Members bluewolf Posted December 21, 2005 Members Share Posted December 21, 2005 I played a masterbuilt the other day at GC and it sounded great and played well. solid wood, rosewood back and sides with spruce top. Anybody have any experience with em? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JMigs Posted December 21, 2005 Members Share Posted December 21, 2005 I own one....the AJ-500RE. I've got nothing but good things to say about it. All solid-wood construction, great neck, satin finish(don't like gloss that much) and great tuners. The case is a nice plus as well. I'd recommend one for sure. You can really find some good deals on them on ebay if you look hard enough and have good timing. Mine was brand new and I got it for $475. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rada Posted December 21, 2005 Members Share Posted December 21, 2005 While the masterbuilt epiphones are good and all, nothing beats a real Gibson (when it comes to their acoustics...they're electrics, on the other hand, almost anything can beat those things! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted December 21, 2005 Members Share Posted December 21, 2005 I tried a EF-500R last year and I thought it was a pretty good deal for the $650 price tag. I liked that it was nice and loud for being a smaller guitar and the V-shaped neck was very comfortable. I didn't care for the vintage/faded sunburst top though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlspanther Posted December 21, 2005 Members Share Posted December 21, 2005 I have the Dreadnaught. DR500-MENS maybe? I like it. It's not a substitute for a real Gibson, but then again, I'm a Martin person. I don't like the bags system and I prefer to mic it. It's also got some ergonomic issues, but I'm a 000c or OMC kind of guy. The Masterbilt Auditorium model (?) feels better, but the c-neck and sound is horrible. It's supposed to be the "finger style" but lacks any hint of a complex tone and the mids are lacking. That's just my opinion. I didn't play the jumbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kdp86 Posted December 21, 2005 Members Share Posted December 21, 2005 I thought about getting one for a while, but i played their slopeshoulder mahogany and rosewood models, and they left me wanting more. They're not bad for the price, but I think you could do better with other guitars. Try looking at musicians friend for their D-15 customs.... spruce and rosewood, and spruce and mahogany. $700 for mahogany, $800 for rosewood... a little more money, but a lot more guitar. If you could find a used one, I bet it would only be about $450 or $500. It's hard to beat Martin in the cheaper stuff for me, because they worry more about construction and tone than appearance, and that's what I value more. Happy hunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kdp86 Posted December 21, 2005 Members Share Posted December 21, 2005 I hear the Bluridge BR-160 is nice too.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grek3030 Posted December 22, 2005 Members Share Posted December 22, 2005 What country are the Masterbuilts made in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlspanther Posted December 22, 2005 Members Share Posted December 22, 2005 They are Chinese made if I am not mistaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grek3030 Posted December 22, 2005 Members Share Posted December 22, 2005 Originally posted by Rada While the masterbuilt epiphones are good and all, nothing beats a real Gibson (when it comes to their acoustics...they're electrics, on the other hand, almost anything can beat those things! ) The Epiphone "Elite" series made in Japan are pretty damn close, I just got a J-200 maked as USED (2nd quality) and it;s one of the nicest sounding guitars I've played. Not in the league of a good Gibson J-200 but it didn't cost me $3200 either. I got it for $650. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scottgd Posted December 22, 2005 Members Share Posted December 22, 2005 I also have the Elite J-200. I have only good things to say about it. Got it new for around 1k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted December 22, 2005 Members Share Posted December 22, 2005 I was impressed with the ones I played in a Guitar Center a while back. Great guitar for the money. I sort of felt they were like a nice Guild but half the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlspanther Posted December 22, 2005 Members Share Posted December 22, 2005 The masterbilt cases are cool too. It's almost like a soft hardshell case or a hard gig bag. I can't tell. It's furry in the inside and has a built in hygrometer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vibroluxman Posted December 22, 2005 Members Share Posted December 22, 2005 I tried one and it seemed stuffy, but it looked fairly well built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lacoste Posted December 25, 2005 Members Share Posted December 25, 2005 ' alt='>'> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tony Burns Posted December 25, 2005 Members Share Posted December 25, 2005 They really are a good substitute for a Gibson, pretty good copies if you ask me , without the price tag- I personnally would rather have the Gibson , but if your on a tight budget Epiphone are fine instruments ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grek3030 Posted December 27, 2005 Members Share Posted December 27, 2005 I played a Masterbuilt at Guitar Center today.., not bad, not bad at all but a Breedlove guitar I played.., talk about a sweet sounding guitar.., it sounded better than this best Martins.