Epiphone Masterbilt DR500 MCE vs Taylor 214CE
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- Опубликовано: 22 окт 2024
- Say what you will about Epiphone, but I found a truly remarkable instrument in the Masterbilt DR500MCE. To prove the point, I shoot it out against a well respected and widely used Taylor, the 214CE.
I bought the Masterbilt from Joshua Ingram at Guitars to be Played in Nashville. I was able to play the guitar before buying it and he was kind enough to make some adjustments for me while I waited.
You can find this guitar and many many others at his Reverb.com page at: reverb.com/sho....
Not only is Josh a very nice guy, he is a killer player himself, as my son and I had the opportunity to witness!
Please note, I am a producer by profession and not a guitar player. So, please don't shoot the messenger!
Walked into a guitar center and asked the guitar expert which acoustic electric guitar he would buy for himself for 700 or less. Without a thought he walked straight to the Epiphone. That was four years ago and I absolutely love it.
This video is exactly how comparison videos should be made- playing one song thru on each guitar then splicing back and forth during the playing. You get the immediate comparison of the sound. Going back and forth several times allows you to make judgements along the way and check if they were accurate. Nice playing too! Geesh. Perfect studio playing technique- consistent, reliable, accurate playing. Bravo my friend!
To my ear the Epi is fuller and richer tonally...I find most Taylors sound too mid-rangey. Factoring in price its no contest. I ll take this Epi hands down.
Honestly, B stock seems to be the way to go for the money. I mean, I abuse this guitar playing out, but it delivers!
Well, the Epi is a dreadnought and the Taylor is a grand auditorium body. It's kind of apples and oranges. It all depends on what you're looking for in the guitar. In this case I would say the Epi will be a better strummer, with fuller warmth, but the Taylor will tend to have more clarity and distinction for things like finger picking. I've been actually comparing Epi's to Taylors in this price range at a local guitar shop and the Taylor's have completely won me over, but I do a lot of finger picking..so yeah, just my 2 cents.
@john dolores I realize that the shapes are different, but when many people are looking for guitars, they weigh a lot of factors. Of course shape is one of them, but I would not think it uncommon for someone looking for a guitar in the $500-$1500 dollar range to legitimately compare the 214CE vs. the DR500MCE. I own them both, and probably would not have bought the 214 had a 500MCE been in the room at the time. I pick and strum, and still prefer the 500MCE over the Taylor in both categories. I believe in the bang for the buck category it is definitely fair.
I used to own a car that had been the actual car used in Motor Trend's 1991 Bang for the Buck Sports Car edition. It was an Isuzu Impulse AWD turbo. Even though it only had a 1.6 liter turbo motor, it was up against the Mustang GT and the RX-7. Clearly, my car did not win, and clearly it was not even in the same class as the other 2 I mentioned, but Motor Trend thought it was fair when price vs. performance were the primary metrics.
strange how two people can hear the opposite...
Went to 2 local music shops to try Taylor under a Grand guitars not impressed then I came across this video you sold me sir, no comparison in this shootout, gotta buy a Masterbuilt now . Thanks for the video
I love my Masterbilt. It is the reason why I sold my Taylor 214CE.
I'm pretty sure I haven't played the Taylor since I made this video!
Been there done that..lol
Had a dr500mce. Sold it to upgrade to a 214ce deluxe so I thought. Sold the Taylor after 3 months and bought a new DR500MCE ..... lol.
Me too! Lol. I gave my Epiphone dr500 to my daughter when I bought the Taylor, and I eventually took the Epiphone back, sold the Taylor and bought her another Epiphone.
This guitar equipped with elixir 11052's sounds sooo good.
It seems that we as Americans have been targeted by marketing all of our lives and just cannot comprehend that a guitar that costs $300 less (current pricing) can be the equal or even a superior instrument. But that is the case here, where the Epi presents a fuller and more classic acoustic sound than the Taylor.
I am looking to upgrade to a new acoustic and was considering the Taylor 214ce, but after this demo and my own ears at the store I will be going with the Epiphone Masterbilt.
Thank you for the demonstration. It's clear to me that the Epiphone is so much "warmer" than the Taylor. I suppose the only advantage of the Taylor is the removable neck. Do you know if your Epiphone was made in China, or Indonesia. Thank you.
