incoming-EJ200SCE

[ohyew812]

When I started reading this thread I was wondering WTF??

 

My EJ-200 SCE came last week and I couldn't be happier! Big, full, sound... just what a maple jumbo should be.

 

And these tops... WOW! ... beautifully matched.

 

Glad you gave yours another go and that she worked out!

[Acts]

Just wanted to stop in and drop off a note thanking all of you for your input on the EJ200SCE topic. I've played guitar on and off since the 70s .. mostly off though as my budget has never really been able to sustain an instrument very long but what I had to send it down the road to finance some other family need. Just recently came to a financial area in my life where adding a acoustic back into my life seemed real doable. I'm a old Ovation guy, but honestly after all the hype was over.. never really liked the sound of it.

With that intro said, here lately I have been reading about, and listening to, and even been able to play a variety of acoustics in my quest to obtain the best .. under $500.00 acoustic guitar. I read a lot of reviews to find out what other musicians are raving about, and this Epiphone EJ200SCE/VS kept popping up. A quick YouTube search provided me with some fairly good sound samples and also a few great guitar vs guitar videos. One in particular really set in though. This guy had a Gibson J200, which he tooted as being the "Premier" flattop. He played it and of coarse it sounded awesome. But then he added that if the Gibson wasn't in your price range, you might want to look at getting this Epiphone EJ200SSCE/VS. He played the same songs on the Epi he played on the Gibson and honestly .. they sounded so close that if I closed my eyes and just listened, I couldn't tell the difference.

Never the less, I still wanted to interact with some real people who have had their hands on this guitar, and find out what they really thought of it. I understand that this is a Epiphone/Gibson site, but you all have been really open and objective about the pros/cons of this guitar. And one thing has really come to surface. You all have really rallied around each other to help the newer owners with the most minutest of details on how to peak these instruments to get the optimal performance. That alone has sold me on obtaining either the VS or even the N version of this guitar.

Again .. thank you for all the input. You've brought my OCD ridden search process to a conclusion, and too this I am most grateful. Now to find one .. LOL !!

[AzariahJames]

Hope you are blessed in finding a good one. I have the black non cut away EJ-200. Had nut and saddle made in bone, put in some nice tusq pins. It is a beautiful playing and sounding guitar well worth what I gave for it.

[Acts]

Hope you are blessed in finding a good one. I have the black non cut away EJ-200. Had nut and saddle made in bone, put in some nice tusq pins. It is a beautiful playing and sounding guitar well worth what I gave for it.

Interesting that you would bring up a Black one, and have it be a Non Cutaway, and be utterly satisfied with it. I was wondering if there actually was such a Epiphone model out there that sounded like the Cutaway version, with electronics. I'm glad you cleared that up for me. Off I go on my new quest !!!

[Cougar]

Off I go on my new quest !!!

 

I don't know if this completed listing link will work for you or not, but since you mentioned the territory of "under $500," I'm tempted to point out this example of a used Epiphone with case that sold for about $400 -- and it's a Masterbilt EF500RCCE. (These usually go for more than the DR and AJ Masterbilts.) Solid cedar top, solid rosewood back and sides, slightly wider nut, electronics, etc., etc. That was a good deal. Point is, there are some very nice used Masterbilts in that price range. (BTW, you should understand the "refurbished" market if you're shopping for a used guitar. I'm not promoting or demoting.)

[Kaiser Bill]

After looking at the photos of your guitar, it looks a lot like the J200 Dylanesque style burst. Nothing wrong with it at all. Then again is all personal taste.

[aerohead]

I love the sound of mine! I have elixir PB 13's on it and it's got tone and sustain for days! It's got an almost chimey sound to it yet plenty of bass. And loud as my Gibson J200!

 

I've been playing the last few days in open G and am going to record something played a little softer and quieter to see if the "chimeyness" can be captured on a recording.

