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Epi PR 4E


discodj78

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Hi all.Just recently bought an Epiphone PR 4E...Smashing guitar for a laminate top.Was just wondering if anyone else has one of these little gems and what their thoughts were.

I don't have one, but I have played it. Had trouble with the tuners and thought the sound rather thin--that's a skinny body there for playing acoustically! But a decent beginning box: easy action and a decent sound for practice.

What got me to try one was the other half of the player pack. I REALLY wanted the amp for, like, small coffeehouse work. Tried to make a deal with one of my kids: you get the guitar; I get the amp. He didn't go for it cuz he'd lost interest. Found one in mint condition at a used guitar shop for $50. and I love it! 15 watts in a tiny box, but a big enough sound and inputs for both voice and instrument--even some effects, which I don't use, but there they are.

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I have a PR-4E. Its a great little guitar. I agree that the sound of the guitar unplugged is quite thin, but the playability is phenomenal. I've never had any problems with the tuners on mine. The truss rod threw me for a quick loop though. I took off the cover only to find that there was no truss rod under it. The truss adjustment in at the other end of the neck through the soundhole.

 

I also have to agree about the amp. Its a great little amp for the size. It sounds great in small spaces and I would imagine that it sounds just as good mic'd through a PA.

 

Anyway, I'm not much of an acoustic player. I just bought mine to plunk around on at home. It does its job well and plays great. The neck almost feels like an electric, especially with extra-light strings on it.

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I got one from MF for under $90 on grounds that the amp didn't work at all.

 

Went around with Jim R - EPI1 - on it and he sez I should consider getting the amp too 'cuz it's better than one would think. I believe him and you guys; I just don't need one.

 

Okay, I did a review or two for some online sellers on the guitar.

 

1. It's a really nice little parlor guitar. It ain't a dread. Yeah, it sounds boxy. It's a horrid idea to bang on it for bluegrass as one might do on a J45 or D28 because it ain't that, it's a nice little gentle-playing parlor guitar.

 

2. I had no problems with anything except that the frets are, as all Gibson types, fairly soft and an accident jammed a string into a fret with the obvious difficulty. Luckily it was far enough up the fretboard that when I gave it to a friend who's a young mommy who moved away, it wouldn't be a problem for her.

 

3. It's an exceptionally comfortable fingerpicking guitar with light strings. At least for my physical geometry. Good action outa the box for me, especially after I put on my typical 9-42s.

 

4. Electric amplified? Again, it ain't a "bang on the strings" guitar, so if you play nice and gently, the electronics come through quite nicely.

 

5. Good enough? Yeah, it's good enough for about anything amped and played appropriately for what it is. I played it for a coupla three benefits with up to more than 50-some elementary school kids and it worked quite nicely on stage through the board.

 

6. Caveats: As noted, it ain't a dreadnaught and shouldn't be played as if it were. It is likely at its best fingerpicked one way or another. It'd be great for smaller hands if the smaller hands are mature enough to recognize how it should be played.

 

I know of a 9-year-old girl who'd likely think it's a marvelous step up from her pink whateveritis 1/2 size guitar... and if she broke it, her Mom wouldn't have a heart attack. That also makes it ideal for vacationing.

 

Horrible, Rotten, Stinking, Lousy Bad point: It's one of those little guitars that can kinda get to you and you don't know why. You wish you had a hard case but the case'd cost more than the guitar but... <grin> Mine's replaced with a PR5e and I have a batch of "far better" AE guitars and I still am thinking about getting another.

 

Any of that help?

 

m

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I know what you mean about wanting to get a case for it, Milo. Although the top is just your typical looking spruce, the back, sides and neck are absolutely gorgeous....and it has neck binding as well as die-cast tuners. As long as you understand the limitations of this guitar, it is one heck of a bang for your buck.

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Thanks for the response people.I got this for my Birthday in feb.I started playing guitar in 1989 but kind of had a lull for the last few years.Im back playing now and really enjoying it.

 

I agree about the gig bag that comes with it.Just squeezes in.A hard case is my next purchase.But very happy with the guitar.Nice fingerboard,good action and a very nice sound through the amp.

 

Great value guitar [thumbup] .

