Your enthusiasm for guitar always lifts my spirits! Not that it’s anyone’s g-d business, I don’t care, but I suffer from some significant anxiety issues ever since my wife’s cancer diagnosis, and I feel strongly about this-your channel has been some of the best medicine. I’ve watched your ‘Life in Music’ series, so I know you’ve been through large volumes of excrement as well. I Appreciate You, Brother. Stay swell!
The Indonesian Epiphone Frontier is an absolute KILLER GUITAR for the Buck … It kills the I.B.G J200 and HUMMINGBIRD Stone Dead . It is louder clearer deeper and so much more Balanced than the other two mentioned I’ve tested this out for myself in a local music store and had to have it , it had been there for a while and when I played it I just had to have it even though I couldn’t really afford or need it but I new it would get snapped up soon and I think they will maybe become harder to come by and will then obviously go up in price..🌞⭐️❤️… killer playing as always J.P. and Love your enthusiasm brother keep em coming, Big Love ❤️🌞⭐️👍🏻
Dude, all the IBG guitar sound great each one just has a different voice. The frontier does not kill them dead. I’ve also played all of the models I own the J 200 and it sounds killer. It just sounds different.
The current Indonesian Epiphone Excellente and Frontier are genuine reissues and are part of the masterbilt line whereas the Indonesian Hummingbird 6 & 12, J45 and J200 are part of the inspired gibson line and ape classic Gibson models. All are of equally high quality, however, as they are all made in the same Samick factory in Indonesian by the same craftsmen and made of the same materials.
John I hope you read this. I found a solution for the infamous Gibson/Epiphone pick guard coming off issue. All you have to do to fix it is very lightly wet the back of the pick guard that's coming off and re attach it. You might want to use a qtip and lightly wet it with water. Also maybe use masking tape on the pick guard for 25-30mins to make sure the pick guard is secure. I just fixed my Epiphone frontier last night and I was happy to see the results
My issue with the IBG series is that it’s made in China. There are plenty of other brands that make incredible instruments at a competitive price point, that don’t manufacture in China. I’d really love to see some manufacturing brought back to North America
J.P. thankyou for such a nice informative video. I have an Alvarez jumbo Dreadnaught made in 1992 I bought new, mahogany and a deep tone. I love it so much but after watching this video I would love to have either one of those preferance over the Bozeman since Americans built it but either one is so beautiful.
I bought the Indonisian model. Great great guitar! I don't know the other Epiphone models. I'm always looking for someting. This Frontier is my #1 guitar. I never had to touch it out of the box.
Worth noting that the Indonesian frontier guitar featured has an Indian Laurel fretboard and bridge (not Rosewood) and is part of the masterbilt line not the Inspired by Gibson line.
Thanks for everything, as always, John! I could listen to you read a phone book with your enthusiasm. I like the Epiphone Frontier better. Wow! Trebles have a stunning bell-like quality to me.
Hey there, JP. SLIGHT CORRECTION: (And this goes hand in hand with the Beatles T-shirt that you are wearing). Just an FYI: JOHN LENNON didn't play the Epiphone Texan, as you noted. Paul McCartney DID and STILL DOES have his very SAME 1964 Epiphone Texan, the actual acoustic guitar that Paul wrote and played "YESTERDAY" on and used to perform the song on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965. Paul always tunes his Texan a whole step down, to D-Standard, or D-G-C-F-A-D to play "YESTERDAY". He almost always plays the Texan whenever he performs YESTERDAY. Paul's original Texan guitar was made in the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1964. It was bought by McCartney in New York, sometime in 1965, prior to appearing on Sullivan. The Texan is a Slope Shouldered Dread, (same as the Gibson J-45 or J-50 Natural). It's all Solid Wood, with a Spruce Top and Solid Mahogany back and sides. Paul's right-handed guitar model Epiphone Texan FT-79 (N for natural finish), still has the bridge's saddle and pickguard set-up for a Right-Handed Player, with only the strings re-strung for the Lefty Paul in reverse fashion, with the Low-E where the High-E would normally be for a Righty, and the rest following the reverse Lefty stinging order. (One would wonder about the Guitar's Intonation (?), especially with the Right-Handed Saddle set-up and strung in reverse for a Left Handed Player)???? In 1965 New York, Paul only had to pull out of his pocket $165 to buy his brand new Epiphone Texan. A fine investment indeed, especially if it ever went up for Auction in today's celebrity musican categories? Now, if you're talkin' John Lennon's Acoustic, both John and George used identical Gibson J-160E Acoustic/Electrics in Sunburst, heard on many early Beatles tunes from Help thru Rubber Soul and Revolver. As for John's Electric, he used a Hollow-body "Epiphone Casino" as his main electric instrument during the remainder of his time with the Beatles, from 1964-65 onwards, replacing the Short-Scale 1958 Black Rickenbacker-325 that he bought in Hamburg, Germany and used exclusively in their earlier years, defining that infamous Beatles eclectic British Invasion Sound. So, that's the history of the Beatles using Epiphone guitars in the 1960s, among some other great axes, like John and Paul's Martin D-28s with the Maharishi in India used exclusively on The White Album by both.
Thank you for another great review JP! Amazing playing as well, as usual. Kudos to our global Epiphone builders for making these guitars come to life as well as players like you who love our brand! Cheers!
I see some of that with Sigma, who used to be associated with Martin, & still mimic their models. I was lucky enough to get a S000M-15 Sigma from Austria on Reverb, that isn’t quite as good as a Martin 000M-15 but has stellar tone, a nice smooth satin finish & still has that mahogany tone that I love. $700 USD including shipping from Austria vs. $1500 for the Martin. For the price I am beyond pleased with the Sigma.