 

Anyways here's a cover of Fred Eaglsmirh's "Time to Get a Gun". It's what I usually hear people mumbling under their breath after I finish a set!

 

http://youtu.be/3Lmfuy6272k

[Dodger11]

I love the sound of mine! I have elixir PB 13's on it and it's got tone and sustain for days! It's got an almost chimey sound to it yet plenty of bass. And loud as my Gibson J200!

 

I've been playing the last few days in open G and am going to record something played a little softer and quieter to see if the "chimeyness" can be captured on a recording.

 

Anyways here's a cover of Fred Eaglsmirh's "Time to Get a Gun". It's what I usually hear people mumbling under their breath after I finish a set!

 

http://youtu.be/3Lmfuy6272k

Great sounding guitar and nice harp playing too.

[aerohead]

1443770068[/url]' post='1698721']

Great sounding guitar and nice harp playing too.

 

Thank you for the kind words sir!

[Mrmajstyk]

I've had 5 of these in the last few years, so I know a little about them!

 

I started my search here in Southern Calif for one, and NO STORE stocked them! I looked for months, no luck.

So,...I ordered one online from a retailer that had a no-hassle return policy.

 

Guitar #1:

I ordered the blonde (natural) one.

It was amazing! Sounded exactly like I had hoped it would! Then, a few months into ownership, the eSonic2 system crapped out.

No problem...covered under warranty. Took it to the local warranty/repair center and they sent for the replacement pre-amp unit.

2 months later I got my guitar back and all was good. The electronic unit didn't seem to sound quite like the original one, but it was OK. For about another 5 months. Then it started fretting out at the octave. Dreaded neck-to-body joint pull-up. Under warranty. No problem.

 

Guitar #2:

They sent the entire guitar back to Epiphone. 2 months later...they sent me a new guitar!

Sounded even better acoustically! Nice!

However, as soon as I plugged it in...UGLINESS. No matter how I tried to coax a decent sound out of it...no dice! The repair center agreed and sent the preamp off for replacement. 2 months later I got my guitar back. Played it for awhile and still didn't sound quite right. But I lived with it. For the money, it wasn't bad. I could live with it.

 

Guitar #3:

Then I was in a local GC store buying strings..and they had a sunburst one. Looked very pretty. I picked it up and it played pretty good! Plugged it in and OH BABY...that's the SOUND! Sounded AMAZING! Bought it on the spot, took it to my tech who evened a couple of frets and properly slotted the nut and set the action for me. Awesome guitar that I still play to this day! A KEEPER!!!!

Sold the blonde one.

 

Guitars #4 and 5:

Then I start doing a bunch of Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond Tribute shows, and the promoter asked if I could find a black acoustic guitar. "Would look cool onstage". After weeks of looking, I found a black, non-cutaway EJ-200 Artist online and ordered it. What a complete P.O.S.!!! It's not made in Indonesia, it's made in China. It doesn't feel or look the same. It was brand new, yet the top had more waves in it than the Santa Monica coastline! And it sounded like a plastic kid's toy! I sent it back IMMEDIATELY!

 

Then, I saw a re-furbished, cosmetically beautiful, black, non-cutaway EJ-200 on ebay and took a chance and bought it! It's a 2011, so I think it's "select-spruce" (laminate top). Plays OK, not very loud though. Doesn't matter, it's just for show. My tech put a Fishman Matrix in it (sound-hole controls) with an L.R. Baggs UST. (My tech's "special recipe"), messed with the action, and it works just fine, plugged in, for the shows. Not my favorite acoustically.

 

So I figure I got one out of five that I'm very happy with...one that's just so-so, and three duds.

 

So...can the Epiphone plant in Indonesia turn out some fine guitars? Absolutely! Do they do so consistently? No.

 

For these guitars...buy NEW from a trusted retailer, and know that Epiphone DOES have an outstanding warranty!

