Warming Up To My Epi

[zombywoof]

I read enough posts by folks who buy a guitar and the next day are proclaiming it the best thing since sliced bread. But how many of ya have bought a guitar and found it took you a long time to warm up to the critter. When I first pick up a guitar it is not so much a love at first sight thing as a I am intrigued to heck by it thing. I need time to figure the guitar out and see what it can do. I am lucky in that folks I know and the guy who owns my favorite little music store know the only way they have any hope of selling me a guitar is to let me take it home to kick the tires - often more than once.

 

Years back I stumbled across my 1950s FT-79. I was really only interested in it because I thought it looked cool (it has a great burst), I had not seen too many for sale, and I could snag it for only a few hundred bucks as it needed some work. It did not take much to get the thing in good playing condition but to put it kindly, the guitar did not thrill me, so the poor thing spent alot of time sitting by its lonesome in a case. I figured one day I would finish fixing it up and sell it to get cash to buy something else.

 

As was expected, another guitar did pop up so I pulled the Epi out to do a little more work on it with the intention of selling it to finance the other. I putzed with it a bit, threw on some good strings and started playing. Lawdy I found myself liking the guitar to the point I could not figure out why I had locked it away for so long. What really first hit me was the low end. It was deep and full - about as close to the sound of a doghouse bass as I had heard from a guitar. I admit I did not find anything else I would call stellar about the guitar like having the saturated mids of an old Gibson but that Epi just got my juices flowing.

 

Today the Epi is one of my favorite guitars. I still can't tell ya why - it just is. And I still think it looks cool.

[RIX]

Hello Zomywoof,

 

I know exactly what you mean. A few months ago I was set on selling a used AJ200S to do the same thing; finance another guitar buy. Turn out the guitar didn't sell, so I took a second look at it and ended up working on the action and replacing the saddle with bone. Now it is a stellar guitar. Like you said it just sounds fantastic. I actually spent most of yesterday playing it and just getting into the sounds it produces. It's a keeper, I won't be selling now. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[EpiAlan]

Oh my my my my! We must be brothers! lol! So many times I had convinced myself that one of my guitars was good...but not great. so Like you I locked it away for a while, forgot about it mostly except for humidification, only to later find out it is one of my FAVORITE guitars. I had an Epi Aj-100 and loved its looks but gave it to my brother because I had so many other great guitars. Ahhh but I missed it! After 8 years of being without it, I had to buy another, Identical except that this is an AJ220ce. I love it. And my RainSong JM-1000...I had taken it to my Fathers house and it remained there for 5 years in the closet(RainSong graphite guitars require no humidification or heat requirements) Finally I brought it back home to sell it. Upon playing it, I was utterly dazzled once again with its crystal clear tone. I'm keeping it too. Seems like once a guitar gets in the family you can't let it go...because EVERY guitar is magic in its own right. I'm glad you kept your guitar, you won't be sorry. I know I'm sure keeping the ones I have now have left. Of course I once had 24 high end guitars in my collection and I let some of them go because they just wiped out too much house space, and humidification became a burden here with the bitter North East Pa. winters. I will always miss what I let go. But I will now keep and cherish the 5 I have left...including my wonderful, dirty sweet cheap little Epi AJ which somehow just knows how to pull my attention...even when the Martin J-40 and the Taylor 816ce are vying for my attention! My God! My guitars are just like my children!!! I LOVE them!!!!