choice of acoustics

[slasher1319]

Which is better, the epiphone dove or the epiphone masterbilt dr500m? thanks

[Big Country1281734142]

The masterbilts are solid wood back and sides, and the dove is not, but it all comes down to how they sound to you. Also, looks wise the masterbilts are killer, but you will spend a bit more on one. I just got one last month and wouldn't even think about a dove compared to this...

[PeteWilson]

In this case I believe pay more, get more. That is not to say that is the case always, but in this case, I believe it applies.

Pete

[sexygibson]

These are two very different guitars that you would expect to get different tones from. The dove is laminated maple while the DR500M is a solid wood mahogney. The Masterbilt is going to be the better constructed of the two and like wise the more expensive.

My advice would be to buy one now and the other at a later time. Nothing wrong with having a maple and hog guitar in your collection for variety purposes.

[Red 333]

The Epiphone DR500P has a maple body, like the Dove. Unlike the Dove, it's built with all solid woods. That would be another great alternative if you want the brighter, maple sound. Personally, I would choose any Masterbilt over any other currently available Epiphone acoustic (with the exception of th McCartney Texan).

 

Red 333

[abbeyroadman]

Hi -

 

Sent you a pm regarding pricing for new DR500m's relative to a Dove.

 

Regards

[Grandpa Larry]

I would no longer even consider an Epi Dove, or any other plywood guitar.

 

The all solid wood guitars that are now coming out of China have dramatically altered the discussion concerning mid priced guitars.

 

Go with the Masterbilt.

 

A footnote.

 

This level of quality for less than $600 is, in my opinion, mind blowing. Check out the Gibson J45 and the Martin D18, both selling for more than $2000.00. Tell me with a straight face that, other than snob appeal, these guitars are truly worth 4X the price of the AJ500.

 

I've been playing for more than 40 years and I LOVE both the D18 and the J45. I've owned several J45's ad other gibsons. I just don't see the order of magnitude difference the relative prices indicate.

[TWANG]

I just wish people would stop calling plywood. I understand your angst but it's not the same thing.

 

I just bought a Dove, after selling my Taylor 310, so I think I'll have a good idea of the tonal differences.

 

I've played many a laminated acoustic in my time, and whiel the solid top models admittedly had the most going for them, many of those less expensive guitars, Yamaha and Alavarez from Japan, had a good sound, and better.

 

They held up to a lot of abuse, too, and needed little care, which is a worthy consideration.

 

I've never played a d18 I could stand and I've run into several over the years.

I did almost buy the all mahogany version when it first came out, and that was a better sounding guitar than any D18 I ran across.

 

All the gibson acoustics I ran across back in the day were dead and lifeless. Couldn't hold a candle to my Guilds, ever.

Probably were bad examples, but it happened enough that I never bothered to look for a Gibson.

 

I was never nuts about the Taylor.. oh.. quite a bit when I first bought it.. but it didn't season and I only grew away from it's tone.

I felt like I'd have been better off with three or four of my old guitars, including some laminated models.

 

The best acoustic I ever layed my hands on was Japanese. A Yairi dy62 signature. Cedar top model. That guitar was the one that got away as far as I'm concerned. It would do anything I wanted and better than anything I'd run into.

 

So, maybe my taste is specific, but I think everyones is to some degree, too.

 

There have been quite a few non solid wood guitars I'd still be proud to own.

 

TWANG

[PeteWilson]

Twang: For the record, I own solid wood/solid sides and back guitars. I also own solid top/laminated back and sides guitars, and one laminate guitar. That last mentioned guitar is an Art and Lutherie Ami, which is wild cherry and is parlor sized. I bought that guitar for she who must be obeyed to learn. Alas, fingernails are more important to her, so I use it mostly as a travel guitar. I love the sound of it, and the sustain is remarkable. It is the least expensive of all the guitars I own (13 or 14 at last count). There is not a thing wrong with a laminate guitar, so long as one understands the tonal qualities and the fact that it will not ever "open up".

I agree that substituting the word "plywood" for "laminate" is demeaning, and I suspect it is meant to be. Technically, it is correct that both are made of plys of wood glued together, however, one has the grain running only one way (plywood) and the other has grains running perpendicular to each other (laminate). There may be plywoods in which the grain runs perpendicular, but the intent of the use of the word "plywood" in such guitar conversations, IMHO, is to at least imply that the material is inferior. I would suggest that in some applications, laminate may be better, in terms of care required.

Hope everyone had a great St. Pat's Day!

Pete

[sexygibson]

Twang and Pete both make valid points. True, with laminated guitars, the tone you have when you buy is pretty much the tone its always going to have, but, with the solid wood guitars, great care must be taken in assuring proper humidifacation. I had a Martin DM at one time that ended up with a top crack. Now some acoustic purists will tell you to always buy solid woods and that the pain of assuring humidifacation just goes along with the territory but I just want to play the darn thing !

Bottom line is that I've played some solid woods that lacked definition and tone and played laminates that I thought sounded great. Its all up the individual.

