Dodgermod Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 can anyone advise on the big difference between an AJ500 and a Gibson J45? better woods on the J45? I've heard that the wood used for modern Gibsons isn't great quality (I suppose it's true for most makers these days?) is the AJ the closest Epi model you can get to the J45 (for a fraction of the price!) I had an AJ200 and it came pretty close to a J45 and was only £100 but still had that chunky, woody and organic sound... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obrienp Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Hi, Can't help with the AJ500 to J45 comparison but a lot of good things have been written about the AJs (in fact the whole Masterbilt series) and they are considerably cheaper than the Gibson. You also have the choice of mahogany or rosewood bodied versions, as well as electro models. By the use of the £ symbol I am assuming you are UK based; in which case you may have some difficulty getting hold of an AJ. Quite a few outlets advertise them but my experience is that they often don't have any stock. I have been told that a shipment is due in the UK in November but other UK based forum members may know of a dealer with stock. In the meantime you might want to check out the Epi Inspired by 1964 Texan (FT-79), which you can get for £300 if you shop around. It is the same advanced jumbo shape with solid spruce top and solid mahogany back (laminate rims), plus Shadow nanoflex under saddle pickup and a sound hole mounted Shadow pre-amp. I have one and it sounds really good but don't take my word for it: there are plenty of positive reviews on this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgermod Posted October 12, 2010 Author Share Posted October 12, 2010 Hi, Can't help with the AJ500 to J45 comparison but a lot of good things have been written about the AJs (in fact the whole Masterbilt series) and they are considerably cheaper than the Gibson. You also have the choice of mahogany or rosewood bodied versions, as well as electro models. By the use of the £ symbol I am assuming you are UK based; in which case you may have some difficulty getting hold of an AJ. Quite a few outlets advertise them but my experience is that they often don't have any stock. I have been told that a shipment is due in the UK in November but other UK based forum members may know of a dealer with stock. In the meantime you might want to check out the Epi Inspired by 1964 Texan (FT-79), which you can get for £300 if you shop around. It is the same advanced jumbo shape with solid spruce top and solid mahogany back (laminate rims), plus Shadow nanoflex under saddle pickup and a sound hole mounted Shadow pre-amp. I have one and it sounds really good but don't take my word for it: there are plenty of positive reviews on this forum. cheers mate! I have been looking at the Texan as well - love the cherryburst one...have been reading reviews and watching youtubes! I'm in Belfast and unfortunately the main music shop here only has DR100s and EJ200s - would love to play both the Texan and Masterbilt side by side to compare... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 can anyone advise on the big difference between an AJ500 and a Gibson J45? better woods on the J45? I've heard that the wood used for modern Gibsons isn't great quality (I suppose it's true for most makers these days?) is the AJ the closest Epi model you can get to the J45 (for a fraction of the price!) I had an AJ200 and it came pretty close to a J45 and was only £100 but still had that chunky, woody and organic sound... The Epiphone Masterbilt AJ500M and Gibson J-45 are similar in that both are solid spruce and mahogany, slope-shouldered guitars (the Masterbilt AJ500R is spruce and rosewood). They differ in a number of ways. The Epiphone is long scale, while the Gibson is short scale. Scale has a certain effect on tone and playability. Until very recently, The Epiphone has differed from the Gibson in dimension, even though both are slope-shouldered. Most noticably, older Masterbilt AJs have a wider waist. If you look at a J-45 closely, and compare it to these older models, you will see it has a more hourglass shape. The new gloss model Masterbilt AJs (and Inspired By Texans) have a shape much closer to Gibson's. The Masterbilt AJs and IB Texans share the same top bracing, but this is noticably different from a J-45's. The intersection of the Masterbilt/IB Texan bracing is located much further from the soundhole than what's found on a Gibson J series guitar, and the angle is narrower. Like the J-45, the Masterbilt AJs and IB Texans have scalloped x bracing. The Masterbilt AJs and IB Texans also have high and thin back bracing very similar to what's on some J-45s. The wood used on the Masterbilts seem to differ cosmetically on the gloss and satin models. The gloss models I have seen recently have very plain, cheap looking wood (they still sound pretty good, though), while the satin models have more color and grain. Gibsons, of course, use premium tone-woods. I don't know where you heard it isn't very good quality these days. What you may have heard was that Gibson had recently volunteered to stop using certain endangered wood, like Madagascar Rosewood on bridges and fretboards. Certain endangered species are banned by law in the US, too. That said, the wood Gibson uses on a J-45 is as good looking and sounding as you'll find on any mass-produced guitar. Many think that Gibson is making the best acoustic guitars in their history right now. The True Vintage Models are exceptional, and the Modern Classics are very, very good. That said, the Masterbilts and the IB Texan are very good guitars in their own right. I bought my girfriend