Pete- Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Hi guys, I bought an IB 64 Texan a few years back and have been very happy with it. Over xmas i added an Es 339 which i absolutely love. Now i feel the twinge to get a new acoustic and at the moment i'm thinking of getting either the aj45 or the dr500. Neither of these guitars are sold near me so i'm hoping for some advice. I'm fairly sure i'll be happy with either but i was hoping somebody on here who owns both or has played both could give their opinion on the differences and/or preferences. Also how they compare to the Texan as i would like something that sounds different. Thanks in advance, Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Howdy. I have had a DR500mce for a couple of years now and find it to be a very good instrument-solid wood,good electronics and great action. I was thinking in terms of the aj45 but something came along in the form of a Gibson J-45 and I took a deep breath and I'm now the proud owner of 2 nice guitars As much as the DR500 is a great, when you A-B the two side by side,well,it's not fair.The J-45 is a notch above and it had better be for the difference in price!The aj45 is a really nice guitar and I would probably have been happy with it but when a used J-45 came along at a good price, well... I'm not here to dis' Epiphone 'cause I'm a fan of the Masterbilt line but I've had a lifelong dream come true. It's a wonderful axe if you have the wherewithal.Good luck making a decision- both of the Epis are just fine. You absolutely have to give them a test drive or two. It's the only fair way to decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meanstreak Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Hi guys, I bought an IB 64 Texan a few years back and have been very happy with it. Over xmas i added an Es 339 which i absolutely love. Now i feel the twinge to get a new acoustic and at the moment i'm thinking of getting either the aj45 or the dr500. Neither of these guitars are sold near me so i'm hoping for some advice. I'm fairly sure i'll be happy with either but i was hoping somebody on here who owns both or has played both could give their opinion on the differences and/or preferences. Also how they compare to the Texan as i would like something that sounds different. Thanks in advance, Pete. I have a DR-500M and my brother a DR-500MCE, both are terrific. I've never played an AJ-45 but if it's similar to the AJ-500M it's likely great. That being said, I prefer the feel of the square shoulder shaped guitars over the slope shoulders. I end up playing my DR-500M more than the others. On a side note, to compare them to the Texan, if you want something that sounds different I'd venture to guess you'd be best off with a different body wood, like maybe the AJ-500R or the EF-500RCCE. Or go for a used Gibson J-15, you likely will really like the short scale and wider nut compared to most Epis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish_Rover Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 I have both a DR500-MCE and an AJ-45ME and, coincidentally, am hoping to pick up an ES 339 Pro in the not too distant future. Although both acoustics are built from the same woods they are very different sounding and feel very different to play. How either of them compare to the Texan I couldn't possibly comment having never played a Texan, but compared to each other (and I'm lousy at describing sound) I would say that the dread is a much brighter sounding guitar while the AJ has a much drier, woody tone. Then of course you must consider that the AJ has a shorter scale length and is round shouldered as opposed to the normal scale length and square shoulders (with cutaway in my case) of the dread. I love both guitars and they get pretty much equal playing time but if pushed I would say that the DR500-MCE is more of an "all-rounder" while the AJ has more of an individual character. Don't know if any of that helps, and I certainly wouldn't dream of telling you which one to buy. If you really can't get to try them in person (I bought both of mine sight unseen) then I would suggest watching as many YouTube videos as possible and listening through a decent pair of headphones, and make sure that if and when you do order that whoever you order from has a decent return policy. One final thought that has just occurred to me is to be aware of the satin finish on the AJ which seems to offend a lot of people (though curiously only other guitarists). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 ....I certainly wouldn't dream of telling you which one to buy.... Aw c'mon, what are we here for if not to help spend other people's money? I'd go with the AJ45. But either way, you can't lose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete- Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 Thanks for the comments so far. Let's hope a few more chime in too. I'm in Finland and very few places sell epi's over here and when they do they are usually the hummingbird, texan, etc. No chances of trying either. Haven't found any 2nd hand models around. The one thing that the Aj has going for it is that it is about €100 cheaper at about €450 compared to €544 for the dr500. I think the electronics are better in the dr500 but i just bought an A3 pedal so that should help with the sound plugged in. A Gibson is def out of my price range at the moment. I shouldn't even be looking at a €500 guitar but i would like something different for recording purposes. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisB643 Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 Well...since you asked, both have gotten rave reviews. I would order both from Sweetwater and then return one or the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish_Rover Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 Well...since you asked, both have gotten rave reviews. I would order both from Sweetwater and then return one or the other. Sweetwater have a branch in Finland now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel-odious Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Both the new Texan and the AJ45 have the same woods and electronics. Personally, I like the AJs because of the more defined low end. I have owned the Texan, but the bass response didn't satisfy me. I do have an AJ 300S that I am quite pleased with. Medl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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