MimingMinds Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 I'm a little new here but I've been cruising a lot in the last week. I just bought an AJ500RE that should be arriving on thursday and I'm really really excited to see it. I used to have a Gibson Songbird Deluxe but around two weeks after buying it impulsively, college savings made me take it back broken hearted. So this is replacing that and my way overused Ibanez. I have to thank Red333 for the great reviews and many other users on this site for great soundbytes and everything else! It really really helped in determining what to get and what i could expect. But I actually have a question for you guys. My cousin has an epiphone (he got me interested in the first place) and I haven't had a chance to corner him on what model it is. I think it's discontinued but I could be wrong. It sounds amazing, which is why I'm interested and it's definitely not a masterbilt - i can tell becauce of the headstock shape and lack of inlay. I have a video that might help. Any answers would be well appreciated because I'd really like to track one of these down! Thanks in advance! video - I'm pretty sure it's an AJ. it has that J-45/AJ sloping shoulder look to it. Again, thanks a ton to all the members here who've had experience with masterbilts! If i like the AJ500r i'm seriously considering saving up for an EF500RA. They're completely beautiful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 The guitar in the video is a vintage (1960's) Epiphone Texan. You are quite correct about its resemblance to a Gibson J45; the Texan is simply a long-scale version of the J45, and was manufactured in the same factory back then. A new version of the Texan (the Inspired By '64 Texan) is now available, and has got very good reviews on this forum. There's a number of threads about them. In one, Dhanners posted a video where he plays his. It sounds quite good in the recording, and I would imagine even better in person. "AJ" is a designation adopted by Epiphone to indicate the guitar is slope shouldered (or sometimes called round souldered). When dreadnaught flattops first became popular in the mid '30s, Martin originated a square shoulder shape, and Gibson came out with a rounder shape, which itself was an evolution in shape of the smaller guitars that came before it. Gibson wouldn't use a square shouldered shape until the 1960's, when they introduced the Hummingbird and Dove. The first slope shoulder Gibson was the Jumbo in 1934, and it was followed by a fancier version called the Advanced Jumbo in 1936. Only about 300 were made before it was discontinued in 1940 (it was ressurected in 1990), and over time, many consider it Gibson's finest acoustic (it was ressurected in 1990). Epiphone uses "AJ" to indicate a guitar with the same genral shape. Hope you enjoy your Masterbilt! Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimingMinds Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 that's really cool! he actually just bought a 1964 texan recently that he's been playing out and it sounds amazing. it actually is from 1964, so it's funny that he got a reissue beforehand. thank you very much! i really hope it's as good as years past models have been. i read something about you going to GC and the new ones not totally being up to scratch so i'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 that's really cool! he actually just bought a 1964 texan recently that he's been playing out and it sounds amazing. it actually is from 1964' date=' so it's funny that he got a reissue beforehand. thank you very much! i really hope it's as good as years past models have been. i read something about you going to GC and the new ones not totally being up to scratch so i'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.[/quote'] That was my impression of the gloss models I saw, but I was mostly referring to thier looks (how much less figured the wood was), and not the way they played or sounded. I've seen some satin ones that look pretty much like the older ones, but I don't know how old they were. By the way, good for you for making a smart decision about your school finances, and putting less to your guitar so you have more for school. Hopefully, you'll like the Masterbilt, so it won't seem like much of a sacrifice after all. By the way, is Ben Kweller your cousin, or is he simply playing the same guitar as your cousin? Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimingMinds Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 thank you very much! it was really really hard to do, but I had to man up and prioritize. maturity sucks, but that two grand is now in a CD that'll hopefully help out at school next year. and yes he is. he really turned me onto epiphones. the gibson I had sounded fantastic but it had that jangly sound. I loved it, but ultimately I feel that might be better in a full band that just by myself as I usually play acoustically. So hopefully this masterbilt with it's focus more on the low end will compliment me more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 I should probably explain why Gibson named the Jumbo's successor the "Advanced" Jumbo. "Advanced" was a marketing term Gibson was using a lot around then to describe a guitar that was bigger or had more ornamentation than a competitors. This was at a time when guitars were getting bigger and bigger, and becoming fancier looking. So, while the Advanced Jumbo wasn't bigger than the Jumbo, it was an "advance' in bling, and in size over many other maker's guitars. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 and yes he is. THAT'S cool! And good for your school budget, too--I bet you can see some free shows from time to time! Tell Ben the Epiphone Forum says hi, and compliments him on his choice of guitars! Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimingMinds Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 guitar construction and the history behind it is so fascinating. i find acoustic guitars so appealing just for the amazing blend of science and art that goes into making them. i do love bling but more for appearances. I really just love a good warm sounding guitar. gibsons are just beautiful instruments. but i have to say, a lot of the gibsons i played at GC weren't quite up to par. That songbird I had for a bit was the exception. It was gorgeous with lots of mother of pearl and abalone, but its sound was rapturing. out of curiosity, which guitar do you like better for singing along to? The AJ500R, AJ500M, or EF500R? I think I like the rosewood models better, but honestly, I haven't heard or played a mahogany AJ500. And I've heard that the EF compresses a little under heavy strumming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimingMinds Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 THAT'S cool! And good for your school budget' date=' too--I bet you can see some free shows from time to time! Tell Ben the Epiphone Forum says hi, and compliments him on his choice of guitars! Red 333 [/quote'] Haha, will do! He's a really really great guy. And if you wanna see his texan, check out this real cool video! like i said, he really turned me onto epi's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 out of curiosity' date=' which guitar do you like better for singing along to? The AJ500R, AJ500M, or EF500R? I think I like the rosewood models better, but honestly, I haven't heard or played a mahogany AJ500. And I've heard that the EF compresses a little under heavy strumming.[/quote'] I haven't played an EF, as its more of a finger style guitar and I'm only an occasional fingerstylist. I tend to sing with my AJ500M more then my AJ500R, but I play it more often, too. Different guitars support some voices better than others, and of course, a lot depends on how you play, too. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meanstreak1281734111 Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 well, the only masterbilt I've played is my AJ-500M but as you already know it's an amazing guitar for pennies on the dollar compared to the Gibsons, Martins and Taylors that are similar in sound. Of course there really isn't a guitar out there that can cover up my crappy vocals! Anyway good on you for taking the Gibson back and making college priority #1, getting a degree was the best thing I've ever done for myself (and believe me it wasn't easy since I'm an idiot and it took me seven years!) as it's allowed me to buy a house, truck, motorcycle, several guitars etc. It's well worth it in the long run when I'm sure you will have a collection of Gibsons! My Gibson savings fund just broke $1000 so I should have a new Hummingbird by Christmas! What's your major? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Welcome to the forum and yeah, maturity sucks and unfortunately, it doesn't get any better as you get older. But an education is one of the few things you can get that nobody can take away from you. Too bad about the Gibson but yeah, you made the right decision under the circumstances. The Masterbilts I've played have been darn good guitars for the money. Sometimes we can get hung up on the name on the headstock or the place of manufacture but at the end of the day, what matters is the sound that comes out -- and the music the guitar inspires you to make. And the Masterbilts have established a pretty good reputation. (Dwight even plays one on "The Office," of all things.) And when it comes to getting the straight dope on Epiphones past and present, I've quickly learned here that Red is the go-to guy. As he mentioned, I've been very impressed with the IB'64 Texan I bought a couple of weeks ago. In fact, "very impressed" is kind of an understatement. As I've said before, my only real beef with it is that it looks too new; with the sound it's got, it should look like a vintage guitar with a nick and scratch or two in it. (Speaking of which, there's a guitar shop down in Nashville that "relics" acoustic and electric guitars, i.e., takes new guitars and beats them up -- but beats them up professionally -- to make them look like vintage instruments with playing wear. Their website had an online form you could fill out to get a price quote, so just for the hell of it I e-mailed them and got a prompt reply, but found that the price of what I would have wanted done fairly quickly eclipsed the price I paid for the instrument. I'll just have to "relic" this one the old-fashioned way: Playing it a lot.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimingMinds Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 well' date=' the only masterbilt I've played is my AJ-500M but as you already know it's an amazing guitar for pennies on the dollar compared to the Gibsons, Martins and Taylors that are similar in sound. Of course there really isn't a guitar out there that can cover up my crappy vocals! Anyway good on you for taking the Gibson back and making college priority #1, getting a degree was the best thing I've ever done for myself (and believe me it wasn't easy since I'm an idiot and it took me seven years!) as it's allowed me to buy a house, truck, motorcycle, several guitars etc. It's well worth it in the long run when I'm sure you will have a collection of Gibsons! My Gibson savings fund just broke $1000 so I should have a new Hummingbird by Christmas! What's your major?