Epiphone masterbilt aj-500 vs. Bluerigde BG-40

[woodenstrings]

Epiphone masterbilt AJ-500, Great Guitar.......

[GuitarLight]

Blaren, in answering your question, I sold a Gibson year 2003 AJ Rosewood, A Gibson year 2003 AJ Mahogany Woody Guthrie, and a Gibson year 2002 SJ-200 re-issue....originally costing about $7800 for the three new. The three Masterbilts cost about $1500 for all three, with sales going on at the time. The Gibsons simply did not have the tone and resonance as the Masterbilts so I sold them. While the AJ-500 M and R series are now out of production the Masterbilt DR-500mce is still available presently at Musicians friend and Guitar Center for $599 or maybe at Sweetwater, or any number of other retailers. When I heard that the AJ-500 Masterbilt A and R series had gone out of production about a year ago, I was lucky enough to find them new, but there was a run on them and they sold out nationwide very quickly. They may still be available used elsewhere. I suspect the DR-500 mce series could suffer the same fate. So if you were ever interested in picking up a Gibson Hummingbird, a DR-500mce is as close in tone as it gets. IMHO the Masterbilt series will become a collectors item in future years. I have owned many fine acoustic guitars..some 27 over the years..none of them, no matter the price, or name on the headstock, IMO, played any better than the Masterbilt series. And I suspect Gibson could have discontinued these $500 to $600 Epiphone Masterbilts because when played back to back with a $3000 Gibson, the Masterbilt sounded just as good..or better than the Gibson. Thus there may have been less $3000 Gibsons that were being sold. Masterbilts are probably the best kept secret in the industry. Hope you find one! Mine will never be sold! They really are that good for the price!

[PeterFrederik]

How about the Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE, is it also out of production? And how is the guitar??

[GuitarLight]

PeterFredrick..the Epiphone Masterbitl DR-500mce is still in production and is as good as all the other Masterbilts ...you can get it at Musicians friend or guitar center or other retailers ..here is the musicians friend link...I got mine there and love it. It comes in regular color and sunburst...all solid wood and delicious sound too. $599.00 and on sale now for $515 with the current sale there. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guita...lectric-guitar

[Sesop]

Originally Posted by Westy

You probably should be comparing the Epi with a BG-140 all solid wood. I can attest to the build quality of the Blueridge which is very nice indeed. I have one which plays very good but not a match for my Gibson .

+1.
I have the BG-160, which is closer to a Gibson than many Gibsons I've played, and I've played quite a few Gibsons, and actually have played several BG-140/160s, so I can safely say that mine isn't a fluke- they truly are AWESOME.

Yes, you can't compare the BG-40 to the Masterbilt- you have to consider the all-solids. The -40/-60 series are good for what they are, but for a bit more money you will get WAAAAAAAAAY more guitar. I've played a ton of Masterbilts. I own two Blueridge guitars. Yeah, we're different people with different ears, but for my money, Blueridge is a spectacular guitar- and not just "for the money."

Please let us know how it works out for you, and you may want to look at Amazon every now and again- I've availed myself of their occasional wacky pricing for every Blueridge I own. The prices fluctuate like the stock market at certain times of the year...

[12fretter]

Another vote for the Epi....I love mine

[PeterFrederik]

Guitarlight: I live in Denmark, so purchasing online from USA is not something i wan't to do. And it doesn't seem like i can get it in Denmark, so i might go with the blueridge

[SmilesDaGuitar]

avoiding sellers remorse. I sold my Epiphone AJ-500M yesterday to a AGF Member but I can't seem to get in the box with out feeling sick. It's not just your everyday Masterbilt. The AJ has had a PLEK'ED PRO SET-UP and the guitar plays and sound amazing. You can play the guitar for hours and never feel a bit of uncomfort or pain. I just purchased a New Gibson but the AJ blows the Gibson away (imo) but has a lot to do with the set-up I'm sure. AJ has the most Warmest, Hugh Deep Growl and I just can't give it up. Sorry AFG Buyer but I refunded your money, something tells me I need to keep it.