JP the import line has Laurel fretboards and bridges due to the CITES laws about rosewood internationally. The poly finish a different type than we are used to seeing and I believe the difference comes down to thickness and also the sealer they put underneath it as to how it looks and sounds. The last Epiphone Frontier I picked on at Sweetwater was heavy like a 70s Guild, and true to the Authentic nature of a Gibson branded guitar the pickguard was coming off from the factory. But it did sound good.
Hello John , I own a one - off D - hole gypsy style guitar - - built by Bruce Ackerman - - Who is a wonderful local luthier from Catskill ,New York - - and also builds archtop guitars as well as dreadnoughts - - jumbos - - small jumbos - - classicals - - out of woods that Bruce Ackerman verbally descibes in yet another youtube video - - as local " lumber " - - " nothing exotic " - - Videos here on youtube show me playing it - Some tag words to use are - - Hollywood Joe Joe Nania Freelance Cafe Piermont New York 1990 Tucson Arizona X - 9 ranch 1991 Vail Arizona
I bought this Frontier guitar before your review just because I like Gibson guitars and Epiphone masterbuilt guitars. I bought it without ever playing one. I also considered the USA Frontier even with the higher price tag but couldnt justify spending the money because Im only an intermediate player. After seeing your review and playing my new Epiphone Masterbuilt Frontier, for a month, I’m ecstatic and thankful that I picked the right guitar for me.
I love the Masterbuilt line. Is yours the true Masterbuilt or does it say inspired by Gibson inside the sound hole? I though they were two different lines. I had the Inspired by Gibson Hummingbird. Should not have let it go. I do like a maple body guitar. Thank you
I believe I posted same comments on your Excellente video (of which I want one of those too). I bought my Frontier masterbilt just for looks. It reminded me of old country videos, and I was sentimental for my old Gibson country and western I sold decades ago. Anyhow, for someone who is only into acoustic, mine shot through the roof in tone and volume both when I removed the masterbilt fishman stuff. They use soft metal plates with goo on them to hold a pickup wire. They use like 5 of these. The made good attempts to kill vibrations from the factory, but I was willing to built a new saddle, dowel the end Lin and install regular one. Removing that junk killing top vibrations changed the import masterbilt entirely for the better. Food for thought.
Both very nice looking and sounding solid wood guitars. The blonde one has extremely premium wood - AAAA looking spruce top with exceptional looking flamed maple back and side wood in a high gloss finish. The other guitar has good quality solid wood done in a very tasteful burst semigloss finish. Material cost is 10 to 1 for highly figured and labor for a premium gloss finish is double.
I waited patiently for a year to finally get my Excellente and it is simply stupendous in every way possible for an acoustic guitar to be. It is a LIFETIME keeper and player. And boy do I play it too, every day. I am mulling over jumping off the cliff to get one of these Frontier's from Sweetwater as they have several. My wife will kill me but then I have survived every time!! Killer review and absolutely justified in your thoughts and comments about Epiphone. I have only been playing them since 1965 personally.
I’m with you, man! I have the IBG Hummingbird, and I’m so grateful to Gibson and Epiphone for making this quality available at this price. I sold my ‘65 J-45 years ago because it was worth so much that it wasn’t fun to take it anywhere - “something might happen to it” - and sold my ‘63 P-bass at the same time and for the same reason. I missed the J-45 terribly - no other guitar I played over the years spoke to me like it had. Then the IBG Epiphones came out, and I perked up. I played one IBG J-45 in Guitar Center and it was VERY nice, but not “there”. On a whim I ordered the IBG Hummingbird because it had mahogany back & sides and a cherry sunburst like my old J-45. “Home, at last!”
So cool to see and hear such an accomplished player so excited about guitars. I could listen to him play Fiddle Tunes all day. Also cool Beatles Tshirt and Bear hat. JP is the coolest.
Thank you so much for this credible review on two stunning guitars. My decision is made. I just ordered the Masterbilt Frontier for unbelievable 675 Swiss Franc ( 990 Canadian Dollar). I am still a beginner and thanks to you I could skip a cheap but not so good intermediate guitar. The frontier will be too good for my skills for the rest of my life. Further purchases will be only due the „guitar acquisition syndrom“ only. Not because it would be necessary to improve my play. 😅
I got the Masterbilt Frontier in March of 2020 when they first became available and I came to the EXACT same conclusion, keep in mind that I was coming from the perspective of having held in my hands and played both a '65 original AND one of the Montana short run re-issues in '94 and the Masterbilt truly measured up. Keep up the great reviews.
John, Love your video's. Funny, I was in our local guitar store last week to look at the Guild's. They had an Inspired by Gibson Hummingbird on the wall. I picked it up and started playing it. Couldn't put it down. Want to try the frontier because of the maple. Liked the hummingbird so much, never got to the Guild's. Just based on last week, Epiphone has outdone themselves. They won't be missing their props much longer!
I was also blown away when I tried it (the Masterbuilt), and I also bought it immediately. The gap between this and the Custom Shop is indeed not too big.
I've seen some Masterbuilts better than their custom shop guitars. Some of their Frontier Masterbuilt Maple limited run they did a couple years ago, for example.
I had the chance to compare it to a Epiphone USA Texan and several other Bozeman, Montana made Gibsons. The sound, playability and finish difference is not proportional to the price difference. A great buy!
