I am a total Beatle nut and folkie. My current guitars are a Martin 00-15 and Sigma 0001MST. However my world has been severely rocked and shocked to it's core but the recent purchase of my beautiful IB 1964 Texan purchased 27 December 2013.

 

Found myself playing at more and more venues where I needed to 'plug in'. I have been currently using a Seymour Duncan Woody soundhole pick up. Great little unit but very basic and you are at the mercy of the guy operating the sound system wherever you are playing. So I wanted a bigger bodied acoustic, with a retro look and built in pick up, Budget £300(GBP).

 

Saw that Coda Music, Luton had both the natural and sunburst finishes in stock. Now Coda is a real guitar player's shop. However it ain't a muso's shop where you have to show your chops and play a few jazz chords to get a smile. Well they handed me the little beauty(natural Finish) and for a good 40-45 minutes they let me fool around.

 

I was totally floored. Firstly looks aren't everything(ask my wife!) but this is such a pretty guitar. The workmanship is top notch. No sharp frets, glue smears, bad finish etc. It is very nicely put together. Now I knew it would be a good rhythm music, and it strummed and flatpicked beuatifully. I was really surprised at how well it responded to flesh and nail. I find myself slipping into singer songwriter mode very easily. Treble was clear and defined, bass prominent but not overpowering and the mids rich and full. Also with the spruce top it's gonna keep on giving.

 

I have not played the Martin since.....................

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MLLOD, I have an EL00, too...with good strings, it's loud and very clear and clean sounding, beautiful tone. Again solid spruce top and solid mahogany back with laminated mahogany sides and mahogany neck. The narrow neck and shorter scale (Gibson scale 24 3/4") feels a lot like playing an electric guitar. This is a good blues guitar, and it will really surprise you with how loud it can be. It also responds well to strumming at different places on the strings very bright near the bridge, mellow and jazzy near the neck...very responsive with a pick.

 

Oh, yeah, on the Texan...I found this on youtube this morning...

 

 

and about a half hour later, I found a used 2013 Texan with case for $299...it's on the way here right now.

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Sounds good.

 

A lotta flatpickers figure I'm nuts for choice of strings for my fingerpicking AE guitars, though. DR Zebra 9-42. Then again, I'm awfully gentle.

 

My concern a bit is that it's a different shape. That PR5e is almost identical to a classical body, ditto almost identical to an ES175 or other short-scale, 16-inch body archtop... and that's awfully comfortable for me.

 

We'll see. <grin> Then again, I just killed my weekend for pickin' with work assignments Saturday morning and afternoon and Sunday morning too... sheesh. You'd think at my age I'd know better. <grin>

 

m

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Sounds good.

 

A lotta flatpickers figure I'm nuts for choice of strings for my fingerpicking AE guitars, though. DR Zebra 9-42. Then again, I'm awfully gentle.

 

My concern a bit is that it's a different shape. That PR5e is almost identical to a classical body, ditto almost identical to an ES175 or other short-scale, 16-inch body archtop... and that's awfully comfortable for me.

 

We'll see. <grin> Then again, I just killed my weekend for pickin' with work assignments Saturday morning and afternoon and Sunday morning too... sheesh. You'd think at my age I'd know better. <grin>

 

m

 

 

 

 

You might be interested in this...he'e not really hitting it...it can get loud msp_thumbup.gif

 

 

 

Enjoy it...they are just great to play.

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I just got mine, today. 2011, with Epi case, for $225! Guy said he monkeyed up the compensated saddle, "trying to do something". He included a brand new Tusg saddle. I can't, for the life of me, figure out what he did. The guitar tuned right up, held tune and plays beautifully. I'll keep the saddle, in case something appears. I couldn't put it down for an hour and a half. Man, what a guitar for the money. I really like the electric on it, too. The only thing that I'm trying to figure out is whether to add two Schaller strap pins and not use the factory pin/jack, or not. Plenty of time to decide. Meanwhile, I'll keep playing.

texan_zpsf4ee41e2.jpg

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Wow Tweed, sounds like you made a great deal! It's funny, so many people think you need to spend a fortune to get a good guitar. Here in the link below, you will see a MEGA-STAR from 1976...singing a world known MEGA HIT!.. And guess what he is playing on stage in front of 100,000 people??...You got it..an Epiphone Texan!...Here he is Peter Framton, singing... Baby I Love your way...with his very own Epiphone Texan..you done good Tweed..!! You done good! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8HTWZgd_UM msp_thumbup.gif

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Wow Tweed, sounds like you made a great deal! It's funny, so many people think you need to spend a fortune to get a good guitar. Here in the link below, you will see a MEGA-STAR from 1976...singing a world known MEGA HIT!.. And guess what he is playing on stage in front of 100,000 people??...You got it..an Epiphone Texan!...Here he is Peter Framton, singing... Baby I Love your way...with his very own Epiphone Texan..you done good Tweed..!! You done good! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8HTWZgd_UM msp_thumbup.gif

 

Not to take anything away from the guitars Epiphone is making today (which are very good values, and often very good instruments), but the guitars that Frampton, McCartney, and the rest played n the '60s were made by Gibson in Kalamazoo, MI, and would have cost the same and sometimes even slightly more then their cousins with Gibson on the headstock back then.

 

Red 333

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Wow Tweed, sounds like you made a great deal! It's funny, so many people think you need to spend a fortune to get a good guitar. Here in the link below, you will see a MEGA-STAR from 1976...singing a world known MEGA HIT!.. And guess what he is playing on stage in front of 100,000 people??...You got it..an Epiphone Texan!...Here he is Peter Framton, singing... Baby I Love your way...with his very own Epiphone Texan..you done good Tweed..!! You done good! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8HTWZgd_UM msp_thumbup.gif

 

Peter Frampton ( with a p you'll notice ) a Mega Star?

I don't think so.

WD

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Peter Frampton ( with a p you'll notice ) a Mega Star?

I don't think so.

WD

 

Hi WD

"Mega Star" isn't a measure of talent or musicianship or musical taste; it's a measure of record & concert sales.

Frampton had 1976 album of the year (over 6 million sales) that Wikipedia (for what it's worth) called "one of the biggest selling albums of all time". And he's playing in front of 100,000 paying listeners. So that qualifies as "mega star" for me, whether I like the music or not.

I'm not an ABBA fan, but admit they're mega stars by sales alone. Same with Justin Beiber: sad to say, but even with his minimal musical talent he has to qualify as a Mega Star ($50 million+ a year!).

 

Anyway, for me the thrill of that Frampton video is seeing a Texan (probably early '60s Kalamazoo) with that beautiful "honey burst" finish - don't see too many of those.

Thanks GuitarLight for posting that old vid.

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I'll definitely agree with Roger...

 

"Star" doesn't necessarily mean the most talented and/or skilled at creating music, but rather having public recognition for being a well-known and promoted entertainer.

 

m

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