[jdinco]

There's about 40 of the Epi's on ebay, some new, some used.

[roadbiker]

I have a 2010 Epi AJ-500-RE. Great, all solid body guitar for the price. I have no experience with Blueridge guitars, but I have recommended the Epi anytime I have been asked about a good guitar for under $1,000. I would always choose a solid construction guitar over a laminate. That was the reason why I bought the Epi and I'm not disappointed. You can tell as soon as you pick it up that it is a good guitar. It has a big sound and I really like the neck. The electronics are pretty good too. Compared to a "real" Gibson, I think it really depends on the specific Gibson that you end up with, given the variation in same model guitars that is well-known and discussed.

I hope, as stated earlier, that these do become collectors items in the future. They were made for a relatively short period of time, although a couple of Masterbilt models are still produced. I'm glad I got mine when I did. I only wish it said "Made in USA" on the label instead of "Made in China."

Jim

[Outlawyer]

Originally Posted by GuitarLight

Blaren, in answering your question, I sold a Gibson year 2003 AJ Rosewood, A Gibson year 2003 AJ Mahogany Woody Guthrie, and a Gibson year 2002 SJ-200 re-issue....originally costing about $7800 for the three new. The three Masterbilts cost about $1500 for all three, with sales going on at the time. The Gibsons simply did not have the tone and resonance as the Masterbilts so I sold them. While the AJ-500 M and R series are now out of production the Masterbilt DR-500mce is still available presently at Musicians friend and Guitar Center for $599 or maybe at Sweetwater, or any number of other retailers. When I heard that the AJ-500 Masterbilt A and R series had gone out of production about a year ago, I was lucky enough to find them new, but there was a run on them and they sold out nationwide very quickly. They may still be available used elsewhere. I suspect the DR-500 mce series could suffer the same fate. So if you were ever interested in picking up a Gibson Hummingbird, a DR-500mce is as close in tone as it gets. IMHO the Masterbilt series will become a collectors item in future years. I have owned many fine acoustic guitars..some 27 over the years..none of them, no matter the price, or name on the headstock, IMO, played any better than the Masterbilt series. And I suspect Gibson could have discontinued these $500 to $600 Epiphone Masterbilts because when played back to back with a $3000 Gibson, the Masterbilt sounded just as good..or better than the Gibson. Thus there may have been less $3000 Gibsons that were being sold. Masterbilts are probably the best kept secret in the industry. Hope you find one! Mine will never be sold! They really are that good for the price!

Almost exactly my experience. In 07 I decided to splurge on a new acoustic after playing a friend's Taylor and seeing how worn my old Yamaha had become. I was set to buy either a J-45 or a Taylor like my buddy's (can't remember what model now), and was even considering a J-200.
I happened to pick up a DR 500 R Masterbilt, and the effect was immediate. It was considerably louder than anything in the shop other than a $3K J-200. But the difference wasn't just in volume, the frets and the quality of the wood, headstock inlay, binding...it was stunning.

I bought that one immediately ($400 or so) and later purchased an AJ for $220! Again, all solid and high quality woods, hide glue joints, the whole great package.

I still want a J-200 someday, I guess, but 7 years on and the love affair has only deepened. Pearse or Elixir strings and still in hog heaven.

PS: BTW, my buddy with the Taylor seriously wanted to swap me even for the Epi. I'm not making this up.

[Rmz76]

Originally Posted by PeterFrederik

I am on the market for a new western guitar and as I am a big fan of the Gibson j-45 i am looking to purchase a guitar with the same looks. I mostly play music by The Libertines, but I also like the babyshambles, the black keys, arctic monkeys and the strokes.

My 2 favorite guitars at the moment is the Epiphone masterbilt AJ-500 and the Blueridge BG-40. They both look very similar to the Gibson j-45, and I hear good things about them both.

