Epiphone Masterbilt acoustic guitar - DR 500 MCE!!! REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 31 гру 2018
- Tuesday Gearday! and today, Napoleon is reviewing his acoustic/electric Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500 MCE, this baby is a beauty!
I purchased from sweetwater, here:
www.sweetwater.com/store/deta...
You can check out all the specs and read up about it.
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Thanks for checking out my review. This guitar really is a joy to play. Let me know down below if you’ve ever had a chance to get your hands on this one and if so what you thought of it.
I am considering buying one. The DR400 MCE is 300.00 cheaper. Is there a big difference in the guitars?
@@billpalmisano Besides the color and the model number, there's a magnetic neck pick up near the sound hole. Search on youtube as there's another guy playing it sounding like an electric guitar as well! The electronics on the DR 500 MCE is better and with a tuner as well! I have the exact same guitar and is also sounds fuller compared to my Taylor 614CE as the Epi is a dreadnought size.
artr2 I went to Guitar Center in Southington CT to check it out and found the DR400MCE VS on sale for 339.00 just before Christmas 2019. I bought it immediately. I am pleased with it. I play 99.9% unplugged so it didn't make sense to pay another 350.00 for electronics. I will say the electronics on the DR400MCE are pretty cheesy. Cheap. But a solid wood guitar for 339.00? Thanks for the video. Keep them coming.
@@billpalmisano agreed to every word you said! I admit that I do play the Taylor more, but there's something about our Epiphone Masterbilt that makes me want to sell my Taylor 614ce. And yes.. I'm actually selling it! Lol
Napoleon: I've played BG guitars 70 years (1949) so a pickup is as important to me as a double barreled shot gun. The pickers I hang out with would chunk me outta the jam session if I brought an amped acoustic guitar! They haven asked. Ask no questions and I tell no lies nuther words.
Mine is a little over 12 years old. I bought one the first year they were made. The wood has aged so well. The time just keeps getting batter.
I own many guitars and I always go back to the Masterbilt.
great review and I feel sold on this guitar
I enjoy your reviews and I also play an Epiphone Dr 212 12 String plus an Epiphone Tenor Ukulele.
YEAH!!! One of my favorite guitars!!! Nice job B!
John Schopp thank you sir! It really does play so well! What’s your favorite go to guitar for picking? Let’s see it on here!
Great review. I had one 4 years ago and sold it to buy a Takamine. I turned around and sound the Takamine and bought banished one of these guitars. One of the Best guitars out there. It’s my go to guitar, and I have a Taylor 410ce hanging on the wall next to it.
These are great guitars! I've had mine now for over a year and the sound is so full and rich and the acoustic resonance is fantastic. With all solid wood and a dove joint neck the DR-500 MCE feels substantial like a Dreadnaught should. One thing about the solid woods, is how the character of the guitar really starts to open up as it ages, so much more than my old laminate top ever did. This guitar literally sounds better every time I pick it up to play.
I used to always put 13's on my acoustics, but this sounded so good out of the box that I stayed with the 12's it came with and bumped up to D'Adarrio XS coated strings.
It is wonderful for finger style playing and campfire strumming. It really plays very well in all music styles.
I still drop by the music stores every now and then and play whatever is new on the wall and if I ever find a guitar that sounds and plays better than this one, for less than 2 grand, I'm buying it! But I don't really see that happening anytime soon.
The necks on these are awesome
I have the exact same guitar, The best purchase I’ve ever made without doubt. The build quality of these guitars is simply fantastic, I had the action lowered very slightly but that was just a personal preference. The tone and playability is superb and to be fair there is nothing in this price range that comes remotely close! Top end guitar at bottom end money.
Mike Rouse couldn’t agree more!
Id have to say the Alvarez masterworks are a better buy in this price range
I have a DR500-MCE NA and I love it! It's a gorgeous, well-built instrument with materials, construction, fit-and-finish and features well beyond its price point. The sound, both acoustically and from the pickups is beautifully warm with a nice touch of rumble when you strum full open-string chords. It's imminently playable and has a great feel. I love the feel of the neck and the cutaway is well designed so that you can easily take advantage of the access to the higher notes. 10/10, would recommend!
Cameron Clark couldn’t have said it any better!
how was the string action out of the box ?
