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EF-500M vs. EF-500R


avidkut

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I currently have a DR500M that I bought a few years back after playing one chord on it. It's a really great guitar and I love it.

 

I've done some fingerpicking on it but now I'd like to get a steel-string with a wider nut-width, smaller body, etc.

 

Since the Masterbilt has worked out so well I figured I'd stay with the line and have narrowed it down to the EF-500M and EF-500R (both in Natural Satin).

 

I've been able to try a 500M that I really like but I haven't been able to get my hands on a 500R.

 

Has anyone compared these two head-to-head?

 

Thx.

 

DK

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I have a 500R. I love it.

 

I compared it to the 500M with the cutaway and the electrics. Not a direct comparison, but I felt the 500R had deeper bass and more volume. The 500M did have an under saddle pickup, so this could be most of the difference. I have always read that rosewood backs are deeper sounding, and this was my experience.

 

BTW, I put a LR Baggs iBeam active in it.....took a while to get it placed right (5 tries) but when I did....WOW! It sounded just like the guitar and a good mic. The iBeam is not a good pickup for live playing, though. just doesn't cut enough.

 

If I were you, I would get the 500R.

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I have a 500R. I love it.

 

I compared it to the 500M with the cutaway and the electrics. Not a direct comparison' date=' but I felt the 500R had deeper bass and more volume. The 500M did have an under saddle pickup, so this could be most of the difference. I have always read that rosewood backs are deeper sounding, and this was my experience.

 

BTW, I put a LR Baggs iBeam active in it.....took a while to get it placed right (5 tries) but when I did....WOW! It sounded just like the guitar and a good mic. The iBeam is not a good pickup for live playing, though. just doesn't cut enough.

 

If I were you, I would get the 500R.[/quote']

 

Does anyone know what kind of rosewood is used?

 

Thx

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Does anyone know what kind of rosewood is used?

 

I'm not even sure Epiphone would know the answer to that one... ](*,)

 

But back to your original question:

 

I've never heard either one (EF-500R or EF-500M), but the question is really: Which do you like more, Mahogany or Rosewood? Originally, rosewood was considered to be the better wood, and mahogany was used for cheaper instruments, but many people now find that that's BS. Tell Neil Young that his D-18 is an "inferior" model.

 

No one can tell you what sound you're going to want to hear, so compare the two woods. If you can't get your hands on both Epiphone's for a comparison, test out a Martin D-18 (mahogany) against a D-28 (rosewood). That will at least give you an idea of the characteristic sound of both woods, but best would still be to compare the two Epiphone's...

 

Happy hunting!

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I've never heard either one (EF-500R or EF-500M)' date=' but the question is really: Which do you like more, Mahogany or Rosewood? Originally, rosewood was considered to be the better wood, and mahogany was used for cheaper instruments, but many people now find that that's BS. Tell Neil Young that his D-18 is an "inferior" model.

 

No one can tell you what sound you're going to want to hear, so compare the two woods.

 

[/quote']

 

For whatever reason it seems really tough to find any shops that stock the EFs (most shops I called said it's a special-order item.)

 

Additionally, my experience is that even multiple copies of the exact same model guitar can sound and feel different from each other so it's important to me to be able to try the actual guitar I would be purchasing.

 

Manny's Music is the only place I've found in NYC that had ANY EFs and that wasn't even in their NYC location (but they were nice enough enough to ship them in for me from another location so I could try them.)

 

Those turned out to be a 500M (which is a pretty SWEET guitar) and a VS 500RA that didn't do it for me. It intrigued me enough to want to try another 500R but there was something about this particular one that seemed a bit off (plus I wasn't loving the VS/abalone look.)

 

The guys at Manny's are great and have been reeeaaalllyy helpful but unfortunately they're saying that they've had the 500RNS on backorder for months and every time they check on it the answer is that they should have one in 60 days or so [-X

 

Interestingly, I did compare both of these against a Martin they had (I think it was an OM-28) and I thought the EFs had much more character. The Martin was shinier but :D

 

I'm a big fan of Martin dreadnaughts but I have yet to find a smaller-bodied Martin that I like.

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You've not mentined what type of music you do beyond just the mention of finger-picking. I am a blues fingerpicker and presently am playing an AJ500RC 12-fretter, which I dearly love. If I had the chance, though, I think I'd get the EF500M for this material. Rosewood is a "pretty" sound, big bell tones, I like to think. They say mahogany sounds warm and woody, and it seems that many models that are geared to acoustic blues guys (that is to say, "bloozeguys") are mahogany. Sure would like to give 'em a try.

