Pete- Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Hey guys, Just looking for some opinions on this topic. I tried the Texan, loved it, and was about to buy it when i stumbled upon the 500. However, i can't try the 500 anywhere so i'd be ordering it online. Any thoughts? Cheers, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarLight Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Hey guys, Just looking for some opinions on this topic. I tried the Texan, loved it, and was about to buy it when i stumbled upon the 500. However, i can't try the 500 anywhere so i'd be ordering it online. Any thoughts? Cheers, Pete Both are great guitars. The Texan has great reviews and has laminated sides with solid top and solid back. The 500 is a Masterbilt....this name speaks for itself in the guitar world and it is made of all solid woods. It should be realized here that the main difference is that these are two very different guitars...the Texan a round shoulder which produces a certain sound...and the Masterbilt 500 which is a dread cut away...producing another sound...both sound great, but you should decide if you like the sound of one body shape over another. Otherwise both are excellent choices. Both may need a set-up, most guitars do...even $3000 guitars very often need this. After that, both will sound wonderful. The Texan club....or the Masterbilt club! ..the choice is yours! Best of luck! By the way....many people order both the Masterbilts and the Texan online, this is common and sweetwater is a great place to start...for $50.00 extra, if you ask them, they will set it up for you before sending it out...adjusting nut and saddle as needed..so that when it arrives, it will play perfect out of the box. http://www.sweetwate...etail/EMECVSNH3 ...masterbilt 500 in V/S http://www.sweetwate...detail/EETXANNH ...Texan in standard color Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger11 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 why not wait for the Masterbilt J45 discussed in another topic - it looks to be the best of both worlds to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I don't like cutaways on acoustics, so for me the choice was the IB64 Texan. I absolutely love it. I don't see how a masterbilt can sound, feel or play any better, but I wiill be finding out for myself soon as I am buying a Masterbilt AJ-45ME this spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyghthawk Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I have the Dr500mce vintage sunburst. I love it. It has an absolutely amazing tone and sustain. The fit and finish are 1st rate. With that said, I think the cherry IB Texan is stunning looking. I would buy one in a second if I had the cash. So you really can't go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete- Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 Thanks for the comments guys. I'd love to get both but at the moment budget considerations dictate that it's one or the other. I'm situated in Finland so i'll be using Thomann for the order (if i go with the 500) and after talking with them last night i found they have a great return policy if i do order the 500 and find i don't like it but i'd love to hear from anyone who does own them both before i make my choice. Nothing like more opinions to mess with your head. When i tried the Texan i was comparing it to the low end Martin's, Taylor's and the Yamaha ll6 plus a few other makes and models and for me it was the best sounding guitar there. In that sense i'd have no qualms getting the Texan but then the little voice in my head says "for 160 euros more you can get a top of the line model solid wood guitar that also looks great and sounds amazing on youtube" :) As far as i can tell the Texan would suit me well because i liked the fact that it wasn't a cutaway(although this isn't a deal breaker with the 500), solid top and back, only costs 350 euros and it sounds great both plugged in and unplugged. Also, i also like that the electronics are hidden away. On the other hand the 500 of course is all solid wood, i think it has a satin finish neck (the gloss finish on the Texan was the one thing that bothered me a little), it looks amazing and it has an interesting option when plugging in (I've read about some of the problems with the esonic2 but most of those complaints seem to come from 2010/11 so hopefully that won't be an issue). The Masterbilt AJ-45ME does sound nice but there doesn't seem to be a known release date or price for it, certainly not in Europe. I will already have to wait until the start of next month if i want the 500 and that is about as long as i want to wait. I have an upcoming gig that i really need an ea guitar for and i hate having to borrow one because i can't plug my own guitar in. I would also love to hear what people think of these when it comes to recording them. My AI has two inputs so i could record the 500 in stereo but am i better off just placing my mic in front of these guitars? All thoughts and comments are welcomed, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 When i tried the Texan i was comparing it to the low end Martin's, Taylor's and the Yamaha ll6 plus a few other makes and models and for me it was the best sounding guitar there. In that sense i'd have no qualms getting the Texan but then the little voice in my head says "for 160 euros more you can get a top of the line model solid wood guitar that also looks great and sounds amazing on youtube" :) As far as i can tell the Texan would suit me well because i liked the fact that it wasn't a cutaway(although this isn't a deal breaker with the 500), solid top and back, only costs 350 euros and it sounds great both plugged in and unplugged. Also, i also like that the electronics are hidden away. When I tried out the Antique Natural IB64 Texan that I ended up buying, I compared it to a fabulous 1966 Gibson J-50 the shop was selling. The tones of the two guitars were almost identical and the Texan was a bit louder. It does have laminated sides, but tone comes mostly from the top and some from the back and pretty much none from the sides. Also, the lam sides help it to not crack over time. It is an absolutely fantastic guitar all the way around. If you found one that felt great to you than my advice is to go back and buy the exact one that you tried and liked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
André Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Hey guys, Just looking for some opinions on this topic. I tried the Texan, loved it, and was about to buy it when i stumbled upon the 500. However, i can't try the 500 anywhere so i'd be ordering it online. Any thoughts? Cheers, Pete hey pete same here and i from europe,just order from thonnan and i choose the texan,hell of an acoustic guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete- Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 It is an absolutely fantastic guitar all the way around. If you found one that felt great to you than my advice is to go back and buy the exact one that you tried and liked. The trouble is that while i was pondering what i should do the one and only Texan they had and that i really liked was sold. So if i choose the Texan it will be ordered blind just like the 500, only difference is that unless it is totally different i know what to expect. Still not sure what i'm going to do, although i'm fairly sure i'll be happy with either of these guitars. Choices, choices, choices. Funnily the Texan is cheaper locally than it is from Thomann. Can't say you see that too often. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaceWindu57 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I vote for the Masterbilt, because I just got mine this weekend! It's a solid wood guitar and I'm very impressed with it! Check it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarLight Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 The beautiful flawless poly gloss finish on this burst guitar just makes it magnificent. Your pictures are great, thanks for showing us! Now I hope Epiphone has the good sense to apply this beautiful gloss finish on the new Masterbilt J-45 burst when it comes out later this year, instead of the dry looking Matte finish, which is fine for some work horse guitars, but not the legendary J-45 in my view. Your new DR500MCE is a wonderful looking and sounding guitar. Enjoy it..it is a winner! Congratulations on a great choice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 So you really can't go wrong. Yep, Pete is trying to choose between two of the best-loved Epiphones on the forum. I'm not a huge fan of the cutaway either*, and all my Masterbilts are from the 2004-2010 non-cutaway production run - bought used online, claimed to be in excellent condition, and, by gosh, they are in superb condition. And they're just awesome guitars. I played an IB64 on a visit to GuitarCenter. Wow. Also a major Epiphone success story, at a ridiculously reasonable price. Like Nyghthawk says, Pete, you really can't go wrong. I don't know how it is across the pond, but with U.S. sellers, we can usually get a pretty good percentage discount off the listed price just by asking. Never hurts to ask! _______________ * Although I just picked up from the local UPS center a new Martin GPCPA4 I ordered from Sweetwater. The "C" is for cutaway. It's acclimating, so I haven't even touched it yet.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisB643 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Yep, Pete is trying to choose between two of the best-loved Epiphones on the forum. I'm not a huge fan of the cutaway either*, and all my Masterbilts are from the 2004-2010 non-cutaway production run - bought used online, claimed to be in excellent condition, and, by gosh, they are in superb condition. And they're just awesome guitars. I played an IB64 on a visit to GuitarCenter. Wow. Also a major Epiphone success story, at a ridiculously reasonable price. Like Nyghthawk says, Pete, you really can't go wrong. I don't know how it is across the pond, but with U.S. sellers, we can usually get a pretty good percentage discount off the listed price just by asking. Never hurts to ask! Cougar I'm dying to hear your review of the Martin versus the Masterbilt. _______________ * Although I just picked up from the local UPS center a new Martin GPCPA4 I ordered from Sweetwater. The "C" is for cutaway. It's acclimating, so I haven't even touched it yet.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisB643 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 The beautiful flawless poly gloss finish on this burst guitar just makes it magnificent. Your pictures are great, thanks for showing us! Now I hope Epiphone has the good sense to apply this beautiful gloss finish on the new Masterbilt J-45 burst when it comes out later this year, instead of the dry looking Matte finish, which is fine for some work horse guitars, but not the legendary J-45 in my view. Your new DR500MCE is a wonderful looking and sounding guitar. Enjoy it..it is a winner! Congratulations on a great choice! I really wish they would put a glossy finish on it as well, but I doubt that's gonna happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaceWindu57 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 The beautiful flawless poly gloss finish on this burst guitar just makes it magnificent. Your pictures are great, thanks for showing us! Now I hope Epiphone has the good sense to apply this beautiful gloss finish on the new Masterbilt J-45 burst when it comes out later this year, instead of the dry looking Matte finish, which is fine for some work horse guitars, but not the legendary J-45 in my view. Your new DR500MCE is a wonderful looking and sounding guitar. Enjoy it..it is a winner! Congratulations on a great choice! Thank you, I appreciate the compliments, it really has to be seen to be appreciated, and I can definitely hear the difference in tone and sound compared to my Yamaha. It's easier to play too! I'm very happy I choose the Epiphone Masterbilt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete- Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 I vote for the Masterbilt, because I just got mine this weekend! It's a solid wood guitar and I'm very impressed with it! Check it out! She sure is purdy. I was gonna get the 500 but now Thomann have pushed back the order again and the Texan is back in stock at my local so i might just go and pick one up over the weekend and maybe get the 500 or the new AJ-45 for xmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete- Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 Well who can wait for the weekend anyway? I'm a proud new owner of the 64 Texan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffmac Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 She sure is purdy. I was gonna get the 500 but now Thomann have pushed back the order again and the Texan is back in stock at my local so i might just go and pick one up over the weekend and maybe get the 500 or the new AJ-45 for xmas. I'm thinking the same for Christmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Well who can wait for the weekend anyway? I'm a proud new owner of the 64 Texan Right on...GREAT guitars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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