Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
A couple weeks ago, I was checking out acoustics at Sam Ash and stumbled upon a beautiful AJ100 Advanced Jumbo copy that amazingly sounded and played as good as any $1500 - $2000 acoustic. It was so good that I bought it, and even two weeks later I love it as much as my Martin D-28. It sounds very much like a Taylor 410.
So, my friend told me to put a deposit on one for him.
I did some research, and apparently the Chinese Qingdao/Gibson factory made it, and they also make all the high end Epiphones.
I went to pick up my friend's special ordered AJ100, and to my disappointment, the guitar had crappy wood, and played like all the cheap guitars. The tone wasn't terrible but nowhere near as good as mine. It also had black faux binding, not the nice cream binding like mine. On the back of the headstock it said INDONESIA. I also found out that an employee was angry because MY guitar was not supposed to be sold....it was his prize for selling the most Epiphones. So, I got one that Epiphone may have put special mojo into.
Now, I don't know what to say. I still haven't played another Chinese AJ100 to compare it to, and hate to recommend it till I know the deal. All I can say is go to your local shop and see if they have the $99 AJ100 made in China with white binding. You may end up with a killer one, or maybe they're all cheap sounding. I really don't know.
Here's the one I got. The cheap tuners stay in tune, so I just removed the chrome covers so it has the open gear look. This guitar is an anomaly....it's a $99 guitar that holds it's own against a $2500 Gibson Advanced Jumbo.
Notice the reflection of the cloudy skies on the top.
So, my friend told me to put a deposit on one for him.
I did some research, and apparently the Chinese Qingdao/Gibson factory made it, and they also make all the high end Epiphones.
I went to pick up my friend's special ordered AJ100, and to my disappointment, the guitar had crappy wood, and played like all the cheap guitars. The tone wasn't terrible but nowhere near as good as mine. It also had black faux binding, not the nice cream binding like mine. On the back of the headstock it said INDONESIA. I also found out that an employee was angry because MY guitar was not supposed to be sold....it was his prize for selling the most Epiphones. So, I got one that Epiphone may have put special mojo into.
Now, I don't know what to say. I still haven't played another Chinese AJ100 to compare it to, and hate to recommend it till I know the deal. All I can say is go to your local shop and see if they have the $99 AJ100 made in China with white binding. You may end up with a killer one, or maybe they're all cheap sounding. I really don't know.
Here's the one I got. The cheap tuners stay in tune, so I just removed the chrome covers so it has the open gear look. This guitar is an anomaly....it's a $99 guitar that holds it's own against a $2500 Gibson Advanced Jumbo.
Notice the reflection of the cloudy skies on the top.
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