 

And, BTW, for the EJ-200ce, they are a pretty thick poly finish...but I THINK mine is actually starting to open up a little after two years. Either that or my hearing is getting better, and I doubt THAT! LOL!

 

I've played a few Gibson J-200s, and they seem pretty inconsistent too! Some sound like heaven..some a little "farther south"! ;)

 

However, I AM saving up for a used Guild jumbo (F-50 or JF-65)...played a few now and...wow! Newer or used, the ones I've tried are all nice! Don't know what's going to happen when they start making them again for Cordoba in Oxnard, though. We'll see.

 

But, for the money, and if you get a good one, its hard to beat the EJ-200ce.

[ohyew812]

I've test driven at least 6 EJ-200SCEs and none of those had any problems or were "duds".

 

I truly believe the Epiphone EJ-200SCE is the most underrated guitar. Ever.

 

I also have tried countless Gibson J-200s, and they certainly do NOT sound 10x better as indicated in their price.

 

When I was in the market for a big, maple jumbo, price wasn't an issue... after test driving the J-200s against the EJ-200SCEs, taking home the Epi was a no-brainer.

[Mrmajstyk]

See? Not everyone has the same issues.

 

Obviously ohyew812 found a bunch of good ones to test drive...and found one he liked even better than a Gibson J-200.

If price was not an issue, that must be one amazingly outstanding EJ-200, or the Gibson was one of those that were just..meh!

(I have played a couple of those too! Played a couple of Taylors and Martins I was less-than-impressed-with-for-the-money too)

 

Every guitar is different, no matter what the label...some better than others and in different ways.

 

But my comments were based not just on test drives, but actual ownership.

 

I WISH I could have found a bunch to test drive, but the stores here don't stock them as a rule.

You can find a few masterbuilts, some 00's, a 'dove" or two, lotsa dreads, but no EJs.

In fact, it's actually hard to find JUMBOS at all here. A few Gibbys, a few Taylors, most stores wont even stock the GAD Guild jumbos. I've only seen two Fender Jumbos, one of the Washburns...and I frequent about 10-15 stores in the L.A./Valley area. I asked a couple of the guys that work at some of the stores, and they say the stores just don't order them in any kind of numbers.

 

But if you're buying EJ's online, it's always best to buy new, from a respected retailer.

For EJ's, the price difference between new and used isn't that significant anyway. And for 399.00, if you get a good one, you get a LOT of guitar for your money! (And Epi makes a great hardshell case for it for around 89.00! I bought 2 of them)

 

Honestly, the warranty makes all the difference!

 

For the older EJs without the cutaway, it's either used, refurbished, or the new Artist model made in China (which is a laminate top). It's a roll-of-the-dice there. Good luck.

[Acts]

After about a month of research, it come down to bucks...and bang for the buck.I narrowed my choices down to two, the DR500, and the EJ200. I had my eye on several at auction, and in the end I got a lightly used EJ200sce/n w/Epiphone hard case for $372.00 shipped. Hasn't made it here yet but I'm pretty stoked about the whole thing, and will post some pictures when it arrives. The pictures of the guitar were beautiful. I'm going to get a jump on a few items though and need your advise. I bought a set of backup Elixer PB strings in a light/med combo (11-56). I'm interested in getting the Bone Nut, Bridge, Pins set for it, but not sure where to locate them. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[ohyew812]

I'm interested in getting the Bone Nut, Bridge, Pins set for it, but not sure where to locate them. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

Stew-Mac has them.

 

But you may want to be sure it isn't going to affect the eSonic system before changing the saddle.

[Acts]

Stew-Mac has them.

 

But you may want to be sure it isn't going to affect the eSonic system before changing the saddle.

 

I'm thinking that changing the stock plastic Nut and Bridge out for a Bone Nut and Bridge shouldn't cause any interference with the Guitars Electronics. But I'll take your advice and check into it. I did find a exact replacement, Compensated Bone NUT and SADDLE Set made for Epiphone Acoustic Guitars at Musician At Heart. $21 shipped. I'll let all know how this adventure turns out.

