Epiphone Masterbilt De Luxe First Impressions Review

I just received my new guitar over the weekend and after playing the hell out of it for a couple of days decided to share my first impressions. Hope you enjoy it!

[@nikdrown]

Just got the Zenith. It's a great guitar. Very inspiring. Been playing it non stop. Find myself picking it up and can't stop for hours at a time. The ebony fretboard is something I could really dig on all of my guitars. So smooth

[@MichaelQuinlan207]

Awesome demo, thank you. Sounds great. I was thinking more along the lines of the smallest of the three; the Olympic. Now I'm not so sure.
Oh, and more of your singing and songs.
That was cool! Peace

[@bebop46]

Just got one. My first acoustic archtop. Really like the sturdy neck and ebony fretboard but still searching for my ideal jazz tone. Strings make a huge difference so I'm excited to try some Flatwounds instead of acoustic strings.

[@ronaldsnyder4465]

Thanks for posting , I need this guitar.

[@TheBYRecords]

Now that it's been over a month since I have it, I can say that I am really happy with it. It is a quirky guitar in a very cool way, it inspires me to play gypsy jazz and things like Robert Johnson's They're Red Hot... I finally figured out why the sound is brighter than I expected and not more like a jumbo which is representative o its size, and it is because of the body depth, which is only 3.5" compared to my Martin Dread which is 4.5" and its deepest. I hope you get it and hope you enjoy it as much as I have so far. Cheers!

[@gauss0201]

TheBYRecords the high and mid projection of the sound isnrelated in large part to the arched top and the bracing. it (i.e. archtops of old design) is designed to project acoustically over a big band.

[@danjanyja]

Taylor 712 is a Grand Concert not a parlor guitar.

[@MarcMercier1971]

When you brought out the pick, I started hearing "Wish You Were Here"

[@ThePiedPlucker1]

I've been looking at these today the deluxe one with the centered soundhole . I thought it sounded great but do you think it would be good for Fingestyle playing?

[@TheBYRecords]

Hi Martin Apergis, I think that will depend. I am so used to my Taylor's nut width of 1.75, that it is slightly harder for me to fingerpick on this guitar. I can do it, but it's not quite as comfortable for me. Sound wise, I think it works fine for fingerpicking, so if you are used to fingerpicking on an 1 11/16 nut width, it should be fine for you.

[@kefka4203]

Excellent video. Are you playing through an amp, or is this the unplugged sound?

[@banjobones4190]

Kefka420 just mic’d, no amp. Thanks for watching!

[@kevinjamesdawes7223]

I just got one. neck is a thing of joy. but this is 100% a house guitar. mainly due to the nano flex pickup feedsback on the tailpiece, making unusable on stage. ok Mic'd though. they should put a nano mag on it or charge $100 less and leave it acoustic. but that said. it is a beauty. the neck is like those old hohner archtops without feeling like a shovel handle. get one

[@manuelfraiman5534]

I tested it recently: the pickup is definitely not good, but the acoustic instrument sounds nice, if that's what you're after: a good jazz comping guitar, no folk guitar. You can fit a minihum on it, and get the classic open jazz sound. I'd get one if I didn't already have a instrument that works

[@mauriziofaulisi4906]

I agree, the pickup is not good, hope to solve the problem soon

[@jeffgeko10]

Very yyyyygoooooooood i'm play de luxe vintage

[@legatomodi3522]

i got one this week. the price has dropped quite a bit this year. i wonder if theres any differences on these ones. i noticed that the pickguard came installed even though i saw in alot of places that would not be the case and id have to do it myself. Also didnt have and foam under the floating bridge... :/ i wonder if they sold me a resealed one for full price. aw well. much cheaper than it was last year and it looks impeccable so what should i care?

[@TheBYRecords]

You are correct about the price drop. I checked in Sweetwater and the price of the DeLuxe is now $649, I bought it for $899 (ouch!). Enjoy your guitar!

[@legatomodi3522]

@@TheBYRecords dont feel too bad. it was a good deal at $900. now its just suspicious as all hell. Any day now i expect the devil to show up telling me i didnt read the fine print or something

[@gauss0201]

Can ypu comment on how it compares loudness wise to a typical flat top...in particular a dreadnought.

[@banjobones4190]

gauss0201 it's loud, really loud.... at least the same if not more because of its tonal character....

[@legatomodi3522]

I play through a Vox AV and i gotta turn it up really loud to hear it over the actual acoustic sound. its pretty loud. the pickup leaves alot to be desired though. Id have to believe the smaller ones from this series of Masterbilts (zenith and olympic i think theyre called) are probably more quiet.

[@christopherlyerly4631]

I have this guitar and it's great. One thing: the neck is "old school" so be prepared for that.

[@dominiquejarry9707]

What do you mean by «old school»?

[@heatmizer1212]

no sound?its just alot quieter than other vids i was watchin.im tryn to date our epi. my dad bought b4 invasion of normandy.no ser#.no inlays.no name on headstock.its archtop,w/f holes.has pearl edge border...???

[@banjobones4190]

heat mizer, there is sound on my end and others have commented on the video so I think it may be something wrong on your end?

[@fetermcblues]

what kind of strings you used ?

[@banjobones4190]

fetermcblues it comes with
Cleartone .012-.053 which is what I was using in this video. I might try Elixirs on it since thats what I typically use.

[@fetermcblues]

I had a gretsch I used Adarrio light jazz 12

[@chrisgorman9967]

is it better than a gretsch?

[@banjobones4190]

That depends on what model Gretsch you are referring to. I tried out several vintage Gretsch archtops and the Epi has a very different feel. The neck is fatter. Also, I like how they did the electronics on the Epi. having said that, I love the Gretsch too, so you can't go wrong with either

[@chrisgorman9967]

I got the Epi Deluxe....LOVE it, but then saw the Gretsch New yorker in a shop....I did try them both together both plugged and unplugged, I thought the Epi sounded better unplugged and the Getsch better plugged. but all personal pref at the end of the day.

[@charliemcleod764]

Aye, very funny.

[@user-ky4xe8dp8d]

You recorded to low you can't hear anything

[@MrTherustyguitar]

Less talk more play.

[@mr.j1400]

I could barely hear what you were saying I move On

[@patrickevelyn8028]

Sounds dead

[@drewlee8756]

These are horrible