Hey JP; I have both the Frontier and the Hummingbird, IBG made in Indonesia..I purchased on your excellent reviews and advise in the last couple of years.. .I can't believe how incredible they sound, tones, workmanship, and price. Through you expert reviews ..I also picked up from Kijiji, a 2018, BG 52 Boucher recommendations on all these fine acoustics are very inspiring to all of us... Stay well and hope to see you sometime, someday at the Ottawa Blues Fest in Ottawa, .. Love all the vids..
My first guitar was an Epiphone arch top used. My dad bought it for me Christmas in 1964. The guy he got it from had painted it black. It was a Kalamazoo Epiphone. That's what I started on. I'm76 years old and still playing and still remember the Epiphone.
I was in a local shop a few weeks ago and they had a masterbuild Frontier. It was overall really nice , played well but had one significant problem, which in all fairness is very common to maple guitars in general. If I was to play a bar chord on the 5th fret, the higher strings particularly the B and E were barely audible. But it was my favorite guitar to play chords down the neck on that I played that day, and I played some much more expensive. If not for that one issue, I would have bought it. It can't really compare to my Guild F-50 (not much can though), and I'm not in the market for another maple guitar but for $900 it would be an amazing "beater" that I can not be afraid to take places, if it gets jacked then at least I'm only out $900 and it really doesn't have any sacrifices I'd expect from a "beater" other than the mute higher notes. Sometimes different strings do help with that as well.
You picked up on the difference in pick guard placement but not sure if that was a design decision or installation misunderstanding. It appears that the Indonesian pick guard touches the bridge for two reasons; they lined up the pick guard over the middle black ring of the rosette instead of outside the outer black ring like on the Custom plus, it appears that they may have spun that pick guard slightly because the outer edge of the pick guard is not parallel to the outer edge of the guitar, like with the Custom pick guard. The engraving is finer on the Bozeman pick guard but I like the two color fill on the Indonesian version. All that being said, I wonder how much difference in tone and volume there would be without that big chunk of plastic being glued to the sound board? There's a cool comparison, although you'll need to buy another Indonesian Frontier... Speaking of tone, I have been flipping back and forth between the two guitars (6:03 and 13:23) and actually like the Indonesian Frontier's tone more. I am glad that Gibson has decided to allow their Epiphone brand to excel. That kind of Competition is healthy. Imagine the pressure that Indonesia is putting on the Custom shop right now. It just makes for better instruments all around.
I have a 65 Eipiphone FT110N that I've had for 30+ years. The Frontier is one of the best sounding acoustics I have ever heard! Mine has tiger maple back and sides that are stained in walnut color and doesn't have the fancy pick guard. Would love to compare a new Frontier to it. Sounds lovely JP! Thanks for sharing it. The Indonesian version has a more accurate headstock to the original. I'm on the fence about the Custom Shop headstock design. The original headstock design is so much better looking.
I just ordered a Texan, from the Indonesian plant, and will be comparing it against my 1965 , American made, Texan on my channel. If it weren't for your videos I may have overlooked these great guitars from Indonesia.
@@jamesdonalfaulkner Hi James, it’s the Indonesian one.I ordered it from the music store in Germany, €766.00 euro.No case with same.I ordered the case from Thomann in Germany.€115.00 add €15 for shipping.As we are in the euro zone thats why I order from Germany
Every since the first time i heard a review of the cheaper model it has been my favorite n the one i would record a whole acoustic album with. The tone is so incredibly pleasing to the ear i can only imagine playing one everyday n for a living. I would never put it down. N u reminded me how much i live the sound of it. Ty. Great review!!!
John, you didn't really contrast the internal construction between the two models. I've played both and I love my Indonesian frontier but I did sense the slight more responsiveness in the 4,000 Montana built guitar and I suspect it maybe due to more scalloping inside the top
I got the USA Frontier one too, Bob. The gaudy pick-guard fell off as soon as I picked it up, under the sole force of gravity- , (which, for me, was a blessing), but I do love the sound and feel of this guitar.
I have two IBG Models. The J-200 and the Hummingbird. They play so beautifully but I’ve been stuck on a Gibson J-200. My Father-in-law has the Gibson J-200. He’s played mine as well as his. He agrees that it’s nearly as good as the Montana Gibson. And… as a working musician, I feel better about bringing my IBG’s out to the bars and restaurants than I would a $4-6000 Gibson.
Thank you John..cuz of you I have already the IBG j45 n Hummingbird love them both..playing more now that I'm retired..loving life.. I still want to get the excellante.. when I purchased my j45 I also played the Gibson and I couldn't see much difference..I don't play nearly as well as you do so to me there was no justifying paying the higher price.. absolutely love your reviews..
Another great video. Just wanted to say that the Masterbuilt line also has about 3 or 4 guitar models that are made of all solid wood. In the Masterbuilt line you have the Texan, Frontier and the Exellente, and all are made of all solid wood. The inspired by Gibson lineup has the J-45, J-200 , Hummingbird and the Hummingbird 12 string. Again, all solid wood construction. I can attest to the quality and have made a few videos on our J-200. Ours is like yours, in that it's got a very beautiful curly maple back and sides and sounds so good. Keep up the awesome videos. You are, in my opinion, one of the greats.
All the Epiphone hate…. Ive always loved Epi’s The Montana built with hide glue, higher quality wood and hand scalloped bracing. Indonesia no scalloped braces (manufactured braces.) Worth the extra 3k?
I've played 3 of the IBGs and enjoyed them all. But they don't make me want to trade in my Eastman E1d that cost 500 notes. They are a lot prettier to look at though. And they are great value. Great review as always JP.
Forgot to add, the controls also use wads of goo to hold on, and the battery pack and Velcro and goo also slow top vibrations. Take all that $hit out, and boom! Another level of guitar.
