Epiphone J-200EC Studio Acoustic-Electric Guitar - Black Reviews

Yes I did! I heard quite a few good things about this Jumbo Epiphone. At first I was very unsure about buying one. But now that I have, and have had plenty of time to get the feel of it, I'm so glad I did! I play Country style Gospel music. Much of my playing time is done in Church settings, and my new Epiphone totally fits the bill for my kind of playing! I could have spent 10 times the money on a Gibson I suppose, but I don't see where I would have been any More satisfied than what I am now. I love the onboard tuner. Unlike my Fender, the Epiphone doesn't just get you close. It absolutely marks the spot. Yes, it's a much cheaper guitar than Gibson, but this baby plays like butter, and sounds great. I would totally recommend the J 200 EC to anyone wanting that Gibson look, feel, and sound, without breaking the bank! Also, I'd like to add that if you're in the market for an instrument or equipment , you should make Sweetwater your choice. Great people, who made my buying experience the easiest ever. These folks stay with you every step of the way, and are experts with answers to all your questions. This is my first purchase from them, and they will forever be my go to place for all my music needs from now on. My go to guy at Sweet Water is Mike Bell. His goal was to get me exactly what I wanted, without any high pressure to buy something more expensive, or things, I had no need of. An awesome gentleman, who call me even after my guitar arrived, to insure all was as it should be. You can't go wrong by going with Sweetwater, I assure you!

After seeing and playing this guitar I cannot believe it is in this price range. The guitar sounds and plays amazing. The tuner works great and the Fishman electronics have a solid reputation. The first guitar I received was damaged in shipping. Sweetwater sent a replacement the next day express. The guitar did benefit from a set up as with most new guitars.
If you plan on buying a new guitar Sweetwater is the best!

This guitar has awesome projection and puts out clear tones. I've always wanted a jumbo guitar. This one is fun to play. I bought it in black and it is beautiful. I didn't like the bridge in the pictures online, but when I saw the actual guitar it looks great. The bridge has lots of nice inlays. I found the 12 gauge strings too hard to play. I put on a set of Martin Marques extra light 10 gauge and I love it.

I received my Epiphone SJ200 yesterday and I am pleased to say it was packaged very well. This acoustic guitar is everything that i wanted. Plays and sounds great.

thank you Sweetwater for great service and shipping!! I have wanted one of these jumbos for a very long time and it is well worth the $$

Tom Gill

I just got this Guitar and all I can say is WOW. She plays great. I have never been a big fan of jumbo guitars. But she feels real good. When I got Her I knew I had to give Her a name. I have already named a a guitar after My late Mom. So I thought. I will name this Guitar after Her. So meet Mama Mel 2. My Mom got me into guitar to keep me out of trouble. It work a little. Out of Great Love of my Mom. Meet Mama Mel 2. Oh the Mel is short for name. Her full was Melvena. I play for Her. Love Ya and miss you Mom.

I originally bought this guitar in Sept of 2017 and its still one of the best I own, its been played so much the graphics on the pick guard are just about gone.I would buy it again

I am 72 years of age and have played professionally since the age of 16. This is a fantastic guitar and agree with the comment about the great sustain and sound generated by the size and pickups. My guitar arrived two weeks ago and I have played it two hours a day each day in anticipation of a concert I will perform on June 12, 2022. I am blown away by the responsiveness of the neck and quality of sound I am able to produce. I currently own two Gibsons which are great guitars but this Epiphone is a treasure . I highly recommend this guitar to a serious player of acoustic electric guitars, the finish is awesome and agree that you should buy the Gator hard shell case to protect this beauty. Also kudos to Kris at Sweetwater for taking such good care of me again. You will not be disappointed if you purchase this great guitar, just wish I could do an advertisement for it.

I am very happy with my new EJ-200EC acoustic/electric Epiphone. The highs are super-bright and the lows are deep. The sustain is excellent. The action is spot-on, smooth and comfortable ! I am typically a smaller-body guitar owner/player but this one opens new avenues of sound & playability for me! Also It looks incredibly beautiful with all its detail and appointments! The Epiphone hard shell case was also purchased from SW and is a perfect fit. My EJ-200EC arrived 2 days early (standard free shipping-thank you Sweetwater) ...and good job Epiphone !

