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Epiphone J-45 Studio EC Solid Top (Ebony)

  • Based on 148 reviews
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$369.00 Why this price?

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Color: Ebony


Features

  • Advanced Jumbo shape with rounded cut-away and a solid Sitka Spruce top.
  • Glued in Mahogany neck with Rounded C neck profile.
  • Pau Ferro fingerboard with 20 medium frets.

Description

The Epiphone AJ-220SCE may be the best value in the acoustic/electric guitar industry today. Since the introduction in 1998 of Epiphone's Advanced Jumbo acoustics, the AJ-220SCE carries on the tradition of unequaled quality and performance for far less than you would expect to pay. That Legendary "Advanced Jumbo" Sound In 1936, Gibson introduced the "Advance Jumbo" (AJ) acoustic guitar. With it's one-inch wider 16" lower bout, rounded or sloped shoulder dreadnought shape and a 25.5" scale length, the AJ was a powerful flat-top referred to in later Gibson literature as an "acoustic cannon." Today, this legendary design is carried over with Epiphone's new AJ-220SCE acoustic guitar. Balanced Tone that Rings Like a Bell With it's bell-like shape featuring a larger lower bout and smaller, round upper bout, the AJ has a very focused and balanced tone. The bass is deep, rich and loud while the highs have a crispness and brilliance that cuts through. Most noticeable however, is the clear mid-range that's never muddy like the typical square- shouldered dreadnought. The result is an AJ acoustic guitar that's often been described as the perfect instrument for the soloist or singer/songwriter with a sound that blends with vocals. And, it's generous and elegant Venetian cutaway enables you to access the upper frets with ease. Premium Electronics The AJ-220SCE is equipped with Shadow's new "Performer Tuner(tm)" preamp and NanoFlex(TM) pickup system, and comes alive when plugged in. Made by Shadow Germany, the new Performer preamp features all the controls you need to tailor the sounds of your acoustic to suit your playing style, volume level and venue size. Professional features on this state-of-the-art preamp include a built-in chromatic Tuner, Master Volume, Bass, Treble, low Battery indicator and a Phase switch to help eliminate unwanted feedback. It also features a Tuner/Mute button which comes in handy when plugging in or unplugging your guitar. The preamp uses two 2032 lithium watch batteries that are not only lightweight, but provide significantly longer life than old-fashioned, heavy 9V batteries. Under the AJ-220SCE's compensated saddle, is Shadow's proprietary NanoFlex, low-impedance pickup. Not a piezo, this unique flexible sensing material features integrated active electronics and picks up not only string vibration but also top and body vibrations as well for a truly acoustic tone without the harshness of piezos. Quality Materials and Construction While the AJ shape plays a big role in it's signature sound, the AJ-220SCE benefits from the use of premium materials and traditional construction methods. The top is made of solid Sitka Spruce that not only sounds great right out of the box, but actually improves as it ages. Complementing this are back and sides made of select Mahogany fitted to a solid Mahogany neck. For great stability, tone and sustain, the neck is glued into the body using TiteBond(TM) glue and a traditional dovetail neck joint. Easy and comfortable to play, the neck shape or profile is Epiphone's classic 1960's SlimTaper(TM) D-shape with a smooth, fast satin finish. Upscale Features Not typically found on instruments in this price range, Epiphone packs even more value into the AJ-220SCE. Included is a bound fingerboard for a clean look and smooth feel, premium sealed die-cast tuners with 14:1 gear ratio for tuning accuracy and stability, a solid "reverse-belly" Rosewood bridge with compensated saddle for traditional looks and accurate intonation and a tortoise-colored pickguard with traditional metal "E" to protect the top against pick marks. Peace Of Mind The AJ-220SCE comes with the Epiphone Lifetime Limited Warranty featuring Gibson 24/7/365 Customer Service and guarantees the guitar against defects in materials or workmanship. Now that's performance and VALUE! SpecificationsTop Material: Solid Sitka Spruce Body Material: Select Mahogany Neck Material: Solid Mahogany with satin finish Neck Shape: SlimTaper(TM) D-Shape Neck Joint: Dovetail; Glued-In Scale Length: 25.5" Fingerboard Material: Rosewood with "Dot" inlays Fingerboard Radius: 12" Trussrod: Adjustable via headstock Frets: 20; medium/jumbo Binding: 6-Layer body; Front, 1-Layer; Fingerboard Nut Width: 1-11/16" Hardware: Nickel Machine Heads: Sealed, Die-cast; 14:1 ratio Bridge Pickup: NanoFlex(TM) low-impedance pickup Controls: Shadow Performer Tuner(TM) Preamp, Master Volume, Phase (feedback cancellation), Treble EQ, Bass EQ, Tuner/Mute Button, Built-in Chromatic Tuner Power: Two 2032 Lithium Batteries Bridge: Solid Rosewood; Reverse-belly Saddle: Compensated; PVC Pickguard: Simulated Tortoise with metal "E" Output Jack: Metal Endpin Jack with 1/4" output Strap Buttons: Yes Warranty: Epiphone Limited Lifetime