Great job again. I am so glad I saw your video last year when you did the IBG J200 and Hummingbird and you caused me to purchase both the J200 and the Hummingbird and they are both beautiful and both sound fantastic. Thank you John
I feel like I really want a boucher, but I don't see how I could ever afford one. And now I'm sad. I tried to like the Epiphones, but when I actually play them I just don't. Maybe if I used to seagull shows up in the local shop or on Craigslist I could treat myself to that.
Do you know of the 1970s japanese made FT150 Bard? Its rare but beautifully made being japanese made. One canadian luthier on you tube rated it as one of the nicest sounding unique guitars he had ever worked on. He was a big martin and Gibson enthusiast
Both sound great. I notice the custom US made one has the pre-63 small headstock. I really like that design choice. I have a '63 Cabellero (by SN look up) but it has the pre-63 shape. Mine was originally a lefty that was converted to righty. Maybe that was old parts built in '63.
Love your channel. I haven’t seen you review a Breedlove guitar. I have a Breedlove Organic Artista concerto with a European spruce top with Myrtlewood back and sides and would love to hear your thoughts on it. Keep up the great work.
After watching your video on these Epiphone's and a few others, I purchased the similar priced Indonesian Twelve String Hummingbird yesterday. My old '67 Gibson B-45 sounds good, however I wanted a brighter sound. I would love to see you review the Hummingbird 12's as your outlook is a welcome relief from some of the doldrums reviews here on TH-cam. Thank you!
Personally I really like it. But the original frontier didn't have a western pick guard. I'm thinking the first year or so they had a more J-45 type guard.
Just put a down payment on a Masterbilt frontier! The guard is lifting around the edges a little bit, but it wasn’t hurting the guitar and they said it would only be a $40 bench fee to get it reglued if it got worse later. I was surprised at how great it sounded, it was super woody!
Hey, JP! Not a big deal, and you probably know by now, but I noticed another difference between the two. The Bozeman model, on the headstock logo, the dot over the “i” is higher than that of the Indonesian model.
Had the FT110 for 2 weeks, back to the shop. Don‘t speak about the standard mistake with the pickguard, missing glue…. Failure in finish, but more the failure in fret bars. The truth looks different, sometimes.
Been watching your reviews for some time. There's something about the custom shop model that just has sound quality to it that's superior to the Indonesian. I've been playing for over 30 years, mainly a Seagull, and some Yamaha's, but I've played some of the higher quality models hanging in music stores, and can tell the difference. Of course, I would venture to say that plugged in, the sound is not discernible to the average hearer. I also own some vintage CONN guitars, one 1973 steel string, the other a 1970 nylon, that have distinct sounds. I'm glad you mentioned the neck widths. The Indonesian model may be comparable in feel to my old 89 Takamine Jasmine and have been looking for it's replacement for some time!
Your enthusiasm for guitar always lifts my spirits! Not that it’s anyone’s g-d business, I don’t care, but I suffer from some significant anxiety issues ever since my wife’s cancer diagnosis, and I feel strongly about this-your channel has been some of the best medicine. I’ve watched your ‘Life in Music’ series, so I know you’ve been through large volumes of excrement as well. I Appreciate You, Brother. Stay swell!
Same!
The Indonesian Epiphone Frontier is an absolute KILLER GUITAR for the Buck … It kills the I.B.G J200 and HUMMINGBIRD Stone Dead . It is louder clearer deeper and so much more Balanced than the other two mentioned I’ve tested this out for myself in a local music store and had to have it , it had been there for a while and when I played it I just had to have it even though I couldn’t really afford or need it but I new it would get snapped up soon and I think they will maybe become harder to come by and will then obviously go up in price..🌞⭐️❤️… killer playing as always J.P. and Love your enthusiasm brother keep em coming, Big Love ❤️🌞⭐️👍🏻
Dude, all the IBG guitar sound great each one just has a different voice. The frontier does not kill them dead. I’ve also played all of the models I own the J 200 and it sounds killer. It just sounds different.
I agree. The Frontier is better than the IBG J200 and IBG Hummingbird. I have all three and the Frontier has the better sound definitely.
You have become my go-to person for acoustic guitars. THANK YOU.
The current Indonesian Epiphone Excellente and Frontier are genuine reissues and are part of the masterbilt line whereas the Indonesian Hummingbird 6 & 12, J45 and J200 are part of the inspired gibson line and ape classic Gibson models. All are of equally high quality, however, as they are all made in the same Samick factory in Indonesian by the same craftsmen and made of the same materials.
OMG!! The design on that pick guard is GORGEOUS.
John I hope you read this. I found a solution for the infamous Gibson/Epiphone pick guard coming off issue. All you have to do to fix it is very lightly wet the back of the pick guard that's coming off and re attach it. You might want to use a qtip and lightly wet it with water. Also maybe use masking tape on the pick guard for 25-30mins to make sure the pick guard is secure. I just fixed my Epiphone frontier last night and I was happy to see the results
My issue with the IBG series is that it’s made in China. There are plenty of other brands that make incredible instruments at a competitive price point, that don’t manufacture in China. I’d really love to see some manufacturing brought back to North America
Indonesia not china
@@raymondreeder3274 look again big dog
J.P. thankyou for such a nice informative video. I have an Alvarez jumbo Dreadnaught made in 1992 I bought new, mahogany and a deep tone. I love it so much but after watching this video I would love to have either one of those preferance over the Bozeman since Americans built it but either one is so beautiful.
I bought the Indonisian model. Great great guitar! I don't know the other Epiphone models. I'm always looking for someting. This Frontier is my #1 guitar. I never had to touch it out of the box.
