(see rating details)

Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

The Epiphone Broadway is a well-appointed instrument that would be a bargain at twice the price. I've been playing guitar for almost 30 years and I've owned many guitars that cost five times more than the Broadway. I am pleasantly surprised - shocked, even - than an instrument THIS good is available at such a reasonable price point.Aesthetically, the Broadway is gorgeous out of the box. The vintage natural polyurethane finish is glossy and durable, though lacks the traditional charm of nitrocellulose. A heavy poly coat prevents the Broadway's hollow body from resonating optimally, though this is likely only an issue for very, very picky aficionados. The headstock inlay and Art Deco fingerboard inlays are beautiful and precisely installed. Tonally, the Broadway is responds extremely well to heavier flatwound strings. Simple truss rod, saddle, and bridge adjustments are all that's needed to accommodate flatwounds. Even with heavy strings (12+) the Broadway's action stays low and playable, with no fret buzz. Chords ring cleanly and single-note runs are articulate - both acoustically and when plugged in. Grover tuners are accurate and reliable, and the fret dressing is impeccable from the factory. The slim-taper 60s neck is substantive yet never unwieldy, though I'm accustomed to playing large necks on Les Pauls and 335s. Jumping from a Telecaster to a Broadway may feel like work for beginners.The stock pickups are good, though not as articulate as USA-made PAF replicas. The bridge pickup is understandably thin - but who uses a giant jazz guitar with the bridge pickup? The neck pup provides warm, round tones that respond incredibly well to variances in pick attack. Too dark? Use an acrylic pick. Too bright? Lean toward casein, acetate, or wood picks. Overall, I am thrilled with Epiphone's recent quality control improvements and couldn't be happier with my Broadway. It's not an acoustic archtop: don't expect it to be one. Though if you're looking for an affordable way to dip your toes into Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Jim Hall, or Grant Green style tones, the Broadway will get you much of the way there with cash to spare.

Musical Background:

Musical Style:

(see rating details)

Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

This guitar packs as much joyful mojo in it as any $1000 strat I've ever owned. I mean the vibe and musicality coming from this hollowbody Broadway played through my Princeton 65 and Blues Jr eclipses all set ups I've ever owned. The Broadway is special and, in a way, a sacred instrument full of history. Conceived by Epi himself. The mellow complex nuanced tones, even for non jazz, is an absolute kick because I play and sound better than I'm ordinarily able to do. With the Broadway tone you're halfway to complete freedom of musical expression. Just play.

Musical Background:

Musical Style:

(see rating details)

Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

I have been anticipating the arrival of the Vintage Natural finish on this guitar for several months. The cosmetic choice was simply to have a different look than another guitar I already own. When it launched, there were few photos to get a good picture of the oversll look and construction. Then, a couple of weeks ago, zZounds loaded the set of pics I was waiting to see. I was skeptical. The guitar looks okay in the photos. I was sitting on the fence. There are a few different L-5’s I’m leaning toward but want to make sure before dropping that kind of coin. I noticed in the rear headstock shot the Made in China sticker. I was gonna let it go and move on. And, almost did. I recently picked up a Wine Red Joe Pass Emperor II Pro from zZounds (Made in Indonesia) and was thoroughly impressed. I love it! I’ve been playing it almost as much as the tried and true that I’m used to playing. So, I thought, ahh what the heck, why not?I ordered the Broadway on a Saturday night and it arrived Tuesday morning. I was pleased... I tried to stay calm and give it a chance. I cleaned the factory newness off with a finish cloth and tuned ‘er up and slowly started to get the feel for my new family member. What the hell, who am I kidding. For the price it is a great buy!I am sorry for having been a snob about Chinese guitars. This one got me. The fit and finish is on a par with some American models in the same and slightly higher price range. But, more importantly, the design is a classic archtop acoustic electric that is carried off to near pefection in this model. I do own an L-5 and it would be unfair to compare the two head to head. But, that’s not the point. The point is playability and joy. This guitar is an absolute joy. It has a voice all its own and the action is so light. I played her for about 4 hours on the first sitting. I wiped her down and put her on her new stand in the family. I came back to the zZounds website to see what I missed.. why didn’t I see the beauty of this guitar. I started reading the specs, all over again... I don’t know how many times I read them before ordering. And then, I crossed the reviews and saw there were none. I’m not big on expreesing my opinion on instruments. Each has it’s own personality and value and, as the old saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.I felt compelled to write this review, not only as praise of this instrument but, to admit how wrong I was with a pre-conceived notion that a guitar made in China would somehow be inferior... Boy, I was wrong!And, I am grateful to admit it.

Musical Background:

Musical Style:

(see rating details)

Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

I bought this after looking over tons of hollow body guitars. I was really excited to get it. Open the box, right away noticed the finish was cracked and serrated enough to scratch your hand where the head stock joins the neck on both sides of the neck. There was even a little chunk missing out of the finish where I could see bare wood. Looking even closer beneath the finish I could see a crack where two pieces of wood were actually separating in about the same area. I checked over the rest of the guitar and I hear something moving around inside the guitar, was able to get it out turned out to be a wood shard with some tape attached to it. Talked with zZounds customer service to see if I was accidentally sent a blemished model but they confirmed it was supposed to be new. Thought about getting a replacement sent but I'm just returning it and not even going to go for this model again. Beautiful guitar but these issues should have easily been caught by who ever does the QC at Epiphone. zZounds customer service was amazing as always this review is not a reflection on them but on the guitar itself.