Cougar

Well, I can't disagree with that (although I still think a cracked neck is a defect I'd be most wary about). I actually bid on a guitar once that was identified as "for parts or not working." Talk about risky! There were a couple nasty gouges on the edge of the top -- it had apparently been knocked off a stand -- but it was unknown if there was any internal structural damage. It was a $3,800 guitar going for $1,400. I took a chance, and I'm really glad I did! The gouges were the only defects, and they were easily fixed by my luthier. I ended up with a near new Guild F512 out of their new Oxnard plant. Holy Grail!

Oh, same here. I don't like cracks in the top or back either, but they're much more manageable than a cracked neck. Since I'm not big on "working on guitars," I like to get newer used ones, and in excellent shape, and I've had pretty good luck with that. After a while, you also learn to ask a seller a lot of questions, and ask him to check the neck angle, the saddle height, the action, etc. A guitar can look to be in great shape, but if it needs a neck reset, that's another $600. I kind of assume that a new purchase of a used guitar will likely need a pro setup. That's a manageable $60.

Yes, that guitar with a crack in the neck is a definite pass. You probably won't get many hits searching for "masterbuilt," but you will for "masterbilt." 😁 This Epiphone Masterbilt looks to be a pretty good deal even though it "was pulled from a working environment." It's claimed to be in "excellent" shape. In my Epiphone days, I much preferred those from the 2003-2010 production run, which were all non-cutaways. The one I linked to even comes with an aftermarket soundhole pickup and a case and has free shipping as well as "make an offer." You could likely get it for $500 or maybe even $450. Best of luck in your search!

Yes, the top is definitely solid sitka. Yeah, guitar pricing seems pretty arbitrary. You could also ask why another 6-string is not just twice as much, but 10 times as much! I didn't pay nearly that much for mine, but this used (1974) Guild F50R that's up for sale on ebay is going for $3,600! My F50R does sound better than a Masterbilt, but honestly, not 10 times better. Epiphone's site says the Hummingbird Studio used to be called the Hummingbird Pro. Either way, good looking Epiphone! A 10% discount at GC is pretty standard if you ask for it, so they're not doing you any great favors. Ask "Well, how about a 20% discount?" and maybe you'll get one for 15% off. :^) Epiphone's got a whole new line of "Inspired by Gibson" guitars. Of course, Epiphone has always been "inspired" by Gibson, which is its parent company, but now they've got this new lineup. Personally, I preferred the Masterbilt production run from 2003-2010. Fine instruments.

I wouldn't mention it and see if they even notice. Guitar Center allows returns for any reason, especially if you're trading it in for something else.

Hard to tell. Can't hurt to give it a try. The usual deciding factor is how long you've had the guitar.

Should have hung out at the Epiphone Forum sooner. (Like 2012, when this thread was started?) 🙂 But really, the back and sides are not nearly as crucial as the top to get an excellent tone. That's why the top is called the soundboard. The top is what participates in the vibration; the back is more reflective. Lots of Alvarez-Yairis are laminate backed, and they're very highly regarded. Some very high-end Guilds have laminate backs; they also happen to be arched and braceless, and they pump out the volume and tone, but still.... I used to have an Epiphone Performer ME that was laminate back and top, and somehow it had a crazy good tone. So you never know.

I had something similar this morning. The site usually signs me in automatically, but today I had to sign in, then it said "something went wrong." Then I just clicked on "new posts," and oddly, it was like I was signed in the whole time. Weird. However, the whole format and operation of this site just sucks, IMO. I've been a member of different forums for... jeez, 35 years or so, and the way this one has been set up is the worst! Maybe it's just something to get used to, but the preview, add image, quote, edit... all the operations you use and need are just not intuitive. Where are they? OK, rant over.

Exactly! And you couldn't do much better than that beauty! Wow!

Congrats. Yeah, Martins have got the history and the fine fit-n-finish thing and the tone, but man, they're typically just so blah looking -- blingless! I can understand the idea that because of the presumed great tone, "we don't need no stinking bling." But still, I like me a little bling. Not an overly amount, mind you -- a subtle amount of bling. Like here: beyond the fancy fret markers, this guitar happened to come with emeralds atop the tuning posts. I would have bought the guitar anyway, but that was a nice little subtle addition!

Exactly. My guitar acquisition habits came to realize that. I used to have a half dozen Epiphones. Eventually they were all put on the block to fund a few nice 6- and 12-strings.

Well, I didn't go up to $3,000, but I could hear the difference between my (roughly) $2,000 Guild F50R and my $500-800 Epiphone Masterbilts. There's much more volume coming out of the low E string, making for better balance across all the strings.

Is there any height to the existing saddle such that it could be shaved down a bit to lower the action? Otherwise, as a 50-year-old guitar, it may need a neck reset, which is not that big a deal with a bolt on neck, but I'd have a luthier or repair tech do it and give you a pro setup.

Well.... these old Epiphone 12-strings aren't worth a lot -- they're going for $200-300 on reverb. (I've got an FT160, which is about the same.) But here's an idea -- there is one "non functioning" FT165 on reverb going for $75. The seller would probably accept $50. The neck is broken off, but the bridge and saddle look fine. After you pay for that and pay for replacing the bridge with the "new" one, it might cost more than the guitar is worth. Alternatively, you could just buy a brand new (or even used) Guild F2512 and keep on playin'! (These are super inexpensive!)

Major congrats, Sgt. You've been duly stimulated! Yeah, gotta love an ebony board. All my Guilds sport one (F512, JF30-12, F50R). My Gibson Songwriter 12 is mere rosewood, but it does just fine....

Tempting to at least try that J200!

I've always liked the looks of Gibson's compact jumbo CJ165. I notice a guy on reverb selling one who says: Well, my research shows that despite sellers advertising them as J165's, the labels on 2007 and 2008 guitars show "CJ165." (If sellers would show a pic of the label more often, I'd have more to go on. I couldn't find a 2006 that showed the label clearly.) The 2007 I saw is maple-backed, and the 2008 is rosewood-backed, but both labels show CJ165. (It might have been nice if Gibson differentiated them!) Then later, at which point it's hard to say, at least in 2012 I see a label with just "J165," and that's with rosewood. Why the change? It's still a CJ, right? I'm happy with my 17" lower bout Guild jumbos, but if I hit the powerball, I'll be in the market for a CJ165. Important to me would be the ebony fingerboard, which apparently only appears on early models. When did they switch to rosewood fingerboards? Did they make both ebony and rosewood fingerboards during the same year? Anyway, I want one.

I didn't notice this before. My FT160 is from early 70s I figure, still in essentially mint condition. My brother carried it back from Hong Kong. They're probably only worth a couple hundred bucks, but as the newbie above mentions, they have a remarkably great sound! Since I now have two jumbo Guild 12-strings and a Gibson Songwriter 12, the FT160 doesn't get much play, but it's just not worth selling. A great travel/campfire guitar!

Man, you've got that positioned right. Mix of guitar and voice just right! I always dreamt of busking back in the 60s, Donovan my hero....

I heard a great tribute this morning on NPR by Scott Simon. Here's the text. Worth a read!

Humans are social creatures. "Ethical rules... were not originally invented by some enlightened human lawgiver. They go deep into our evolutionary past. They were with our ancestral line from a time before we were human." - Sagan

Great, Sal. Love the harmony!

I was surprised to learn that single-celled life-forms persisted alone in the earth's biosphere for about 3 billion years before the first multi-celled creatures began their ascent. That's 2/3 of the entire time this planet has existed!

Or read The Mind's Sky by Timothy Ferris...

I don't think there'll be any such judgment.