New Epiphone Caballero Artist

[Gralst]

I've been getting a lot of notifications on Face Book about this model which is currently on sale at Sweetwater for $219 and I was wondering if anyone has bought one or has other insight to the model. I am very much a realist and have extremely small expectations but what say you? Is it a decent little sofa guitar I can strum on while watching TV or take out on the boat or to the beach or maybe camping? Is the sound respectable or thin and tinny? I'm just very curious because I didn't really buy myself anything for Christmas and this fits the bill price-wise and although I need another acoustic guitar like I need a STD it looks like it might be fun. Good or bad? Let's hear ya.

[QuestionMark]

I just looked it up at Sweetwater.  I’m impressed it has a solid spruce top.  The original 60s model had a solid mahogany top although a reissue a few years ago had only a laminated mahogany top.  
 

The solid spruce top on the Sweetwater offer is a plus.  The only thing I’d question Sweetwater on if I were you, is whether it is a X braced or a ladder braced guitar.   The original 60s Caballeros were ladder braced rather than X braced.  X braced guitars have a deeper tone and higher volume than ladder braced guitars.   As a result, ladder braced guitars have more of a specialty preference than X bodied guitars.  I own a couple of ladder braced guitars and I  fine with them for the finger style that I play, although the majority of my guitars still are the more popular X braced.   I do find, however, that I rarely play the ladder braced ones at gigs or at jams, because they are quieter.   But, to play around the house or for pleasure, how bad can it be if it’s a solid spruce top at that price.  But, you might want to ask Sweetwater head of time if it’s ladder or X braced as I noticed the Sweetwater description was silent on the type of bracing.  Let us know if you end up buying the Spruce top Caballero Artist and what you first hand think of it.

QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

 

Edited January 18, 2020 by QuestionMark

[DeadUncleD]

i bought mine back in February. Its very much worth the price. The solid top gives it enough push to help with the thin 000 body.  Neck is perfect in my hand and action right out of the box was decent. 

 

[QuestionMark]

Back, circa April, I was looking into possibly buying the guitar and called Sweetwater.  They confirmed its top indeed a solid spruce.  Because of the pandemic, the customer service person said they would need to go into the showroom or check with someone in the showroom as I guess they were working remotely  to check if the guitar was X braced or ladder braced.  A couple of days later they called me back and said the guitar was ladder braced.  It still seemed like a really good price and deal for the solid topped guitar.  A couple months later I went back to Sweetwater’s site to check if they still had any, but, it was too late.  Not surprisingly at that price they were sold out.  
 

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

[Ricky Auman]

I found the FT-30A at my local guitar center while shopping for other merchandise. It was used, but in very good shape. It is spruce top, solid, "x" bracing, mahogany back (2 piece) and sides. no electronics, which I prefer. (To each his own) FYI, the body shape of this guitar is that of the Gibson LG., not 00 or 000. Back in the day when Epiphone was made in Kalamazoo, Mi., these were made along side of the LG-0 Gibsons according to Gibson. Anyway.... I like the FT-30 because of its size for one. I have other guitars, but with skeletal problems this one is less painful to play. Have a good one out there !