brannon67 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Ok, all you Gibson Blues King owners, and you Epiphone EL-00 owners out there. I need to know something. I know the Gibson BK and the Epiphone EL-00 are kind of similiar guitars, but also alot different obviously. I am looking for a small guitar like that, and was wondering if the Gibson BK is worth the extra money over ther Epi EL-00. And I know it may be like comparing apples to oranges, or whatever, but I would love to know. I do have Gibsons, and I am familiar with Epis, so I know the difference in build and sound, but I havent heard or played the BK or the EL-00. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Kinda an odd brace of guitars considering the price difference. Just an opinion so take it with a grain of salt. I love L-00 size guitars and love Gibsons but the Blues King ain't one of my favorites. The ones I have played had what I would describe as a modern sound - lots of overtones, good presence and fairly detailed sounding when played up the board - but lacking that woody and dry sound you associate with the best of Gibson. Also not as much oomph on the low end as I like. I found them better suited for flatpicking than fingerpicking. Not saying this is a bad thing as these are characteristics some folks might look for in a guitar. Just not my cup of tea. I have not spent alot of time with the Epi L-00 so ain't gonna comment. I know it is annoying when somebody asks for opinions on specific guitars and then you get folks throwing in their two cents on what becomes a long list of other guitars to consider so forgive me. But personally, I would take my hard earned scratch and go looking for a mid-to late 1950s Gibson LG-2 You can buy one for less than what a new BK would run ya. If you want to go even cheaper search out a 1950s LG-1 (these are ladder braced). These days it ain't hard to score one for under $1K. You can also always, of course, keep your eyes peeled for an Epi Bluesmaster. Just great sounding little guitars but not that easy to find these days as word has gotten out. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloozeguy Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Kinda an odd brace of guitars considering the price difference. Just an opinion so take it with a grain of salt. I love L-00 size guitars and love Gibsons but the Blues King ain't one of my favorites. The ones I have played had what I would describe as a modern sound - lots of overtones, good presence and fairly detailed sounding when played up the board - but lacking that woody and dry sound you associate with the best of Gibson. Also not as much oomph on the low end as I like. I found them better suited for flatpicking than fingerpicking. Not saying this is a bad thing as these are characteristics some folks might look for in a guitar. Just not my cup of tea. I have not spent alot of time with the Epi L-00 so ain't gonna comment. I know it is annoying when somebody asks for opinions on specific guitars and then you get folks throwing in their two cents on what becomes a long list of other guitars to consider so forgive me. But personally, I would take my hard earned scratch and go looking for a mid-to late 1950s Gibson LG-2 You can buy one for less than what a new BK would run ya. If you want to go even cheaper search out a 1950s LG-1 (these are ladder braced). These days it ain't hard to score one for under $1K. You can al;so always, of course, keep your eyes peeled for an Epi Bluesmaster. Just great sounding little guitars but not that easy to find these days as word has gotten out. Good Luck Another older Gibson model that you might have more luck finding and affording would be the LGO, the all-mahogany model. It did very well for me when I had it, playing solo acoustic blues. Needed more volume and deeper tone with a band. I've played the Epi EL00 in stores. I think it might do well to knock around on at home, but I don't think I'd want to use one playing out. There are other small-bodies in your rather broad price range that make a better sound with more volume, and, for my clunky hands, better playability. Have you checked out the EF model Masterbilts? I agree with this appraisal of the Blues King. Not fond of either it or the Robert Johnson model, esp. for the money. You can do much better, esp. for the money, either used or (forgive me) another brand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgrasso Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I have an Epiphone EL-00 and love it. I had it setup by my luthier and it plays and sounds great. I got mine used on e-bay for about $300 with case. I have not played the Gibson, but since I would rather own a few different guitars, I stay with Epiphone. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPDEN Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I can use a travel and sofa guitar and the L-00 may be a good choice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I've owned a Blues King and have played various small-bodied acoustics, including a couple of EL-00s. The Blues King is a really nice guitar. A woody, dry sounding parlour which will get you out of trouble in just about any playing situation. I enjoyed mine for the 18mths I owned it, and only sold it because I needed to liquidate some funds due to an unexpected expense. I have to say, though, that at £1500 for the BK and £200 for the EL-00, the Epi is most definitely NOT £1300 WORSE than the BK. It's not quite as refined as the BK, but it's still a great little parlour and a guitar I wouldn't hesitate to play on any stage or in any studio. Usual epic Epi bang-for-buck and cool, funky blues tone. When I sold my BK, I planned to replace it with an EL-00, but started auditioning a few small bodied acoustics in the sub-£500 price bracket and ended up buying a Takamine EG416S New Yorker. The New Yorker is a great guitar, especially considering that I paid £340 for it including hard case. The pickup and preamp are stellar, and it's become my main gigging guitar for venues such as pubs/clubs/bars/restaurants. My Gibson AJ comes out for sessions, writing and arts centre/theatre shows, but otherwise it's the Tak all the way. Well worth considering if you're in the market for a parlour and want electrics too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 An addendum to this, four years on...I have an early '00s L1-style EL-00 and it's amazing. I paid £140 for it secondhand with an original Epi hard case and Fishman Rare Earth installed...an absolute steal and I've used it for all gigs great and small since! I absolutely love this little guitar ☺☺ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 I have an Epi EL-00 Pro in my collection of +30 Gibsons and Epi's. The EL-00 Pro ranks as one of my favorites. I replaced the stock artificial bone nut with a bone saddle, which slightly intentionally raised the action. I also use a Fishman Rare Earth Humbucker Sound Hole pickup on mine, if gigging with it, rather than the built in pickup. When I travel via airline, it's my guitar of choice due to its potential replacement cost, but it plays as well as any of my guitars though it's size makes it a bit quieter acoustically. Which also makes it a great in-house practice guitar, but also one that can do a gig. I use 12s or 13s on mine (Martin SP Bronze). The guitar has a great neck on it, like an old Gibson style. There was also a Epi EL-00 besides an EL-00 Pro made. The former had a thinner neck and no pickup in it and was quite good, too. The Pro version's slightly wider neck and pickup, made it an even better value. (Even though I like my soundhole pickup better than the built in one.). Is it the Blues King? Size wise, yes. But, I compare the EL-00 Pro's playability and sound more to an early to mid 60s LG1 although the LG1 was ladder braced (but aged 50 years). The EL-00 Pro is X braced, but it's wood has yet to age. I own a 1965 Gibson LG1 as well to compare the two. Very similar vibe and sound. QM aka Jazzman Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 My only real negative about the current crop of affordable Epi's is the string spacing, which I'd like a bit wider. Build quality is quite good and, although they can't compete with their Gibson counterparts for sound, they do nicely for a lot of settings where I'd prefer not to risk a high $ new or vintage instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 Curious about the EL-00 Pro, I was able to compare three new ones back in 2013. One significantly stood out and came home with me. To this day, I'm amazed at the tone produced by such an inexpensive little box. If you find a good one, it's a great guitar, period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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