JWD Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Spent some time on the showroom floor with a Epiphone EJ200 Artist at local Guitar Center and found it to be quite good. Went back with a tuner and was impressed at the accuracy of it's intonation for a guitar in it's price range... Decided to buy and made this mistake of taking one "new in box" from the back. Got it home, unwrapped and tuned it up only to find the intonation so horrible with all open strings tuned properly, even a G note played on the six string, 3rd fret. would go over 50% sharp. I don't expect a factory setup on a $250 guitar to be great. I expect it need some work, but to be so horrible that not even open chords can be played in tune says a lot about the lack of quality control at Epiphone right now. It's unacceptable. Going to exchange this one for the show room model today and will be happy to get my hands on that one (hopefully it's still there) but in general this one experience has made me write off the Epiphone brand forever. I will of course still remain a huge fan of Gibson acoustics. I still think Gibson is the builder to beat these days, but I don't like to easter egg hunt for my guitars. I expect the poor ones to be the exception to the rule. P.S. I should have known better than to accept one new in box. I should reconized the showroom model for the gem that it was. Out of four other Epiphone models I tested intonation on, all were bad (not as horrible as the one I went home with, but pretty awful compared to the competition in the same price point). I made a very poor judgment that all EJ200s must be good. I will be happy to provide Gibson with serial #s, videos showing the intonation test, etc.. If requested. Especially if it will lead to better training of quality assurance staff or perhaps the termination of the one who inspected the guitar I purchased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 I feel your pain and hope the floor model is still available. Many of us have learned the same lesson, especially with inexpensive guitars: play the one you're gonna buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bliggick Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 It's possible that putting on a set of new, high quality strings might fix the problem. In the past I had purchased a couple of Epiphone electrics and the intonation was way out on the lower strings. Without even trying to adjust the saddles I put on new, good quality strings and the difference was like night and day. Then only minor intonation adjustments of the saddles was needed. If you sense that the strings are bad, change them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bliggick Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Sorry double post, please delete: It's possible that putting on a set of new, high quality strings might fix the problem. In the past I had purchased a couple of Epiphone electrics and the intonation was way out on the lower strings. Without even trying to adjust the saddles I put on new, good quality strings and the difference was like night and day. Then only minor intonation adjustments of the saddles was needed. If you sense that the strings are bad, change them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy58 Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 I had the opposite when I bought an Epiphone acoustic, I choose the shop floor model and had to take it back the next day because the saddle was coming away from the body. The replacement (which i still have) was new in the box.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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