[Watchdogg]

I just got flamed at the gibson forum for suggesting an EJ 200 is a great deal for 300.00

the one i played today sounded amazing, even with laminate sides and crappy strings. I played several Masterbuilts and just did not feel it. Perhaps I did not play the right ones. I played 30 guitars from taylor , martin , gibson, breedlovem seagull, takamine and the EJ 200 was by far the best one for under 1200.00

 

1+ on humidifing

also it is nice to be able to be able to take a guitar to park or other without major paranoa.

[The Beatles Sound]

Which is better' date=' the epiphone dove or the epiphone masterbilt dr500m? thanks[/quote']

 

Look this !!!!

LIMITED EDITION Collector !

 

[sexygibson]

I just got flamed at the gibson forum for suggesting an EJ 200 is a great deal for 300.00

 

That is one of the big reasons that I haven't frequeted the Gibby forum in quite some time. Theres some good guys over there but quite a few guitar snobs also.

I have owned as many Gibbys as I have Epis but have learned throught the years not judge a guitar by what is written on the headstock.

So, some of those guys may miss out on a great deal simply due to prejudice. Maybe they'll learn one day when someone walks in with a Masterbilt or a great EJ-200 and peels their ears back !

[kodeejames]

I just got flamed at the gibson forum for suggesting an EJ 200 is a great deal for 300.00

the one i played today sounded amazing' date=' even with laminate sides and crappy strings. I played several Masterbuilts and just did not feel it. Perhaps I did not play the right ones. I played 30 guitars from taylor , martin , gibson, breedlovem seagull, takamine and the EJ 200 was by far the best one for under 1200.00

 

1+ on humidifing

also it is nice to be able to be able to take a guitar to park or other without major paranoa.[/quote']

 

i like your approach. try as many as you can and find it!!! =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

[Vic Flick]

I just ordered a Masterbilt AJ-500RE, haven't gotten it yet. I'll post a critique when I get it.

 

I was in Sam Ash yesterday, and they had a couple of Masterbilts, both sounded great and played better than any acoustic I've seen. I also played an EJ-200CE, which I probably would have bought had I not been so impressed by my friend's Masterbilt. The 200CE was made in Indonesia, not China but it seemed well made. I would have been happy with it, but I still think the AJ-500RE was the right choice for me. I hope mine is as nice as the ones I played.

 

After Sam Ash, we went to Guitar Center in Covina and they had a bunch of Masterbilts on display in the front of the store for $349. Mahogany, non electric. I didn't notice, but my friend told me they were 2nds. They looked good to me, if you're in the So-Cal area you might want to check them out.

 

In the seventies, I played mostly acoustic and used Guilds and an Alvarez-Yairi. The Yari sounded great, but the neck was a fat V-shape and I could never get comfortable with it. I don't have a photo of it, but here are my old Guilds:

 

 

The 12-string was maple, I had them make it for me in Rhode Island. It took almost a year from the time I ordered it. Anyway, getting back to the point TWANG made, Gibson Acoustics were kinda dull sounding. The CW was that Guild or Martin was the way to go. Ovation for electrification. Before I had my Guilds, I played Ovations and the trouble I found was that they sounded fine with brand new strings, but lost all their brilliance quickly.

 

The best acoustic I ever played was a Martin D-35. It belonged to the owner of the music store where I hung out, he took it in trade. He didn't play, but he wanted to keep it because it was beautiful in all respects. He told me he was going to learn to play, but if he did decide to sell it, he would sell it to me for $500. I would go in every night with my checkbook, but he never sold it. Never learned to play either. As far as I know.

[mattvl]

Well I will just say that I got my Masterbilt DR-500M yesterday off of e-bay (for $200 dollars mind you) and it is hands down the nicest guitar I have ever played. It was a "USED" 2nd from the factory, I don't know what flaw they had in it but anyway, they apparently buff out finish flaws and have a luthier to check it out and set it up before it ships and...wow...I wanted to get a rosewood initially but I must say, I'm still shocked at the beauty of this guitar (both aurally and visually). I'm not the type to care about the looks as long as the guitar sounds nice but I must say, none of the pictures I had seen of it did this guitar justice. Since I've heard rumors of the line being discontinued I'm considering getting another one just in case something should happen to it. If you can get ahold of a DR-500M I seriously doubt you will be disappointed. I don't know much of the Dove's but I believe I played a couple of them in the stores and, in my opinion, it doesn't even compare. I would almost rather get a 2nd, not only for the price, but because the one that I received was set up better than anything I have ever played. The action was great, although for the first song or two I thought it was a fraction too high...wow I was wrong, 15 minutes later I was ripping through "Mediterranean Sundance"...beautiful. I can't say enough about it, although that is just my opinion.

 

Oh, and the other thing I noticed was that when I recorded it on my SM-57 (not the greatest acoustic mic in the world, I know) it was amazing. Obviously the quality won't be that of a really nice condenser but my old acoustic sounded awful on the Shure microphone which led me to believe it was the mic...well even if it was the new guitar made up for it. I recorded a quick track with my friend last night and it sounds magical...okay I'll stop rambling, I'm still a little blown away by my Masterbilt...I'm gonna go back to playing it.