I received my guitar today and was very pleased with the packaging and care Sweetwater took to ensure my order wasn't damaged.

The guitar itself was just perfect even down to being set up like I like. Whoever set up the guitar during inspection did a great job.

I have bought 5 guitars from Sweetwater and multiple other items and have always been please with their service and products.

Highly recommend Sweetwater if you are considering a purchase.

Robert Marsh, Nashville, Tn.

I love this guitar!! Looks, sound, style...everything! Very happy with my purchase!

I posted a review right after I got it. So......I'd say it's even better than when I got it for my birthday in April 2019. Just LOVE it. And when you plug it into any amp, even just a little Roland Cube, the sound is INCREDIBLE! For the money, this guitar is a fantastic value. The electronics are great. We haven't had to do any work on it at all, just changed to medium gauge strings, and it's a really awesome workhorse for whatever you want to play acoustically! Thanks Epiphone! And thanks, Mark Thompson, our GO-TO guy at Sweetwater! If you need a great person to help you with your gear, Get in touch with Mark, who is great to work with!

This is a well-made acoustic at a reasonable price and it plays great! The sound and volume are terrific unplugged and the on-board electronics function very well when plugged in. For a jumbo it is comfortable to play and the neck action is smooth. And it looks great :). This plays well on-stage and in the studio. I definitely recommend this guitar

I own a Gibson SJ200 Studio Walnut that I had sent back for some tune ups. I had let the instrument become a little dehydrated from my time in the dry Texas desert climate.
I purchased the Epi model to get me by on a few gigs, and serve as a backup, or a banger guitar. It IS NOT a Gibson, and side by side you can tell the difference, as you should. But this is undoubtedly THE BEST looking and playing and sounding instrument in its price class that I have personally ever played.(over 50 years). And although it's not the Gib, it sits on the stand next to it, and I will grab it just as fast. This is a really fun guitar to play.
SUPER JUMBOS RULE!

I looked and looked, played numerous acoustics in 3 different stores, and researched online to find the right acoustic electric. I wanted one that had a nice full sound with good low end and projection, had decent electronics and neck/action, looked great and didn't break the bank.
This was it! Sounds great plugged and unplugged. The stereo out is a plus for recording, and live. Nice appointments and gold Grovers! I also got the matching Epi hardshell case.
Sweetwater is always fantastic with their shipping and service. When I unboxed it, I just had to look at it for a while...and when I picked it up and played it, the action was great, it felt and sounded great and yes, it was in tune. Great intonation, especially in this price range. This is probably my last acoustic, and I'm so glad I got this one. Thank you Tomir and Sweetwater!

Just took delivery of a new EJ200SCE yesterday (After drooling over them in catalogs and Youtube videos for several years). I expected it to be a nice guitar, and boy was I wrong. This guitar (her name is Epiphany), is so much more than "nice" that I have trouble finding words. So....Let's just do a little check list.

1. Playability - The action/setup was amazing "Out of the Box". In the course of my lifetime I have owned at least 30 guitars, both acoustic and electric, and the feel /playability of this guitar is definitely in the top three of all of them. the neck is slim and feels to me much like a "slim tapered 60's" Les Paul neck. Great for leads and after playing it for 5 hours, I had no finger fatigue.

2. Fit and finish - I have scoured it inch by inch and have found zero flaws in the fit and finish. The paintwork is perfect (Mine is black), the binding work is perfect, and the fretwork is the best of any guitar that I own. There is no fret sprout, and no rough edges. Running my hand up the neck, it's as smooth as butter.