This axe , you seem to love, the notes slide together so nicely. Danke.
It’s a thing of beautiful and the sound the intonation is incredible
Worth noting that the Indonesian frontier guitar featured has an Indian Laurel fretboard and bridge (not Rosewood) and is part of the masterbilt line not the Inspired by Gibson line.
Now in 2022 the US built Frontier is $5,399 .00 the cheaper Masterbuilt version one is $1299.00 at Long & McQuade
The voicing of this guitar is flawless! Amazingly beautiful balance of tone across the strings!
Thanks for everything, as always, John! I could listen to you read a phone book with your enthusiasm. I like the Epiphone Frontier better. Wow! Trebles have a stunning bell-like quality to me.
Howdy from Peterborough ON! Your enthusiasm for guitars bring me joy
Hey there, JP.
SLIGHT CORRECTION: (And this goes hand in hand with the Beatles T-shirt that you are wearing). Just an FYI:
JOHN LENNON didn't play the Epiphone Texan, as you noted. Paul McCartney DID and STILL DOES have his very SAME 1964 Epiphone Texan, the actual acoustic guitar that Paul wrote and played "YESTERDAY" on and used to perform the song on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965. Paul always tunes his Texan a whole step down, to D-Standard, or D-G-C-F-A-D to play "YESTERDAY". He almost always plays the Texan whenever he performs YESTERDAY.
Paul's original Texan guitar was made in the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1964. It was bought by McCartney in New York, sometime in 1965, prior to appearing on Sullivan.
The Texan is a Slope Shouldered Dread, (same as the Gibson J-45 or J-50 Natural). It's all Solid Wood, with a Spruce Top and Solid Mahogany back and sides. Paul's right-handed guitar model Epiphone Texan FT-79 (N for natural finish), still has the bridge's saddle and pickguard set-up for a Right-Handed Player, with only the strings re-strung for the Lefty Paul in reverse fashion, with the Low-E where the High-E would normally be for a Righty, and the rest following the reverse Lefty stinging order. (One would wonder about the Guitar's Intonation (?), especially with the Right-Handed Saddle set-up and strung in reverse for a Left Handed Player)????
In 1965 New York, Paul only had to pull out of his pocket $165 to buy his brand new Epiphone Texan. A fine investment indeed, especially if it ever went up for Auction in today's celebrity musican categories?
Now, if you're talkin' John Lennon's Acoustic, both John and George used identical Gibson J-160E Acoustic/Electrics in Sunburst, heard on many early Beatles tunes from Help thru Rubber Soul and Revolver.
As for John's Electric, he used a Hollow-body "Epiphone Casino" as his main electric instrument during the remainder of his time with the Beatles, from 1964-65 onwards, replacing the Short-Scale 1958 Black Rickenbacker-325 that he bought in Hamburg, Germany and used exclusively in their earlier years, defining that infamous Beatles eclectic British Invasion Sound.
So, that's the history of the Beatles using Epiphone guitars in the 1960s, among some other great axes, like John and Paul's Martin D-28s with the Maharishi in India used exclusively on The White Album by both.
Thank you for another great review JP! Amazing playing as well, as usual. Kudos to our global Epiphone builders for making these guitars come to life as well as players like you who love our brand! Cheers!
@Insanian_Reacts.. stop scamming and spamming dude.
I see some of that with Sigma, who used to be associated with Martin, & still mimic their models. I was lucky enough to get a S000M-15 Sigma from Austria on Reverb, that isn’t quite as good as a Martin 000M-15 but has stellar tone, a nice smooth satin finish & still has that mahogany tone that I love. $700 USD including shipping from Austria vs. $1500 for the Martin. For the price I am beyond pleased with the Sigma.
JP the import line has Laurel fretboards and bridges due to the CITES laws about rosewood internationally. The poly finish a different type than we are used to seeing and I believe the difference comes down to thickness and also the sealer they put underneath it as to how it looks and sounds. The last Epiphone Frontier I picked on at Sweetwater was heavy like a 70s Guild, and true to the Authentic nature of a Gibson branded guitar the pickguard was coming off from the factory. But it did sound good.
Hello John , I own a one - off D - hole gypsy style guitar - - built by Bruce Ackerman - - Who is a wonderful local luthier from Catskill ,New York - - and also builds archtop guitars as well as dreadnoughts - - jumbos - - small jumbos - - classicals - - out of woods that Bruce Ackerman verbally descibes in yet another youtube video - - as local " lumber " - - " nothing exotic " - - Videos here on youtube show me playing it - Some tag words to use are - - Hollywood Joe Joe Nania Freelance Cafe Piermont New York 1990 Tucson Arizona X - 9 ranch 1991 Vail Arizona
Im still loving my MOJ Yamaha red labels (they are so good I bought both sizes)
I bought this Frontier guitar before your review just because I like Gibson guitars and Epiphone masterbuilt guitars. I bought it without ever playing one. I also considered the USA Frontier even with the higher price tag but couldnt justify spending the money because Im only an intermediate player. After seeing your review and playing my new Epiphone Masterbuilt Frontier, for a month, I’m ecstatic and thankful that I picked the right guitar for me.
I love the Masterbuilt line. Is yours the true Masterbuilt or does it say inspired by Gibson inside the sound hole? I though they were two different lines. I had the Inspired by Gibson Hummingbird. Should not have let it go. I do like a maple body guitar. Thank you
@@anthonyb2334there is no "inspired by gibson" frontier.