@@anthonytavella7566 it was decent. I have spent the time to fine tune the action and dial in the intonation so that mine plays flawlessly. As with any new guitar, it had playable action ootb, but it needed to be dialed in to my style. When I first got it, I was just strumming and the action was fine for that, but as I've learned to play some lead and fingerstyle, I've needed a lower action. I have the high e at about .060" and the low E at about .080, so the action is in the electric guitar range. I adjusted the truss rod to provide juuuuust enough relief, leveled a few slightly high frets where the neck joins the body, fine tuned the compensation on my saddle to get the intonation as tight as it'll go, shaved the saddle and nut (a little at a time) until I have the string height set right where I want them and the already great tone improved massively once I was done. It was so much better that the guys in my jam crew all commented on how good it sounds. I love the touch of growl that I get when I dig into some open chords. It's my favorite guitar. Plays amazingly well and will absolutely sing!
If you're thinking about buying one, I'd say go for it. You won't find a better made guitar at it's price and you'll be hard pressed to equal it even if you throw a couple hundred more bucks into the equation. It's beautiful, has amazing tone and plays like buttah once set up to fit your style.
@@cameronclark595 dude, after reading your comments, I'm sold on this. Was also considering the Taylor 214ce Koa, but I can save a few hundred + by going with this Epiphone. Thank you!
just ordered mine today,used i must say but it should be ok....it sounds incredible friend,i have an alvarez flamed maple,and a Takamine but This guitar catched my eye since i played at SAM ASH,but the price tag is out of my budget..Thank you for the review.......Love the vintage sunburst look......God bless you SR.
Luciano Villegas so glad you enjoyed my review! I hope you get as much enjoyment out of your Epiphone as I have! ~Cheers!
Awesome play and great sounding guitar. Can you please elaborate more on the built quality and durability? Thanks
Sweetwarer is a class orgn. Ive bought 2 guitars from them. Always treated like a king!
Great video
Kentucky Poorboy thanks!
When I purchased my Epiphone DR400MCE I compared it to the DR500. I saw no appreciable difference in them. My picking pals say it holds\
it own against their Martin D28s and 35s. And one 914 Taylor
arthur ogle great comment! Glad your picking pals appreciate your 400MCE. THE Masterbilt guitars from epiphone certainly seem to be well built.
Just bought mine today.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed this guitar! It’s definitely my go to guitar!
Great review John, Can I ask you which is your favorite acoustic guitar?
Alan Colvin thanks for checking out our review! As for a favorite acoustic? I say you do get what you pay for... but your returns become smaller the more expensive you go. I feel dollar for dollar the Masterbilt is a great guitar. But I’d always recommend try some out and see which one speaks to you.
I've changed my tune re: Epiphone DR400 vs DR500. 500 hits further above it's weight class than my 400. But not appreciably!!!!
Hi! I Need a little advise. How's that guitar compare to Takamine GD93ce? Wich one is worth of buying?
I’ll be honest, I’m not very familiar with takamine guitars in general. And have not had the pleasure of trying out the one you mention. If you can get your hand on both before deciding, always recommend doing so. Takamine guitars are very nice and I’d think would be on par with Epiphone within same price points. I’m still using the masterbilt as my go to acoustic for what it’s worth. Also worth considering the DR-500 is all solid wood (front, back, and sides). Not sure on the Takamine.
I love that guitar
Guitaro I see you have a natural one, yeah they are great! I’ve got a couple epiphone acoustics and a casino as well. I hope to get a review up of them as well soon!
Happy new year to you!
Cheers!
What kind of acoutic electric guitar is the best sir ?
huy nguyen the “best” is subjective. Always try before you buy if you can. Typically you will get what you pay for, meaning the real expensive brands such as Martin, Gibson, and Taylor are very nice. But I think you can get great guitars in the next market down. Such as this Epiphone Masterbilt. An all solid wood guitar is gonna be nicer with time, but also more prowled to humidity issues. Best bet is get as much as you can afford. ~Cheers!
The only reason whatsoever for buying a DR400 instead of the DR500 was strictly a financial reason. I'm cool with both guitars. I've owned 4 Epiphones
in the 70 years I've played guitar (1949 BTW)
Good
First Name Last Name thank you sir!
Is that the vintage sunburst color?
Dominic oliver thanks for checking out my review. Yes this is the vintage sunburst DR-500 MCE.
how does the casino sound?
The occasional cheer but mostly groans of disappointment.
I was disappointed that you didn't show off the sound using both outputs.
Darrell Reeves yes, I’m a little disappointed in it myself. At the time of making my review I didn’t have access to a second amp to put it through. It’s really not one of the ways I’ve recorded with it... yet! There were some decent videos showing it through two amps when I bought mine, that I think were from epiphone themselves.
When you purchased it from Sweetwater, did you have any problems with it; (tuning stability, getting the action nice, low and playable, filing the nut, fretwork, etc.)?
