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Epiphone Masterbilt AJ500RE owner.. Bummed out

StrumminAndy

By StrumminAndy
in Epiphone Acoustics

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StrumminAndy

StrumminAndy

Posted
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All,

 

Bought an Epiphone Masterbilt AJ500RE from Guitar Center 3 months ago. Great guitar, love it. Recording with it or playing it acoustic are equally as fun.

 

The problem I am having, sadly, seems to be pretty common. The bridge is lifting off the body on one side, enough that I can slide a piece of paper under neath it almost half way across the duration of the long direction of the bridge!

 

I took it in to Hoffman Guitars here in MN, and they are shipping it off to Epiphone to have it looked at. It's the scenario of repair or replace, whatever is more cost effective.

 

The thing I am worried about is - Is this a manufacturers defect? I have read about how the satin finished spruce tops were finished and the rosewood bridge was glued on after the fact.

 

If Epiphone repairs the instrument, it might make me more comfortable than if they replace it. What if the same issue comes up again 3 months down the road? It makes buying this instrument not worth it.. What does everyone think?

 

*BTW, it's stored in a case.. 50% humidity in my apartment. Been using a Humid Pak and maintaining it at 40-45% using a hygrometer. I am new to the guitar world, roughly ~3 years experience. It's really hard to say whether or not the bridge had the fault when I bought it or not because until I started reading about these guitars that is when I uncovered the problem.

 

I do recall several times, using either light or medium strings I have heard the dreaded crack from the bridge lifting..

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YerDugliness

YerDugliness

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I'm assuming you mean an AJ500RC.

 

This model is legendary for this "defect". I have heard the same "reason" for the bridge lifting as you, and the luthier who repaired mine (reset the bridge when it lifted) verified that there was, indeed, the satin finish below the bridge once he removed it. He had carefully marked the outline of the bridge before he removed it and before he reset the bridge he also sanded the satin finish off the top. It has not lifted again. I chose to pay a local luthier for the repair b/c it was my opinion that the Gibson/Epiphone warranty repair station would repair the issue to "as new" condition, which almost certainly ensured that the bridge would lift again. The cost for the repair was $50.

 

BTW....if yours really is an AJ500RC, the top is cedar, not spruce.

 

IMHO, you will not be able to "replace" this model......at least not with another AJ500RC model. You may be offered one of the other Masterbilts, but the AJ500RC has been "Discontinued" for a couple of years now, at least (I can't believe you found one in a GC, I couldn't find one in a B&M anywhere, or online for that matter). I have forum acquaintances who have been trying to find one in NOS, no luck.....they VERY seldom even come up on eBay (the most recent I have seen was damaged and it was being sold for parts).

 

Those of us who have them love them, they are a unique instrument, to be sure! If you like yours as much as I like mine, you'd be better off insisting that the Gibson/Epiphone warranty shop repair the defect....you'd be incredibly lucky to find another!

 

Good luck, and please tell us how this turns out, Andy.

 

[edit--I have found that mine sounds better with light gauge strings (.011-.052's). I tried medium gauge strings (.012-.054's) and found that they "overpower" the cedar top. Dean Markley Alchemy Goldbronze strings work best for me.]

 

Cheers from Dugly [biggrin] !

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YerDugliness

YerDugliness

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Thanks for that' date=' Sheila.....I was unaware of an AJ500RE.......I stand corrected!

 

In the words of the infamous Roseanne Rosannadanna, "Oh. Well, that's different. Never mind!"

 

 

I'm assuming that the "E" must refer to the guitar coming with a pickup....is that correct?

 

Dugly [biggrin

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StrumminAndy

StrumminAndy

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Correct deflepfan. AJ500RE.. Rosewood fingerboard, solid rosewood body.. Gold tuners, solid spruce top.. Stereo pickup setup. There are 2 pickups. I believe one at the end of the fingerboard facing the sound hole, and one within the body somewhere under the bridge. You might want to go check them out, they're probably just as great as the model you're referring to. Aside from this defect of course.. I guess you'd figure they repair the defect on the 2nd go? lol..

 

This guitar sounds awesome plugged into a external audio device. I two cables into the guitar into their own inputs, pan them until I like the sound and have a condenser mic as well for some more natural sound. 3 channels at once baby!