[/quote'] Well right now I'm still only a senior in high school but I'm looking at an english/philosophy degree. I'm in the final stages of acceptance/denial letters and within the next month should have a pretty good idea of where I'm going. So far I'm getting some nice scholarship money and I'm really trying to avoid any loans. I'm starting to seriously consider, with my friends prodding, hitting the city after school and trying music out. And to dhanners23, my jewish great-grandmother from Soviet Russia said the same thing! Education is good and I'm going to go at full force. But thanks everyone for the positive words! My guitar is a day away according to UPS and I'm waiting eagerly for it to come. I'm very excited to hear what I bought (the real drawback of buying online!) and I have a few shows coming up it'll go to good use in. That texan looks really really nice I gotta say but I think i'll hold off a bit. If I'm liking the AJ I think i might snag an EF500RA sometime this summer. Looks fantastic! I've got two jobs going so money's coming in. Gotta say I'm tired as hell though. Any thoughts on if the abalone on the EF500 is worth it? It looks fantastic and I gotta admit, I'm usually into the more conservative guitars but it just has a pull on me. If anyone has one, some thoughts on if it's worth the extra money would be appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beatroot Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 THAT'S cool! And good for your school budget' date=' too--I bet you can see some free shows from time to time! Tell Ben the Epiphone Forum says hi, and compliments him on his choice of guitars! Red 333 [/quote'] Hey, here it is a great fan of him! Love all his records. Really, his an influence to me. Love the way he writes. He is such a genius. He's got such a gift for writing simple but effective, catchy melodies! Hope you'll enjoy your new guitar. I am also seriously thinking about getting an AJ masterbilt, so just tell us what you think once you get it and try it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimingMinds Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Hey' date=' here it is a great fan of him! Love all his records. Really, his an influence to me.Love the way he writes. He is such a genius. He's got such a gift for writing simple but effective, catchy melodies! Hope you'll enjoy your new guitar. I am also seriously thinking about getting an AJ masterbilt, so just tell us what you think once you get it and try it! He's a really swell guy! But I will. I'm supposed to get it tomorrow (it's in secaucus NJ right now) so i'll give you a full report on what i get. I've had and played my fare share of high ends too and I have very picky taste in what i want to hear from a guitar. So I'll add to the Epiphone Forums invaluable reviews for potential buyers and hopefully help someone else just like everyone on this forum helped me. On a side note, this forum is filled with nothing but good people. I've seen some pretty snobby music websites before but everyone here is genuinely nice offering great advice and criticism. That's pretty damn cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maatty Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Congrats! I have 2007 Masterbilt AJ-500RE as well. The saddle on my 500RE was tusq and was a very loose fit. I'd recommend upgrading to bone saddle. I sanded down 3.25mm pre-cut compensated saddle from Ebay on 150 grit sandpaper and the sound is on the next level. I also stick to 80/20 bronze strings to focus the tone. This is one loud bass-heavy guitar. The nut should be bone already. It is great for open strings. Also watch out for humidity, as this is an all wood guitar. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimingMinds Posted March 18, 2010 Author Share Posted March 18, 2010 thanks maatty! i just got it today and after waiting through high school and my job, i was jumping when i got home. it sounds fantastic! it was actually a GC blemished model and, after examining it very carefully, i can see one finish blemish that takes a good eye to pick out. other than that, there's one spot on the pick guard where you can see through to the spruce underneath. but i love it! i got it for 545 bucks and it's brand new, never been touched. sounds amazing with a real focus on the low end. the strings were pretty bright at first but after playing for a few hours, the low ends really starting to hit me in the stomach. this is a perfect compromise of jangle and darker tones coming through. there's only one thing that's wrong. the factory set-up is a little low and i'm getting some buzzing from the A string. a quick run down to my local music shop (conveniently a five minute walk from my house) and it'll sound even better. i've read how to tell if my nut and saddle are bone and i'm pretty sure they are. not one hundred percent mind, but pretty sure. i think i might invest in some bone string pegs and i was thinking about getting it polished for gloss. anyone care to comment if that's bad for the guitar? it looks pretty nice as is, so i won't be doing anything anytime soon. thanks for all the help hereto! it's been top notch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maatty Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Cool. You can also replace the pickguard. It's like $5 part. I removed mine to free up even more sound resonance. Ronsonol (lighter fuel, contains naphtha) is a wonderful, cheap anti-glue material. To