I believe I posted same comments on your Excellente video (of which I want one of those too). I bought my Frontier masterbilt just for looks. It reminded me of old country videos, and I was sentimental for my old Gibson country and western I sold decades ago.
Anyhow, for someone who is only into acoustic, mine shot through the roof in tone and volume both when I removed the masterbilt fishman stuff.
They use soft metal plates with goo on them to hold a pickup wire. They use like 5 of these. The made good attempts to kill vibrations from the factory, but I was willing to built a new saddle, dowel the end Lin and install regular one.
Removing that junk killing top vibrations changed the import masterbilt entirely for the better. Food for thought.
I love your vlog because you let the guitars talks for itself unlike other vloggers who boast of this or that guitar but wont let us hear its sound
JP you are inspiring. Love the playing. Diggin' in! Cheers f from L.A.
Full of wisdom, as usual, John ! THANK YOU !
Both very nice looking and sounding solid wood guitars. The blonde one has extremely premium wood - AAAA looking spruce top with exceptional looking flamed maple back and side wood in a high gloss finish. The other guitar has good quality solid wood done in a very tasteful burst semigloss finish. Material cost is 10 to 1 for highly figured and labor for a premium gloss finish is double.
I waited patiently for a year to finally get my Excellente and it is simply stupendous in every way possible for an acoustic guitar to be. It is a LIFETIME keeper and player. And boy do I play it too, every day. I am mulling over jumping off the cliff to get one of these Frontier's from Sweetwater as they have several. My wife will kill me but then I have survived every time!! Killer review and absolutely justified in your thoughts and comments about Epiphone. I have only been playing them since 1965 personally.
Beautiful guitar and Beautiful playing as always JP
I’m with you, man! I have the IBG Hummingbird, and I’m so grateful to Gibson and Epiphone for making this quality available at this price. I sold my ‘65 J-45 years ago because it was worth so much that it wasn’t fun to take it anywhere - “something might happen to it” - and sold my ‘63 P-bass at the same time and for the same reason. I missed the J-45 terribly - no other guitar I played over the years spoke to me like it had. Then the IBG Epiphones came out, and I perked up. I played one IBG J-45 in Guitar Center and it was VERY nice, but not “there”. On a whim I ordered the IBG Hummingbird because it had mahogany back & sides and a cherry sunburst like my old J-45. “Home, at last!”
So cool to see and hear such an accomplished player so excited about guitars. I could listen to him play Fiddle Tunes all day. Also cool Beatles Tshirt and Bear hat. JP is the coolest.
Thanks for sharing. ♥️. My Pop had a 63 Made in Kalamazoo. Wish I had it.
Thank you so much for this credible review on two stunning guitars. My decision is made. I just ordered the Masterbilt Frontier for unbelievable 675 Swiss Franc ( 990 Canadian Dollar). I am still a beginner and thanks to you I could skip a cheap but not so good intermediate guitar. The frontier will be too good for my skills for the rest of my life. Further purchases will be only due the „guitar acquisition syndrom“ only. Not because it would be necessary to improve my play. 😅
I got the Masterbilt Frontier in March of 2020 when they first became available and I came to the EXACT same conclusion, keep in mind that I was coming from the perspective of having held in my hands and played both a '65 original AND one of the Montana short run re-issues in '94 and the Masterbilt truly measured up. Keep up the great reviews.
The specs on Epiphones page states that the USA Frontier has scalloped bracing. The specs for the imported Frontier do not list scalloped bracing....
John, Love your video's. Funny, I was in our local guitar store last week to look at the Guild's. They had an Inspired by Gibson Hummingbird on the wall.
I picked it up and started playing it. Couldn't put it down. Want to try the frontier because of the maple. Liked the hummingbird so much, never got to the Guild's.
Just based on last week, Epiphone has outdone themselves. They won't be missing their props much longer!
Your reviews have helped me to buy a J45 and now a hummingbird. I guess I’ll need to go get a frontier next! I appreciate what you are doing!
I was also blown away when I tried it (the Masterbuilt), and I also bought it immediately. The gap between this and the Custom Shop is indeed not too big.
I had to have one. Bought it.
I've seen some Masterbuilts better than their custom shop guitars. Some of their Frontier Masterbuilt Maple limited run they did a couple years ago, for example.
I had the chance to compare it to a Epiphone USA Texan and several other Bozeman, Montana made Gibsons. The sound, playability and finish difference is not proportional to the price difference. A great buy!
Yup. Epiphone sure make a good product (all Models, Acoustic and Electric). Thanks for the enjoyable demo and review ...
That’s some mighty fine picking right there. Love that Epiphone too
Hey JP; I have both the Frontier and the Hummingbird, IBG made in Indonesia..I purchased on your excellent reviews and advise in the last couple of years.. .I can't believe how incredible they sound, tones, workmanship, and price. Through you expert reviews ..I also picked up from Kijiji, a 2018, BG 52 Boucher recommendations on all these fine acoustics are very inspiring to all of us... Stay well and hope to see you sometime, someday at the Ottawa Blues Fest in Ottawa, .. Love all the vids..
You like Frontier or Hummingbird better?
@@bradbaker4679I would like to know also..
My first guitar was an Epiphone arch top used. My dad bought it for me Christmas in 1964. The guy he got it from had painted it black. It was a Kalamazoo Epiphone. That's what I started on. I'm76 years old and still playing and still remember the Epiphone.
I was lusting over that Masterbilt Frontier at the Bedford L&M a few weeks ago. Tremendous sounding instrument.
Boseman's guitar builders are some of the best on our planet in our lifetimes.............