[Irish_Rover]

All the Masterbuilts have a bone saddle and the esonic2 system so swapping out the plastic saddle won't make a difference.

[Acts]

All the Masterbuilts have a bone saddle and the esonic2 system so swapping out the plastic saddle won't make a difference.

 

Yes, and Amen. The set I got professes to be a perfect swap out for the plastics. If this comes out the way I hope, this guitar should be more than adequate for my needs, and give me a lifetime of playing pleasure.

[Acts]

My EJ200 came today. Very nice, sounds great. Played it for about a hour and the only things that stood out were a bit of fret buzz, which is a fixable issue. But the top guitar strap button seems to be in a strange place facing out of the top back toward you ?? Makes the guitar tilt out away from you when standing and playing. Is this just me missing something. Or does this seem a bit strange to other guitar players too ?? Other than that, this baby just sings and cranks out massive sound without even trying to compel it to do so. I'm very impressed and very satisfied with it. Like I said, $372.00 with the hard case. It's all good .. I'm all smiles !!

[fromnabulax]

Acts, your strap button if I am reading your post correctly is drilled in the heel of the guitar. If you aren't sure where the heel is, go over to the Sweetwater product page for the EJ200 and you'll see a good picture of where it's supposed to be. Not all guitars mount it there, and not all acoustics mount a strap button at all.

 

I'm glad the guitar sounds good to you. Mine is about 16 months old and continues to open up for me.

 

Enjoy it!

[Acts]

Moving forward into my EJ200ce adventure. After reading multiple reviews on the differences the cheaper EJ200ce has from say the Masterbilts or the Gibson counterpart, I decided to do the upgrading I mentioned in a earlier post .. IE, installing a Bone Nut and Saddle. The ones I got claimed to be drop in capable, but as it turned out, there was some trimming and sanding that needed to be preformed before it all came out right. The Bone Nut was a near drop in part which only required some minor sanding to fit perfectly. The Bone Saddle however took some more effort to get it to conform to the previous Saddles shape and fit. I had to trim nearly .0625" off the bottom to get it down to where the elders height was...and a bit more sand shaping to get it to slip perfectly into the Saddle slot on the Bridge. This was a bit troublesome for me since I just stuck it all back together the first time, only to find out the strings towered over the guitars neck making it a real pain for me to play. But after two adjustments...and 1 broken high E string later, it came out awesome.

Did I mention the broken E string. That came just before the final Saddle adjustment, so I had to stop with the Bone replacement and adjusting, and move into the String replacement part of the transfiguration. I was going to replace the strings anyway, just not quite in that order. I went with Elixer PhosBronz Nono in a Med/Light 12~56 just to break my old fingers in on. I installed them before adjusting the final Saddle height adjustment so you can only imagine how let down I was when I tried to play on them with the strings about a mile above the neck. I literally put the guitar back in the case and decided I better walk away before I messed something up. Took it back out the next day, loosened the strings, dropped the Saddle and made the .0625 lowering adjustment. Put it back together and tuned it in and oh baby. It was worth all the effort to get it right. I was really happy just to get a guitar back into my life, but now it's like this thing plays itself in my hands. I'm totally stoked and extremely happy with this set up. I don't know anything else I can do to it other than play it, and enjoy it. It's beautiful !!!

PS..had and opportunity to try it on a amp at church. Superb sound, no hiccups. It just sang and impressed the all folks who heard it. And no rapid battery deplete with this one. Everything Electronic seems to be just fine.

[Dodger11]

Great too hear you're so pleased with your Epi. Sounds like those tweaks were worth it

[Irish_Rover]

Cool. I learned a long time ago that when you're trying to build something, fix something or even learn something new and it's not going well and you're getting frustrated then just walk away, it's invariably better the next day.

Glad it all worked out for you in the end. Enjoy your new improved Epi.