 

But anyways, I guess I'll take your advice. I'll let Epiphone do their thing, hoping they repair it.. If not, whatever. If it fails again I'll try the local luthier and eat the cost. Peace of mind is priceless.

 

Thanks guys. I am always open to more ideas as well from fellow owners.

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brianh

brianh

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Andy, sorry to hear of your problems, but if it's of any consolation, lifting bridges are pretty common on acoustics from all manufacturers, including Martin, Taylor, Larrivee, Breedlove, etc. I live not too far from the Martin factory and you should see all the guits that come in there every day for repairs.

 

Also, I'm just a shade-tree luthier, but I did reglue a bridge recently and it's a real pain and cost far more than the guitar did just for the proper tools. In my case it was a 40 year-old bargain Epi that I got off Craigslist and tried to make playable again.

 

I think it turned out OK, and it was really just a learning expericence for me (jump to post #13): http://forums.epiphone.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=13608

 

Cheers, Brian

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deflepfan

deflepfan

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Thanks for that' date=' Sheila.....I was unaware of an AJ500RE.......I stand corrected!

 

In the words of the infamous Roseanne Rosannadanna, "Oh. Well, that's different. Never mind!"

 

 

I'm assuming that the "E" must refer to the guitar coming with a pickup....is that correct?

 

Dugly [blink

 

 

No problem. In my travels of looking at acoustic, I tried the RE (and the R). Out of my price range, but had to give them a go anyways!! Can't say I tried the cedar top version though, so I must ask (as I ended up getting the A&L Cedar) - what made you choice this model, and how do you like it?

 

And I love that line from Roseanne Rodsannadanna!!

 

Andy, the time will fly if you keep your fingers busy on another guitar!

 

Sheila

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StrumminAndy

StrumminAndy

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Yeah hopefully the time does fly. I am playing on a crappy Yamaha acoustic right now, the action is awful and much harder to press the strings down. Makes me appreciate the Epi so much more. When I get it back I'll be flyin down that fingerboard. :)

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YerDugliness

YerDugliness

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No problem. In my travels of looking at acoustic' date=' I tried the RE (and the R). Out of my price range, but had to give them a go anyways!! Can't say I tried the cedar top version though, so I must ask (as I ended up getting the A&L Cedar) - what made you choice this model, and how do you like it?

Sheila[/quote']

 

I played classical guitars exclusively for the first 35 years I played.....most classicals have cedar tops. It has been my observation that cedar tops are much more responsive to left thand technique. Spruce tops seem to be more responsive to right hand technique, as well as more "vigorous" playing (as in with a flat-pick), but don't seem to develop the same overall expressivity as a cedar top. Then, 5 years ago, I bought a steel-string guitar with the intention of bartering it for assistance with a home-improvement project. The opportunity to barter disapeared, so rather than just let the guitar sit, I picked it up and started playing it. Although I don't regret that, the classical guitar is still my favorite. The cedar top, the slot-head, and the 12-fret free design of the AJ500RC seemed to make it as close to an "overgrown" steel string classical guitar as I could find. I had already had a Breedlove custom shop piece made, a $4K Revival 000 (a slot-headed 12-fretter, too) in redwood over ziricote, and it is an incredible instrument, but the scale and the nut width and the tonewood combination and the responsiveness of the AJ500RC just won me over. It is now my favorite guitar. It is the one in which everything just seems right!

 

If I'm competing (as I have done in the Walnut Valley Festival International Fingerstyle Competition) I will typically play either my Breedlove or my Darren Hippner handmade classical guitar, but for just jamming and playing with friends, the Epiphone is the first I grab. I try to attend a monthly bluegrass festival in Pearl, TX and it's amazing how many players ask about the guitar and ask me to let them play it......everyone likes the tone and the way it projects without having to play the snot out of it....they all call it a "gentleman's guitar".

 

Hope that offers a good enough explanation.....[wink]

 

Cheers from Dugly :- !

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zombywoof

zombywoof

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. It has been my observation that cedar tops are much more responsive to left thand technique. Spruce tops seem to be more responsive to right hand technique' date=' as well as more "vigorous" playing

[/quote']

 

Might explain my fondness for spruce tops. Your left hand is what you know but your right hand is who you are.

