Great guitar at a great price

I am an amateur musician, but I have been playing for over 40 years. I own a Taylor 414, which I was very happy with, but which now does not get played very often. The reason - I would rather play my AJ-500M. The reviews I read on this guitar convinced me to give it a try, and I have not been in the least disappointed. This guitar is everything that the rave reviews say it is. It plays beautifully, and the sound is perfect. It sounds the way an acoustic guitar should sound. It is not an overly bright sound like my Taylor, but rather a very balanced sound from the bass to the treble strings. Whether I finger pick, or strum the guitar, it sounds gorgeous. I would have paid at least three times this much for this guitar, but I didn't have to and that makes me that much happier. Only thing is I have realized that I should have paid an extra $50.00 and gotten the ME model with a built in pick up - just to have the option of plugging it in. Other than that, Icould not be happier with my purchase. One of the best investments I have ever made.

Full-sounding value

Went to the local music store and played the expensive Martins, Taylors, and Gibsons. Then picked up this AJ-500M and it definitely fit right in. In fact, it had more presence and balance than some of the big name guitars that cost 3 to 4 times as much.
For the money, you just can't find a better sounding, ALL SOLID wood constructed acoustic guitar.

A Working Man's Guitar

I'm not a professional musician; I'm a factory worker who plays guitar at church and nursing homes. I bought an AJ-500M nearly three years ago with my income tax refund. Although it ain't the prettiest acoustic guitar I own, this Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-500M is by far the most handiest and the most practical. Let me tell you why:

First of all, the satin finish now only looks nice it is easy to maintain. One thing I have to do with my other guitar with the gloss finish is polish it to get all the smudges and fingerprints off of it so will look presentable at church. When I choose to use the AJ-500M during a worship service or gospel singing, all I have to do is take it out of it's case and tune it up! The satin finish does not show any fingerprints or normal everyday smudges. It is a lot easier to live it than a gloss finish and I actually think the guitar sounds better with it.

As for staying in tune, those Grover Sta-Tite tuners on it do a great job of keeping the guitar in tune. You don't have to adjust them much to get the guitar ready. No matter how hard I play this thing, they don't slip out of pitch like some other tuners do. the tuners also have a satin finish so they keep looking good.

The neck is one of the easier to play of any guitar I have ever owned. I mostly play in a oountry/folk/bluegrass style and bass runs are a dream to do on this guitar. It is good for plain strumming too.

Finally, this is the most low-maintenance guitar I have ever owned. In the three years I have had it, all I've even done to this thing is change out the strings, occasionally treat the fingerboard and bridge to keep them from drying out, and replace the original bridge pins with Tusq pins. There are no cracks in the top or body and no braces working loose after three years of service. I've never had to adjust the truss rod or anything else in three years. In fact, the only things that I have done is install a strap pin on the heel and install a pickup in it so I can pipe it through a PA when necessary. I don't have to plug it in too often because this thing can get loud enough to hold it's own in a small country church!

I've played my Epi AJ-500M in church worship services, nursing home singings, gospel singings, and ever a baptism or two. It has never let me down and I doubt it ever will. If you are looking for a good, practical, easy playing guitar; go ahead and buy the AJ-500M or any of the other Epiphone Masterbilts. Believe me , you won't be sorry.