Item Weight: 6 pounds


Product Dimensions: 44 x 17 x 7 inches


Item model number: EE2SEBNH3


Batteries: 2 CR2 batteries required.


Is Discontinued By Manufacturer: No


Date First Available: June 1, 2011


Back Material: Mahogany


Body Material: Wood


Color Name: Ebony


Fretboard Material: Pau Ferro


Guitar Pickup Configuration: Fishman Presys-II


Scale Length: 24.75"


String Gauge: Light


String Material: Bronze/Steel


Top Material: Solid Sitka Spruce


Neck Material Type: Mahogany


Number of Strings: 6


Guitar Bridge System: Rosewood with compensated bone saddle


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Top Amazon Reviews


  • everything I was hoping for
Color: Ebony
I picked this guitar up via a Lightning Deal because I'd been looking for something I could take to gigs that was a compromise. I have an amazing vintage dreadnought I use at home, but I wasn't about to play gigs with it because (a) I don't want anything to happen to it, and (b) I'd never found a pickup that could do it justice. I've always been cynical about acoustic-electrics because in my experience most of them are just... meh. They're not the most versatile things; most of the ones I've played sound alright when plugged in but sound like stringed tinfoil on their own, which kinda defeats the purpose of having an acoustic-electric in the first place. But I figured, this was inexpensive enough that it wouldn't be a major loss if it only sounded good plugged-in. I was very pleasantly surprised! The unplugged tone is actually pretty darn good. It sounds lovely, has an impressive sustain that rings for ages, and is downright pleasant to listen to. The neck is nice and dreadnought-wide (how I like 'em!) but the body is smaller and narrower, which makes it much more usable as a gigging instrument. The default strings are pretty reasonable--I'll probably change 'em out but that's because I like my strings ridiculously heavy. It's reasonably well-balanced--a little heavy towards the top half because of the bigger neck and headstock, I think. The neck is a little sticky but plenty playable. I would probably try to clean it up and make it faster if I wasn't mostly an open-chording singer-songwriter, but out of the box, it works just fine for me. I've had no problems with fret buzz or the action so far. The built-in electronics are unobtrusive and easy to operate; the built-in chromatic tuner is particularly cool because it's designed in such a way that it's ridiculously easy to read under pretty much any circumstances. (there's a light that tells you the note you're nearest, and then others that indicate how close you are to that specific pitch. After about one minute, I barely even had to look at it while I was tuning. Very clever, I think.) The finish is lovely but definitely Fingerprint City. I also wish it came with a gig bag or something, but alas; on the other hand, unlike a lot of other Gibson and Epiphone guitars, it fits rather nicely in my standard generic acoustic-guitar case because the headstock isn't super-enormous. All in all, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a surprisingly decent workhorse acoustic/electric. I think it would probably be the ideal guitar for a lot of casual musicians. One star off for a cosmetic issue: mine actually does not have a pickguard on it. I'm not sure exactly how that happened; somebody at the Epiphone factory was asleep at the wheel. But I contacted Amazon and they actually gave me a partial refund, so bonus points to them for that. Edited to add some things I've noticed after a couple months of daily use: -It does tend to sound tinny if you're recording it straight. When I do demos or record practice sessions, I don't plug it into anything, I just use the voice memo feature on my ipod and the built-in microphone. I've noticed that with this guitar, as compared to my other instruments, there's definitely a metallic edge to it that sounds a little grating. Not that it matters, because you don't buy an acoustic-electric to make "real" recordings unplugged, haha. Just something I wanted to make a note of. -The built-in electronics have worked out perfectly for me. It sounds great--clean, and with a lot of depth. And because the body is designed to give you a big sound all by itself, it's very handy for someone like me. I play a lot of shows in dive bars that don't have monitors, so if my guitar doesn't sound big enough independent of the electronics, I can't hear anything and it gets real frustrating, real fast. -It doesn't stay in tune over time terribly well. I'm spoiled because my Guild dreadnought will literally stay in tune for weeks no matter what you do to it, and this one is one that definitely needs to be tuned on a regular basis. It'll get you through a 45-minute set, etc. just fine but it's not a grab and go kind of guitar, at least as far as the intonation is concerned. But with the built-in tuner, etc. it's not exactly a big deal at all. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 18, 2011 by jthx

