Epiphone "Inspired By" 1964 Texan

Rob Martin · #1 01-09-2011, 07:41 PM

Anyone have one of these? If so, please ,let's hear some reviews. Thanks!!

darius50 · #2 01-09-2011, 09:57 PM

I bought a 1964 Epiphone Texan in 1970 that had been hanging for years high up on a wall in an old music store in Sacramento CA. My first big box guitar(after a Gibson LG1). Thought it was great at the time but the neck always seemed skinny to me. Later that year at a jam, I played with a guy who had a dreadnaught Martin that blew me away. I sold the Epi to my drummer friend and bought my D35. One night a year later after a gig my drummer buddy was unloading his pick up truck and had taken the Texan out and leaned it against the truck while unloading his drums. Spaced out(drunk?) after the evenings festivities he got back into his truck and backed up over the guitar. Only the neck survived. Today when he tells this story he remarks..."I hate doing that".

OK I guess your after how it sounds. Kinda like a j45 or j50, slope shoulder spruce top hog sides and back sound. Still for me a **** skinny neck. Mcartney sounded good on one.

frenchie · #3 01-10-2011, 10:42 AM

I have one Rob, bought it a year ago, and it`s great, but I did play a few on the day, and this particular one grabbed my attention. The build quality is good, it has solid top and back with laminated sides, the woods do the job well, but they are cheaper substitutes for high end lumber.

The only issue I had with mine were the 3 on a plate tuners which don`t fit the h/stock properly, because the holes in the h/stock are not in a straight line. I replaced my tuners with individual Gotoh/Kluson types.

The IB-64 Texan is an electro-acoustic with a Sonic-Nanoflex undersaddle system, which I don`t use and don`t really care for.

If you are expecting the 60`s "Yesterday" tone, you won`t really get it from this guitar, because it is braced differently (Although using 80/20 strings helps a lot), and is voiced to be strong in the Bass & mids, it just doesn`t have the pinging trebles of the real McCoy, but the guitar is very much similar in tonal performance to the Masterbilt AJ-500M, and that in its own right is a fine guitar.

So to sum up think AJ-500M dressed up in vintage Texan clothes and that about sums it up, a good cheap and fun guitar.

Hope this helps.

Steve.

Rob Martin · #4 01-10-2011, 10:26 PM

Thanks guys! I actually won a Texan in a sales contest, and wanted some opinions. I do like Epiphones and it sounds like the 64 "Inspired By"will be a good choice when I don't want to take the D35 out to jam with. I won't be recieving the Texan for about 2 months,but thanks for the insight!!