test whether saddle is bone or not, you can heat up a cloth pin with a lighter and poke it. Bone doesn't melt and it gives off nasty hair burning smell. On tusq/plastic, it should go through like knife through butter. A hard case, humidity gauge (cigar humidors are great), and humidifier (I use Oasis) will keep the guitar wood happy for years to come. Rock on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeper Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Good advice from Mattie. Hi from one Georgia boy to another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 i was thinking about getting it polished for gloss. anyone care to comment if that's bad for the guitar? it looks pretty nice as is' date=' so i won't be doing anything anytime soon. [/quote'] Poly fills in little imperfections in the wood in a way that nitro does not. Polishing your Masterbilt may reveal them, if they are present, as it thins the finish. This is one of the reasons poly finished guitars are less money than those finished with nitro: less pre-finishing sanding has to be done (and poorer cosmetic grades of wood can be used), as the poly will fill in imperfections, and form a smooth surface over them, while nitro conforms to them. That said, lots of folks here have polished thier Masterbilts with no complaints. I polished my sunburst AJ500R, and it did reveal some uneven spots on the top, but, it did end up looking like a well-cared for vintage guitar, so it was OK. By the way, Ben Kweller and his Texan are in Esquire magazine this month. Glad you got and like your Masterbilt. Enjoy! Let us know how she plays and sounds after the set-up. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Great to hear the guitar arrived safely and that it sounds good. I'll echo the comments on pickguards. If you find you can't live with it, it's an easy fix, and Frank Ford over at http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/pagelist.html will tell you everything you need to know about removing pickguards -- and lots more. His "Introduction to Guitar Finishes" will be worth the price of admission (free) by itself. Beware of that website, though; Ford is an amazing guy and shares a lot of his knowledge and experience and techniques, and once you start looking through his site, you can accidentally spend hours on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimingMinds Posted March 21, 2010 Author Share Posted March 21, 2010 alright so i found a fifteen percent off coupon in the mail a few days ago to guitar center. so, doing the math, i realized i could get a brand new AJ500RE for the same price as the blemished one i had instead of getting a set-up as well as compare what i had to the other guitars there. apparently the one i got in the mail wasn't exactly what you guys were talking about when you said these guitars were great because i picked up the same exact guitar and it boomed. the one i got in the mail sounded alright and I was psyched at the value but this guitar in the store was amazing. the guys there showed me a gibson hummingbird they had in the back and honestly, it just sounded weak in comparison. the guys themselves even agreed and were a little surprised that an epiphone sounded like that. so now i'm overjoyed at having a masterbilt. even more so than the first time. it even smells better then the first one. i have this woody aroma in my room now that i'm in love with. but there is one problem. while at GC, i plugged it in. it worked completely fine. sounded okay and I basically just checked it to make sure everything was working since i had a pretty good idea of what it sounded like from my blemished guitar. but i just got home and was playing it (it sounded even better then in the shop!) and then i went to plug it in just to play around. and the nanomag doesn't work (it's an esonic2). and apparently the amps at GC are deceiving because the nanoflex pickup is pretty quiet - i mean really really quiet. so, what exactly do i do? this guitar sound amazing. i really don't want to give it up. will guitar center's thirty day policy cover it? i didn't buy the warranty. will epiphone's limited warranty cover it? should i just ask the local guitar shop to fix it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagwood Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Rule out the obvious first.. Did you put NEW FRESH Batteries in? Most batteries are only good for about 40 hours of plugged in time. 2nd.. might it take a different type of cable.. I can't think right now what it's called but instead of standard instrument cable it has two black rings on the tip.. If nothing, take it back....else learn the lesson never to buy from GC... I don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeper Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 And what amp are you plugging into. If its a regular guitar amp, you are going to have a really weak signal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimingMinds Posted March 21, 2010 Author Share Posted March 21, 2010 It's an SG amp from '75. 200 watt tube amp. And i tried plugging it into my PA system with no luck. The batteries are fine. The tuner works for every string except the high e so i'm thinking this is an electronic problem. I guess I'm getting GC to fix it but it sucks. I just bought this guitar and now I have to give it up for a week or two. It's really a great unplugged sound but considering i bought this in part for the electronics I'm bummed out. Could it be the pre-amp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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