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EJ200 CE Solid Top


Big Col

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Hi my name is Colin and I'm new to this or any forum!

 

I became a member because of the great bits of advice I picked up while searching for my new guitar.

 

I have just purchased a EJ200CE in Sunburst. I've been admiring them for a while and I was always 'put off' by the laminate top (select Spruce) debate. I recently read a rumour on the forum that the latest models had a solid top. The official Epiphone website now states 'solid top' on the website.

 

The problem I then encountered is UK/Europe supplies. Since early January I have been trying to find a UK dealer who had one is stock! I even emailed Epiphone Europe to ask when new supplies were going to be arriving in the UK. They told me that information is confidential between Epiphone and their suppliers. Most of the suppliers I spoke to all said the same thing..."e would love to tell you when we are getting new stock but we just don’t know".

 

I tried to buy one from the US where there seems to be a plentiful supply but was I advised that US stockist cannot ship 'new' guitars to Europe They can ship demos or B stock, but I wanted a new guitar. After the UK suppliers confirmed to me they did not expect any deliveries before the end of April, I started looking elsewhere.

 

I eventually found on in Ireland who could deliver to the UK. The shop is called 'Candy Apple Red Guitars'. What a great name! When I spoke with them they said that they could source a new guitar from their suppliers. But when I checked they said it would be a laminate model. I thought about it long and hard and decided to buy one anyway.

 

It arrived last week and it is as good as I hoped it would be! I paid £299.00. How Epiphone can make such a beautiful guitar at that price is really quite astonishing!

 

When I looked at the serial number, I worked out that it was made in Indonesia in October 2011.

 

One of the threads I read on this forum quoted a member saying that EJ200ce's manufactured after August 2011 included a solid top. I contacted Epiphone and after sending them pictures of my guitar they confirmed that my guitar is a solid top model, so how pleased am I???

 

They stated in an email I received that this model has been made with a solid top since ‘the beginning of 2011’.

 

If any UK members are looking for an EJ200ce, I would highly recommend Candy Apple Red Guitars. They offered free delivery to the UK and my guitar arrived in perfect condition and it plays like a dream straight out of the box. Not only that, is that not the coolest name for a guitar shop ever?

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Congrats and it sounds like you got a nice one!

 

The easiest way to tell if it is a solid top (as long as it is not painted a solid color) is to look at the grain on the edge of the sound hole. If it goes all the way through from top to bottom then it is solid; if there is a horizontal line/break in the grain then it is laminate.

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Most of the suppliers I spoke to all said the same thing..."e would love to tell you when we are getting new stock but we just don’t know".

 

Yes this is exactly my experience. It is no way to run a business (not if you want to attract new customers, anyway).

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi my name is Colin and I'm new to this or any forum!

 

I became a member because of the great bits of advice I picked up while searching for my new guitar.

 

I have just purchased a EJ200CE in Sunburst. I've been admiring them for a while and I was always 'put off' by the laminate top (select Spruce) debate. I recently read a rumour on the forum that the latest models had a solid top. The official Epiphone website now states 'solid top' on the website.

 

The problem I then encountered is UK/Europe supplies. Since early January I have been trying to find a UK dealer who had one is stock! I even emailed Epiphone Europe to ask when new supplies were going to be arriving in the UK. They told me that information is confidential between Epiphone and their suppliers. Most of the suppliers I spoke to all said the same thing..."e would love to tell you when we are getting new stock but we just don’t know".

 

I tried to buy one from the US where there seems to be a plentiful supply but was I advised that US stockist cannot ship 'new' guitars to Europe They can ship demos or B stock, but I wanted a new guitar. After the UK suppliers confirmed to me they did not expect any deliveries before the end of April, I started looking elsewhere.

 

I eventually found on in Ireland who could deliver to the UK. The shop is called 'Candy Apple Red Guitars'. What a great name! When I spoke with them they said that they could source a new guitar from their suppliers. But when I checked they said it would be a laminate model. I thought about it long and hard and decided to buy one anyway.

 

It arrived last week and it is as good as I hoped it would be! I paid £299.00. How Epiphone can make such a beautiful guitar at that price is really quite astonishing!

 

When I looked at the serial number, I worked out that it was made in Indonesia in October 2011.

 

One of the threads I read on this forum quoted a member saying that EJ200ce's manufactured after August 2011 included a solid top. I contacted Epiphone and after sending them pictures of my guitar they confirmed that my guitar is a solid top model, so how pleased am I???

 

They stated in an email I received that this model has been made with a solid top since ‘the beginning of 2011’.

 

If any UK members are looking for an EJ200ce, I would highly recommend Candy Apple Red Guitars. They offered free delivery to the UK and my guitar arrived in perfect condition and it plays like a dream straight out of the box. Not only that, is that not the coolest name for a guitar shop ever?

The Epi web site may state solid top...but no major retailers do like Musicians Friend, and Guitar Center which all state the this guitar has a select spruce laminated top.

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The Epi web site may state solid top...but no major retailers do like Musicians Friend, and Guitar Center which all state the this guitar has a select spruce laminated top.

 

I would assume as one stated in other threads to you this is most likely because those stores still have the laminate top versions in stock. The new EJ200CE does in fact have a solid top, I've seen examples of this from as early as July of 2011. They are great guitars. [thumbup]

 

Oh and enjoy your new guitar Big Col, try a set of Gibson J200 strings on it... they sound the best to my ears.

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I would assume as one stated in other threads to you this is most likely because those stores still have the laminate top versions in stock. The new EJ200CE does in fact have a solid top, I've seen examples of this from as early as July of 2011. They are great guitars. [thumbup]

 

Oh and enjoy your new guitar Big Col, try a set of Gibson J200 strings on it... they sound the best to my ears.

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