3. Tone- I have never had a "Jumbo" acoustic guitar before, but compared to the many dreadnought, concert, and parlor size guitars that I have owned (Many with solid top, back, and sides), this guitar is as good as all, and better than most.
When you plug this guitar into an amplifier, that's when thing get interesting in a good way. This guitar is equipped with two different pickups. A piezo in the bridge plus a magnetic pickup at the base of the neck. The preamp allows you to EQ each pickup separately, and has a blend knob where you can either run one pickup or the other, or blend them together in whatever way sounds good to you. It also offers duel outputs, if you would like to run each pickup through a different amp or effects chain. I have a Fender Mustang modeling amp, so I picked an empty preset that had no effects, cab/amp simulation or anything else, set all of the controls dead flat, and that guitar sounded as good as any I have ever heard.
The EJ200SCE now has the Esonic2 HD preamp which is different from the Esonic2 system that you see in most of the stuff you will find online. The previous system worked with the lithium watch batteries, but the new Esonic2 HD uses two AAA bateries. There are also a few differences in the control panel of the preamp such as the slider for the blend control being changed to a knob, but that is all an appearance thing. Everything works the same.

In conclusion, I am extremely happy with this purchase, and I will comfortably say that this is a guitar that performs way above it's price point. I have personally owned other acoustics that have cost twice as much that don't even come close.
Did a get a diamond in the rough?? Maybe. I'll never know. All I know is that this one is not for sale and never will be! ;)

Just got the Epi EJ for my 62nd birthday (yeah, you read that right!) It was sitting in the kitchen in it's box, with a couple sparkly ribbons on it, when I got up around 8am last friday.......my S.O. was sitting there having coffee when I arrived on the scene.....how exciting is that???!!! A big box with a guitar in it!! My very first guitar, in 1972, was an Epiphone, that I still have to this day. Always loved the brand. So, we have a LOT of guitars. And, Always looking for the next great one! Somehow I got enamoured with the Gibson J-200 a while ago, and was looking to acquire one. (guess I watched a lot of videos of Elvis, Greg Lake, and the traveling wilburys playing them.....) Got one delivered thru "the competitor"....you know, that store that lets you return stuff for 45 days..... and the Gibson J-200 I got was just not so great. Disappointing, in fact. It was an old one, but no one checked it out, and the electronics were bad. I was bummed. So it went back to that store. Then, I found the Epi. Wow, one of our favorite chick bands, the Mona Lisa twins, who cover lots of Beatles, got one. (if you don't know them, check'em out!) Theirs is black. So I started lusting after this cool looking guitar! Then I read lots of reviews by you guys who already have one. That was pretty much it. Someone else posted a review that said he uses his Epi EJ in favor of his Gibson, for gigs, which stays in the case most of the time. I believe it now. We took it out of the box around 8:01 that morning, gave it a big strum, and fell in love!!!! It's just awesome!

The fit and finish on this guitar was perfect. Right out of the box it plays like a Les Paul. Far and away the best action I have ever seen on an acoustic guitar. The pickups just kill on this thing. The plugged in sound really lets the crowd know you're there with tone to die for. One of the nicest instruments I've ever owned and a real bargain at this price.

When I received my new guitar from Sweetwater I really was blown away at how beautiful the guitar was for the price I paid! Not only is it beautiful but it has a very beautiful tone and the sustain is awesome! I use it in a worship band and everyone loved It"s looks and it"s sound! You really get a lot of bang for the buck with this black beauty and the setup was great right out of the box but I did lower the action just a little more later on. So far I still love it and it sounds great plugged in too! If you"re on the fence like I was, pull the trigger on this one, you will not be disappointed! Thanks to the team at Sweetwater for fast shipping and all the service they provided to me!

I already own a Gibson SJ-200....and I love it! But I have to admit this EJ-200 is amazing. Right out of the box it plays awesome. My hat is off to Sweetwater for the great set up before sending it out.
I have never owned a acoustic- electric and have been searching for something I could take out with good sound and not have to worry about the big price. This guitar sounds very full without being amped...but plugged in it really has great tone. I am still getting use to the Nanomag/Nanoflex thing......but I am really enjoying this guitar!

Dollar for dollar this is one of the best instruments for your hard earned money. Excellent workmanship, sweet tone and great flexibility in pickup up options when plugging in.
The solid spruce top sings, my instrument's fit and finish was flawless. This is my second one and wanted to grab it since I heard that this model was being discontinued.
If you want an outstanding jumbo that gives the same tone and playability of it's much more costly Gibson model grab one before they are gone forever.
The Sweetwater team did an outstanding job of taking care of the instrument and my order. Thanks!

