review
Epiphone Masterbilt EF-500M
The 1930’s were a very difficult time for America. The Great Depression robbed many people of their jobs, homes, and hope. The rise of dictatorships in Europe and Asia led to worldwide war by the end of the decade. Yet Americans persevered and eventually prevailed.
As in most troubled times, music played an important role in comforting and helping heal the heart of a generation. Guitars became increasingly popular during this decade, and Epiphone and Gibson became fierce rivals, constantly trying to one-up each other in an effort to win over the guitar buying public.
A Tradition Returns
Inspired by this golden age of guitar building, Epiphone has reintroduced the Masterbilt line of acoustic guitars. With design elements drawn right out of the 1930’s, including an “offset” headstock shape with historic Epiphone script logo and “stickpin” inlay, the Masterbilt’s looks invoke the feeling of being from a different era.
Features
The EF-500M features all solid wood construction with Mahogany back and sides and a Sitka Spruce top. A Rosewood version is also available. The guitar features a tapered dovetail neck joint, hand-scalloped bracing, and full-body abalone binding. A thin headstock with open-gear Grover tuners helps continue the “vintage” vibe of the guitar. A very deluxe, embroidered hard-sided gig bag with built-in hygrometer (an instrument used to measure humidity) is included to round out the package.
The EF Masterbilt models are fingerstyle guitars and feature a slightly wider neck than typical Dreadnaught models. The neck also has more of a “V” shape than traditional guitars, which becomes more pronounced as you move up the neck.
Construction
The Masterbilt line of acoustics are built in China. The construction of the review guitar I received was flawless, inside and out. The Mother Of Pearl diamond neck inlays fit tight and there were no rough fret edges to be found. I looked hard, but didn’t find anything to complain about.
Setup/Playability
The action was a hair higher than I prefer, but certainly playable. A small truss rod adjustment would take care of it. There were no string buzzes or other annoyances. The guitar is comfortable to hold and fun to play. The only concern some player may have is the “V” shaped neck, which gets a little thick as you move up the fretboard. Those with small hands will want to try this out for comfort.
Tone
The use of Mahogany for the back and sides, gives the EF-500M a warm tone with pronounced midrange and high end. Those looking for more bass will want to check out the Rosewood EF-500R. The use of solid woods and a light satin finish, make this a very resonant guitar. The guitar feels “alive” when played, and picking staccato notes reveals plenty of overtones as the body resonates the other strings.
When fingerpicking softly with my fingers the tone of the high strings was a bit subdued, but playing a little harder brought out the sparkle. Don’t be afraid to dig in, you’ll find a richer tone when you do. I should mention that this guitar also sounds great when strummed with a pick. Flatpicked arpeggios chime nicely too. And being a solid wood guitar, the tone should just get better with age.
Ideal Users
The wide neck makes this guitar ideal for fingerstyle players. Although any guitarist with large fingers may enjoy the extra room, as it sounds great with a pick also.
Final Thoughts
While the Epiphone line has long been considered “made to be played”, the Masterbilt EF-500M takes bang-for-the-buck to new heights. With its flawless construction, good looks, and great tone, it is obvious Epiphone is focusing their attention on both value and quality. When you consider that you can get a great sounding and playing, solid wood guitar with a very nice case for $600, perhaps this century is the golden age of guitar building.
Reader Comments
Better Guitar encourages your input. Agree with this review? Think I’m crazy? If you own or have played an Epiphone Masterbilt EF-500M, email me your comments and I’ll post them below. The more opinions our readers have available, the better their buying decisions will be.
Steve Kennedy
[EF500RC comments.] The Gibson I wanted was way out of my reach, so this is the closest guitar I could find and I have much to be happy about. It is amazing value for money as I can’t find any significant flaws. The tone is excellent and will improve with time, it plays superbly without any adjustment to the “set up” and is even over all the strings and up and down the fretboard. Frets are flawless and the mahogany neck (not soft v style on this model) is great to play as the satin finish feels smooth under your thumb. It has a distinct character and personality, the pick up is very responsive and noise free. The look and finish is vintage and very cool. The guitar is a joy to play and to put things in perspective if I suddenly had the money to buy a top Gibson or Martin I would keep this guitar out on its stand and it would get played often... that is a very good “wrap” for a medium price guitar which has the feel and playability of a guitar 2 or 3 times the price.
Nick Holywell
I just wanted to give a rap to the Epiphone Masterbilt guitars. I bought an AJ (Advanced Jumbo) Rosewood and really love the resonance and volume of the guitar. I also really love the neck. Compared to a Martin it has a brasher tone but, my goodness, it is loud. I played acoustically at an Irish session in a noisy pub and this guitar cut through, especially the big bottom end. I fitted this with a LR Baggs M1 active pickup which conveys the lovely bottom end of this guitar very well. Very happy with this pickup. I like this guitar so much I am paying off an EF 500RA and looking forward to playing this. This is also a real “room filler.” Really loud and resonant.
Gordon Ovenshine
I’ve played several Epiphone MasterBilts and like them a lot, especially for the money. I am a little leery of satin finishes and wish these had gloss finishes like my Gibson WM-45. I prefer Mahogany bodies but the Rosewood Epiphone MasterBilts holds up. I may actually prefer Rosewood for the EF-500. Some players may resist the V-style neck but I feel it contributes to its vintage vibe.
Gary Amstutz
Yes, I played the Epiphone Masterbilt in a guitar shop the other day. Quite frankly I wasn’t expecting much from a $650 guitar, but I was really surprised at what I heard. It wasn’t the loudest guitar in the shop but all of the strings were in tune all the way up the neck. Often on a less expensive guitar the further up the neck you play the more out of tune it is. That was not the case with this guitar. All of the notes stood out and blended well in their own quiet way. My test is to play the Beatles Blackbird because it is all over the neck. Then you here what stands out and what doesn’t. The thing I noticed right away about the Masterbilt was that nothing in particular stood out. The volume level seemed very consistent all over the neck and again there was a good blending of the notes. The open notes sounded the same as depressing the strings. This is supposed to be the discount line of Gibson and I suppose it is. It is not a Martin D-28 but I think you could have all kinds of fun with this guitar while you are saving up for your Martin. (Your life savings.)
stats
- • Nickel hardware
- • Scale: 25.5"
- • Nut width: 1.75"
- • Set Mahogany neck
- • Mother of Pearl diamond inlays
- • Bound body
- • Solid Mahogany top and sides
- • Solid Sitka Spruce top
- • Finishes: Natural, Vintage Sunburst
Positives
- Flawless construction; great tone; cool “vintage” looks; deluxe gig bag; solid wood construction.
Negatives
- Some players may not like the “V” shaped neck.
Rating
- Performance: 9
- Sound Quality: 9
- Construction: 10
- Overall: 9.3
Ratings Key
- 0 = Worthless
- 10 = Excellent
Estimated Street Price
- $499
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Available At Guitar Center
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Epiphone Masterbilt EF-500M Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar Natural Satin Nickel
Company
- Epiphone