SailorsMuse Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Hi Folks, Just joined forum, as bought a used EJ200NA that looked enticing, and I was told by 'salesman' has a solid top. After researching a bit, finding this site, etc., I learn they aren't supposed to, that it is a laminate - select. But visually, the edges of the sound hole sure look solid, with the grain running over the edge. Is it possible it 'is' solid? I ran the serial number through the data site and was advised made inJan '06, but the GG in front couldn't be identified. Any experts out there? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 It's laminated throughout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyroadman Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Hi - Perhaps consider contacting Epiphone Customer Service for the "official" statement. It seems to be all wood (maple sides, select spruce top), but laminated wood. Note the top is not "Solid Sitka Spruce", as are higher-end guitars, to avoid confusion. If you were told it's a "solid top", then you were informed incorrectly. This is not an "expert" commentary, but hope it helps. Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 Might be best to have the serial number handy. Hands on guitar is the only way to definitely determine solidity vs selectididity. If you can follow several of the grains from the top, around the sound hole edge to the inside (take an inspection mirror with you) it is solid. I had one almost fool me I thought I saw a grain through and through, but it was a single grain and I believe it was a coincidental lining up of the inner lamination's grain with the top's. If they sound hole edge has been slathered in cremona brown.... it's likely laminated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 As per my previous post - EJ200's are laminated maple sides and back with laminated spruce top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorsMuse Posted August 24, 2010 Author Share Posted August 24, 2010 As per my previous post - EJ200's are laminated maple sides and back with laminated spruce top. Thanks to all for the jury's decision...I shall accept that it is a laminate top. Appreciate the responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 Might I suggest that you print out the responses, nail them to a cricket/baseball bat (as per personal preference) and repeatedly beat the salesman around the head with it until he apologises for telling porkies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duxrus Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 What about a EJ300? is it solid or select? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 I believe the EJ300 was a solid spruce top and laminated rosewood back and sides. All the ones I've seen look stunning and would love to own one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisMiller Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Same question was raised about the EJ-200 Artist I bought yesterday. Sticker on the pickguard said "Select Spruce"... but then the sticker also mentioned a pre-amp and electronics on certain models, so who knows what applies here? I just figured if it was a solid top, it would certainly say "solid" on such an inexpensive guitar. The salesman told me everything was laminated, but looking at the edge of the sound hole, it really looks like the grain lines are running all over the edge and under as if it has a solid top. We were both wondering about it and he admitted his product knowledge about this particular guitar wasn't as good as what he knew about higher end stock. I'll try to take a picture and see if I can capture it properly. It doesn't matter to me since the guitar sounds good and I'm happy with it anyway, but it sure would be nice to know, just for fun, huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisMiller Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Easier than I thought it would be. Here's the edge of the sound hole on my EJ-200 Artist jumbo. If it's laminated, i don't know how to tell from looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyGibson Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 Easier than I thought it would be. Here's the edge of the sound hole on my EJ-200 Artist jumbo. If it's laminated, i don't know how to tell from looking. That makes me dizzy. I just went and looked at my vintage sunburst ej200 and they painted the edge black. So for mine I've got to go with laminate. For your's though, it does look the the grain runs through it. (but I'm not a wood expert and I'm only on my first cup of coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 Looking at the sound hole on mine the top and bottom laminates are VERY thin, in fact not much thicker than the finish, whilst the filler laminate is relatively quite thick. You could almost describe the top as a solid top with two thin veneers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisMiller Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 Not sure what I just did... reply disappeared. What I was saying was, it may be fun to debate whether these guitars have laminated or solid tops, but I think we all agree we like them and if the top is made out of cream cheese, it wouldn't matter. I like the tone as is, so if it never changes, fine. I like the volume, which is really useless in my case because I don't gig, just play at home for fun and occasionally with friends from the Acoustic Guitar Forum when we get together 4-5 times a year for jams. Speaking of which, the AGF is one of the best run forums I've ever known and I highly recommend it if you enjoy talking to like minded people who love acoustic music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyGibson Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 I like the tone as is, so if it never changes, fine. I like the volume, which is really useless in my case because I don't gig, just play at home for fun and occasionally with friends from the Acoustic Guitar Forum when we get together 4-5 times a year for jams. Totally agree. That's why I bought it. Poly coated guitars don't "open up" like lacquer. And this one sounds great from day 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisMiller Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Who would think a $200 guitar would cause such notice? Am AMAZING thing happened in my house this morning. My wife actually noticed the sound of a guitar. Regardless of expensive Taylors or Larrivees, regardless of cheap Silver Creeks, this morning she commented that this guitar sounded "pretty"... OK, I'll take that, considering she wonders why I have so many guitars and that they all sound the same. THIS guitar, she noticed! Everything about this Epi just gets more and more surprising. By the way, of my single coil and humbucker guitars, she doesn't think she can hear a difference between them either. I bought a Gibson Les Paul Studio this afternoon. I wonder if she will hear a difference in it? Unreal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamten Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 does anybody know anything about this gg serial number?i have the exact guitar but made in november. