theDeuce Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Which model do you have and what do you like or not like about it? I have a DR-500RA and an EF-500RCE (cutaway), both natural with satin finish. Love 'em. They feel great. I like the big body of the DR with the thin neck. I like the smaller body of the EF with the big V-neck. They are opposites in those regards, and enjoy playing both of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefleppard Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 i love my new aj500m as you can tell by my previous post and review. the tone is absolutely loaded with overtones and it sustains for days. it makes me laugh to hear one ringing overtone morph into another after several seconds of sustain. very lively. it is very punchy and the bass resonates right through the back into your chest. it lives up to the 'cannon' moniker. it was $1900cdn less than its gisbon counterpart and there is no way there is that much difference. while both great guitars in their own right, this one is a great value as well. the magic of its sound made me forget about fancy appointments, finishes or hardware. i dont even have a case for it yet! the sound made me forget about everything else. in fact, i just noticed that the fretboard has dots! i think when something sounds this nice, everything else is secondary. i though i was a bit of a bling lover but i guess i've learned something about priority here. on the not-so-great side, the treble string fall off slightly and the light build takes it out of the "beater/workhorse" category and put it into a "kid gloves" one. realistically, the treble side probably seems weak in relation to the magnitude of the bass and midrange section. it came strung with 12s but i changed to 13s right away. it adjusted fine and after a day or so, didn't need to be tuned everytime i played it. i will take it back to the shop i bought it from and have their tech do a once-over to see if there are any truss rod issues with the heavier guage, just to be safe and buy a case, too. funny, i love it and i feel protective of it! i feel i've come across a rare find. message to admin: i'd love to see a masterbilt SJ line as well as a j45! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheP-40s Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Well I recently bought a DR500M, I just love everything about it. Like cunkhead said, The sound and feel are abolutely fantastic, they make you forget about the appearance, not that it is bad just somewhat plain compared to others out thier. The natural gloss is nice, but more color options would make others take notice too. I've been a fan of Ibanez guitars because they offered quality guitars with alot of color and dressing options (please don't get upset anyone, not trying to insult Epi fans) I was never really a big Epi fan, but when I played the Masterbilt it totally blew me away! I knew I had to have one. For me it came down to the DR500M and the AJ500 I chose the DR because had a slightly more full sound plus had nicer inlays in the neck. The Masterbilts have made me a fan forever :) I tip my hat to Epiphone for designing a true winner that is affordable. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franciscog Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 I have the EF-500M. It is amazing, it feels good, sounds good, and plays good. the things that I think it is missing is electronics and neck binding...but besides that basically amazing. I really like the sound, and I really like the spacing of the strings. it has a little bit of buzzing though. I rate it at 9 out of 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteWilson Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 I have the EF-500RVB. It is amazing, it feels good, sounds good, and plays good. I really like the sound, and I really like the spacing of the strings. I play fingerstyle and I require 1.75 nut width. The rosewood gives a really warm sound, and I love it. I rate it at 9 out of 10 only because there are no 10's. Masterbilts have to be the best value going for accoustics, I am just glad that I bought mine several years ago before they became so popular that they become hard to find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill67 Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 I bought the dr500r,I tried the aj500r at the same time the aj was a little louder and bassyer ,But the dr was clearer and sounded much better on 6 string chords,To me and my brother who plays too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajsc Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Love my AJ-500M, It's a keeper!! Though, I would not put it on the same level, as my AJ gibby, for the money it can't be beat. My holy grail, is my short scale AJ. I seem to reach for it most of the time. Having said that I'm still in awe of my epi AJ. It is flawless in it's construction, tone,& playability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloozeguy Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 AJ500RC 12-fretter here. Couldn't be more pleased. I'm really sorry that they've been discontinued, except that I'm thinking that if I hold onto this 'un, it'll have collector value down the road. It's a classic! Booming volume, crystal-clear cutting highs, tons of overtones, playability like buttah (soft-V neck--a preference of mine). Only drawback is changing the strings on a slothead, which is a bigger pain than changing strings usually is. There is talk of a problem with bridge pull-up on this model, but I haven't experienced it yet, and I've been pounding on this thing pretty hard. Again, damned shame they removed this model. Sorry for those who ordered it and haven't gotten it yet (Dugly!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sangemon1281734057 Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 I've got an AJ500M. I love the woody 'Hog tone of this guitar. I have 3 pretty high-end Martins, and this one hangs in there with the best of them. I love the satin finish on the back and sides. The neck feels great. And the piece of mahogany that my back is cut from is gorgeous. I'm not crazy about the thickish poly finish on the top. The Martin finishes are far superior. Also, the pickguard was either applied or cut slightly off kilter. Aside from those small fit & finish issues I love this guitar and I'm sure I'd sell the HD-28 before I'd sell the Masterbilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sangemon1281734057 Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 AJ500RC 12-fretter here. Couldn't be more pleased. I'm really sorry that they've been discontinued' date=' except that I'm thinking that if I hold onto this 'un, it'll have collector value down the road. It's a classic![/quote'] I agree. That model is and will be sought after and those who now own them are lucky to have them. I'm sure that they will appreciate in the future. Congrats!:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YerDugliness Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Again' date=' damned shame they removed this model. Sorry for those who ordered it and haven't gotten it yet (Dugly!).[/quote'] There is still hope here in Mudville. I sent my SW rep a link to Epi's AJ500RC webpage, pointed out the difficult-to-miss red lettering above the photo of the guitar that said "Discontinued", and asked him to have their ordering department contact Epiphone yet one more time. They did, Epiphone assured them that the guitar is forthcoming, perhaps Epi made one last production run and said "...ain't gonna happen no more", who knows, but Epi assured the purchaser that there would be a new AJ500RC for me. I use to be an educational diagnostician, a very technical position that requires a thorough working knowledge of statistical concepts. It looms big in my mind every time I hear the chorus to Todd Snider's "Statistician Blues": "It's too much to think about, Too much to figure out, I'm stuck between hope and doubt, It's too much to think about (that's right)! ....too much to think about!" (or something pretty close thereto ) That's right where I seem to have been for about 2 years.... Not holding my breath, but now again stuck between hope and doubt.... I may yet get to become a Masterbilt owner . Dugly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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