I thought I was “off” when I fell in love with my masterbilt before I bought it. All guitars have their place and for the money the masterbilt does indeed give you so much bang for the buck. Solid wood guitar, incredible sound - thanks for the comparison back to back. I also took mine home after I purchased it and did the same thing and compared it to my other “higher end” guitars and the masterbilt is my go to guitar. The DR500 MCE is just amazing.
Wow! Great testimonial!
Let me say. I do own both of these guitars as well. The Masterbilt is amazing. I’ve had mine close to 8 years. The longer the wood ages the better the guitar sounds.
My Taylor is now my backup.
I am a professional musician. I get so many compliments on the Masterbilt.
Folks can’t believe it’s a Epiphone
I agree, I would have never thought I would buy an Epiphone...but my used DR500 MCE masterbuilt sounded so good I bought it on the spot. Only found out later why the masterbuilts sound so good.
@@cdk3law mine was used-tried every guitar under 2500 nd came home with a $700 dr 500-i wanted to spend more but the sound was unbeatable for that range.
I don't sing, so the sound profile of the Taylor is irrelevant. But, in either case, I'm not a fan of the Taylor sound. The feel of a nice Taylor is hard to beat. But, in my case, I chose the feel and sound of the DR500 over Martin D18's, D
28's and a few custom builds, like Santa Cruz, Collings and Lowden. I can't sit and tell you that the one that I bought was a "better" guitar in terms of sound, playability and feel. It was however the favorite of the guys in the shop, and it was evident based on the condition of the strings and the owners reaction of, "I see you've found the gem." It was way ahead of the other DR500's in the shop. And, dollar for dollar, the most guitar for the money. The boutique guitars may age better, they may play a bit easier, they may even sound better, but not $5000-$7000 better. Some will say that the resale is better. I'm ok with that too, because after 2 years of being played 4-6 hours a day, the DR500 isn't for sale.
Nicely done. Splicing the two guitars while playing the same song gives a real comparison. I am considering the Epiphone Dr500MCE at Christmas 2019. I have done tons of research and I'm thinking I'm gonna go for it.
Thank you! Your video helped me to decide for a Epiphone masterbilt as my guitar for life. Greetings from Brazil
That’s great!
The Epiphone sounded clearer and had more depth to its tone.
This was a great shootout foe me as I was looking at buying one of these for a good recording acoustic and I have to say I like the sound of the epi and a grand cheaper . This was exactly what I needed THANKS Bro
I have had the Epiphone for seven years....I love it..sounds much better than my Martin plugged in
Got my DR500 MCE used from guitar center and fell in love with it at first strum...
I bought Taylor 224ce-k DLX after I bought Epiphone Masterbilt I played them side by side I decided to return Taylor 224ce-k back and it also costs tripple more than Epiphone masterbilt, you have to play them side by side to see which one sound better.
For some of us who have been playing acoustic guitars for a long time, and I don't just mean for a practice session but over years, the fatigue on the hands, especially the left hand can be discouraging. With this Masterbilt Dr500 the thin neck is comparable to the feel of a very solid electric guitar but the acoustic sound is clear and crisp with beautiful bass tones and almost no stress on the hands. Thanks for the video.
I bought my Masterbilt 500mce when the Masterbilts were first introduced. I paid $549.00 for it.
I see now that they are $699.00. I’m sure it’s inflation but nice to know I got in on the ground floor with the best price.
Bone nut and bridge. Solid top, sides and back. Nice Epiphone headstock which is nicer than those on the semi-hollow bodies.
The neck feels great.
I went to Guitar Center tried many acoustics and went home with the Masterbilt and a whole lot of money still in my pocket. Its all wood, binding on the neck and body, its a beautiful guitar, put some 11's on it and its so sweet.
MAXIMUSISADOG you made an excellent choice! I have a Gibson Hummingbird that cost me 10x more than the Masterbilt, but the Masterbilt get a bit more love.
Thanks, the truth is when buying guitars you have to go to the store and play them all, price has nothing to do with sound and to be honest the prices these days are ridiculous. I mean how does a piece of wood with strings on it cost $6k or more. There is a Martin that is $1400 at guitar center and it plays and sounds like a million bucks, I personally wouldn't spend more that $2k on anything, well unless it was played by Duane Allman one time. By the way ten years ago i was one of those never epiphone people, now I have two, my masterbilt and my sheraton II.