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StrumminAndy

StrumminAndy

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Well put fellas. I've always been told "Your right hand is your brain, your left hand is your personality".

 

It's awesome there are people on here playing for longer than I have been alive. I hope to tell the same stories when I get older with my Epi. [cool]

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zombywoof

zombywoof

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Gonna be honest, the longer I live the more I think this stuff about spruce vs. this or that tonewood is kinda major voodoo bullstuff. The guitar I own which is made of the best wood is, believe or not, an el cheapo late 1950s Harmony Sovereign. This sucker has a quatersawn, bookmatched Adi top, solid mahogany sides and a one piece mahogany back. Yet while it gets you in the ballpark, this guitar still aint a late 1950s Martin D-18. The mostly likely reason - the bracing. The Harmony is ladder braced which even though very nicely radiused just does not give out the same complex sound as an X braced guitar - and which is also the reason there are two kinds of Harmonys - those that have had a neck reset and those that need a neck reset.

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  • 2 weeks later...
StrumminAndy

StrumminAndy

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Got word last Tuesday Epiphone received my guitar and is going to look over it.. Took two weeks for it to get there, been a week since I've heard they received it. I am hoping it gets shipped back this week. 2 weeks to go!! Ive been bashing on that Yamaha non-stop and actually have a new song I cant wait to record with the Epi.

 

My fingers are stronger than ever thankfully to the poor action and old strings on the Yamaha.

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epietheridge1

epietheridge1

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Im guessing the eSonic2 is a good pickup. I have a AJ500RNS, which i guess is rare. It did not come with a pickup at all. It is very well built and i have no problems with it. I searched for the best natural sounding pickup you can buy. Well, the L.R. Baggs iMIX was the best. I bought it and installed myself. WOW! def natural sounding. With the guitar might having high action that you have, it will kinda lift up on the bridge a little..over time creating problems. I lowered mine on the RNS. All Epiphone acoustics that i have bought, come with rather to high of an action.

 

I have the NanoFlex by the same company as eSonic2 in my Texan now, and its terrible. Piezo harshness. People who think Shadows single pickup system is great, have terrible ear problems in my opinion. Will replace it with the L.R Baggs iMIX too.

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StrumminAndy

StrumminAndy

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epietheridge1, sorry I am sure my last post was kind of confusing. I had to ship my AJ500RE back to Epiphone due to the bridge lifting. My only acoustic alternative in the mean time is a rubbish Yamaha with extremely high action so its difficult to play. I was comparing it to the action of the Masterbilt AJ500RE, which came extremely low from Guitar Center. I love low-action!

 

It's interesting being forced to take a break from a guitar and play another... I have a feeling my playing will improve quite a bit when I get back to the Epiphone..

 

As far as pickups go, I've heard good things about LR Baggs as well.. Mostly on the Breedlove guitars, tho. The eSonic2 on my Masterbilt sounds great... But I am plugging 2 cables into the 2 inputs on the guitar, panning each pickup about 50% to the left and right, and on top of that MICing the guitar with a condenser... I thought it sounded pretty good but haven't had much time to play with it yet. I like the idea of feeling like you're in the room with the musician playing the acoustic when listening through headphones. [biggrin]

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StrumminAndy

StrumminAndy

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Oh wow that is interesting to know... Oh well. The cool thing about these Masterbilts is they are good guitars but not so expensive you think to yourself

Yeah this is the last guitar im going to need to buy. My dream guitar is a Gibson Songwriter Deluxe... with the solid rosewood body of course!

 

Do you have any samples of your setup in mp3 or wav?

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  • 4 weeks later...
geelinus

geelinus

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I had a Masterbilt with a bridge problem, and the local authorized Epiphone repair center simply replaced the bridge without sending it back to Epiphone. The guitar was gone for a total of six days - including a weekend. It was as good as new when I got it back.

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StrumminAndy

StrumminAndy

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Got the guitar back today... They ended up replacing it with a new one. I am pretty happy with it, electronics seem OK, got a owners manual and a bumper sticker.. Only thing I've noticed, the screws holding the truss rod cover are gold instead of black, which i like, and the back now has that white binding line down the middle.. my last one didn't. But in any case, the action is great, it plays awesome, smells brand new... Can't wait to get off third shift here and go home and jam it out for a while. :)

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