Michael Balance thanks for watching my review and your question. I’ve had zero issues with this guitar. Sweetwater does a 55 point inspection on all there guitars, and sets them up right out of the box. This guitar also was Plek’d. The fretwork is great, no rough edges. I didn’t have to mess with the nut at all, the action was really playable for me. If you’re in the market for one, I always suggest you get your hands on one and try first if possible, but I have ordered from sweetwater delivered with no issues.
@@schopfieldmusic6329 I wish I had the money for it. I have a Hummingbird pro instead. Although it serves me well, I should've gone after this one. It has a really rich, shimmering sound it, from your video.
Michael Balance I have the dove pro. Very similar to the hummingbird I think (same price). It’s maple vs mahagony, so I wanted the different wood tone. Both are beautiful to look at, but year I think the masterbilt feels nicer to play. Not as loud acousticallly though.
@@schopfieldmusic6329 Yeah. They are kind of similar. In a sense, they're siblings
What I can't dig is commenters on these videos criticizing demonstrators for wearing a different brand T or Cap than the video!!!! Obviously the reviewer has
a Fender logo placard on the wall to his upper left. So what. I own 2 different brand guitars before. Reviewers playing a PRS but wearing a Martin cap. It
means nothing.
It means they love music. That's all that matters lol
WHAT happened to the DR-500MCE ? Discontinued ?? When and why? did they swap the ESonic pickup, for Fishman? When did they move from excellent Indonesia... to cheap China factory? Are the last models from China, not even Plek'd as Masterbilt's have always come Plek'd from factory ??
Its still made and on sale today at musiciansfriend as a stupid deal of the day. 499.99
@@JT-gm4fk
The DR-500 mce model is, in fact discontinued by Epiphone (probably so they don't compete with the new "Inspired by Gibson" line.
GC and MF still have some but a lot of them are store demos that they are clearing out. It's a great way to save money, but buyer beware that they won't be in brand new condition.
But if you can get a discount and one in decent shape, like I did, then it's a great deal.
Also watch out for the guy selling multiple open box versions on Reverb, they have more issues than he is willing to share.
The Esonic2 system sucks. It crackles and pops, and mine has completely stopped working on the nanoflex side, and the nanomag by itself sounds like shit. I took it to 2 different authorized repair shops, and of course they "worked fine" while the techs had the guitar. Then COVID happened and my guitar sat at a shop for almost a year and is out of warranty.
There is no direct replacement, as you have to buy the Esonic2 HD for 100 bucks, then you have to buy the "new" nanoflex pickup because the old one doesn't work with the upgraded Esonic2 HD. Since every single person on Earth has had trouble with these electronics, Epiphone should send out new units to everyone with the old Esonic2.
Has anyone replaced theirs with something else? I hear a lot about the LR Baggs Anthem, but I would like to just drop in a pre amp and connect my existing pickups to it.
Some of the electronics out there cost more than I paid for the guitar. This really sucks because I love the guitar itself and would buy another if not for the electronics.
must be nice to have real fingers
You asked for comments. I hope you were serious. I tend to subscribe to review channels that start out by going straight to the most significant aspect of each guitar being reviewed. In the case of the DR 500 MCE, the Esonic² pickup system is the most significant aspect. Yes, the quality of fit and finish is important. Yes, the cosmetics of finish and inlays are important. But what makes this guitar stand out from the crowd is the Esonic² pickup system. You didn't even mention it until over two-thirds of the way through the review! Worse, you didn't demonstrate the different tones you can get with each pickup.
George Erdner thank you for your comments! We will take them to heart and try and incorporate your suggestions going forward. Thanks.
In any Acoustic/electric guitar review, the acoustic sound and the build are the most important aspects because they cannot be changed.
For instance if you don't like the Sitka spruce/ mahogany sound, there is nothing you can do about it. On the other hand, if you don't like the piezo pick up or the pre-amp, you can change those out.
Also, Epiphone changed from using the Esonic2 system to a Fishman a while back, so which one should he discuss?
So you're saying the masterbilts aren't professional guitars ? You're obviously high ! They're awesome guitars. I'd put mine up against any guitar. Mines a cannon !
A difference of opinion does not make someone high. One could easily say the same about you
Sounds tinny to me
I just hope you're not watching on your phone.
@@gbc77000 maybe i jumped to conclusion, sounds decent. may just be that new string sound i'm hearing
Why do you review an "acoustic guitar" if you only test it using internal pickup instead of a quality microphone? Useless review.