MAXIMUSISADOG I used to be a non-Epiphone snob too. Utter silliness! My son, who is a phenomenal guitarist who has played on several pro cuts, has several brand name guitars and always reaches for his 1996 Epiphone Les Paul...
@@MAXIMUSISADOG I'd spend more than 2k on an acoustic easily.. Nothing beats the real deal. You can get there with overseas options today but comparing a yamaha, or something of that nature to a martin d28/hd28.. There's still quite a bit of a difference and that guitar will become an heirloom guitar if you keep it in good condition.. It could go to your childrens childrens children. Or you could sell it eventually and make the money back if not more. I have an Epiphone masterbuild dr400 and have played many martin's and I can tell you the difference is night and day.
MAXIMUSISADOG why take off the 12s to put on 11s ? It's a dread nought so leave the 12s on it our put on 13s and drive the top properly
I have the Epiphone DR-500 MCE and it sounds fantastic. It is also very well made, just great guitars.
Just bought my first ever guitar. After much research it seems this Epiphone was the way to go. Found one at Sam Ash for $539 in mint condition. I’m glad I bought the DR500 as it seems like a guitar I will never outgrow.
I bought one of these DR's. Took it to Bg jam session and compared it to a pal's Taylor 214. Other pickers had varying opinions. It will be my
secret what their opinions were! It will never be amped in my genre. Bluegrass 44 years.
No nonsense and straight to it with immediate side by sides. You know how to make a comparison video right sir.
moopy141 Made my day!
Right now Im in living in SE Asia and they do not have much to pick from over here, so when I get back to the US I will be getting a Epi 500...... right now Im playing with a Epi DR100 ( made In China) .....that I purchased at one of the local stores and its pretty good for the price no BS , it cost me $120.00.... I do not like to travel with expense guitars but I will make the exception when I purchase this one when I return to the States..... the price and sound are great !
Great demo! Thank you! I am amazed that there is a thumbs down. Seriously, what is up with that?! Again, great job! 'Certainly helped me!
David Espurvoa A Taylor lover maybe?
I own an Epi DR400 MCE. An amazing guitar. $400 slightly used w OHSC. No brainer.
Comparison done correctly! Got the Masterbuilt myself can,t fault it!
One thing you can count on is how bright just about any Taylor will sound. As far as this comparison the masterbilt is an all solid wood instrument and the overall sound is fuller and more balanced than the 214ce which has laminate back and sides. You have to get a 314ce @ around $1500 if you want an all solid wood Taylor. But only have to spend around 500-600 bucks for an epiphone masterbilt. A very hi quality acoustic guitar even if it is manufactured overseas.
Oh and by the way I have owned several masterbilts, the first one an AJ-500M, $450 which I installed a fishman infinity matrix preamp system. Now i have an EF-500 CCE.
I'm trying to decide between a DR500 mce or an EF500 rcce. Which do you prefer and which one has a warmer tone?
Also which one has more sustain?
I picked the epiphone because its made of real wood not laminate also came with a case. It doesn't project out like a taylor martin, but its comfortable and plays real nice oh and half the price.
Oh yeah - thank you for the great video. This is a true comparison video, and you did an awesome job with it.
I want a masterbuilt
I recently purchased the Masterbilt from Guitar Center on sale! They rarely have sales, got a good price on a great guitar, love it. I definitely hear the difference, the Taylor sounds a little tinny, Masterbilt sounds fuller.
I can't stop playing mine! Good choice Doug!
Loved the sound of the Masterbilt. Looked as if it was a little less work playing and lovely warm sounds, better projection to my ear and felt like it almost separated the sounds so I can hear and pick up more notes and sounds as you played. Lovely.
The dr500 is heavily underrated..great 🎸
Just got the Epi- Sweetwater has a buy on credit deal, but it ends in a couple days so if you want one you better go to their website. Tell them Lori sent you. 3 day free delivery too.
Damn that Epi500 sounds 🔥. Just bought one slightly blemished from zzzounds. I'm excited to move from an old '79 Fender dreadnought that needs some work.
