kyledt Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Hi all, sorry if this has already been asked before. I'm looking into getting an Epiphone EJ-160e (any comments on that guitar?) and I was just wondering where Epiphone manufactures all of their guitars? I've heard that they used to make them in Japan then moved to South Korea. Then I heard that they just recently moved to China but someone else told me his brand new guitar was made in Indonesia. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyledt Posted December 5, 2012 Author Share Posted December 5, 2012 Also I've been playing for only about a year and a half now. I've gotten very good in that time but someone told me the EJ-160e would be bad for a first acoustic (I have two electrics). Someone also told me you get get much better guitars for WAY less and you're just paying for the name John Lennon on it. The fact that you're paying more for the name John Lennon I believe is 100% true but I've also heard this guitar is superior to guitars even pricier than itself? I have the money for it and I don't see what would be wrong with this being my first acoustic! I'm very in to The Beatles, they influence me greatly. I think this guitar would get me closest to that sound as possible without buying thousands of dollars worth equipment while at the same time being able to sustain my own unique sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaysEpiphone Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I believe the Masterbuilts are made in Indonesia or the Philippines, one or the other. The rest are made in China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I believe the Masterbuilts are made in Indonesia or the Philippines, one or the other. The rest are made in China. The Masrerbilts are made in China, and were among the first Epiphones to be made there in the two Gibson-managed factories. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger11 Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I have the EJ160e and love it. I play it solely as an acoustic guitar. It depends the way you want to use it; the pickup isn't really designed for acoustic strings. With electric strings you'll get more joy from the pickup but it won't sound like an acoustic guitar - more like an archtop or jazz guitar. There are loads of threads on the forum about other members' preferences on this guitar. If you are looking for an acoustic guitar you can plug in you might be better looking at the Texan or Masterbilt (AJ500M) both of which are a similar price (where I live anyway!) or maybe the AJ220 whihc is much cheaper if you don't mind a cutaway. I have mine strung with Elixirs and it sounds great as an acoustic; warm, "chunky" with good clarity and sustain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkuss Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I have a EJ-160e too. If you're going to be using it live you might be dissatisfied with the acoustic sound as it's not a traditional acoustic guitar. You might prefer the sound of the Epiphone Texan as that sounds more like an electrified acoustic. The J-160e is a comfortably guitar to play and a good sounding one plugged into an amp for that 62-64 Beatles sound like I Feel Fine, I Want To Hold Your Hand, A Hard Day's Night. If you're going to be using it for home recording you can always put acoustic strings on it and mic it up and get a decent acoustic tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Okay, here's my take. I have a Masterbilt aj500me that's electric acoustic with a dual sort of pickup on it - sorta a magnetic and sorta a piezo that you can blend. The guitar is quite nice. It sounds very good both acoustic and electric, although some folks have had problems with the electric side. I have an AJ220ce, the cutaway that theoretically is the same basic body as the AJ but feels a lot different. Just the Piezo. Sounds good both electric and acoustic and is a lot cheaper than the AJ. I also have a PR5e that's smaller and almost identical in ways size-wise and florentine cutaway to the old Gibson CF100e made only in the 1950s with a magnetic pickup similar to the EJ160. My PR works very well and is my #1 to take out for fingerpickin' sorts of gigs. Now, the CF100e went bye bye because there were perceived problems playing it with acoustic strings and using it electric. A friend who has one of the old Gibson electric versions and an old Gibson acoustic version he added a soundhole magnetic pickup to uses whatever strings and sounds quite good for a rancher singing and pickin cowboy stuff. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 It's a marketing thing, not a guitar that's any more special, construction-wise, than other Epiphones. +1. The 1960s J-160E was a ladder braced, laminate top guitar with a P-90 single coil pickup. The Epi (and most Gibson versions) are X braced, solid top guitars with, since at least 1991, a P-100 humbucker pickup. Unless you are a total Beatle fanatic though, it is not a bad thing as the 1960s J-160E was never that great sounding played unplugged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keeffan Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I have a new Hummingbird Pro and Nighthawk, both Indonesian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaysEpiphone Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Well there ya go, I knew some of the Epiphones where made over in Indonesia just didn't know exactly witch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bashea Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 clarkuss: Your profile photo is awesome. I find it both incredibly erotic and innocent. Where can I get it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Enhancer Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Well there ya go, I knew some of the Epiphones where made over in Indonesia just didn't know exactly witch. I have two DR500's sitting here and they both say hand crafted in china inside the soundhole on the little paper thing, and they both say made in Indonesia on the back of the neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobalt Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I have two DR500's sitting here and they both say hand crafted in china inside the soundhole on the little paper thing, and they both say made in Indonesia on the back of the neck. That's amusing. I need to check mine. I believe my Swingster has a "made in Indonesia" sticker on the neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmayberry Posted April 20, 2013 Share Posted April 20, 2013 my ej200ce was made in indonesia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P90 Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 I wouldn't get tied down about where guitars are made, just make sure you play it before buying it and you will know if its a good one or not! I wouldn't recommend the lennon acoustic for your first guitar, everyone raves about the Texan so id be looking there if I was you (plus it has a big beatles tie in!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stringbreaker Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 My older EJ-200 laminated top was made by Samick in Korea, and my new EJ-200ce solid top was made in October 2012 by Samick Indonesia. Both guitars are very solid and sound wonderful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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