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Yeah, I forgot about that gigbag. Nice gesture but, wow. One of the zippers broke the first time I tried to use it. lol. Its more akin to a dust cover than a gig bag. But for the price of the package, it is just as easy to forget the gigbag even exists. Definitely not a motivating factor in either direction with my decision to buy the guitar.

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Just one suggestion depending on how you play, I've had really good luck with DR Zebra AE strings. I wear the 9-42 which are pretty light for acoustic, but if you're a bender, they work quite nicely for it.

 

I had no problems with the bag, it is awfully light; the tuner I got wasn't the most solid, but as the rest of the package, if you treat it well, it should treat you the same.

 

Just one "hint" on any amps, or television sets for all that - I always let one run for no less than a week without shutting it off. If there's a problem, that's likely to expose it.

 

m

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I got one from MF for under $90 on grounds that the amp didn't work at all.

 

Went around with Jim R - EPI1 - on it and he sez I should consider getting the amp too 'cuz it's better than one would think. I believe him and you guys; I just don't need one.

 

Okay, I did a review or two for some online sellers on the guitar.

 

1. It's a really nice little parlor guitar. It ain't a dread. Yeah, it sounds boxy. It's a horrid idea to bang on it for bluegrass as one might do on a J45 or D28 because it ain't that, it's a nice little gentle-playing parlor guitar.

 

2. I had no problems with anything except that the frets are, as all Gibson types, fairly soft and an accident jammed a string into a fret with the obvious difficulty. Luckily it was far enough up the fretboard that when I gave it to a friend who's a young mommy who moved away, it wouldn't be a problem for her.

 

3. It's an exceptionally comfortable fingerpicking guitar with light strings. At least for my physical geometry. Good action outa the box for me, especially after I put on my typical 9-42s.

 

4. Electric amplified? Again, it ain't a "bang on the strings" guitar, so if you play nice and gently, the electronics come through quite nicely.

 

5. Good enough? Yeah, it's good enough for about anything amped and played appropriately for what it is. I played it for a coupla three benefits with up to more than 50-some elementary school kids and it worked quite nicely on stage through the board.

 

6. Caveats: As noted, it ain't a dreadnaught and shouldn't be played as if it were. It is likely at its best fingerpicked one way or another. It'd be great for smaller hands if the smaller hands are mature enough to recognize how it should be played.

 

I know of a 9-year-old girl who'd likely think it's a marvelous step up from her pink whateveritis 1/2 size guitar... and if she broke it, her Mom wouldn't have a heart attack. That also makes it ideal for vacationing.

 

Horrible, Rotten, Stinking, Lousy Bad point: It's one of those little guitars that can kinda get to you and you don't know why. You wish you had a hard case but the case'd cost more than the guitar but... <grin> Mine's replaced with a PR5e and I have a batch of "far better" AE guitars and I still am thinking about getting another.

 

Any of that help?

 

m

 

If you like Epi AEs I have a PR6e that is available. It's the "pretty" version with fake abalone fretmarkers and perfling. Gold Grovers, solid spruce top, quilted maple back and sides. Nice little guitar and sounds good but I want a full size acoustic, a J45 or D18 and I could use the funds for that. Long and McQuade, canada's version of MF or GC, offered me $400 on a trade.

 

2003EpiPR6e.jpg

 

2003EpiPR6eSide.jpg

 

2003EpiPR6eBack.jpg

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Zep...

 

Nice guitar... In fact, I dunno what'd be considered wrong with it and were we closer, I'd happily swap a Masterbilt AJ for it or cough up cash.

 

Funny thing is that my PR5e is even less pricy than the 6, and than any of my AE "full size" guitars - but it's the one I play most.

 

Sorry there's so much distance and a national border involved...

 

m

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For me its the small size, but mostly I don't like the neck. I find it too narrow and it has kind of a 'V' back to it. It plays and sounds nice and the top has darkened nicely with age. I want a full size guitar and have decided on the Gibson J45. Play one every time I go to a shop if they have one (our local dealer usually has 2 or 3 in the acoustic room) and when the time is right I will get one. I have some gear I don't use and it needs a new home. It doesn't have the big voice like the J45, probably due to the small body.

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