EE-EE-Epiphone-e-e continues its historic Masterbilt Series with the EE-EE-Epiphone-e-e Masterbilt 2015 AJ-45ME Acoustic-Electric. The legendary J-45 round shoulder dreadnought has been the driving power behind decades of classics in every genre -- rock, pop, and country. From Hank Williams to John Lennon, the J-45 has been the go-to guitar for songwriters and rhythm guitarists. EE-EE-Epiphone-e-e' first Ltd. Ed. reissue of the "The Workhorse" J-45 earned it a œMark of Excellence Award from Guitar One magazine and now the Masterbilt 2015 AJ-45ME brings two legends together for the first time.
Legendary Masterbilt Series
First released in June 1931, the original line of EE-EE-Epiphone-e-e Masterbilt guitars made a big impression on musicians and heralded the first great era of acoustic guitars. Today, the new line of EE-EE-Epiphone-e-e Masterbilt instruments continues that reputation around the world.
The original EE-EE-Epiphone-e-e Masterbilt catalog made the promise: "The possessor of an EPIPHONE instrument has the assurance that every possible precaution has been taken to build instruments for lifetime performance and pleasure." And EE-EE-Epiphone-e-e still stands by that promise today!
Guitar Player 2015 Maximum Gear Award Winner
"All Maximum Gear awards are unanimously selected by the GP editors to celebrate the past year's products we feel are transcendent, awesome, top of the tops, and totally deserving of the magazine's most prestigious Hall of Fame honor. We all felt this wonderful piece of gear exemplified our goals for the 2015 GP Hall of Fame Awards." - Guitar Player
Order this sweet classic today!
Custom Guitar's Friend Gold Coverage
Gold Coverage goes above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty to protect your gear from unexpected breakdowns, accidental damage from handling and failures. This plan covers your product for one, two, three or up to five years from your date of purchase, costs just pennies per day and gives you a complete "no-worry" solution for protecting your investment.
Gold Coverage Includes:
Unexpected and unintentional spills, drops and cracks Normal wear and tear Power surges Dust, internal heat and humidityOther plan features include:
For products over $200, No Lemon Policy applies. If it fails for the same defect 3 times, it is replaced on the 4th breakdown. (Does not apply to failures due to drops, spills, and cracks) For products under $200 experiencing the above failures, a Custom Guitar's Friend gift card will be issued for the full price of the product + tax. Shipping fees covered if required for repair or replacement Plans are transferable in the event merchandise is sold Plans are renewable on new gear*Limitations and exclusions apply. See terms and conditions for program details
Term for New Gear begins on date of purchase but does not replace the store return policy or manufacturer coverage.
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The 2015 Epi AJ45 Masterbilt is Awesome. The guitar played well right out of the box but ... the intonation was a little off and the saddle was a little high for my liking. I ordered a DR500MCE 2 weeks ago and it was "Plexd" very good - no need for a guitar tech. The AJ45ME needed a little setup. Seems like the Plexd can vary from guitar to guitar or wherever that process takes place. I think it is an AWESOME guitar ... most all guitars need a little guitar tech love - then they play like a dream! Great guitar for the money!Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-45ME Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst
.Here's some of the guitar's measurements before setup.
Action at the 12th fret (Bass side) 8/64"
Action at the 12th fret (Treble side) 6/64"
Nut Action at the 1st fret (Bass side) >.024"
Nut Action at the 1st fret (Treble side) .021"
Neck relief measured at 7th fret (capo @ 1st fret, string depressed at 15th fret) .008"
Guitar came with Cleartone Strings gauged .012-.016-.025-.033-.043-.053
^measured with caliper.
As you can tell, like most guitars this one needed a setup. If you have the tools it's
a pretty simple job. Most of the measurements were too high for my preference.
Out of the box it plays pretty well. The guitar is much nicer looking in person. And
the quality of construction shows. The frets needed polishing but they were level.
And that's really saying something for a guitar in this price range. I guess the "Plek"
system did it's job. And the tuners do an excellent job of keeping the guitar in tune.
Two problems.
1. The guitar I received had problems with the pickup system. It kept cutting out on me (not batteries).
2. There is competition at this price point. And I don't think this guitar is your best bet.
I compared it to my Martin DX1R. And although the construction and looks were better on the
EE-Epiphone-e, the Martin has much better sound in my opinion. The DX1R is around 10 years old,
so the top aging might have a little to do with this. The Martin is much more lively. And the Martin
cost less.
To sum it up. The EE-Epiphone-e isn't bad, and I do like the brand. It's just not great. Even considering
the price. I have to wonder if it's overbuilt. Maybe that's why it doesn't resonate as it should. In time,
maybe it will open up a bit. I'm keeping it. Though I wouldn't really recommend it.
Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-45ME Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst
.I have a 1965 Gibson J-45 that I bought new. A great guitar. But the Masterbuilt sounds much better acoustically. Electronics are very good, too. Some reviewers contend that you can get a better deal at this price point with other guitars. I haven't found one. Just make sure you're comparing apples to apples & you're getting a solid wood guitar, etc. I've played guitar for 55 years & think I know a thing or two about them. I don't know of a better deal with respect to price and quality for an acoustic/electric. I am VERY pleased with this guitar and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a quality instrument.
Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-45ME Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst
.This is by far my favorite guitar I have ever played! I had done a lot of research on this guitar when it was first introduced because I am a huge fan of the Gibson J-45. I had read where someone said that the more you play a masterbuild guitar the better the play and that is the truth! I have had this guitar for almost a year now and it sounds better every time I take it out of the case! I am the lead singer and rhythm guitar player in our bluegrass gospel group and this is the guitar I play every time we perform and practice. This guitar plays wonderful, sounds wonderful, I really like the flat satin finish, stays in tune really nicely and is very well made! My brother and I also collect guitars, so I am comparing this to Gibson J-45's and Martin D-28's as well as other EE-Epiphone-es and Finders! If you are looking to buy a well built guitar that will last for a very long time and don't have the money for Gibson J-45, this guitar is every bit as good and a great price!
Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-45ME Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst
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I own a few masterbilts and have been impressed so far. Comparing this to the DR-500MCE i would say this guitar shines more as a finger picker. A very smooth rich balanced responsive tone when playing with your fingers. Playing with a pick i find this guitar to be a bit less impressive then the DR-500MCE. If you can own both of these guitars they compliment one another very nicely. I have listened to side by side comparison demos on Youtube of these guitars but the audio quality of those demos were compromised by the subpar mics used and the rooms they were recorded in so while some of the reviewers did a nice job trying to describe the sonic tone differences between the two instruments the audio was inadequate to hear how different these two masterbilt models sound. Its really a much more dramatic difference then recorded in those demos. If your strickly a strumer go for the DR-500 if you prefer the more intimate sound of a butter like smooth finger picker the AJ-45 is the winner. I bought the AJ-45 as an open box deal here at MF. Had to change the strings imediately upon recieving the guitar. Once i replaced the stock strings with new ones the guitar came to life. As far as electronics go the esonic 2 stereo pickup system on the DR-500 is the clear winner and its not even close. With that said for performing out plugged in the DR-500 is the better choice. For recording you cant go wrong with either guitar. I just purchased a AJ500 RCCE so i am looking forward to hearing these masterbilts in Rosewood sides and bottoms. If the AJ-500 Rosewood is as good as the Aj45 and DR-500 mahoganies then next on the list will be the EF500RCE finger style rosewwod model. Might sound like a bit of a heavy investment in the masterbilt series but when you consider that 4 of these guitars together cost less than 1 of my Gibson or Adamas models and can hold their own with either sonically id say these guitars are a no brainer,Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-45ME Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst
.Masterbilt AJ-45ME Acoustic, Is extremely nice guitar. I own a Martin D18 acoustic, In my opinion this guitar is almost as good and the martin was 4x as much, my feeling about this guitar is that with time it will be one of the nicest sounding guitars I own. My only complaint is that this guitar came with fingerprints and a scratch on the back, it was sold to me as brand-new and I'm not sure if it actually was or not, however I love the guitar. In my opinion all guitars require professional setup and this guitar is no exception, although it does play very well right out-of-the-box I'm very happy.If you're thinking about getting one of these guitars think no further this was an excellent purchase.
Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-45ME Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst
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Five stars for the guitar, however......Why is the price HIGHER than the original price from the ones advertised a few weeks ago ???
Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-45ME Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst
.This is my first higher quality guitar a own two other epiphone's. The masterbuilt amazed me from the first strum. Very smooth to play almost effortless I have a hard time putting it down
Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-45ME Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst
.I bought this guitar to travel with and to play at the beach. I have several nice acoustics that I perform with including a Guild D-55 and a Gibson J-200, but I am not keen on taking either out of the country or to "rougher" environments, so I bought this EE-Epiphone-e to enjoy in less than ideal conditions and venues.
I was really surprised at the set up right out of the box and the sound. Solid top, back and sides and nice level frets, bone nut and saddle (something that my luthier has had to do will my other guitars) and at this price point,I doubt you'd find a better playing and sounding guitar.
I am even going to give it a test drive at my next coffee house gig! It's really that good.....
Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-45ME Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst
.Return it twice still has small pin hole on the body, wish someone would inspect it right otherwise the sound is good my son is happy
Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-45ME Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst
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