I was in a local shop a few weeks ago and they had a masterbuild Frontier. It was overall really nice , played well but had one significant problem, which in all fairness is very common to maple guitars in general. If I was to play a bar chord on the 5th fret, the higher strings particularly the B and E were barely audible. But it was my favorite guitar to play chords down the neck on that I played that day, and I played some much more expensive.
If not for that one issue, I would have bought it. It can't really compare to my Guild F-50 (not much can though), and I'm not in the market for another maple guitar but for $900 it would be an amazing "beater" that I can not be afraid to take places, if it gets jacked then at least I'm only out $900 and it really doesn't have any sacrifices I'd expect from a "beater" other than the mute higher notes. Sometimes different strings do help with that as well.
You picked up on the difference in pick guard placement but not sure if that was a design decision or installation misunderstanding. It appears that the Indonesian pick guard touches the bridge for two reasons; they lined up the pick guard over the middle black ring of the rosette instead of outside the outer black ring like on the Custom plus, it appears that they may have spun that pick guard slightly because the outer edge of the pick guard is not parallel to the outer edge of the guitar, like with the Custom pick guard. The engraving is finer on the Bozeman pick guard but I like the two color fill on the Indonesian version. All that being said, I wonder how much difference in tone and volume there would be without that big chunk of plastic being glued to the sound board? There's a cool comparison, although you'll need to buy another Indonesian Frontier... Speaking of tone, I have been flipping back and forth between the two guitars (6:03 and 13:23) and actually like the Indonesian Frontier's tone more. I am glad that Gibson has decided to allow their Epiphone brand to excel. That kind of Competition is healthy. Imagine the pressure that Indonesia is putting on the Custom shop right now. It just makes for better instruments all around.
I have a 65 Eipiphone FT110N that I've had for 30+ years. The Frontier is one of the best sounding acoustics I have ever heard! Mine has tiger maple back and sides that are stained in walnut color and doesn't have the fancy pick guard. Would love to compare a new Frontier to it. Sounds lovely JP! Thanks for sharing it. The Indonesian version has a more accurate headstock to the original. I'm on the fence about the Custom Shop headstock design. The original headstock design is so much better looking.
Great video by a great picker about a great guitar! Thank you JP! James
The dr400 sounds best to my ears!
Yamaha ? Re, among the world's bestvguitar post war. Sorry I love my LL16!
Me also
A great purchase
I’m standing ovationing now 🤗
I just ordered a Texan, from the Indonesian plant, and will be comparing it against my 1965 , American made, Texan on my channel. If it weren't for your videos I may have overlooked these great guitars from Indonesia.
Jp love your reviews, bought two recording kings from a review you did.Just ordered a Epiphone frontier.Best reviewer on TH-cam.Best from Ireland☘️
Hi Derek, Were you able to find one in Ireland? Was it the American or the Indonesian version (what's that one called by the way?) that you got?
@@jamesdonalfaulkner Hi James, it’s the Indonesian one.I ordered it from the music store in Germany, €766.00 euro.No case with same.I ordered the case from Thomann in Germany.€115.00 add €15 for shipping.As we are in the euro zone thats why I order from Germany
@@jamesdonalfaulkner name Epiphone Frontier, Thomann in Germany also have the guitar for the same price
@@derekbrennan3997 Thanks Derek. And are you well pleased with it?
@@jamesdonalfaulkner Hi Donal, it’s arriving on Tuesday, I’ll keep you posted on same.
Every since the first time i heard a review of the cheaper model it has been my favorite n the one i would record a whole acoustic album with. The tone is so incredibly pleasing to the ear i can only imagine playing one everyday n for a living. I would never put it down. N u reminded me how much i live the sound of it. Ty. Great review!!!
The next on my import masterbilt Frontier is very full. Not as large as my J200 but close. It’s not a skinny neck at all.
John, you didn't really contrast the internal construction between the two models. I've played both and I love my Indonesian frontier but I did sense the slight more responsiveness in the 4,000 Montana built guitar and I suspect it maybe due to more scalloping inside the top
I have that guitar, it is amazing. Every time i play it, it just sounds better.
Which one?
@@jamesdonalfaulkner the frontier.
@@53merlin Thanks Bob; the USA built one?
@@jamesdonalfaulkner Yes
I got the USA Frontier one too, Bob. The gaudy pick-guard fell off as soon as I picked it up, under the sole force of gravity- , (which, for me, was a blessing), but I do love the sound and feel of this guitar.
I think the Yamaha Fgx5 comes close to these when it comes to overall wow factor of tonality.
I have two IBG Models. The J-200 and the Hummingbird. They play so beautifully but I’ve been stuck on a Gibson J-200. My Father-in-law has the Gibson J-200. He’s played mine as well as his. He agrees that it’s nearly as good as the Montana Gibson.
And… as a working musician, I feel better about bringing my IBG’s out to the bars and restaurants than I would a $4-6000 Gibson.
I think if I strummed this guitar in a shop, my jaw would drop. Terrific review.
John, This video inspired me to get a Frontier, and I've been blown away. Best tone of any guitar I've ever heard
Thank you John..cuz of you I have already the IBG j45 n Hummingbird love them both..playing more now that I'm retired..loving life.. I still want to get the excellante.. when I purchased my j45 I also played the Gibson and I couldn't see much difference..I don't play nearly as well as you do so to me there was no justifying paying the higher price.. absolutely love your reviews..
Another great video. Just wanted to say that the Masterbuilt line also has about 3 or 4 guitar models that are made of all solid wood. In the Masterbuilt line you have the Texan, Frontier and the Exellente, and all are made of all solid wood. The inspired by Gibson lineup has the J-45, J-200 , Hummingbird and the Hummingbird 12 string. Again, all solid wood construction.