Epiphone Masterbilt. This series rules! The balance between price and sound quality is unbeatable. And this particular model has much more bass range and higher treble than the Taylor.
Thank you for the video!How convenient the neck on an Epiphone guitar is for a small hand?
I think it might be just a little bit smaller than the Taylor. I'm not sure though. It does have neck binding, while the Taylor 214 does not. It is more comfortable in the hands for me.
I tried many guitars before settling on the Master built. It was 40 to 60% less expensive than all the ones I compared it to and sounds as good if not better. 650.00 out the door at Guitar Center, with a really nice case included.
I've owned a new 214ce-KDLX for 5 years. I've always thought it was a great guitar, still do. Now I also own two Epiphone Masterbilts, the AJ-45ME and the DR-500MCE. I'm going to say that the cost of these two Epis with the beautiful MB cases is approximately equal to what the Taylor cost. I have to say that these Epiphones are every bit as good, and depending on your personal preference perhaps better, than the 214. I used to think the Taylor sounded like perfection, but now I feel it is a bit sterile sounding. The Epiphones just have a warmer, fuller sound to my ear. Plugged in, the Taylor Expression 2 system is ok, but flat sounding. The AJ has the Shadow NanoFlex. This isn't much more sophisticated, but the guitar makes up for it with richer sound. The DR with Shadow Esonic nanomag and nano flex pups really comes alive. I know that no Taylor owner will admit or accept it, but these Masterbilts are every bit as capable.
So well put!
@@cryounger I should have mentioned, great guitar comparison, Randy! This is one of the video reviews I viewed and took into consideration prior to purchasing the DR-500.
Epi is warm taylor is bright.period
Eppiphone sounded better to my ears,,I've the 400 series love it..
I've wanted a Taylor,but,will hold on to the Epp
I have both guitars although I have the sunburst version of the Taylor but they’re two different guitars, the Epi is mahogany back and sides all solid wood and the Taylor or layered rosewood back and sides. Depends on what your into I guess but to me I like Taylor’s superior note separation and articulation and a lot brighter than other brands in terms of sound projection probably due to theirs top bracing but the Masterbut is huge value for an all solid wood guitar which will only get better as it gets older. It’s a mahogany back/sides so you’ll get more mid range compared to the 214CE where you’ll get more pronounced lows and highs.
Both sound amazing! I have the Taylor and I'm actually looking to get a DR500.
Epiphone. Hands down. Great review!
Thank you Samuel!
Very nice comparison. Thank you!
I tried one today and I love the neck. Very smooth and really playable. I almost bought it today but I noticed a buzzing on the e-string whenever I do a power chord. I've heard it on other videos too. Do you have a similar problem? Nothing a set up won't fix? Thanks and nice vid!
That is definitely setup. I had a great luthier set mine up. I always pick that guitar up first! In ranking order I play the Masterbilt first, then the Gibson Hummingbird, then the Epiphone AJ200, then the Taylor 214CE.
@@cryounger , good to know! I have a Taylor 814, it's so nice I find I'm scared to play aggressive with it. This Masterbilt will be perfect for my everyday needs. Thanks!
@@harvardh I predict the Taylor will get less and less love over time...
@@cryounger , just pulled the trigger! Should arrive in a couple of weeks 😎
@@harvardh Please let me know what you think after the setup. I know that the tone is so full spectrum. They really created a winner! Sadly, I was in Guitar Center the other day and there was one on the wall with really old dirty strings. It still sounded good, but it could have sounded much better! It might be hard for someone to really appreciate that one. Did you happen to order from the guy I recommended?
Love my 500MCE!
I road tested both the DR400 and the DR500. IMO the 400 got the nod for my hard earned bucks. Last Sat was our BG Club jam session. I sat beside a 500
owner and we picked for 3 hours. So I gotta idea how the 2 compare. Many Martins and a Seagull S6 in attendance. I own a Martin too. But I took the 400.
I kept on repeating and repeating on listening to this comparisons and I do not know if my hearing is different that the Other people since this post on reddit that this Taylor 214ce is far more better. In here I hear the tone of Epiphone Solid wood is Fantastic, Therefore, I conclude that Randy is right, It is not about the name, The Solid Wood Construction is also counts. I salute to this comparison.
