Epiphone Masterbilt Problems? - Page 2

ChuckNOS · #16 01-26-2010, 09:33 AM

AJ500M owner here. I'm not sure of the year, I bought it used a couple or so years ago.

For the price, I have a very good leave out in the living room/camp fire guitar. I do need to keep the strings fresh to get a decent tone, though.

I've had no issues despite hauling it on airplanes cross country a couple of times and leaving it out almost all the time, even during bouts of low humidity. Plus the campfire sessions in the NoCal redwoods.

When I get around to it I might have my guy install a bone nut and saddle to bring a bit more projection out.

The other thing I like about playing it from time to time is that when I put it down and pick up one of my other guitars, I really appreciate how great the Martin and Taylors sounds really are.

revive · #17 01-26-2010, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuckNOS

When I get around to it I might have my guy install a bone nut and saddle to bring a bit more projection out.

Masterbilts already come with bone nut/saddle.

Tafmutt · #18 01-26-2010, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by topher10

Im new to this board and wanted to ask you guys about the Epiphone Masterbilt line of guitars. Ive read alot about the lacking quality of the series lately. So I have two questions. Have anyone of you had issues with a DR500M, or any of the guitars really? Also, would it be wise to get one of these guitars made in the past few years (eBay has some very good prices), or should I shoot for the earlier ones? Thanks!!

I've had a DR500M for sevarl years. Never had a problem with it. Solid performer.

TM

Chris Kemp · #19 01-26-2010, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patticake

i've seen a few with lifting bridges and bulging bellies. i haven't found the sound to be bad, but it's not great, either. yes - they're solid wood and the sound reflects this, but they don't sound better than an all solid parkwood or other lower cost solid guitars i've tried.

that being said, my husband and i were talking about the ones we've played, and he brought up something i had forgotten. the first time i saw a masterbilt with belly bulge and a slightly lifting bridge, it actually sounded the best of any we've played. it was marked second on the back of the headstock, the only time i've seen that on a new guitar at gc.

while i agree that a lifting bridge isn't that much of an issue, although not everyone should be replacing their own bridge, and really imo it's an issue that should have been dealt with at the factory long ago. you rarely see lifting bridges on any guitar in a store except for masterbilts, and seems like a fair number of people see them within year 1. and being the paranoid person that i am, it makes me wonder what other issues they're missing at the factory that may not show up for a while.

I don't know how they are scraping the tops at the factory for the installation of the bridge. If they are doing it by hand in a production environment this could be the reason for the bridge lifting. Martin, Taylor and Gibson all used to have the same problem until they all started removing the finish with a CNC router. The depth is preset with the router and this eliminates human judgement that some times leads to error. To achieve good adhesion the bridge and the top needs to be glued in a wood on wood joint. Because in most production guitar plants the body of the guitar is sprayed/finished before the neck and bridge is installed, the top has to be scraped clean down to the wood in the area of the bridge.

As far as comparing the inner structure of the guitar to the bridge I have scoped mine with the camera and I was very impressed as to what I saw. Scalloped braces with good clean tight fitting joints just like the pre WWII guitars that I have seen.

Mine is over a year old but in the eight months that I have had mine it has shown no problem with the bridge. With string tension on it and tuned to 440 it does show a slight bulge in the belly but so does any solid wood, thin top, scalloped braced, good sounding guitar. A slight bulge under tension is common and nothing to worry about.

ChuckNOS · #20 01-26-2010, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by revive

Masterbilts already come with bone nut/saddle.

Not mine! Definitely a plastic saddle on mine. I suppose the nut could possibly be bone, but I'm not so sure.

revive · #21 01-26-2010, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuckNOS

Not mine! Definitely a plastic saddle on mine. I suppose the nut could possibly be bone, but I'm not so sure.

Hmmh... that's strange. If any comfort, Gibson cust service said all Masterbilts use bone.

Chris Kemp · #22 01-26-2010, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by revive

Hmmh... that's strange. If any comfort, Gibson cust service said all Masterbilts use bone.

