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My New Epiphone Inspired By 1964 Texan


Viktorija Arsic

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Hey folks,

 

I'm a long time lurker around these forums, and for my first post, I just wanted to write a rave review about my brand new Epiphone Texan:

 

Viktorija_Arsic_Texan_Edit_2.jpg

 

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Viktorija_Arsic_Texan_Edit_3.jpg

 

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In a word, the Texan is incredible!

 

It is my first Epiphone guitar, and my second acoustic-electric. I was looking for dreadnaught guitar to complement my folk-sized 2014 Breedlove Passport OM/MMe.

However, I was initially skeptical of Epiphone. I'd tried a Sheraton II and it was unfortunately awkward to play and the tone was poor. Also, a friend of mine sent his Thunderbird IV bass back no less than four times due to persistent issues, including severe fret buzzing. He was eventually satisfied with his replacement Thunderbird. But as is the case buying from any brand, it’s important to be cautious.

 

While I don’t necessarily believe in guitars having some kind innate mysticism or aura by virtue of mythical brand name, I do believe wholeheartedly in a guitar feeling just “right” when you hold it in your hands and strum those first few chords (just as a funny thought, I used to think Epiphone was pronounced “epiphany"). Playing this Texan for the first time at my awesome local music store gave me the feeling that I was reuniting with an old friend.I play mostly solo-acoustic and occasionally jam with a full band, so the Texan is excellent for my purposes. I love that it's a slope shouldered acoustic. It feels very comfortable to play. There are no rough fret ends and, I'm happy to say, absolutely no string buzz. The vintage style tuners are sturdy. Even if they are plastic, they hold their own really well (especially considering that I can strum pretty hard and fast). The wood grain is beautiful. The Texan's tone is resonant and has wonderful sustain, with rustic, loud bass, sweet, clear mid-range, and crisp, articulate treble.

 

Honestly, my photographs cannot fully capture the cherryburst colour gracing the solid spruce top. The finish is actually more like an autumn-burst; it has an amber quality that gently melts into antique orange when under direct light; the overall dusky shading is simply gorgeous. As many other people have previously noted, I can confirm that the nut and bridge are bone. My particular guitar was made in Indonesia (probably the Samick factory, Serial # 16092300177) and I must say that the craftsmanship is completely outstanding!

 

Considerable research (well informed by IRONMAN INC’s awesome YouTube channel) went into choosing my Texan. I paid $880 CAD with hardshell case (it smells like vanilla inside); although that is more expensive than what it sells for in comparable markets such as the United States, in my opinion the price is totally worth it!

Just to be clear, the Texan kicks serious *** against any higher end model. I tried the Masterbilt AJ 45E, but wasn’t particularly impressed with the sound, feel, or finish. I was also considering both the Taylor 210e Deluxe in Tobacco Sunburst and the Gibson J-15. The Taylor unfortunately felt too bulky and uncomfortable for me, not to mention that I was really stretching my budget at that price point; the same can be said for the Gibson, including some concerning, horrific craftsmanship-I honestly don’t know how it passed QC! The J-15 simply felt cheaply thrown together, almost “plasticky” for lack of a better term, because there was sloppy glue residue on the spruce top where the neck meets the body, the frets were razor sharp, the strings buzzed, and the nitrocellulose finish had been yellowed around the nut. I felt really disappointed after playing it.

 

So I returned to the Texan. It hasn't let me down, and I can't stop playing it.

 

I’m proud to support Epiphone because they have honest, reasonable prices for quality instruments. That’s what matters at the end of the day, because as the player you want what you play to be reliable; you want it to be expressive; you want to connect with it and have it resonate with listeners. The Texan has all that and more.

 

I’m just so glad to have such a lovely guitar!

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Honestly, my photographs cannot fully capture the cherryburst colour gracing the solid spruce top. The finish is actually more like an autumn-burst; it has an amber quality that gently melts into antique orange when under direct light; the overall dusky shading is simply gorgeous.

 

Yeah, that is a gorgeous burst! Major congrats, Vik, and welcome to the boards.

 

And that dark fretboard looks like ebony! Sweet!

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Yeah, that is a gorgeous burst! Major congrats, Vik, and welcome to the boards.

 

And that dark fretboard looks like ebony! Sweet!

 

Hi Cougar,

 

Thanks so much for checking out my post!

 

I'm still stunned by the colour. It really is special. As for the fretboard, my first thought was that it looked like ebony as well. I'm just glad my first experience with Epiphone has been good; I'm considering getting the Prophecy Les Paul Custom Plus GX somewhere down the line.

 

I appreciate the warm welcome!

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Congrats!

 

I have never played an IB Texan I did not like the sound of. The slightly wider nut is a particularly welcome change when compared to the originals.

No joke! I had a pair of originals at one time - burst and natural - that I let go because of the nut width; also a J-45 that I loved that's gone for the same reason.

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  • 1 month later...

I can't agree more. These are great Guirars.

 

I bought one 2-3 years ago & love it. It has a really good sounding brightness in it's sound. Which I really like. It cuts thru nicely in the Mix. I play it as much as my Martin D-35 & Gibson Bozeman Masterbilt J-160E.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Indonesian Samick factory is building some amazingly good guitars for the price point they're focused on in today's market.

 

Not only do they sound & play good, but the interior (as well as the exterior) workmanship on those I've examined has been very clean. A lot of bang for the buck!

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  • 1 month later...

I've got two IB-64 Texans, the first is a 09 model made in China, and last weekend I picked up a very good condition 2015 Indonesian made one, which is very much like the original posters Texan. I will do a comparison between the two soon, as they are quite different in specs.

 

What I will say though, is that the newer Indonesian version has that " Plucky magic twanger sound" that the originals have.

 

Steve.

Edited by frenchie1281734003
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  • 4 years later...
On 4/5/2018 at 1:12 AM, frenchie1281734003 said:

I've got two IB-64 Texans, the first is a 09 model made in China, and last weekend I picked up a very good condition 2015 Indonesian made one, which is very much like the original posters Texan. I will do a comparison between the two soon, as they are quite different in specs.

 

What I will say though, is that the newer Indonesian version has that " Plucky magic twanger sound" that the originals have.

 

Steve.

Steve,

Sorry to resurrect a thread here, but did you ever do that comparison between the two IB Texan versions you talked about?

I have the opportunity to snag a Chinese IB texan that appears to be in very good condition, but am wondering if it would be worth holding out for a more recent Indonesian one. How do they differ and which do you prefer?

Thanks,

Maxwell

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