IMO both these guitars are A Game players. Maybe the Taylor a tad cooler. I own a DR400 and am hunting for a used DR500.
I own both of these guitars - they are each unique in their own way. Love them both, but the Epiphone has a lot more depth, and much louder sound. Both sound good, and both are a real joy to play.
Epi masterbilt, great option for the price. Solid top,back and side. Value clouse $300 to $750.
Andy Bernard on The Office plays an Epiphone dr500. That's good enough for me. Root-it-doo-di-doo
Finding the right guitar that responds the best for your type of playing and picking, that's the most important thing!!...as demonstrated here, the Taylor is more suited for him!!...but he seems to prefer the Epiphone, so, just goes to show that sounds is very subjective!!...those two guitars have two completely different sounds!!...
IMO your statement about being a full on guitar player needs an upgrade. You are a fine player!
Both sound great, but I prefer the depth of the Epiphone.
I thought this was an interesting comparison. I have a 214ce and dr400mce. I like both of these guitars but I think the dr400 sounds freaking awesome. To me it is a fuller richer sound. The Taylor seems brighter more trebley to me... it is a different sound to me. Then again we are comparing apples and oranges. They both have their places.
Love the sound from the Epiphone
I believe from what I could hear there isn’t enough difference between the two to put down extra cash for the Taylor 214 and I’m always going to be a fan of real wood compared to pressed ??.
I have them both, I prefer the Epiphone .
I definitely prefer the Epiphone. I'm a Taylor owner but that Epiphone sounds great and sounds like it would be easier to EQ in a mix.
There is really no comparison..the Epiphone wins hands down.
Now..as I don't care for a dreadnought, I prefer the GS of Taylor's body size..if I could get a Epi ,500ce in a GS I would be ordering bone at this very instant!!
Thank you, your comparison was spectacular!! You could really hear the differences!! 😁👍👌👀
Hey Man, can you please compare also your taylor vs epiphone Masterbilt AJ-45ME because I am longing to buy this guitar. Thank you.
I would if I had one!
Sadly, the link is not active. But thank you for the great comparison. I will keep shopping for the Epiphone.
I did not know that about the link. Bummer! Definitely keep searching. I don't think they make them anymore, but you can still find them. The DR400 is nice as well!
I did find one, apparently a newer or older version with only one pickup and the FIshman board with the 9v, so a little disappointed with that. But since I plan to play it mostly unplugged I'm not too upset about it. If I can prevail upon your generosity with information a little more, I usually wax my guitars with Johnson's wood wax, but not knowing when this one was manufactured am hesitant to put anything on it until the finish has time to take a good set. Any advice along those lines ? Also, you have a Snark mounted to your headstock. Do you prefer it to the onboard tuner ? And thanks one more time for the recommendation. I can already tell I'm going to love the guitar.
So guys, wich is better? The old version with 2 pickups, or new with Fishman? I have chance to choose betwee these two guitars.
Any help? Thanks in advance!
@@antonio.lovric Well .... despite my initial remarks ... I eventually sent it back, due mostly to quality issues that surfaced as I played it and inspected it more closely... after shopping around a little more, I bought an AJ-220SCE for less than half the price ... seems like almost the same guitar, with the same electronics, minus only the flashy trim, really nice neck and deep sound, try one, it's the bargain of the year
Well, you have mics up so I thought I was hearing the acoustic guitars, but it turns out that near the end you mention that all we are hearing is the pickups which is a whole different thing, and not at all what I came for.
I've been thinking about buying Epiphone Masterbit for some time. At a price less than $700 ($699), it sounds like a good deal to me.
I'm a huge fan of the Masterbilt guitars. Did a lot of shopping around without much concern about what name was on the headstock before lucking up on a limited addition Masterbilt AJ500 RCE VSS. It is absolutely the sweetest guitar I have ever owned and I would say in the top five of any I’ve picked up in my 45+ years of playing. I’ve since owned an AJ500 MNS which I sold, not because it was bad, but because it was too mid rangy for my own personal preference, but still an awesome guitar. I have a limited addition, Masterbilt frontier on the way from Sweetwater and I hope to land another winner like my RCE. It’s maple so should have a different brighter tone profile which should lend itself well to certain songs. We'll see. Fingers crossed!
