Dodgermod Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 I have a cheap AJ100 that was given to me and for a cheap guitar the action and tone was very good but the laquer seemed really thick. I sanded it down (not a professional job by any means!!) and removed the pickguard and now it sounds slightly sweeter and definitely louder - it definitely doesn't have the cheap twang that you'd hear from a really low-end guitar. Was talking to a guitar tech and he said that Epiphone would be the last guitar he'd recommend to anyone (he loves the Vintage V300 that won the best guitar under £1k award in some Guitar mag). I think a lot depends on what you want - the guitar he mentioned is a bit "bright" for my tastes - I prefer more mids and a sweeter, woodier, chunkier sound and I think Epiphone does this best. what do you folks think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted November 3, 2010 Share Posted November 3, 2010 Just be certain to get some sort of finish on the bare wood. Body oils, beer, wine, Cheetos, etc. will stain the wood. Not to mention solid wood will crack if it dries out. Just a thin finish is all it needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebird55 Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 It looks like one of the many knock-offs like you can find here: Notice that many of these say Epiphone on the headstock, but obviously aren't. That doesn't mean it's not a good guitar for the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebird55 Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I have thought about doing that many times. I have an Epiphone AJ-200SR that I believe would benefit from it. The first time it gets a significant scratch or ding on the front....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebird55 Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Okay, please ignore post #3. Somehow my posts keep going to the wrong thread, and I didn't catch that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebird55 Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Once again.... What guitar are you referring to ? Because I had several tabs open, my posts would end up on the wrong thread. I caught all but that one. It belongs on a thread about identifying two guitars that were obviously fakes. Several posts went to the wrong thread. I've never had this happen before. At first, I thought I just posted to the wrong tab. After the second time it happened I was very careful about making sure I was on the right thread. I even checked the previous post before submission. I was so sure, that I didn't bother to double check. I have since figured out that it wasn't me, but the computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cunningham26 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 whoa this thread got bombed by thebirds tab issue! glad to hear the sanding went down without a hitch! I remember someone on tdpri experimenting with sanding down a squier affinity and said it was the biggest PITA he'd ever encountered because it was so thick. note: this next little rant has nothing to do with the v300, but more the sentiment. i've heard that blowback from guitar techs and esp at little mom&pop shops. they make it seem like the big brands are the devil incarnate and incapable of producing solid instruments. Epiphone, and by that I mean at a root level most foreign production factories, are absolutely capable of producing quality instruments at an entry level price point. I think, until you're in the ballpark of higher-end taylors, martin, gibson, etc, you can't really be too discerning. if money is a major factor, if you're able to strike a good compromise between quality and price, you've scored. more often than not, you'll find yourself a bit to the left or right of that middle-ground, depending on your tastes. find one you like, even if it's a $100 aj100 sanded down. From the sound of it, it may also be useful to make sure you have an x-braced guitar as opposed to a (cheaper) ladder braced. though at this point im not sure how many guitars are still made with ladder bracing. The only thing i will say of bigger brands, and this comes from hearing people on many boards around these internetz and in person, is that there seems to be a lot of inconsistency with certain products. im sure there's an industrial reason behind it (suppliers, budgets, even the employees) but that's the only reasoning I see with going with a smaller brand with a more dedicated workforce. as for the V300, it was called "best acoustic guitar under 1000 pounds" in guitar mag in 2003. How many "best acoustic..." rankings have been given out since? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus20VT Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Evidently Mr Lennon did a fair job of sanding his Casino...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat-o-steve Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yep, those thick poly finishes really kill tone and volume. +1 on you better get some kind of finish on the bare wood! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigh Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yep, those thick poly finishes really kill tone and volume. +1 on you better get some kind of finish on the bare wood! +1 Mr. Lennon's guitar thankfully did not have a poly finish. You must be careful not to oversand. Look at Mr. (Sir) McCartney's Rickenbacker bass. That was totally oversanded & no longer has the "points" on the cutaways. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgermod Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 +1 Mr. Lennon's guitar thankfully did not have a poly finish. You must be careful not to oversand. Look at Mr. (Sir) McCartney's Rickenbacker bass. That was totally oversanded & no longer has the "points" on the cutaways. Craig it was an AJ100 i sanded - costs about £70 here so not taking much of a risk - didn't take all the varnish right off - it looks like a matt finish now - but the finish was way too thick before. Sounds a lot louder now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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