A Great Guitar

I'm not a professional, but I'm very impressed with this guitar. It has a very good, soft feel and a mellow tone. It was just what i was looking for. I've played other guitars in music stores, but none had this model Epiphone in stock, so I was a little nervous about buying on line. I've never done that before with a musical instrument. Aaron Rom at Sweetwater was knowledgeable and helpful. I talked to other music stores and they tried to talk me into something other than what I wanted. Aaron answered all my questions. He assured me they would order one in and stand by the producct and I took a chance. I'm glad I did. I love this guitar. Great service from Sweetwater too.

Epiphone Masterbilt

So, this is my 6th different epiphone instrument. And they never cease to amaze me with their quality. My best friend just got a Taylor 214ce. Once my masterbilt arrived, we had to compare the two. Tone wise, the epiphone is a lot more balanced. One of the more balanced acoustic guitar I have ever played. The action as smooth as the Taylor. But the thing that really sets the masterbilt apart is the nanomag pickup. Having both options, nanomag and the e-sonic, is so awesome. Tons of tonal options. One last thing, the Taylors (under the 314 series) is not an all wood guitar. The masterbilt is an all wood guitar with a ceder top, which only sounds better with age. Call my man stuart, Ext 1337, he will take care of you big time. Thanks again for the excellent service! Stuart you are the man!

Great Guitar

This is the best finger picking guitar I have seen for under 1000 bucks. I was prepared to spend three times as much. But after testing a few Martin's and several Taylor's I was sold on this Masterbuilt. It sounds just as good but did not break my bank account. Quality craftsmanship and attention to detail make this a stunning guitar. The solid cedar top and solid rosewood body were exactly what I was looking for. This beauty gets a 10 star rating from me. My suggestion is to buy while you can. There is no guarantee that Epiphone will manufacture any more. I have heard from reputable sources that this guitar has been discontinued.

Epiphone EF-500RCCE

I've been trying to play guitar now for several months. I work with a 25 year guitar veteran. He's a purist when it comes to his guitars. For him it's strictly acoustic. In fact he went with me to buy my first real guitar. I had him play several guitars both in and out of my price range. We managed to find a really nice sounding Taylor 114e. After some negotiation I managed to get a hard case and the Taylor for $600 otd. The Taylor really is a sweet sounding guitar. We put it up against a $3000 model and I could not tell the difference. I then read about my new purchase and felt I wanted more. I wanted an all solid wood with a cutaway and a built-in chromatic tuner. I scoured the internet until I found the Epiphone EF-500RCCE. It had everything I was looking for; a solid cedar top and solid rosewood body. I found every review I could find on this guitar and the Masterbilt Epiphones like it. Every review sounded good although there weren't that many out there. The only hesitation I had was the fact that these guitars were made in China. I learned that after they're built they are shipped to Epiphone for a intense inspection process. I was sold. I ordered my Epiphone from Sweetwater.com. I received a phone call from Joe at Sweetwater the next day. He told me my guitar would ship as soon as it was inspected by the Sweetwater guitar tech. I thought this was pretty good service. When the guitar arrived, I snuck it into the house. I hadn't yet told the wife that I purchased yet another guitar. When I opened the box, the sweet smell of cedar permeated the air. Man this guitar is gorgeous. I carefully inspected every inch of it. This guitar was built with care. Man, what a piece of craftmanship! The set-up and action were right on. I inserted the 9-volt battery into the Esonic2 electronics, fired up the tuner and was quickly in standard tuning. I plucked my first note and was amazed at the the sound emanating from this not-too-expensive guitar. My guitar playing friend had to see it. He brought over his $3000 dollar, abalone inlaid Martin. We played both guitars and again the less expensive guitar rang out as sweet as the more expesive Martin. I may buy another Epiphone and I know my next guitar will be from Sweetwater.com. You can't go wrong

Wonderful guitar

This is a very good looking instrument and well made. Good overall tone especially if you like midrange which the cedar top affords. The bass is a little weak as would be expected, however, the lack of boom makes it a good recording guitar.

The spacing on the saddle could be a little better. The thing is - it plays like a dream. This is the neck I've been searching for on an acoustic. I play finger-style mostly and the Epiphone suits me perfectly. I found mine used in like new condition and am convinced that for the money it can't be beat.