Epiphone J-45 AVS

Well made instrument, Good quality. Sound acoustically is good, but not as mid-rangy as I had expected knowing the Gibsons, like the J-160. Of course this has a sold top and cross bracing (the J-160 has a laminated top and ladder bracing - totally different animal...) Electronics are another matter. Don't expect to gig with this guitar. Swapping out the battery requires loosening most of the strings, and there is no indicator that the battery is dying, And the piezo needs a fair amount of EQ. It is usable, but when the battery goes you're done. Time for a break.

But aside from my dissatisfaction with the piezo, the quality of the guitar is pretty impressive, aside from the fret work, which is very sub standard. Expect to get the frets leveled, as they are all over the place.

Solid wood, amazing sunburst finish, nitro-cellulose finish, and a third of the cost of the Gibson. I can't imagine the Gibson sounds that much better. The case for the Epi is a little over 100 Euros, and is great quality and fits the guitar like a glove. Wonderful guitar with a great tone and play-ability. But you will need a fret job, so add another 100 Euros or so to get the frets leveled.

I have owned my Epiphone J-45 for almost two years now and am very pleased with the overall sound and playability of the guitar. The guitar has a well-rounded tone, especially bass and mid for playing rhythm, but sounding great on lead parts as well. I'm more interested in the acoustic sound of the guitar, as opposed to playing it through an amplifier, so I can't comment too much on the pickup and amplified sound other than it being an additional feature for those who might be interested in it.

Gibson guitars, and by extension Epiphone guitars, have somewhat of a reputation for spotty quality control, and unfortunately some of this can be found on the J-45 I received as well. While the overall guitar certainly looks very pretty, there are a few minor blemishes such as the rosette fading out a bit on one side. Additionally, there is a slight narrowing of the neck near the heel where it has apparently been over-sanded, though I found that this did not affect playability whatsoever. The pins are also set a bit deep in the bridge, making them hard to remove from the outside. Over time, the guitar developed a slight buzz on the bass strings which I haven't managed to resolve yet with a truss rod adjustment, so possibly the bridge might require a shim or some fret might be causing the issue. I accepted these faults when taking into account the quality of the guitar's sound and feel, but it is up to each individual buyer to decide whether they mind such quality control issues at this somewhat higher price point. Additionally, it would be appreciated if Epiphone included a gig bag at this price, if not a full-blown case, but you will unfortunately have to buy it separately if needed.

Adding on to the point of quality control, there is a definite variance between different guitars of this same Epiphone J-45 model. I managed to see and play a few of these guitars and noticed both noticeable differences in the neck profile as well as some slight tonal differences, so keep in mind that the J-45 you are playing might not be exactly the same as another J-45. It comes down to whether the particular guitar feels right for you.

To summarize, the Epiphone J-45 looks and sounds wonderful, but you might have to live with a few quality control issues. The price is a bit steeper compared to some competitors, but the sound and feel of the guitar are still punching above it's weight, therefore offering good overall value.