I love the Epiphone. I have the DR 400. It
Masterbilt is All-Solid and has an amazing feeling and sound. I have the DR400MCE NS and the Taylor 114 and for sure the Masterbilt is better sounding and playing-wise it's about as easy on both when they are well set-up, maybe a bit easier on the Masterbilt, I love the frets feel.
Solid wood nothing more to add Epiphone os for the common man.
Agreed!
Epiphone wins by a mile great guitars
Epiphone Masterbuilt hands down!
Nothing wrong with your picking man 😀 I wish others would take a leaf out of your book and just keep there mouths closed and just play the dam guitar,excellent review,many thanks 🙏
Paddy C You made my day!
Tried quite a few and bought the Epiphone Dr500mce.
That was some pretty nice picking
Why did they install open tuning knobs? you can see the gearing and dust can get into them.
Because it is modeled after a design from the early 1900's, and those were what were on the original.
Well it’s a 214 Taylor it’s a all solid design ,the epiphone is.Put it up against the 314 and u got a real completion .214 is a waste of money
Sorry not a solid wood design
The Taylor was clearer, had a broader tonal range, and more punch overall.
But since I'm buying the DR500 very soon, I'm calling it the winner and won't be convinced otherwise.
I noticed my DR500 MCE 1st, 6th string are very close to the edge so sometimes it goes off the neck.. anybody else?
I sat for 2 hours grabbing guitars off the rack in the acoustic room of a guitar center and I couldn't believe the used value of the Epiphone it sounded better in several instances over $2K+ guitars with names on the headstock like Martin. Completely blew away Martin's X series. And rivaled many of the lovely sounding expensive Alvarez's which are overall one of my favorite acoustic brands for the money.
I had a Taylor 314 CE but the Epiphone sounds way better! Nice and warm tones.
I completely agree!
Both sound very good. But the Epiphone is a dreadnought and the Taylor 214CE is a Grand Auditorium and a smaller body. Is this really a fair comparison? Using a Taylor 210CE and the Epiphone DR500MCE, cut away dreadnought to cut away dreadnought would have been more apples to apples.
Agreed. Sadly I didn't have a 210E at my disposal. I guess my main point with this was to show that Epiphone, specifically the Masterbilts, can go toe to toe with a brand such as Taylor. There tends to be this brand snobbery against Epiphone that is really unwarranted in many cases. BTW, those were both my guitars, and I recently got a Gibson Hummingbird, so I am not defending Epiphone as a means to whine about what the big names are charging for their workmanship and tone. It's not about cost per se, but the amount of guitar I can get for the money in the Masterbilt is stunning, especially when compared to the big brand guitars that I own. I paid $400 for the Masterbilt that was B stock for cosmetic reasons, but I had it checked out by my trustworthy guitar technician, and after a setup, it was spot on. The Hummingbird cost me 10x as much, and it too is a great guitar. Rather than say the Hummingbird isn't worth 10x more than the Masterbilt, I would say, the Masterbilt costs significantly less than it's worth. That is a rare event in modern times. I will also say that for a completely solid wood guitar with hand scalloped x bracing, and a hand set dovetail neck joint with hide glue, it boggles the mind to get it for such a price. Even though the MSRP has it at over $1,000, the street price for a non B stock is somewhere around $599. That is a lot of bang for your buck!
Bingo, two different styles
Just ordered the Epiphone.
I have to say the masterbilt delivers a lot of sound, a typical live stage sound, fine but little bit clangy in my opinion. The taylor sound great. Little bit more intimate. Should I get one for free I'd choose the second ;) It all depends on the sound you want of 'course.
The Ep kills it.
where is the Epi made?, thanks
I like the sound of Epiphone better than Taylor.
another opinion... I have both exact instruments and greatly prefer the Taylor. I play them both with joy, but the speed, accuracy and tone of a Taylor is unbeatable to me. I also have Martins, Gibsons, blah blah. Thanks for your demo, too!
What gauge do you use on this?
D'Addario Elixir 12's
Wow epiphone!
Seems to be a trend with Taylor and Gibson-twice the price as epiphone with epihone sounding better. my dad bought a 2500 martin with a poly top. my dr 500 sounds so much better. he can't hear it so I don't tell him lol. I wouldn't burst his bubble.
