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I have been playing guitar and a musician for over 30 years. I have a special thing for archtop guitars, and have a kind of old school blues/roots and jazz feel on the instrument. I have had a number of archtops though usually at the fairly cheap end of the spectrum. I like cheap guitars that are made well and this one qualifies. It is heavily built and clean finished, and very nice looking. It has a rather chunky neck which feels and plays wonderfully, very comfortable. It is bright and loud and barks like it should when attacked. It has an excellent blues tone and feel for me. It reminds me of a good quality vintage piece but does not need to be repaired and is not falling apart. The first one I had, had a crack at the seam and I returned it, still played great but that worried me. So you have to look out for the QC issues, but this one is all good, but the pickguard was not included for some reason, so getting that replaced by Gibson. Straight up, I know there have been some crappy reviews by the mostly jazz archtop snobs out there but I have played guitar forever and this is a very nice guitar for the money. It has the right archtop vibe and punch and does not cost thousands, seems built like a tank. It is addictive to play. I did compare this to an F-hole deluxe model and this was louder and better. I have another older epiphone masterbilt flattop that is better than most new $3k guitars and they did well again with this one. I will add that I bought this for its acounstic sound, but when I plugged it in to try the amplified sound was beautiful. My advice, don't listen to the negative snobs on this one. it is a very nice offering, just look it over carefully for quality and finish issues and buy from a place that has good service.

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I love this guitar! I was hesitant but the look, vibe, and cost made me go for it and im so glad I did. I dont play jazz or any style associated with this guitar, so take that into consideration with this review. I do a lot of two hand tapping and fingerstyle playing and this is where this guitar really shines in my opinion. It is loud, punchy, and articulate which is exactly what I was looking for. I feel like I dont have to compete in a mix with both the volume and tone of this guitar. Its sits right where I want it to. There is minimal bass response, but i like that. I play with a rhythm guitarist who takes up that space and the maple body allows for a natural eq mix of our unplugged sound. The look and feel are super cool and unique. Inlays like this in the 400 dollar range is nice. You dont see that very often. The body shape is also kinda unique and has a pretty large lower bout but tapers really well and makes it really comfortable sitting or standing. I was nervous about this because I was playing a jumbo a few years ago and hated the arm position my picking hand had but this is nothing like that. This guitar has the biggest baseball bat neck ive ever played and honestly I love it. I wasnt sure at first but it really helps support my hand during those hard to reach awkward chord shapes. But this could also be my improper technique. Either way, bigger is better and more comfortable for me.Now for the stuff I dont like. The case that goes with this guitar, most of the people say it doesnt fit and I took their word on it. I prefer a gigbag anyway, especially at this price point, but finding a bag with these dimensions was tough. Weird body shape=weird gigbag. I just think its annoying that the case epiphone made for it doesnt fit it. Also the tuners, which look great, are kinda weird. Theyre vintage cast and authentic replicas of 1930's tuners, which from my research means that they can slip from time to time while tuning. Once they are tuned, it holds really well, but getting it to tune can be challenging sometimes. There is alot of this discussion on forums and I honestly can live with it for now but i see myself changing them out in the future. The electronics sound like a piezo. You either love it or hate it. I cant stand it. That quack hurts my soul. I havent played live yet cause 2020, but when I do I imagine setting up a mic will be the best option. I swapped the strings for some 80/20 elixirs and filed the fret ends down myself, but at this price point I kind of expected it. (They werent terrible im just spoiled)My last topic is not really bad just sort of strange. This guitar is harsh in the driver seat. It is not smooth or soothing sounding. I dare say gnarly and aggressive while youre playing it, but 2 feet away on the receiving end facing the guitar, it is beautiful and full sounding. I think most guitars work this way but this one is to the extreme for some reason. Maybe because its an archtop. Im not sure, its my first one. Just food for thought. My final thoughts are for the price its an amazing guitar, maybe even "the guitar" for me. I couldnt be happier with it. For the price you end up with a unique guitar and sound, and unless youre playing old smoky jazz clubs(which you will be laughed out of there by those snobs for even just having a sound hole) youll have something that will definitely make you stand out. As always zZounds is amazing and is the only place I buy equipment online. The original guitar was damaged in shipping and it was replaced quickly. They wont let you down.

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This is my second guitar in the Epiphone Masterbilt series. I just had to have another to add to my growing collection, and I am absolutely amazed at the quality construction, gorgeous woods, and amazing finish. Couldn't find a single flaw. The neck and string action are perfect, the frets and fretboard are exquisite, and the guitar plays like it has been worn in from over a century of playing. Its a wonderful guitar to play, and beautiful to behold. The laminated maple back and sides have a gorgeous tiger stripe pattern, the arched top is a beautifully patterned spruce, and the fretboard and headstock inlays are amazing. Even the vintage style tuners are a nice touch. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Well worth the price.

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I feel like all of the other reviews are true in their own way about this guitar. It’s unique sounding, fun to play, and looks very good. My guitar kept asking where I got it and said that for a “cheap guitar” it’s really cool and surprisingly good.I would have to agree, the guitar feels well made when holding it and looking at it. The neck is very large but one of the most comfortable Guitars I’ve ever played. The action is pretty low and plays similar to an electric guitar but with acoustic strings. Very fun. I feel like it would sound excellent in recordings for rhythm parts and jazz or blues type music.My only issue is the same as others have mentioned. The first guitsr I got had a large watermark or finish imperfection on the back as well as some seams that were cracked. I returned the guitar and zZounds was awesome and sent me a brand new one that looked perfect. It sucked to have to wait but it was worth it once I got the new one. Lastly, I plugged this into my fender amp and it sounds amazing. I’m not sure what everyone else is talking about.