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyGibson Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Not sure what you mean by "gg" serial number. Can you post a picture of the sticker and guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisMiller Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Not sure either. The serial number on mine is all numbers. I did just notice something though. The model # on mine says Artist S... What's the S for? Could that be Solid top, like some of us suspected, regardless of specs to suggest laminated tops? I still haven't met a knowledgeable guitarist who doesn't think what my guitar has isn't a solid top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwalin Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I believe the new EJ's have solid tops. If the grain on the inside edge of the soundhole carries around to the top and all the grains line up, then you have a solid top. It should be obvious if they don't line up, you will see a line between the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisMiller Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 If you look up a few posts, you'll see a macro picture of the soundhole edge on my EJ200. Sure looks like a solid top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyGibson Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I believe the new EJ's have solid tops. If the grain on the inside edge of the soundhole carries around to the top and all the grains line up, then you have a solid top. It should be obvious if they don't line up, you will see a line between the two. Awsome. Between Dennis' picture and your veirfication, there's the proof. It's solid. I don't recall if I mentioned it (getting older). I sanded down the edge of my sound hole just under the fret board where it wasn't completely finished anyway. Can see it, unless you turn the guitar upside down and really look for it. I found my grain to be just like Dennis'- it runs all the way through. Mine is a 2010, vintage sunburst I bought last April. I went out and bought a humidifier for my case after I saw this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill67 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Awsome. Between Dennis' picture and your veirfication, there's the proof. It's solid. I don't recall if I mentioned it (getting older). I sanded down the edge of my sound hole just under the fret board where it wasn't completely finished anyway. Can see it, unless you turn the guitar upside down and really look for it. I found my grain to be just like Dennis'- it runs all the way through. Mine is a 2010, vintage sunburst I bought last April. I went out and bought a humidifier for my case after I saw this. Do they sound like a solid top,To me there is a difference in the sound.I have a EJ 200 I bought 5 years ago Its not solid and to me the sound is not to good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisMiller Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Everybody that has seen mine thinks it's a solid top. Further to that, having people see and play mine has benefited the little Guitar Center store and another store near here. I know 3 people who have bought EJ200 Artists after playing mine, including the University of Miami music school student who I first met while he was playing one at GC. That's how I noticed it in the first place. Talk about really making a guitar show off! Michael can really play his butt off and it's wonderful to see a young person play and so obviously take such great joy from being able to make music and entertain people. A couple things... As I do with all my acoustics, I have experimented on my EJ with a bone saddle and pins. The pins I had didn't fit properly, but I shaped a bone saddle for it and it's made a nice difference in the volume and a slight difference in the tone. The bone also helps with a more immediate response, letting the EJ be very sweet up the neck for fingerstyle. More than anything, I recommend putting an armrest on your EJ. I'm a very large person, but even so, my forearm rests on the top when I play. I put a $27 John Pearce armrest on my EJ and it keeps my forearm from dampening the vibration of the top. IMMEDIATE volume and tone improvement. I highly recommend an armrest, considering most who are reading this are probably much smaller than me, (I'm 6'7", 285 lbs), so consider how much of you is touching the guitar body. You'll love the sound difference. I put armrests on all my acoustics but one and that's because I simply haven't ordered one yet for a guitar I may sell. One of my friends who bought one also removed the pickguard and put on a soft golpeador, claiming the large pickguard stifled the top a bit. I strum too aggressively to give up the pickguard. YMMV I hope none of you are laughing to yourselves thinking I'm going to lengths to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, though I admit I have tried to before, but I honestly think this is more a case of trying to free a genuinely great guitar from it's humble, price conscious construction. What we have here is a winner, whether it was intended to be such or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennysmoke Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Everybody that has seen mine thinks it's a solid top. Further to that, having people see and play mine has benefited the little Guitar Center store and another store near here. I know 3 people who have bought EJ200 Artists after playing mine, including the University of Miami music school student who I first met while he was playing one at GC. That's how I noticed it in the first place. Talk about really making a guitar show off! Michael can really play his butt off and it's wonderful to see a young person play and so obviously take such great joy from being able to make music and entertain people. A couple things... As I do with all my acoustics, I have experimented on my EJ with a bone saddle and pins. The pins I had didn't fit properly, but I shaped a bone saddle for it and it's made a nice difference in the volume and a slight difference in the tone. The bone also helps with a more immediate response, letting the EJ be very sweet up the neck for fingerstyle. More than anything, I recommend putting an armrest on your EJ. I'm a very large person, but even so, my forearm rests on the top when I play. I put a $27 John Pearce armrest on my EJ and it keeps my forearm from dampening the vibration of the top. IMMEDIATE volume and tone improvement. I highly recommend an armrest, considering most who are reading this are probably much smaller than me, (I'm 6'7", 285 lbs), so consider how much of you is touching the guitar body. You'll love the sound difference. I put armrests on all my acoustics but one and that's because I simply haven't ordered one yet for a guitar I may sell. One of my friends who bought one also removed the pickguard and put on a soft golpeador, claiming the large pickguard stifled the top a bit. I strum too aggressively to give up the pickguard. YMMV I hope none of you are laughing to yourselves thinking I'm going to lengths to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, though I admit I have tried to before, but I honestly think this is more a case of trying to free a genuinely great guitar from it's humble, price conscious construction. What we have here is a winner, whether it was intended to be such or not. I just bought a Natural Finish EJ 200 Artist a few weeks ago... it is definitely a solid spruce top, perfectly bookmatched.. finish is top notch, perfect binding work thghout... ounds and plays great.. put on a set of medium strings and replaced junk bridge pins with mother of pearl inlayed ebony ones.. amazing guitar for the money... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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