That said, I still like my cedar-on-rosewood gigantic box cuz of the 12 fret, slot head configuration. And it seems to me that there's a little of the mahogany sound to it--very open, airy and "woody", more so than I'd expect from a big rosewood ax.

Now small Martins: while I was looking for my guitar, I came very close to getting an OM21. have you tried that one yet?

Hey, if the "M" sounds sweet to you as you say, I'd suggest you go for it. It'll be a great deal--dollar for dollar better than the "R" IMHO.

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You've not mentined what type of music you do beyond just the mention of finger-picking. I am a blues fingerpicker and presently am playing an AJ500RC 12-fretter' date=' which I dearly love. If I had the chance, though, I think I'd get the EF500M for this material. Rosewood is a "pretty" sound, big bell tones, I like to think. They say mahogany sounds warm and woody, and it seems that many models that are geared to acoustic blues guys (that is to say, "bloozeguys") are mahogany. Sure would like to give 'em a try.

That said, I still like my cedar-on-rosewood gigantic box cuz of the 12 fret, slot head configuration. And it seems to me that there's a little of the mahogany sound to it--very open, airy and "woody", more so than I'd expect from a big rosewood ax.

Now small Martins: while I was looking for my guitar, I came very close to getting an OM21. have you tried that one yet?

Hey, if the "M" sounds sweet to you as you say, I'd suggest you go for it. It'll be a great deal--dollar for dollar better than the "R" IMHO.[/quote']

 

I don't play fingerstyle as of yet.

 

I've been playing more classical-type stuff on my nylon string (cedar/rosewood) and I sometimes play that on the dreadnaught just because I like the sound of it on a steel-string.

 

I'd definitely like to learn some blues, maybe some folk/celtic, maybe a little James Taylor.

 

I also love rock (classic, modern, you name it) which I play on my electrics (sometimes with a pick, sometimes Mark Knoplfer/Lindsey Buckingham-style) and the DR500

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My take on the differences are that the Rosewood sounds more tight and deep in the bass, and the mahogany sounds more loose and fat in the low end. I would say more like an Ampeg B-15 bass amp (representing the mahogany) vs. the more modern sound of SWR bass amps (representing the rosewood). That is my crazy analysis.

 

I don't hold the opinion that mahogany is inferior in any way to rosewood. In many ways, I prefer the mahogany sound. My favorite Martin is the all mahogany D-15. Every one I have picked up was just incredible....I wish I would have bought one.....

 

I did choose the 500R over the 500M, but the 500M I was exposed to was the cutaway electric model. I guess that was the deciding factor, more so than the wood, at least!

 

Jeff

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So in the end I decided to pull the trigger on the 500M. I didn't want to wait who-knows-how-long on a 500R that may or may not arrive and risk losing this M while I wait.

 

I've had it home 'on-approval' for the past few days and I'm reeeaaaallllly digging it so I'm keeping her.

 

I will try to post some pics soon.

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I've had it home 'on-approval' for the past few days and I'm reeeaaaallllly digging it so I'm keeping her.

 

Now THAT"S the way to buy a guitar, avidkut! It's fun to go "bench racing", speculating on this or that, but in the end it really is all about getting that instrument into your hands that really speaks to you.....whether it be the combination of tonewoods, the action, the way it feels to cradle it in your arms, whatever, it's an alchemy that can't happen any other way.

 

Congratulations on a great choice.....;)

 

Dugly :)

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Now THAT"S the way to buy a guitar' date=' avidkut! It's fun to go "bench racing", speculating on this or that, but in the end it really is all about getting that instrument into your hands that really speaks to you.....whether it be the combination of tonewoods, the action, the way it feels to cradle it in your arms, whatever, it's an alchemy that can't happen any other way.

 

Congratulations on a great choice.....;)

 

Dugly :)[/quote']

 

That's what I thought was great about Manny's Music. They have a 5 day full-refund return policy so when I was liking it in the store but I wasn't sure they said I could take it and if I wasn't digging it I just had to bring it back within 5 days.

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So in the end I decided to pull the trigger on the 500M. I didn't want to wait who-knows-how-long on a 500R that may or may not arrive and risk losing this M while I wait.

 

Yup, good call. I personally think mahogany is great for fingerstyle, and it's always better to buy a guitar you know you like than to order one you think you might like.

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