an AJ500M, and it's a great instrument. I also have an AJ500R, a DR500M, and an AJ500RC (which is a real killer). The Masterbilt AJ's sound great, but somewhat different from their Gibson counterparts (I have a J-45 True Vintage, J-45 Rosewood Vine, Southern Jumbo True Vintage, FVG J-35 Reissue, and an Advanced Jumbo, among others). In my experience, the Masterbilts have a very big sound, with a cavernous bass. By that, I mean that while there's plenty of bass volume, the fundamental of the bass note is lower in relation to the overtones than what I've experienced with my Gibsons. The bass notes are loud, but softer in attack, or more cello-like. On a Gibson, the individual bass notes have a crisper attack and are more distict. If you are a pure strummer, you might enjoy either an AJ-500M or Gibson J-45 equally, though I find the J-45 more percussive. If you incorperate any bass lines into your strumming, they would be more clearly defined on a J-45. If you fingerpick, it's a toss-up again, depending on your preference: the AJ-500M's bass isn't so loud that it overwhelms the upper strings, but again, the attack is softer. Each string is more bell-like on the J-45. For the record, I think the J-45 is one of the best production guitars you can get. It's sort of the ES-335 of the acoustic world, in that it's impressive in its versality. The Masterbilt AJ-500M (particulary the satin model) is also an excellent instrument. If the one I play were my only guitar, I'd be very happy. I would never say it is inferior to any Gibson, just different. We haven't mentioned finishes: Epiphones have a poly finish, while Gibson still uses traditional nitro. The nitro finish will allow the guitar to open up more over time, and is more easily repairable, so that may be another consideration for you. Of course, each guitar is somehwat individual, as it's made from organic materials and is made with a certain degree of hand labor. You should evaluate each on its own merits. Good luck, Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgermod Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 wow! thanks Red - that really is an education for me! As you say every guitar is different...a friend of a friend works for a dealership in the US and he mentioned the quality of Gibson woods (I guess he was just pushing another brand!?) thanks very much - to be honest I want all 3 guitars (J45, Texan and AJ500) but as I'm just a house strummer and not gigging I can't justify spending loads of money - might be different if i was a gigging musician! Would love to find out more about the bracing etc of guitars and how it affects the sound - any online info out there? thanks again Dodger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie 63 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 +1 on the "Inspired by 64 Texan". I have owned mine since February, and it`s a pretty good guitar, and although it doesn`t sound quite like a J-45/50, the sound it does make is certainly from the Gibson family. Tone is well balanced, and with Elixir 80/20`s the guitar has plenty of Mahogany zing. So overall well worth seeking out. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Doger, Search for some posts by dhanners for additioanal IB Texan recommendations. He's got a J-45, too, and compares his IB Texan to it very favorably. Good luck with auditioning some guitars, and let us know whther you get the J-45, Masterbilt J500M, or IB Texan first ('cuae it sounds like you may eventually wind up with all three!). Red 333 Hi, Frenchie! Good to hear from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 While I am happier if I just listen to what I am contemplating buying and do not put a whole lotta thought into the specs, the forward shifted, wide angle bracing associated with the original 1930s Advanced Jumbos and other pre-War guitars opens up more top area while adding less mass allowing the top to vibrate more freely. This generally results in more bass and volume and a guitar that is very responsive. By moving the X intersection up closer to the soundhole though the bracing provided less support to the bridge area which caused some problems. I am guessing Gibson, Martin and others who have returned to using the forward shifted bracing have done some structural modifications to do way with the potential issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie 63 Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Doger, Search for some posts by dhanners for additioanal IB Texan recommendations. He's got a J-45, too, and compares his IB Texan to it very favorably. Good luck with auditioning some guitars, and let us know whther you get the J-45, Masterbilt J500M, or IB Texan first ('cuae it sounds like you may eventually wind up with all three!). Red 333 Hi, Frenchie! Good to hear from you. Hi Red. Yes I am still here, although I did get lost for a while with the latest forum changes. Don`t know what happened there. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgermod Posted October 14, 2010 Author Share Posted October 14, 2010 thanks for all the replies fellas - think I have GAS at the minute but really keen on the Texan especially at the price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diverden Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Simple arithmetic. 1 AJ500M + 1 AJ500R+ 1IB Texan all for less than one J45. I've sat for extended periods with my AJ500MEVS and a J45 side by side and couldn't tell a significant difference in sound that would justify the additional cost of the J45. That being said, if the J45 is what you desire than cost shouldn't enter the equation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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