I played one of these years ago and ever since wanted a jumbo. It fits me perfectly and now I have one to call my own. Guitar arrived in excellent condition. After a few seconds of tuning I would have been able to hop right on stage and play with it.
Shout out to Jared and his team for doing such an awesome job!

This is just a great guitar. Sound and playability are first-rate. It's built very well and has a narrow neck that's fun to play. Dynamics and intonation are repaid by this beauty. The onboard tuner is ok up to the 1st string, where it doesn't help much. But if you can't tune that ...

My wife bought me this guitar for our anniversary, it"s everything I want in an acoustic guitar and more! I"m very impressed with the way the guitar looks and played right away. I may have to get one in natural as a spare! Thank you Randy for helping my wife with the order!

This Epiphone guitar is great! I have played the Gibson jumbo, and this one sounds as good at a tenth of the price. I play it through a Fishman loudbox mini, and it sounds as good as any acoustic I have ever heard. I stand by Sweetwater as one of the best companies i have ever done business with. Thanks to Tyler, my sales engineer for his help in the selection of this guitar.

A great guitar at a great price

I needed an acoustic guitar that actually had some depth and projection... I kept looking at the Epiphone EJ-200SCE... Not only was it a beautiful looking guitar but it had options as far as plugging it in with the piezo and magnetic pickup system... I ordered the EJ-2000SCE and it showed up on time as promised... My sales rep Ryan Clapper and the Sweetwater staff were more than helpful, as always... I actually wanted the natural color, but the only one available at the time was the black one... Once it arrived, I was blown away by the first chord I played... It had everything I had hoped for... the tone, projection, the balance between highs and lows... all there... and I loved the black color... the neck was very close to my Epiphone Sheraton so the transition was minimal except my Sheraton is 24.75 scale and the EJ-200SCE is 25.5 scale... Once I got used to the scale difference (took about a day), It was like a trusted old friend... I'm in love with this guitar!!! Ever since it arrived, I haven't been able to put it down... I haven't even played my electrics since I got it... Thanks Ryan and the Sweetwater staff... You guys are rock... Just like my new Epi...

just got this today if you are looking for a great sounding acoustic- electric this is it and it won,t break the bank this is a lot of guitar for less the $ was a little worry for the price of what she would sound like but rest a sure you are going to be blown away what are you waiting for get you one thanks sweetwater for a great guitar she a keeper

I bought this inexpensive Epiphone EJ-200SCE in black honestly, because I knew it would look good on my basement wall if it didn't play as well as my Gibson Super Jumbo 200 or either of my Adamas guitars. I am house musician at a local restaurant and play every Friday night. I liked the way the Epiphone (cheaper Indonesian made replica of the SJ200) felt and sounded, so decided to use it at the next gig. It performed so well and the sound coming through my Fishman sa220 was so beyond, that after four years, I take the Epiphone and use it from start to finish at 95% of the Friday gigs and all the others too. Guitar "specialists" will notice it while I am performing and sometimes say, "Oh, it's just an Epiphone, a rip off of the real thing, the Gibson SJ200." I reply, "You are right. My real thing Gibson SJ 200 is in that other gig bag. I use it as a back up for this Epiphone." I got lucky with this guitar. Never held a better playing or better sounding instrument, and I've gigged on an average of 2 nights per week for the last two and a half decades. No, I will never part with it. Be groovy!

Sweet guitar! sounds great and looks fantastic. And as usual Sweetwaters got it to me fast and in great shape. I really enjoy doing business with them.

I purchased one of these about a month ago. It's a beautiful guitar (I got the black finish) plays well and sounds good to my ears. Sweetwater was very prompt in getting it to me and they have been great in following up the order.

Having never played one, I relied on reviews from experienced players. I decided to pull the lever and got it about 3 weeks ago, 3 days before my gig. Plugged or unplugged, this baby delivers a voluminous, rich tone. And the black shows well under stage lights. Now I'm letting my fans name her. Fun, fun.

Plays and sounds wonderful! Love it already. 1/2 star off because the electronics was non-functional - currently awaiting a replacement instrument. Not sure how that was missed during the however many point pre ship inspection, but the great folks at Sweetwater are taking care of the problem, no hassle there at all.