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Folkie1994 Posted February 14, 2010 Members Share Posted February 14, 2010 I have a Masterbilt DR-500 MENS, and I love it. It's very playable, with great range. I love it, and it has aged beautifully. It did need time to open up, but once it does, it just keeps getting better. Very worth it for the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seagullplayer77 Posted February 14, 2010 Members Share Posted February 14, 2010 It really depends on who you ask. I've never played one, but I've heard some good things about them and I've heard some bad things about them. As of late, though, it's been mostly good things. Methinks they had some quality control issues earlier on, but it looks like they've got those all sorted out now . Either way, if you liked the way it sounded and the way it played, it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks. If you thought it was a good guitar, go for it! And post some pics when you get it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fingerpicker Posted February 14, 2010 Members Share Posted February 14, 2010 I would agree that there are some good masterbilts, but you should play the one you want first. .....Same with a regular ole Gibby acoustic. I dont know why but tonally they dont seem as consistant as say Taylor where each model sounds about the same. I have had two Gibsons that were awesome....just saying.... Edit: Nowadays I would say that about almost any acoustic. Its nice to find that gem by actually playing it and not just doing the whole order off the internet. Im sure you can get some goods off the net, but when nothing beats putting it in your hands first... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FussenKuh Posted February 14, 2010 Members Share Posted February 14, 2010 I've owned my Masterbilt AJ-500M for a couple years now and I absolutely love it. For a solid wood guitar with a $500 price tag, I found it too good of a deal to pass up (as long as you don't mind that it comes from China). A word of caution though. Maybe it was just the (lack of?) acoustic guitar care at GC, but, I had to hunt through several of them before I found one that really sang to me. And, like seagullplayer77 said, if you like the sound of it, it's the guitar for you Happy guitar hunting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Michael Martin Posted February 14, 2010 Members Share Posted February 14, 2010 You Were Here http://www.box.net/shared/32xrxxr8xt Winter song. Love gone wrong, way wrong. A song I wrote that preceded last month's breakup song but, in retrospect, foreshadowed it I guess. Hummingbird capoed way up (9 I think) and vocal, into an AT2020 mike and recorded on a Fostex VF80; m4a file converted to mp3. Lyrics: Another night another dayI dreamed of you from far awayYou were in a room and I was standing by the doorOne by one you lit a hundred candlesEvery single candle burning much too brightlySo I had to close my eyesAnd when I woke up in the morning There was winter in the airJust a hint of winter Happens to me every single yearAnd it never fails it takes me by surpriseWarms my heart and fills my eyesI am sure that you were here Another day another night Another burned-out warning lightYou are from the provincesI am from the deeper southAll those papers piled up on your doorstepI delivered every oneNow they're soaked by rain and yellowed by the autumn sunAnd when I came home in the morningThere was winter in the airJust a hint of winter Happens to me every single yearAnd it never fails it takes me by surpriseCuts my heart and stings my eyesGod I wish that you were here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted February 14, 2010 Members Share Posted February 14, 2010 I played a couple a few weeks back. I wanted to love them, but I didn't like the baseball bat neck. The EF-500M that I tried was pretty heavy, the frets needed leveling, and, as I mentioned, the neck was not my cup of tea. The AJ-500M that I tried had dead strings, but I could tell it had some serious bass ooomph. So, imho, if you don't mind chunky necks, one of these may be for you, but make sure you try before you buy, or, if you buy online, wherever you buy from has a good return policy. Cheers, Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bernie P. Posted February 14, 2010 Members Share Posted February 14, 2010 I have the EF500RA.As much as I like it I'm just not playing it much since I got a couple banjo's.I can let you have a good deal on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bridgepin Posted February 14, 2010 Members Share Posted February 14, 2010 I haven't played a Masterbuilt but I have played the blueridge guitars and I must say I was impressed, they just have to do something with there headstocks though a bit too much for my taste. What I really like to get my hands on is a Stanford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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