Whats the difference really - my Epiphone vs Gibson J-45 AGR

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

as an aside, the one I recently acquired is a 2006 AJ500M. I've grown to like it so much I am trying (and failing miserably) to find a similar AJ500R as I like the sound of rosewood a little bit
better.

Ralph, yeah, I had a bead on one for only $300 a few years back and didn't pull the trigger. My sense is they made a lot more of the hog models back 10-15 years ago.

BTW, I have an AJ-500M with a satin top that is the loudest acoustic I own. Boy, does that thing project. Actually turns heads at acoustic jams.

sm

[RalphH]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

as an aside, the one I recently acquired is a 2006 AJ500M. I've grown to like it so much I am trying (and failing miserably) to find a similar AJ500R as I like the sound of rosewood a little bit
better.

Yeah, I'm starting to realize that the "Limited Edition" rosewood one I have was indeed shortish run for 'selected' (probably meaning 'almost all') Epiphone dealers. There are none available online. There's plenty of same model but in mahogany (AJ-500MCE), but not RCE. The one I bought had been quietly gathering dust in the back of the shop since 2016. Nice It did say Limited Edition on a sticker, but I wasn't really paying attention. Epiphones 'limited editions' might well involve making more units than a smaller makers total yearly output

Played it some more today. The tone is really starting to come alive. I can't believe quite how much its changed over a couple of days of play. I keep thinking it must just be my ears getting used to it, but I don't think it is just that. Popped back to the guitar shop to buy a gig bag for it today. The guy said some of the far east guitars start off a bit stiff and improve after a little playing in. Might also just be that I'm getting used to playing it and digging into the strings in the way that brings the best out of it. It certainly seems to like being played much harder than my little GS mini does

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by RalphH

Yeah, I'm starting to realize that the "Limited Edition" rosewood one I have was indeed shortish run for 'selected' (probably meaning 'almost all') Epiphone dealers. There are none available online. There's plenty of same model but in mahogany (AJ-500MCE), but not RCE. The one I bought had been quietly gathering dust in the back of the shop since 2016. Nice It did say Limited Edition on a sticker, but I wasn't really paying attention. Epiphones 'limited editions' might well involve making more units than a smaller makers total yearly output

Played it some more today. The tone is really starting to come alive. I can't believe quite how much its changed over a couple of days of play. I keep thinking it must just be my ears getting used to it, but I don't think it is just that. Popped back to the guitar shop to buy a gig bag for it today. The guy said some of the far east guitars start off a bit stiff and improve after a little playing in. Might also just be that I'm getting used to playing it and digging into the strings in the way that brings the best out of it. It certainly seems to like being played much harder than my little GS mini does

A lot of people are unaware of a website called SearchTempest:

https://www.searchtempest.com/

This site allows you to search all of CL and all of eBay for the entire U.S., region by region. Most people won't want to ship, but luckily I found an EPI MB in Milwaukee in brand-new condition that a private partner had kept in the case for almost ten years. Flawless.

sm