Anyway, the guitar is really really nice for the price - it looks good and plays and sounds as good as it looks!

I have a Takamine EF341SC and, considering the price of the EJ200SCE, the Epiphone measures up incredibly well to it. I play in a very difficult climate for acoustics (rapid, high heat/high humidity changes from outdoor tropical to air-conditioned environments several times a week. Despite this, the guitar sounds very good, both acoustically and plugged in, plays well, keeps tune very well and definitely looks the part. Workmanship is very good. If it were lost or stolen I would by another without hesitation. I have had it a few months now with constant use, so still keeping an eye to see how it holds up, but so far, so good!

This has to be one of the best guitars out there for the money! Ok, it has a laminated body so it doesn't sound as warm as a Gibson SJ200, but it's real darned good. The pickup does a fine job, and the sound is BIG. Try some Martin Retro strings on it (the ones that say Tony's Choice) - very nice! If you want a very competent instrument to gig with for a very reasonable amount of money, this is the one.

I ALMOST LOVE MY 200, ALTHOUGH I HAVE ONE MAJOR COMPLAINT THAT PROHIBITS ME FROM GIVING IT 5 STARS. THE BATTERIES DON'T LAST WORTH A ****. IN THE MIDDLE OF A PERFORMANCE THE GUITAR STARTS TO BREAK UP AND THERE IS NO INDICATION SHOWING THE BATTERIES ARE BAD. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I CHECKED THE BATTERIES THAT I REPLACED AND THEY SHOWED THAT THEY WERE INDEED STILL GOOD,NOT PERFECT BUT GOOD. IT SEEMS THE GUITAR REQUIRES THE BATTERIES TO BE NOTHING LESS THAN 100% OR THE GUITAR WILL DISTORT. I PUT NEW BATTERIES IN AND IT WAS FINE. I HAVE HEARD THIS SAME COMPLAINT FROM A FEW OTHER 200 OWNERS,SO I AM NOT ALONE AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND IF IT EVER CORRECTED I WOULD GET RID OF THIS GUITAR AND GET ANOTHER ONE. I PLAY PRO, AND HAVE FOR MANY YEARS, AND THIS IS THE FIRST GUITAR THAT GAVE ME THIS PROBLEM.....

Would have been a great sounding guitar, Except for two things. When I pluged into the guitar it popped every time I moved the guitar, very annoying. And then the guitar had this smell to it like, It had never really dryed right. It conjested my lungs so much I had to send it back. Don't know what kind of finish that they used but, Never could get that smell out of it. No matter how many times I took it outside to get the smell out. And as long as you played it outside with the wind blowing, and didn't plug into a amp. It was good but not what I was expecting. However it played beautifully without the thing being pluged in. and was quite beautifull. Just wish it had been a little bit better.

I bought this guitar about 3 or 4 years ago and have been to the shop with it three or four times. The pickup system has given me problems. Sometimes the guitar will put out no sound at all. And sometimes the sound is weak or one side of the pickup system puts out no sound or almost no sound compared to the other. The overall volume of the pickup system is weak as well when I put it through my PA, a Peavey 8600D. I can run it through a Tube Screamer to boost the volume, but then of course, I get some distortion Plus the tuner has started not working on the high E string. Also, it seems like the high E string stands out volume wise from the other strings and it has a bit of a buzz. I researched and saw all of the positive reviews on this guitar and I wish I could say the same as it is really a beautiful LOOKING instrument, especially for the price, but it has NOT been dependable.

Ordered one, was not impressed volume unamplified, was not what I expected. The neck, compared to a Gibson, is a fence post. But it was pretty cheap.

I played one in a guitar store while on business travel. I was so surprised how marvelous it sounded. I have a Taylor 314 that I like but it’s bright . At the guitar store the epiphone sounded rich and deeper. I fought off of guitar acquisition syndrome for a while but with Black Friday looming I got an itchy order finger and hit the button. I couldn’t wait to play it when it arrived . And... i couldn’t believe that was the same guitar that I played previously. It’s quiet , and has bad string buzzing. The setup looks fine , for the life of me I am vexed. I’m thinking of trying some elixir strings . If that doesn’t help , it’s a... lesson learned.