NGD: Epiphone (IBG) J-45

GrooVey said:
Nice! Yes. How does it sound, play? How was the setup out of the box?
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Hey @iblive, this is for you :)

It sounds terrific. It's plenty vocal. Big and fat and full bodied, when I want it, soft and mellow when I want that. It's pretty even from low to high. Nice mids, good bottom, the high E is a little weak, but that could just be me getting used to it. Overall, it's very sweet, but I think it could get nasty (in a good way) when rode hard.

Out of the box is good. Pretty much what you would expect from a factory setup. The action is a little high for me. And the strings are .012s and a bit tight. Seems like quite a bit of tension on the neck. There's the requisite amount of relief around the 7th fret, but I prefer a flat neck with no relief. Makes the 8th to 12th fret easier for me to play. I have really soft hands and not a lot of grip these days
The construction is A1. Very solid. Pretty hefty. proud 4 lbs maybe. Big fat "C" neck. Nice width. Bone nut and saddle. The only cosmetic gripe is that is was described as "gloss", but it's more a satin urethane like the Taylor.

I haven't spent too much time with it at all. But I feel like it's gonna be easy to like. For an Indonesian guitar, build wise I would give it a 4. Sound wise, for what I've played so far, I would give it a solid 4. The finish is a bummer only because I *really* wanted a high gloss finish, which was what I though was advertised, so a 3 because it is very pretty. If you like aa satin finish, it's very nice and would give it a 5.

As far as the ergonomics, it's a little larger than I thought, but not too big. It s a nice couch guitar to keep within reach (which it is) , so that's a good 4.

There IS one thing that would make me take a way a few stars: It has a Fishman saddle piezo. The battery "compartment" is placed inside at the neck end of the body. There's no way to get at it with strings on. For a gigging player, that would be a deal breaker. I don't mind it now because I'm going to change the strings and tighten the truss rob an get rid of the relief. But if my battery died at a gig, I'd really be pissed. This is the only piezo I've had that doesn't have a compartment. My Taylor, Godin, even my Harley Benton has a compartment. I know that it's an "Inspired By Gibson", and the reviews, and construction videos seem to bear that out, so that may have contributed to the lack of compartment. Not wanting to compromise the mahogany sides or back makes sense. For me, it's a minor consideration, but a gigging player may have a problem with it, unless you change the battery every time you change strings. They say "1000 hours" but it that unplugged after every set or continuous? IDK

For the price point, $800 USD, it's a solid value compared to a $2000+ Gibson. I would definitely recommend it to a more than casual player. Gimme some time to play with it, and I'll revisit.

Disclosure: I am a fan of Epiphones, and I have many. Indeed, I prefer my Epiphone LP to my Gibson Gold Top. But then again, "So, you're Brad Pitt? That don't impress me much."
 
Sounds like ya got a good one there. And nothing wrong with Epi’s. I own one and it’s a great guitar.

My acoustic is an Ovation. Strings - used to use 13s. But these days it’s strung with 12s. Battery. Inside just like your Epi. No compartment either. And yeah. Changing the battery in a hurry is a pain in the butt. I’ve done it. Doable, but not easy.
 
Old Music Guy said:
It sounds terrific. It's plenty vocal. Big and fat and full bodied, when I want it, soft The only cosmetic gripe is that is was described as "gloss", but it's more a satin urethane like the Taylor.

The finish is a bummer only because I *really* wanted a high gloss finish, which was what I thought was advertised.
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Don, according to what I've read, your new guitar sports a varnish finish which is not necessarily a bad thing, but you need to treat it with kid gloves initially.

To quote another source:

"The alkyd resin-based varnish finish is very slow to cure and can be relatively soft on new instruments. The finish will continue to harden as the instrument ages, but new varnish instruments can be vulnerable to scratches, dings, and imprinting. By its very nature, varnish can shrink, wrinkle, and/or dull over time and is not likely to maintain a "new" appearance as well as lacquer instruments. With that said, the varnish finish allows the instrument to vibrate more freely and can produce a more responsive instrument with a greater depth of tone."

Congrats! It's a beautiful guitar.
 
Sargeant Preston said:
Don, according to what I've read, your new guitar sports a varnish finish which is not necessarily a bad thing, but you need to treat it with kid gloves initially.

To quote another source:

"The alkyd resin-based varnish finish is very slow to cure and can be relatively soft on new instruments. The finish will continue to harden as the instrument ages, but new varnish instruments can be vulnerable to scratches, dings, and imprinting. By its very nature, varnish can shrink, wrinkle, and/or dull over time and is not likely to maintain a "new" appearance as well as lacquer instruments. With that said, the varnish finish allows the instrument to vibrate more freely and can produce a more responsive instrument with a greater depth of tone."

Congrats! It's a beautiful guitar.
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I did not know that. Thank you. All I knew was that it was described as "an aged gloss". My autopilot said "satin poly". I very much appreciate the information.
I tend to treat my guitars with more respect than they give me. :LOL:
I sold, yesterday in fact' an Epi AJ-100 that I bought some 15 years ago. I actually found it in a vintage store. It was cheap, and I liked it. It certainly was not the quality of this guy, but it had a really nice glossy finish. I did some fret and neck work on it, installed a Lawrence pup, blah blah. Before the woman who came by to check it out, I spit polished it, put on new strings, adjusted the saddle, It was really pretty. The only complaint she had was she was a finger picker and had some thoughts that the pup might get in her way.
But, I digress. I certainly appreciate your information, and I will make sure that I treat it with kid gloves. Indeed, I have a HSC that fits, and will use it.
 
Second date:
I was supposed to get a new refrigerator today, but the truck broke down. What to do? I did some work on the new kid.
I restrung it, put in a battery, and adjusted the neck. I knew it was a keeper, but it's so much better now.
I replaced the 12s with 11s. Before I restrung it, I checked the neck with my straight edge. It was dead on straight. So, I added just the slightest amount of over bow. Just a touch, figuring that the string tension would give me the profile I wanted. Perfect, for me. I figure the frets have been Plekd, so I didn't check the frets. Also, I have no desire to do fret work on it.
The 11s are much more playable for me, and quite a bit less tension on the neck. Granted, I may have given up a little bottom end, but only a touch. The high end is much more present without being shrill, and seems to fit the sound of the guitar. I sense a little more resonance and overtones when I finger pick.
If I have the time tomorrow I'll check out the pickup, and see how it plays with some light effects.
Overall, with just a little work, it's already a better player for me.
 
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