I can attest to the quality and have made a few videos on our J-200. Ours is like yours, in that it's got a very beautiful curly maple back and sides and sounds so good.
Keep up the awesome videos. You are, in my opinion, one of the greats.
All the Epiphone hate…. Ive always loved Epi’s The Montana built with hide glue, higher quality wood and hand scalloped bracing. Indonesia no scalloped braces (manufactured braces.) Worth the extra 3k?
I've played 3 of the IBGs and enjoyed them all.
But they don't make me want to trade in my Eastman E1d that cost 500 notes.
They are a lot prettier to look at though. And they are great value.
Great review as always JP.
Eastmans put out a bit more volume in my experience.
Forgot to add, the controls also use wads of goo to hold on, and the battery pack and Velcro and goo also slow top vibrations. Take all that $hit out, and boom! Another level of guitar.
The sound of that guitar just blows me away!
I don't like dreadnoughts in general, but what a fucking sound !
Pretty interesting. I’ve always snubbed my nose at Epiphone …. My mind has been twisted ! Thanks J.P.
Have you checked out the Epiphone electrics too?
I am enjoying seeing your joy playing that great guitar
Sounds like a jumbo maple!!...with a very present "high-mid B" / 987 hrtz overtone!!...
JP. I have a 64 Epiphone FT 79N. It is an absolute Gem of a Guitar!
I have the Bozeman model. I traded a Martin d-35 and an electric for it.
they all start to sound the same... :P And they all ring as you speak :D It's in your hands
I think they are built in a custom shop in Indonesia overseen by one luthier the old SAMICK shop👍🎸
I think you're right about the pickup system in the Custom Shop guitar. My Larivée D-09BZ has the same system.
I love your analysis of these two frontier guitars!
Great job again. I am so glad I saw your video last year when you did the IBG J200 and Hummingbird and you caused me to purchase both the J200 and the Hummingbird and they are both beautiful and both sound fantastic. Thank you John
I really wish you didn't say the Gibson was a 1 3/4 nut... now I want one even more
Frontier rings, blonde speaks, CALL ME NUTS But I p refer fron tier
Luv-luv the shirt, of course. :)
The most beautiful of all Epiphone’s the Excellente is beautiful also, but this one has a bigger sound than the Excellente ❤️
I feel like I really want a boucher, but I don't see how I could ever afford one. And now I'm sad. I tried to like the Epiphones, but when I actually play them I just don't. Maybe if I used to seagull shows up in the local shop or on Craigslist I could treat myself to that.
Just ordered the frontier made in Indonesia last night. Awsome.
Do you know of the 1970s japanese made FT150 Bard? Its rare but beautifully made being japanese made. One canadian luthier on you tube rated it as one of the nicest sounding unique guitars he had ever worked on. He was a big martin and Gibson enthusiast
Both sound great. I notice the custom US made one has the pre-63 small headstock. I really like that design choice. I have a '63 Cabellero (by SN look up) but it has the pre-63 shape. Mine was originally a lefty that was converted to righty. Maybe that was old parts built in '63.
Beautiful guitar and fantastic playing!
Love your channel. I haven’t seen you review a Breedlove guitar. I have a Breedlove Organic Artista concerto with a European spruce top with Myrtlewood back and sides and would love to hear your thoughts on it. Keep up the great work.
After watching your video on these Epiphone's and a few others, I purchased the similar priced Indonesian Twelve String Hummingbird yesterday. My old '67 Gibson B-45 sounds good, however I wanted a brighter sound. I would love to see you review the Hummingbird 12's as your outlook is a welcome relief from some of the doldrums reviews here on TH-cam. Thank you!
You know why I love J.P’s channel? Guy makes me proud to not own the core model Gutiars.
I’ll take the Fg5 any day JP. Pick guard to gaudy. Yamaha thank you fey much!
Played one in my local shop and just had to buy it.
Sounds beautiful and so balanced.
Epiphone does make guitars in the USA. Not the ones that most of us buy though. Very expensive top of the line hand crafted acoustic guitars.
The pick guard cut out is too brutal for me, but the sound is fantastic!
I bought one and fortunately the pickguard fell off it as soon as I picked it up! Stroke of luck!
Personally I really like it. But the original frontier didn't have a western pick guard. I'm thinking the first year or so they had a more J-45 type guard.
Just put a down payment on a Masterbilt frontier! The guard is lifting around the edges a little bit, but it wasn’t hurting the guitar and they said it would only be a $40 bench fee to get it reglued if it got worse later. I was surprised at how great it sounded, it was super woody!
My pickguard fell off straightaway. Thank goodness!
Hey, JP! Not a big deal, and you probably know by now, but I noticed another difference between the two. The Bozeman model, on the headstock logo, the dot over the “i” is higher than that of the Indonesian model.
Had the FT110 for 2 weeks, back to the shop. Don‘t speak about the standard mistake with the pickguard, missing glue…. Failure in finish, but more the failure in fret bars. The truth looks different, sometimes.
Been watching your reviews for some time. There's something about the custom shop model that just has sound quality to it that's superior to the Indonesian. I've been playing for over 30 years, mainly a Seagull, and some Yamaha's, but I've played some of the higher quality models hanging in music stores, and can tell the difference. Of course, I would venture to say that plugged in, the sound is not discernible to the average hearer. I also own some vintage CONN guitars, one 1973 steel string, the other a 1970 nylon, that have distinct sounds. I'm glad you mentioned the neck widths. The Indonesian model may be comparable in feel to my old 89 Takamine Jasmine and have been looking for it's replacement for some time!