Which one would you guys suggest to me? I have only been playing guitar for 4 months and I don't know a thing about guitars. I like the looks of them both, but which one has the sound closest to the Gibson J-45, and is most suitable for the music that i like? As mentioned before I really enjoy the libertines, and Pete Doherty plays the Gibson j-45.

Seems like this one is universal. I'll offer a different option.

In my quest to find the J-45 sound on a budget I played a lot of different instruments including the AJ-500 at a local five star Gibson dealer. While it's a great sounding guitar as with all round shoulders that aren't a J-45 (even Gibson's J-35, AJ reissue, etc...) they all are going to have a unique tone each to their own... You're not going to get the modern J-45 Standard sound on a budget. You simply have to buy a J-45 Standard to get that

While I like the AJ500m, I would also check out some other all solid wood round shoulder options: Blueridge BG140, BG160 or the Recording King RAJ-126. I would take the RAJ-126 or either of the higher end BG models over the AJ200m. I think tonally they capture the spirit of the vintage J-45s better than the AJ500m does... You can't go wrong with any of these choices. Granted you will have to pick up one of these used in order to get it for the same price you would a AJ500 new, but I'm a big fan of buying used. The first video is good for demonstrating recorded tone, the guy reviewing it says a lot of things that aren't true (e.g. Gibson finishes being sprayed on with robots) but I think the recorded sound you hear gives you a good example of the Recording King. Recording King is also one of our sponsors.

My favorite Gibson round shoulder ("j-45 series" as Gibson now groups all their round shoulders in) is the 1935 Advanced Jumbo Reissue. I've played all the current production J-45 series models (except for the new j-29 and the other new cherry burst 2014 Donovan signature model) and the 1935 AJ reissue still stands in my memory. It's in different league than their others, very, very lightly built with dynamics though the roof. Once I played it that vintage AJ tone is what I've been after more so than the modern J-45 sound. I don't think the AJ-500m delivers that sound as well as some other options but to your ears the AJ-500 may be a closer fit.

Note too that all the guitars mentioned here, Blueridge, Recording King and Masterbuilt Epi have the same 1.68" nut width and scale length. The J-45 Standard has the 1.725" nut width. You will feel the difference.

I think Guitar Center.com has a used RAJ126 for $499

Some related videos. Because I like posting videos now that we can embed them....

[Oldguy64]

I've not played an AJ, but I have played a DM....in a Hookah shop! It was a little worn, sitting in a sunny window, with dead strings on it. It sounded wonderful. I could have gotten it for $300, but I didn't want to have to justify it when I got home....
When I went back later, after clearing the decks for it, the guy wanted full freight for it. $600 was too much, but I'd buy one now if it came up reasonably priced.

[Mickwols]

Originally Posted by themissal

I have owned both. There is just no comparison in terms of their sound. The AJ500 is so much more sound and tone. The BG 40 is laminate back and sides, and although it looks pretty and is short scale, it sounds thin and tinny in comparison. The two guitars are not even in the same league.

If I could have one guitar under a grand, it would be a tough toss up between a Martin 15 series and the AJ500.

Hi
I have the Blueridge BG40 and it blows my mates Gibson j45 away ! It is a truly awesome guitar mine has solid back and sides and inside has bracing up and down the sides , this is a huge cannon like sound and playability is amazing , I own lots of guitars , but ALWAYS pick this up first and can't put it down , forget the epiphone yea it's good but NOT a patch on the blueridge good luck guys x

[Drclementi]

Another vote for the Epiphone Masterbilt AJ. I just picked up a used AJ500 RE and I can't put it down. I have some great guitars, including Gibsons and
Martins, but there's something about this guitar. I especially like
the way the satin finish feels in my hands. Unbelievable playability
and tone for the price. And great pickups and built in tuner as a bonus!
I'm a believer.