Just picked up the new Frontier at Long and McQuade here in Halifax. I was looking for a good guitar that I could travel with if needed. Last year I had bought a Insp Texan and was pleased with the guitar on the whole. Soundwise it was good but you really had to bang on it to get through the poly finish,soundwise.I took the Texan in to the store and decided I would trade it in if I liked the Frontier. Which I did. The Frontier had a open, looser sound by far which was good but didn't compress and get overly jangly on hard strumming., which some maple guitars do. It certainly had the "woofiness" of a good dread to combine with high end sparkle(not just high string cut) so I am pleased. That "woof" sealed the deal as it sounded like it had the goods, though new and green, to age into a real, quality guitar of sonic substance.Build quality is excellent,though I'm going to change out the compensated saddle to bone, which the original is not from the looks, just seems like Tusq, especially as it's graduated. Neck is very comfortable D profile, near identical to a 61 Hummingbird. The 12" radius is a flatter, more comfortable strummer than the Texan(14) due to this radius change. The laurel neck and bridge is new to me, and I have no issues with the streaky look. It's real wood and not richlite or ply .The neck mimics a fuller feel, yet is quick and only very slightly thicker at the 12th fret light, so it plays as fast as needed very easily. Finish is nicely done, very thin and low gloss, not tacky in the least. Tuners are gold with the slightly swirly translucent knobs which are a classy original cop. Overall I'm very pleased and think this is a great step for Epiphone to draw on their past, and build a cost effective, keeper guitar. I have pics but the size is too big to post and unsure how to shrink them for the format.