jricc Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 (edited) I for one would. Ive read nothing but good things about the Inspired by J45. I so wish Epi would do an LG-2 . The real deal is out my financial range and the used ones, if you could find one, are not much cheaper. Edited March 11, 2022 by jricc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 1 hour ago, jricc said: I for one would. Ive read nothing but good things about the Inspired by J45. I so wish Epi would do an LG-2 . The real deal is out my financial range and the used ones, if you could find one, are not much cheaper. The thing is, I’m not too sure that an inspired by LG-2 would be much different that the current Epiphone model EL-00 Studio (fka EL-00 Pro.). Which is a good guitar. The EL-00 Studio is a short scale small body X braces solid spruce top sunburst guitar with select mahogany sides and back with a built in pickup. The only difference an inspired by LG2 model would have is a slightly larger upper front bout. Plus, the EL-00 Studio has a slim taper neck a little more comfortable than the 60s LG neck, but similar. Maybe an inspired by LG would have a batwing or a teardrop shaped pickguard rather than the 00 pickguard shape. Otherwise it’s be basically the same as the current EL-OO Studio (fka EL-00 Pro) from my perspective…keeping in mind the 00 shape is the more iconic longer historic holy grail small body shape in the Gibson line up than the LG shape which once was kind of a replacement for it…although the LG shape certainly is also well liked and has come back periodically into production in recent Gibson years. Just speculating here. Maybe others could offer other possible differences if an Inspired by LG came out. But, presently, I’d recommend grabbing up a EL-00 Studio already in production or a used EL-00 Pro if you’re looking for an Inspired by LG type Epiphone that currently exists. QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jricc Posted March 11, 2022 Author Share Posted March 11, 2022 Thanks for your thoughts Jeff. I thought the LG2 would be a little more J45 ish than the L00. Doesn't the LG2 have a deeper body than the 00? Along with the slightly bigger upper bout... I never been able to play them back to back, nobody has both in stock. I have a G-00, which I like, but it's really lives in the mid range and trebles. I thought the LG2 would have bass than the G-00... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, jricc said: Thanks for your thoughts Jeff. I thought the LG2 would be a little more J45 ish than the L00. Doesn't the LG2 have a deeper body than the 00? Along with the slightly bigger upper bout... I never been able to play them back to back, nobody has both in stock. I have a G-00, which I like, but it's really lives in the mid range and trebles. I thought the LG2 would have bass than the G-00... The EL-00 Studio/EL-00 Pro is about the same depth as my 1965 LG1, which mirrors the LG2 except for its ladder bracing. An actual Gibson LG2 with a solid mahog back and sides might have a bit more bass and mid range than a EL-00 Studio or EL-00 Pro because they have laminated mahog sides and a back…but as Inspired by models have laminated sides and back, so would an Inspired by LG2. (I have no idea if a G-00 has a solid mahog back and sides, but I suspect as it’s a lower priced model, something has to lower its cost from a L-00 , so I assume they too have lam sides and a back…although I don’t know for sure. All of these are X braced and have solid spruce tops, so the cost to manufacture savings must come elsewhere from the guitar (besides the machine made overseas manufactured aspect of the Epiphone models). Keeping in mind that all small bodied guitars are still small bodied guitars so they do not have the thump or volume or midrange of a Jumbo. However, it’s also worth keeping in mind that with a pickup, whether an added one or a built in one, things like mid-range and bass ranges can be added through an acoustic amplifier setting. Don’t get me wrong, it’s be cool if Epiphone did an Inspired by LG2 model. But, realistically it’s would likely be similar to a EL-00 Studio/EL-00 Pro, similar to the point I doubt Epi would keep both models in its line up very long. And, whether existing EL-00 owners would also buy an Inspired by LG2 or would it attract new buyers would figure in to any decision Epiphone might make to one day offer it. Plus, retooling costs on their part would need to figure in to make the mold of the EL-00 upper bout a bit bigger and the lower bout maybe slightly smaller. And, then of course, would it really be based on it or just look a bit more like a LG2 shape because of its more balanced bouts. ??? QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Edited March 11, 2022 by QuestionMark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jricc Posted March 11, 2022 Author Share Posted March 11, 2022 Good points Jeff. I guess if Epi was to do an "Inspired By" they probably would do the 00. An aside, my Gibson G-00 has solid walnut back & sides. Thanks again for your thoughts. -Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 (edited) Actually, the Epi EL-00 Studio is already ispretty much an Inspired by L-00 model, except price wise. Thanks for sharing that the G-00 has solid walnut sides and back. I didn’t know that. Thanks for this interesting thread, too. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Edited March 11, 2022 by QuestionMark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brucebubs Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 I would prefer a IBG Dove - I have the Hummingbird and it is fantastic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jricc Posted March 13, 2022 Author Share Posted March 13, 2022 Yeah Bruce, but you already have your dread IBG 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brucebubs Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 6 hours ago, jricc said: Yeah Bruce, but you already have your dread IBG 🙂 The IBG Hummingbird has mahogany back and sides, the Dove is maple and I think Epiphone would do a really great IBG Dove. They already have the tooling for the dread body and they use maple on the IBG J-200, shouldn't be too hard to set up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 (edited) I have spoken to a Gibson/Epiphone dealer rep about this - either an Inspired by Gibson LG-2, or a Masterbilt Cortez. I have a vintage Cortez and feel like it's the perfect acoustic guitar for a ton of people I know, but vintage is more expensive than most will ever pay. I always send them toward the Farida Old Town series, which are based on 1940s models. Regarding some of the points above, Epiphone did make a 1964 Caballero a few years ago, which was essentially an LG-2/Cortez by specs, since it had a spruce top and X braces. If Epiphone can make multiple J-45 models, they can make two similar guitars in different price points. Edited March 13, 2022 by pohatu771 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 Was that a special model for Sweetwater? Or, a regular line up guitar? QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jricc Posted March 14, 2022 Author Share Posted March 14, 2022 A Cortez would be cool too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted March 15, 2022 Share Posted March 15, 2022 On 3/13/2022 at 2:09 PM, QuestionMark said: Was that a special model for Sweetwater? Or, a regular line up guitar? QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Just general release back in 2014. I did misremember; the Caballero was (laminate) mahogany. The old descriptions claim it has "accurate" bracing, but I've seen owners say it has X bracing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba1281734205 Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 I've had two EL00 Pros, and I am unimpressed with their acoustic response. the EL 00 that I had years ago was far superior in tone. I am currently trying to sell my latest Pro. I would certainly welcome an IB L-00. I have the J-45, as well as several Masterbilts along with a Bluesmaster. I know that Epiphone can make incredibly responsive instruments. In fact, the Pro is really the only disappointment I've ever had. The brand deserves a better representation in the 00 entry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 Interesting. My solid spruce top one is super responsive. Although, I did find that only happened after I sanded and put in a relatively expensive tusq saddle that fit into the saddle slot pretty tightly. The artificial material saddle that came with the guitar was too light in weight and density and didn’t resonate well. With the higher quality and tighter fitting saddle, the sound transfer on the top was vastly improved. I did the same change to the solid mahogany one I have, and it also improved that one, but the very nature of mahogany has a more limited sound spectrum than solid spruce. But, then again every guitar can be different. QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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