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Epiphone Masterbilt AJ45ME in GLOSS at GC..can anyone verify this??


GuitarLight

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Guitar Center specs for the new AJ45ME clearly state gloss body in the specs..with a satin neck finish. No other retailers mention this. Perhaps it is a mistake in specs? If this is true I will immediately be back on the market for this guitar. ...If they have changed to gloss finish...I have a feeling there will be waiting lines once more to get this guitar!

Can anyone out there verify this? ....Has Epiphone changed the body finish on the AJ45ME from matte to gloss?

link here

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone-Masterbilt-AJ-45ME-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar-111126975-i4199741.gc

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Guitar Center specs for the new AJ45ME clearly state gloss body in the specs..with a satin neck finish. No other retailers mention this. Perhaps it is a mistake in specs? If this is true I will immediately be back on the market for this guitar. ...If they have changed to gloss finish...I have a feeling there will be waiting lines once more to get this guitar!

Can anyone out there verify this? ....Has Epiphone changed the body finish on the AJ45ME from matte to gloss?

link here

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone-Masterbilt-AJ-45ME-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar-111126975-i4199741.gc

 

I have a hard time believing that is accurate. I'm emailing Gibson now to find out.

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Sweetwater, which doesn't have any in stock yet, says the finish is satin. It's possible that GC got a special order, I suppose. In the past, they've ordered up a special model built to their specs. Let's hope they long ago told Epiphone "We want gloss." But we'll see.....

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Musician's Friend states a Gloss finish on the body, satin on neck. If the photo's are accurate, the finish looks pretty FLAT on the sides & back for certain though to me. Like the neck jointing the side look the SAME sheen. Hard to say on the top soundboard though.

 

Looks like a nice git. Wish they hadn't spent any $$ on the pickup and put it into the guitar quality or provided a case instead. Just me. I'm not convinced that the under saddle PUP's don't degrade the sound transfer. I may be removing from all my Gibson's (Dove, H.Bird, & J-45 Custom). I'll start with one and see if I can HEAR any change. If not, I would stand corrected.

 

Better get one while you can, they may sell fast. [thumbup]

 

Aster

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I officially passed on this guitar. I ended up getting a Recording King RAJ-122 (REALLY nice all solid, 12 fret slope shoulder).

 

Lovely looking guitar - funny was just looking at a Recording King RD-10 - all solid guitar for a shade over £200 - looks great value.

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I officially passed on this guitar. I ended up getting a Recording King RAJ-122 (REALLY nice all solid, 12 fret slope shoulder).

 

I too passed on it...Ended up with a 2008 J45 standard. However my son is now eyeing it :-)

 

 

db

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Order cancelled. I don't want dull matte finish on the top of a burst guitar. It's just wrong.

 

I just ordered a Recording King Dirty 30's Dreadnought. It's a satin finish. I'm paying to have it professionally buffed and then I'm adding a Teardrop Gibson pickguard to it. It'll be my fun version of a Gibson J-30 (square shoulder...no longer made). It's a solid top, lam back and sides, but they've got some sort of way that they do the laminate that reflects sound so that you get a loud, immediate guitar. It has Gibson-like quick note decay, too.

 

I got the chance to play the Dirty 30's Dreadnought last week while I was in Texas. It was quite cool.

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The only thing unlovely about the RAJ-122 is the pickguard, but I will be replacing with a firestripe Advanced Jumbo/J-35 pickguard. It will then look exactly like the Jackson Browne signature Gibson.

 

Nice looking guitar Cliff. I've looked at these often but they don't seem to be available in the UK - I have had a couple of all solid Recording Kings over the years - A dread and a OM style.I still have a Loar LH600 archtop - same company I think.

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I just ordered a Recording King Dirty 30's Dreadnought. It's a satin finish. I'm paying to have it professionally buffed and then I'm adding a Teardrop Gibson pickguard to it. It'll be my fun version of a Gibson J-30 (square shoulder...no longer made). It's a solid top, lam back and sides, but they've got some sort of way that they do the laminate that reflects sound so that you get a loud, immediate guitar. It has Gibson-like quick note decay, too.

 

I got the chance to play the Dirty 30's Dreadnought last week while I was in Texas. It was quite cool.

 

Cliff on the subject of Recording Kings - J45s etc. I was Googling some stuff about Recording Kings (your new acquisitions made me do it - honest) and I came across this http://theunofficial...05#.VVH9HJOgvSN

 

Honest I'm not stalking you!! I'm just nosy!! But I've never seen you mention this Epi J45 - what happened to it?

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Cliff on the subject of Recording Kings - J45s etc. I was Googling some stuff about Recording Kings (your new acquisitions made me do it - honest) and I came across this http://theunofficialblueridgeguitarforum18213.yuku.com/topic/10622/RK-Dirty-30s-DreadnoughtRDH05#.VVH9HJOgvSN

 

Honest I'm not stalking you!! I'm just noisy!! But I've never seen you mention this Epi J45 - what happened to it?

 

Haha...it's no problem. I returned it after my luthier told me it needed a neck reset. Then I bought a simply fabulous AJ-220S which sounds even more fabulous now then when I bought it.

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Haha...it's no problem. I returned it after my luthier told me it needed a neck reset. Then I bought a simply fabulous AJ-220S which sounds even more fabulous now then when I bought it.

The AJ220S is great. I just recently bought, and returned a new Gibson J-45. My fabulous AJ220S played better, looked better, and sounded better. Why spend $2200 when you can spend $200?

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The debate about the finish on the AJ-45ME goes on (everywhere it seems)

 

This is more or less what it looks like when it has been buffed up

 

 

Yes it's a very expensive Gibson True Vintage J45

 

Very interesting to see...thank you for sharing that.

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My Recording King Dirty 30's Dreadnought came in today. There was a nick in the headstock and the strings were off-center on the fretboard. I played it for a while to get an overall sense of it in my normal surroundings.

 

It...is...not...for...me.

 

The Dirty 30's Dreadnought Acoustic is $199 with a solid top and a bone nut and bone saddle.

 

But all guitars are not equal...my AJ-220S (as we all know also retails for $199) has a very tight, focused, woody and wonderful sound that allows me to play quiet or loud with an absolutely killer tone either way. Granted, I've had work done to it by the best dang luthier in my area, but still, it is just a superb guitar.

 

This Dirty 30's Dread is very loud, but the sound isn't good at all. It sounds and feels very cheap. I have the Single O parlor version of this guitar and everything about it is just perfect, but in the dread size it's a terrible guitar.

 

I'd be sending it back anyway even if there weren't any flaws.

 

Plus one for Epiphone for giving such incredible value at this price point.

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Hi Cliff, I sensed you were looking forward to the Dirty Thirties dread if only to mod a little. I, as I have said previously, had two Recording Kings. Both were all solid Mahogany back and sides spruce tops. The dread was quite nice, the OM not so. I decided to part with both when I found the AJ220 - it sounded far better and more close to the guitar I hear in my head (if you know what I mean). I have been an Epiphone fan since getting the AJ220. Hope the other Recording King lives up to expectations.

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