L1Picker Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 I've been wanting one of these for quite some time and finally bit on a blem model at MF. I'm tempted to order a Tusq nut and saddle, and some ebony bridge pins for it but will hold off until it gets here and I know for sure whether or not I want to keep it. If it turns out to be a keeper I found a case for it at Sweetwater... EL-00 Case I didn't know Epi made a case specifically for this guitar, that's a nice touch. A search of the older posts brought back very little on the EL-00. Does anyone here play one? What is the saddle size? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1Picker Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 It arrived and is a keeper. Very playable and great looking, but lacking a little in the tone department. I ordered a bone nut/saddle, and ebony bridge pins for it...from past experience these mods will make a world of difference. Here are a couple shots of her... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 It arrived and is a keeper. Very playable and great looking' date=' but lacking a little in the tone department. I ordered a bone nut/saddle, and ebony bridge pins for it...from past experience these mods will make a world of difference. Here are a couple shots of her... [img']http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/bikenriden/Acoustic/100_2657333x500.jpg[/img] I've got one, and really like the size of it. It's easy to take around the house and play it in say, an armchair that you can't easily sit in with a bigger guitar. It is nice looking, too. The neck has a great feel and looks like it's cut from a reasonalbly nice piece of wood (though the dark paint near the headstock makes me think there's a joint there, which isn't unreasnable given the price). The burst is well sprayed, though yellower than a gen-u-ine Gibson. The workmanship on the back braces and side kerfing looks very tidy when you look into the soundhole. Use an expection mirror to view the underside of the top, and you'd shudder. The braces on mine are dripping with glue! But, a lot of vintage guitar tops look like too, so... I think the tone is pretty good, as long as you don't expect such a little box to sound like a bigger guitar. The Blues Kings I've played sounded louder and warmer, but the EL00's volume and tone are pretty good in comparison. I'm not a great fingerpicker, but the EL00 seems to excell at it over strumming. I too replaced the saddle and pins with bone and ebony (though I haven't yet changed the nut). The old saddle wasn't shaped particularly well. I shaped the new one like the one on my Advanced Jumbo, with a pronounced peak to improve the string break. It made a good deal of difference in clarity and sustain. Are you shaping the nut yourself, or did you find one premade? The model I have is made in Indonesia. Where's you's made? By the way, I think Sweetwater has cases for these (or did last time I looked). Enjoy your new axe! Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1Picker Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 I'm shaping the nut and saddle myself. I was going to go with pre-fabricated Tusq but opted for the bone instead. I'm also going to cut the bridge at the pin holes to make for a smoother break angle to the saddle. I checked the inside of mine with an inspection mirror, and although the top isn't as clean as the sides and back, it's not horrendous. I have an Alhambra classical guitar that someone went glue happy on...the Epi looks pretty good. I'm sure there's a scarf joint just below the E tuners on the headstock...but covered by the stain as you mentioned. Mine is made in China. The mini Grovers do a nice job, and the guitar looks quite nice overall. There are some imperfections here and there, but it was a blem after all, and the price was quite low. I can't expect $2k kind of workmanship for the cash I paid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1Picker Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 I was digging through my guitar tool/spare parts box, and found a bone saddle and a Tusq nut that I forgot I had. They're both now installed and what a difference! Now this is more like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 I was digging through my guitar tool/spare parts box' date=' and found a bone saddle and a Tusq nut that I forgot I had. They're both now installed and what a difference! Now this is more like it. [/quote'] Great! One of these days, I'll get around to replacing the nut on mine, too. By the way, I wrote previosly mine was made in Indonesia, but it's not (My EJ160E is). My EL00 is made in China, same as yours. Mine was a blem, too, and was well worth what I payed. I think the EL00 is good value even at full price, given it's quality, and how unique it is. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1Picker Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 Here's a brief sample of how she sounds with the new saddle and nut... EL-00 Sample The buzzing is operator error, and not inherent to the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Nice. The sound of that guitar is perfect for your arangement. Good job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
says.kate Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Here's a brief sample of how she sounds with the new saddle and nut... EL-00 Sample The buzzing is operator error' date=' and not inherent to the guitar. [/quote'] that sounds amazing. i've been looking at the EL-00 as well, and im pretty sure i will get it now! thanks for the post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1Picker Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 I recorded the complete tune, Black Dog Blues on the EL-00...there's a bit of distortion due to my lack of recording knowledge, but it gives a fair idea of the sound of the guitar... http://www.box.net/shared/av3cvvncwg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1Picker Posted April 19, 2008 Author Share Posted April 19, 2008 The nut/saddle/bridge pins I ordered arrived today. I swapped out the saddle because the new one fits more snugly and I could tell a difference while tuning it back up. There is much more vibration transferred to the guitar through the new saddle. I also installed the ebony bridge pins...not sure they make much of a difference. It seems subtly more mellow, subdued, even...not sure the right way to explain it. If nothing else, there's a little less plastic on the guitar because of it. I'm also going to cut the bridge so there's a better break angle for the strings coming out of the holes to the saddle. I'm very impressed with the EL-00. I've pulled out a couple other guitars since getting this one, but they quickly went back to their cases; it really is that much fun to play. My only gripes with it are that I would have preferred they hadn't drilled the heel and put in the strap button, and they could have drilled the bridge pin and end pin holes a little smaller...I prefer things a bit more snug than they are. I suppose I could just get a slightly larger set of pins, but these are tight once there is some tension on the strings. I like the look of the fretboard cut shorter too so as not to interfere with the soundhole as is found on the Epiphone Elite L-00 (out of production). They could have cut this a little shorter before installing it for the same effect. I'm still watching Sweetwater for one of the cases. The site's been saying that they'd be in stock in a day or two for the last week now. Maybe next week. Besides that, I'm set with this guitar. I'll cut the new bone nut for it at some point, but the Tusq is doing fine so there's no rush. The Grover tuners are excellent, and besides that, there's not much else I could do with it other than play...and I'm doing plenty of that. EDIT: I remembered one other thing that I would change if I had the powers to do so. If you look down into the guitar toward the tailblock, the purfling stops about 3/4" short of the tailblock. It may not be a structural issue but certainly is an obvious cost cutter. I'd be willing to spring for that extra 3/4" if they'd put it in there. Or perhaps, this guitar was an oddity in that area and that's what makes it a blem...who knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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