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New EJ200CE

vkh

By vkh
in Epiphone Acoustics

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vkh

vkh

Posted
Posted

Hi all,

 

I've been shopping for a new acoustic guitar for a month or so. I've played a bunch and none "spoke to me" till today. I stopped in a local shop, they had 2 of these guitars. One black, the other natural. I've played several of these and the sound quality varied quite a bit. Some sounded dead, some were OK, and then I played the natural one. This thing sounds fabulous and plays like the proverbial butter! After playing it a few minutes I knew it was coming home with me. This thing rings like a bell and it's LOUD.

post-66409-025491000 1408325985_thumb.jpg

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vkh

vkh

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I'm not a fan of cutaways either. I know they made some in the past without the cutaway but I couldn't find any. However, I am a big fan of the natural maple back and sides. This thing plays and sounds so good that I didn't care about the cutaway.

 

About a month before this, I played an identical guitar in the same shop. It played great but sounded kinda muted, it was almost like a subtle palm mute sound. They told me it was already sold on Ebay. I had a similar experience at a GC a few years back. They had 2, a sunburst and a natural like mine. The sunburst one was terrible, it played and sounded like absolute ****! The natural one was like mine, why I didn't buy that one then I'll never know.

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cliffenstein

cliffenstein

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The cutaway on this looks far nicer than most modern cutaways. It is rounded and it extends out like you see on most archtops. Most modern cutaway designs I see (and hate) look like someone just took a chunk out of the guitar. This EJ design looks very purposeful and beautiful.

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Mrmajstyk

Mrmajstyk

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I'm on my 3rd EJ-200ce..and awaiting delivery of my new EJ-200 Artist (gotta put a pickup system in). I prefer non-cutaway, but need the electronics!

 

I started with a natural (blonde) EJ200ce, and then bought a sunburst as a backup.

The orig blonde developed a neck prob (a "hump" where it joins the body) and Gibson repaced it FREE with another blonde under warranty.

 

So I still have 2 out of three! And in both cases...the blonde sounds better than the 'burst (acoustically, that is)! Don't know why.

This new blonde guitar sounds awesome acoustically...yet awful plugged-in...mid-rangey and prone to feedback easily!(maybe a bad esonic).

The 'burst sounds awesome plugged in, but not as full and rich unplugged! A series of trade-offs with these cheaper guitars I'm afraid.

 

And I'm in Los Angeles...you'd think that one of the hundreds of music stores out here would carry them. NOPE! Gotta get them online!

 

AND I STRONGLY SUGGEST BUYING THEM BRAND-NEW...the warranty is awesome!

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Vognell

Vognell

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Congrats! I've been enjoying mine for about a month now, a "natural blonde" like yours (my girlfriend named it "Marilyn").

 

I haven't found another instrument in a similar price range (up to about $700) that really grabbed me. Enjoy.

 

Try one of the Timber Tones "stone tone" picks on this guitar....

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  • 2 weeks later...
Canadiandave

Canadiandave

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Just bought an EJ-200ce on Friday, LOVE IT !! I can't believe they can do this quality at that price, don't care where it's made, bet their Engineers are just as smart as ours ! The binding looks perfect and the finish, if it lasts, is one of the best I've ever had in over 40 years, and the weight of it...it almost out-Gibsons a Gibson (well, ish :) Great Electrics as well, and a Gibson would cost what, 10 times as much? Still buzzing, love this acoustic :)

post-67411-030431900 1410188782_thumb.jpg

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Mrmajstyk

Mrmajstyk

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Update:

As I reported on another post, I received the "Limited Edition 2014 EJ-200 Artist" from a trusted on-line retailer, and I returned it! Just horrible!

Made in China. Felt cheap and slapped-together. More ripples and waves in the flat-top sound-board than I have ever seen in my life! Fret ends sticking out and up. Paint over glue on the soundhole edge near the fingerboard. So disappointed!

Compared to the "Made In Indonesia" EJ-200ce's...well, it just doesn't compare in any way, shape or form!

Returned it for a full refund and went on eBay and bought a refurbished EJ-200 (non-cutaway,non-electric) in black, and it is an AMAZING guitar! Beautiful!Sounds full and rich and feels substantial and like a REAL guitar!It came from MIRC and they did an awesome job with the set up.I bought a Fishman Matrix Infinity system and am having my luthier install it and do final setup. He was amazed at the quality and set up of this guitar too.

So now I have 3 EJ-200's...two cutaway models (EJ-200ce, VS and N) and one non cutaway (EL-200 in black).

I'll get the black one back from my tech on either Wed or Thurs. Can't wait to plug it in to my Fishman LoudboxArtist amp and play a little Johnny Cash on it!

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Mrmajstyk

Mrmajstyk

Posted
Posted

Just bought an EJ-200ce on Friday, LOVE IT !! I can't believe they can do this quality at that price, don't care where it's made, bet their Engineers are just as smart as ours ! The binding looks perfect and the finish, if it lasts, is one of the best I've ever had in over 40 years, and the weight of it...it almost out-Gibsons a Gibson (well, ish :) Great Electrics as well, and a Gibson would cost what, 10 times as much? Still buzzing, love this acoustic :)

Is that a "file photo" of an older model, or did you buy a used one? It has no "nano-mag pickup" at the end of the neck/fingerboard, and has the extra inlay bars on the bridge...indicating this is an older model. Just curious. It's beautiful!

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  • 2 weeks later...
catnine

catnine

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I'm on my 3rd EJ-200ce..and awaiting delivery of my new EJ-200 Artist (gotta put a pickup system in). I prefer non-cutaway, but need the electronics!

 

I started with a natural (blonde) EJ200ce, and then bought a sunburst as a backup.

The orig blonde developed a neck prob (a "hump" where it joins the body) and Gibson repaced it FREE with another blonde under warranty.

 

So I still have 2 out of three! And in both cases...the blonde sounds better than the 'burst (acoustically, that is)! Don't know why.

This new blonde guitar sounds awesome acoustically...yet awful plugged-in...mid-rangey and prone to feedback easily!(maybe a bad esonic).

The 'burst sounds awesome plugged in, but not as full and rich unplugged! A series of trade-offs with these cheaper guitars I'm afraid.

 

And I'm in Los Angeles...you'd think that one of the hundreds of music stores out here would carry them. NOPE! Gotta get them online!

 

AND I STRONGLY SUGGEST BUYING THEM BRAND-NEW...the warranty is awesome!

 

 

I don't live far from you and wonder the same thing. Why is it that not one of the GC or Sam Ash stores carry many EPI's . All I ever see are the $99 models and once in a while a higher end model. AS far as sound between the Blond and sunburst , is it possible the solid top on the burst models is not as nice of a top visually or perhaps the extra paint applied. I do recall reading sun burst long ago was used to cover imperfections on tops and backs and even sides . This doesn't mean that the top is inferior just that it wouldn't look as nice natural . I know seagull started doing some models in burst that had imperfections that would not look good in blond or clear , Why toss out a nice top because of a grain flaw I wouldn't wood is getting hard to come by these days. I think blond tops are just clear coats on good looking spruce and since the cost is the same it takes more steps to do a burst finish.

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