That's strange, mine's an AJ500M and too has a bone nut and saddle.

topher10 · #23 01-27-2010, 10:06 AM

well, I got my DR-500m yesterday from UPS, and the thing had a top split and a 4 inch crack in the back. The thing sounded amazing, even with the dead strings that were on it (the guitar was made in 2007, still had pickguard plastic on it). I sent it back today, and am now worried about these guitars. While I figure this happened during shipping, I have read many accounts about the bridges and tops splitting. But it did sound really good, so Im still keeping the option open.

So now I pose a new question. And am welcoming all opinions. I went and played an Epiphone dr-500r , GAD-40 , and a Recording King RD 227.

I have an idea of which one I want, but I always welcome others ideas/thoughts/opinions and love to be influenced by yalls wisdom!

Wade Hampton · #24 01-27-2010, 12:45 PM

After Chuck wrote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuckNOS

Not mine! Definitely a plastic saddle on mine. I suppose the nut could possibly be bone, but I'm not so sure.

Revive responded:

Quote:

Originally Posted by revive

Hmmh... that's strange. If any comfort, Gibson cust service said all Masterbilts use bone.

It could be (and probably is) something as simple as slightly different specs during different years of production.

Or the factory in China might have run out of bone nuts and saddles temporarily and substituted plastic for those parts so they could keep production flowing until they got more bone parts in.

Could be either.

whm

Fleabyte · #25 01-04-2011, 09:25 AM

Got my DR500M for Christmas, with a gloss top. Tone is ok, but may improve when I put some different strings on ( Martin SPs are not to my taste)...

However, the top appears to be sinking in a little as the fingerboard dips down at the top frets! Add to that numerous finish flaws, glue on the binding, marks on the edge of the headstock, crudely applied gloss on top...

I am sending it back for a replacement, if thats less than satisfactory I am buying a Yamaha FG instead!

harryboss1 · #26 01-04-2011, 09:48 AM

Doesn't speak much for the quality control of the factory. Factories often make changes during production if materials run out, but the quality shouldn't suffer so much. Sometime the guitars are great and sometimes they are poor. Yes, they will let the poor ones go as well just to make their production numbers. Thats why at times the inconsistency of the product. As far as I am aware, US and Canadian guitar companies do not do this and keep their guitars at the highest level they can.

32Ford · #27 01-04-2011, 09:53 AM

I bought a 2nd AJ500RVS from a member here just about a year ago. Not sure why it was stamped as a second because I can't find anything yet. Maybe I'm just not looking closely enough? Who knows. Anyhow, I really like it. Great guitar for the money I spent.

Zonkers · #28 01-04-2011, 12:00 PM

Just got an AJ500ME a week or so back, and I love the tone from it. Had some 13's put on it, and it's deep and melodic. And as others have said in different forums and reviews, it is a loud guitar. The satin finish feels great and I think may help the tone some, or not.
I'm debating on replacing the bridge pins with camel bone, but don't know if the cost is going to justify the tonal difference.

gitreader · #29 01-04-2011, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuckNOS

Not mine! Definitely a plastic saddle on mine. I suppose the nut could possibly be bone, but I'm not so sure.

Since you bought it used, maybe the original owner swapped out the saddle for a synthetic one. (Maybe they wanted to raise the action and didn't want to shim it, or they wanted to lower the action and didn't realize they could rework the original saddle, etc.)

Sombras · #30 01-04-2011, 01:12 PM

Don't give up on Masterbilts if your online purchase went sour. I'm a fairly new owner of an AJ500ME and am very impressed with the sound of my "cheap" all-wood guitar. I've posted in other threads here, however, that it took me over a year to find the right one. Many of the Masterbilts I tried had twisted/warped necks or other (sometimes serious) finish flaws that were deal breakers, but they had a consistently good base tone, so I just kept trying.

For that reason, I'd recommend that you actually lay your hands on the Masterbilt you'll buy before you buy it. Look it over, run your hands over it, put a capo on it, strum it, pick it. Shoot, smell it, even. If the neck's straight and it doesn't have any flaws you can't live with, then buy it quick and have a great time with it.

Edit: FWIW, mine came with the bone nut and saddle. I did swap out the cheapie plastic bridge pins, however.