I feel that this is a bit of an unfair comparison, as a Grand Auditorium will always be more mid-range in sound and a Dreadnaught will always be boomier with more low end. That being said, this video does do a great job at highlighting the differences between two great, though very different, guitars. To your point, I recently shopped with all intentions of buying a Dread, but I ended up with a 214ce, which is a sweet sounding guitar in its own right depending on one's style and very easy to play. Great video, thank you!
nice video , they both sound great, but i hear better note definition in the Taylor and better bass and mid responce
Im also an epiphone owner,I own the EJ200 and I love it, sounds grunty in open E blues and sliding.i see better reviews about epiphone over Gibson these days, which is strange lol
Noname 1st Funny that you mention Epi over Gibson. I have a limited special edition Flame Maple Gibson Hummingbird that pretty much stays in the case while I play the Masterbilt every day. I literally could have bought 10 DR-500s from my guy in Nashville for what I paid for the Hummingbird. That said, I really wanted that Hummingbird as an heirloom piece.
@@cryounger I still love Gibson guitars, especially the hummingbird and the J200,but I don't think I'd buy a new 1 after all the crap I've read, they've got shocking quality control apparently and just not made to the high standards of days of old,if I spend £1-3000 on a new guitar I would probably get a Martin or a Taylor. I've played on a Martin and I didn't want to put it down lol
Fantastic sounding guitars. The Masterbilt sounds extraordinarily good. Have you or anyone here played the Epiphone DR400? Wondering if it sounds near as good as this DR500 and AJ45? Thanks.
I have played the DR-400 and it does hold up. I liked the look and all around feel of the 500 better, but a 400 is still a great guitar. Pretty much any of the Masterbilt line of guitars are going to be a good bet.
@@cryounger That's good news because I ordered the DR400 last evening after watching your video. Your DR500 just sounds so refined, with great bass response. Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer and keep up the good work with the content.
There is a Buzz with the Epi at 1:03. Try playing the video between 1:01 and 1:05 and you can see the buzz from the Epi. Though it sounds great, the Epi from my opinion suffers a lot from such buzzing!
Joesan I think that was my crappy finger picking!
@@cryounger Yep, I thought so, but however the Taylor is a bit more forgiving than the Epiphone for those occasional buzz. May be it has got to do with the body shape? Dreadnought on the Epi vs the Grand Auditorium on the Taylor, which is comparatively smaller! I did first get the Epi Humming Bird Pro, had it for a week and then replaced it with a Taylor 114e as I was constantly fed up with that buzz. Since I'm a beginner, I wanted the guitar to excuse my mistakes. The Epi was not so easy on my mistakes.
I love the sound from the Taylor when compared to the Epi!
@@joesan3597 Well, the Epiphone Hummingbird Pro is not nearly in the same class as the Masterbilt line. The Masterbilts are all solid wood and hand assembled. I have an actual 2017 Gibson Hummingbird, and there is no comparison with my friend's Epi Hummingbird Pro. The Gibson is many times better sounding than the Epi in that case. But, I always reach for the Masterbilt over my Gibson Hummingbird. The Gibson is an heirloom quality instrument, and sounds great, but the fullness of the Masterbilt is hard to beat, even from "mama bird". Plus, I have no qualms taking the Masterbilt on the road. I bought it as a brand new b-stock for $400, and the guy had a few of them. I am sure I could easily replace it for another $400 if needed.
@@cryounger For my untrained ears, when I tried the Masterbilt, they kind of had that similar tone to the Epi Humming Bird Pro and I was a bit skeptical to get the Masterbilt as I had to drive 60 km every time to the near by music store to replace it if something was not right. With the Taylor, I thought I might not go wrong. Nevertheless, the Epi's are truly value for money instruments, but for me I like the Taylor's tone and the consistent build quality.
@@joesan3597 Fair enough!
how can you compare dreadnought to grand auditoium?
Sandra Kennedy I believe that when people are looking to buy an acoustic, shape is also a fair comparison. I suspect most people are looking to get what they want to hear for the money they are going to spend. For some it is brand, and for others it might be shape. They are both acoustic electrics and are meant to do the same job for the most part. If you think this is not a valid comparison that’s fine, but if you look at most of the comments, it seems like the vast majority of people felt it was helpful for them in some way.