  • After several purchases, this one is the Best Buy under $500. And I got it for half that.
Color: Ebony
Wow. This is my third purchase. Had to send back the Yamaha because of a huge nick. It was a nice guitar though with the exception of the huge nick that was in it. Then I purchased the Ibanez. Highly disappointed with that purchase. I was kicking myself for not going back to the Yamaha. But after playing the Ibanez, noticed a rattle in the first string. There were no signs as to what it could be. Thoroughly inspected the whole guitar but nothing. So I sent it back. Then I made the epiphone purchase. Finally found a great quality guitar with huge sound. I am not a professional. But been around enough to recognize quality especially for the money. This has the quality of a much higher guitar. Great for beginners to pros. You will not be disappointed. I thought the Yamaha was good quality as well. But I would select this one over any others under $500. This one is a great buy. As long as it last me many years. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 2, 2015 by Longhorns

  • Great guitar, but had an issue after a few months
Color: Ebony
I do really like this guitar a lot. It has a great sound for being so cheap. It would be 5 stars. However, after a few months of having it, the washer on the inside of the guitar that keeps the cable hookup/strap holder came completely loose causing it to come out of the guitar. I had to take off my strings and try to cram my hand in there to tighten it. Thankfully, I have long fingers or else I would have been out of luck. I tried to put some pliers in there to screw it on tight, but I couldn't get a good angle or see what I was doing. So, I'm hoping it doesn't come loose again. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 7, 2015 by Jesse A. Freeman

  • Quality craftsmanship, great sound, action is low -- good for beginners.
Color: Ebony
Everything about this guitar is nice. I've had an Epiphone for 30 years, and this one is very similar. I bought the Pro-1 for my son, and returned it immediately, as there were some issues, and ordered this one. For an extra $100, you get tons more in quality. I want him to look at this guitar many years down the road and be able to enjoy it. Would not have happened with the other. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 22, 2018 by Derrick Cole

  • wonderful
Color: Vintage Sunburst
This is a awesome guitar. All the fitting and finish is great. It has a satin finished neck so your hands slide easier than a gloss. One of the best tuner/preamp systems available. Solid spruce top and mahogany sides and bottom and a slim tapered neck. The sound is better than the Dove, Texan or Hummingbird, it rings like a bell from low to high range. No muddy mid tones that is typical af a square-shouldered dreadnought. If you play this epiphone beside guitars that cost thousands it will be difficult if not impossible to notice any sound difference. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 21, 2013 by Scott

  • Hands down no competition
Color: Vintage Sunburst
Beautiful acoustic guitar I don't know where to start. Shipped fast and on time. No damage, beautiful finish , strings needs a little tuning. It came with batteries already in the tuner. Also a starters manual, a few stickers and a plug for your amp ..the only thing ide suggest is they leave at least one or two picks but other than that excellent guitar.. Well worth the money ide buy it over and over again ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 13, 2015 by John ponce

  • $1000 plus Guitar for, well now it's $299
Color: Ebony
Get one before they raise the price more! I Bought this one for my son, it came out of the box perfect, well I did remove one bridge shim because I like low action. Great sound, great deal. Great Gibson tone and as loud as my Martin D35, what a deal for $210.00 Limited addition, neck, frets all was ready to plug in and play or play unplugged. Comparable (better than) to most $1000 guitars I have tried. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 19, 2013 by Garyb

  • Smooth Rich Sound
Color: Ebony
This guitar is amazing!! I bought it as a lightning deal during Christmas season, and I have had so many compliments on it! Above that though, it plays wonderfully! I love the fullness of it, and the built-in tuner is a lifesaver on stage. The only thing that I have to say negatively about it is that I'll have to buy a special case to carry it in. Oh! It also shipped in a very timely fashion! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 18, 2012 by Anon

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