jonnyg Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 I'm thinking of buying the Inspired By Texan electro/acoustic. Anyone here own one? If you do, what do you think of it in general? Has there been any problems? What's the sound like acoustically and electrified? I'd be grateful for any info or comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxman Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 I've had mine since Christmas and it is one of the nicest guitars out there. It is better than anyone could ever expect. A real hidden gem. It sounds very, very nice both acoustically and plugged in. It is my go to guitar. I have the other Epiphone Beatle guitar -- the J-160E -- and the Texan blows it away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aster1 Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 I have a Cherry Sunburst Texan myself and love it. Beautiful finish and wood, nice feel to play, great tone. I like my Dove better, but that's just me and it's a bunch more $$$. I'm going to have to send the Texan to Epi or a Warranty repair shop as the cover over the neck tension bar came double drilled and still looks crooked. I guess that's some of the MIC part they have trouble with. That might work with Wong on the line over there, but not on my guitar stand anyway. The sound is very nice, sounds good thru the pickups and I put into a Guardian Tweed plush case. Perfect fit. Will try for a photo later on this week. BTW BeatleNut, what don't you like about the JLennon J-160E? I was kind of thinking of adding one of those to the stable sometime. Some of that info may help with his decision on the Texan and why you like it so much better. Thanks Aster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxman Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 BTW BeatleNut' date=' what don't you like about the JLennon J-160E? I was kind of thinking of adding one of those to the stable sometime. Some of that info may help with his decision on the Texan and why you like it so much better.[/quote'] I love the J-160E for Beatle stuff. It looks and sounds the part. But for just picking up and strumming other things, it's a no go. Reason being is that I put the electric Pyramid flats on it...that's what the Beatles used. They are not acoustic guitar strings. You need electric strings on this guitar for the pickup to really work properly, but electric strings on an acoustic sound real bad...unless you are doing Beatles stuff, then they sound right. I've never done it, but I'm sure if you put some great 80/20 acoustic strings on this guitar, she will probably sound great. The guitar is gorgeous and easy to play, comfortable neck. I had a minor problem with a tuner (the head loosened, a drop of glue fixed it), I have a slight buzz when plugged in, and I wasn't happy with the saddle (I replaced it with a bone one that gives me fantastically low action). Now she is in tip top shape. She looks great and, as I said, sounds great for Beatle stuff. However, when I want to just strum away, the Texan gives that real acoustic guitar sound that we love. The way I have it set up, my J-160E with the electric guitar strings is a one trick pony. She can play Beatles and...Beatles. That's it. The Texan's pickup is also far superior to the one in the Lennon model. The 160 pickup is a 1960s way of doing things -- it really is an electric guitar pickup and it just has a volume and tone control. The Texan pickup is a modern work of art - volume, bass, and treble controls that give you crystal clear sound anyway you like it. I mostly play unplugged, so no big deal to me; but the Texan pickup and the way it is hidden in the soundhole is really nice. Only thing I dislike about the Texan is its lack of a guitar strap knob near the neck. Have to use shoestring when you put a strap on it. Old school and not something I'm used to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aster1 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Yeah, I'm not whipped up with the "thing on a string" deal with the Texan either and will have a strap button put on this thing. Thanks for the detail, very detailed and helpful too I might add, on the J-160E. I had heard something similar to plan on the 160 being an Electric Acoustic guitar and you'd be happy with it then. I do love about all with the Texan and will get that deal with the cover fixed sometime soon. Hope they can refinish the head and it look okay like factory. Hey BeatleNut, what brand is that tweed case. It's a good looker! Jonnyg, I'd say, get the Texan, a good case for it, and play the heck out of that fun guitar for $550 w/case that's cheap. If you like a brighter sounding guitar, then try the Epi Dove. Plays close to a Gibson (kind of but for under $500 w/ case). A Dove is still my favorite, well next to my Hummingbird, and my Guild F-47, and .... Aster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeper Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 BeatleNUt- A strap button will cost you all of $5 and take all of 60 seconds to install. Just saying... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxman Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 BeatleNUt- A strap button will cost you all of $5 and take all of 60 seconds to install. Just saying... Nah' date=' I don't want to change the guitar. The Texan came with no strap button, I'm not changing that. Have to use a strap the old school way. I sure didn't want to tie up a strap everytime I played this guitar, so what I did was make myself this little thing. Now I don't have to tie up my strap to the guitar. I just push that little wooden dowel into my strap hole. I'm going to stain the dowel to match the guitar finish and I'll just always keep it attached. [img']http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv224/taxmanharrison/texstrap001l.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMcClane5000 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 how about putting one strap on it and leaving it on? Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxman Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 how about putting one strap on it and leaving it on? Just a thought. Nah, the guitar is kept in its case. I don't want the strap rubbing all over and setting on the guitar. Also, most times I just play the guitar sitting down. Strap would just be in the way. That little device I made is great for a quick change. Better than tying a strap on and off every single time I play standing up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obrienp Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Jonnyg, This may be too late but a few more things to think about before you buy, based on a few days ownership.: This is a great guitar and good value for money. Can it really have solid back and sides for that money, or are they laminates? The sound is quite bright and very equal across all the strings. It should develop a bit more depth as the spruce top begins to age. The electrics are excellent and I am amazed at how much control you can get over the sound from just bass and treble controls. If you are planning to buy one from a cheap internet outlet, like I did, I strongly recommend you spend a few hours trying one in a dealer first. I spent about an hour playing one in a dealer and really liked it but for some reason I did not register that the fingerboard has a pretty extreme camber. This may suit you but just be warned, it is not the kind of flat profile that you find on most modern instruments. When mine was delivered it gave me quite a surprise: it is even more extreme than my old 70s FT-145. The neck is very slim and the nut is narrow. String spacing is tight in first position and there is not a huge amount of meat in the neck. This is OK for me but I think it could take some getting used to if you have large hands. The action is pretty high on mine and I don't know what strings they put on them at the factory but the tension is fierce. When I get a chance I am going to shave a couple of MMs of the saddle and put a set of decent 11s on. The end result of all of the above was that after playing the thing for a couple of days my left fore-arm and wrist were pretty sore. Rather than risk tendonitis, I am rationing the time I spend playing it, until I get used to it and improve the set up. Moral of the story I guess is that, instead of saving myself £40 on the dealer price, I should have paid the extra and got the dealer to set it up for me in the first place. This may be a problem buying from an internet box-shifter but the guitar came with a generic Epiphone manual that did not cover the on-board pick-up and pre-amp at all. Anybody on the forum got any operating information for them? Also no allen key for the truss rod but it did have a rather cheap and cheerful cable. Given that I am going to be playing about with the saddle anyway to lower the action, I am thinking of replacing it with a Tusq item. Has anybody on the forum tried this and if so, which Tusq saddle fits? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt the Cat Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Hey obrienp! You may want to keep the saddle as I believe it is bone. By all means drop it down a bit to improve the action but sound-wise I'd stick with bone. Whatever you do, enjoy that guitar. Hope the pain goes soon too! All being well, I'm looking to get myself one of these in the very near future. All the best, Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obrienp Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Thanks Matt and good advice about the saddle: bone! The value for money is even better than I thought! Enjoy yours when you get it! Cheers, Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyg Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Jonnyg' date=' This may be too late but a few more things to think about before you buy, based on a few days ownership.: This is a great guitar and good value for money. Can it really have solid back and sides for that money, or are they laminates? The sound is quite bright and very equal across all the strings. It should develop a bit more depth as the spruce top begins to age. The electrics are excellent and I am amazed at how much control you can get over the sound from just bass and treble controls. If you are planning to buy one from a cheap internet outlet, like I did, I strongly recommend you spend a few hours trying one in a dealer first. I spent about an hour playing one in a dealer and really liked it but for some reason I did not register that the fingerboard has a pretty extreme camber. This may suit you but just be warned, it is not the kind of flat profile that you find on most modern instruments. When mine was delivered it gave me quite a surprise: it is even more extreme than my old 70s FT-145. The neck is very slim and the nut is narrow. String spacing is tight in first position and there is not a huge amount of meat in the neck. This is OK for me but I think it could take some getting used to if you have large hands. The action is pretty high on mine and I don't know what strings they put on them at the factory but the tension is fierce. When I get a chance I am going to shave a couple of MMs of the saddle and put a set of decent 11s on. The end result of all of the above was that after playing the thing for a couple of days my left fore-arm and wrist were pretty sore. Rather than risk tendonitis, I am rationing the time I spend playing it, until I get used to it and improve the set up. Moral of the story I guess is that, instead of saving myself £40 on the dealer price, I should have paid the extra and got the dealer to set it up for me in the first place. This may be a problem buying from an internet box-shifter but the guitar came with a generic Epiphone manual that did not cover the on-board pick-up and pre-amp at all. Anybody on the forum got any operating information for them? Also no allen key for the truss rod but it did have a rather cheap and cheerful cable. Given that I am going to be playing about with the saddle anyway to lower the action, I am thinking of replacing it with a Tusq item. Has anybody on the forum tried this and if so, which Tusq saddle fits? [/quote'] Thanks for all that and everyone else's contributions. I tried the Texan last Saturday and while it was beautifully made and had a good sound, playing wise it wasn't for me. I did find it a little cramped at the headstock end of the neck and to be honest the setup was nothing special. I settled on a Vintage brand acoustic which suited me better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armstrang Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 For my guitars without a heel button, I use Planet Waves Quick-Release Guitar Strap System. They are cheap and they work. Have fun pickin"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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