Epiphone Masterbilt EF-500RA Acoustic Guitar 

This is a custom made acoustic with SOLID ROSEWOOD THROUGHOUT!
I own many guitars and have played Martins, Taylors, and Gibsons of which all were priced in the thousands! NONE of these can beat the look nor the sound of my EF500 RA Epiphone! NONE! I know many are thinking I am deaf but let me tell you I have an EAR FOR SOUND! I know what sounds good and this EF500 RA is AMAZING QUALITY! First off it is light as a feather. It has great projection and clarity and records extremely honest! It requires little or no equalization! It has great balance and plays like butter! Sure if you have short fingers it will be difficult to grasp the low e on the F chord but I don't have that problem at all! This is an HONEST GUITAR so if you play badly it will show and if you play beautifully it will SHINE! I am so glad I have one and when my friends come over with their thousands of dollars of gear they ALL ask to play my Epiphone and every time they say it is truly BETTER SOUNDING AND PLAYING then their own! I know it is a winner and will NEVER LET GO OF MINE! Epiphone has created a MASTERPIECE and soon they will be gone! Mine only gets better with age and of course with Elixir Nanoweb strings!

Solid, Beautiful, and Nice-Sounding piece of history! But be aware of the 'V' neck profile and gemerous string spacing. People with shortf ingers might want to look elsewhere (like Epiphone Masterbilt AJ500RA). Playing stuff from Clapton's 'Unplugged' never sounded better:)
Solid, Beautiful, and Nice-Sounding piece of history!

Solid wood throughout. Abalone looks awesome. Inlays are very neat. Vintage tuners. You'll love the look.

But be aware of the 'V' neck profile and gemerous string spacing. People with shortf ingers might want to look elsewhere.
Serious value here! This guitar can easily stand against some Gibsons 3x Epi's price.

This guitar is a great guitar-sound-looks-workmanship. Right out of the box, I just had to tune it.
The Abalone really stands out. You would not regret buying this guitar.Get you one!!!!

I always wanted a rosewood acoustic guitar but the prices scared me away. Well, the Masterbuilt has been part of the collection from almost day one from when they were released. Flipped a coin and the tobacco burst won. No regrets as it sounds better than it looks or feels (great is an understatement). Deep V neck is unusual and once you get used to it you'll begin to wonder why more guitars don't have V necks. Open gear tuner remind me of an old classical guitar and is a nice touch to detail. I fully expect this guitar to age and mellow over time very well. It won't surprise me if it doesn't rival my fifty year old classical guitar except I'll do my best to treat it better (the classical isn't quite as bad as Willie Nelson's but it's close). Hard to compare to other acoustics because of the unique headstock and neck shape but dollar for dollar I don't think you can get a better guitar especially for a rosewood guitar. The only mod has been replacement of the nut and saddle which is a simple upgrade. Perhaps this model would be even better with an option of no pickguard (I'd remove it but I don't want to leave a big scar or have it refinished. And finally, the satin finish is smooth and thin allowing for breathability. Play one and enjoy an acoustic set for a change of pace.

I own 2 Gibson Acoustics, a Taylor and a Martin HD28. All of the above are set up well, good action, and great intonation. I have played for 45 years. I own the vintage burst satin version Epiphone Masterbilt EF-500RA. The only thing it needs is a new nut to allow the high E string to align a little further off the edge so I can grab it cleaner up the neck. I have adjusted to allow very easy fretting and it barely makes a buzz on the low E at one point on strum patterns that is easy to avoid. A good compromise taking it to the extreme on the neck adjustment. I am sure if I spent a little more time on the set up it would be flawless. I like it better than any of the Martin 000-28 Eric Clapton models I have played. Why? tone, projection resonance and volume. Better looker as well. I have absolutely refused to marry a particular guitar in the past but am almost married to this one. If I wasn't such a guitar brain I'd get rid of al the rest and just keep this one. I go back to the MArtin and Taylor but quickly return to this small body Epi Masterbuilt. It is equipped with a non inside mounted controls B Band A2.2 system. When I play it on my Fender Acoustic Jr. Amp I just know it dosn't get any better. It doesn't matter if you are unplugged playing fingerstyle or with a pick, folk bluegrass or blues. This is the best overall guitar I have played. I can't wait to get a chance to perform with it now that it has the pre amp.I played a Collings one time at FQM in Louisville Kentucky that was easier to play but that was the only one I can remember. Of course with the 1-3/4" nut you have to have good size hands to clasp the low E on the F chord. If you can get along with that feature, you will never be sorry for getting one.

This is an amazing guitar I own a Mart D-28 and I like this more than I do a $3000 dollar Martin this is simply a great guitar for all styles plus its pretty and the abalone binding is amazing it has great action for an acoustic guitar and the v neck is awesome buy it you won't regret it

I have been looking for a new acoustic for a while. I have read good reviews about the EF-500RA and they were right. This guitar kicks. It sounded great right out of the box (with a little tuning). I assumed that I might need to take it in for a set up, but luckily, no adjustments were needed. The sound is very rich and smooth and it's easy to play.

I was never a great epi or gibson fan until I purchased this guitar. Although I am only an advanced beginner I have learned more in the last 3 months than I have in my previous lifetime. The guitar is so easy to play that you sit down for 5 minutes and before you know it you've been playing for 2 hours! Cosmetically, this guitar is gorgeous. Now I'm dying to have a J-45 Gibson but have been told it would be a waste of money because this ef-500rav is so great for the price. The sustain is incredible and the size is great for finger picking and parlor playing with friends. Only reason I did not give 5 stars across is because it did not come with a case! I absolutely would not trade this for a D-16 Martin I have.

Unlike some others in this forum who have rated the EF-500RA even though they don't own one and it's questionable whether they have even played one, I OWN one.It is an absolutely gorgeous guitar. The attention to detail, fit and finish is second to none. The sound is superb. The v-neck feels great in my hand.I also own a Taylor 814CE. Yes, I like my 814CE more than my Epiphone Masterbilt. The the Taylor costs FOUR TIMES as much as the EF-500RA. The Taylor does NOT look or sound FOUR TIMES better or play FOUR TIMES nicer.I have no regrets about adding the beautiful EF-500RA to my collection. It continues the Epiphone Masterbilt tradition and deserves to bear the Masterbilt name.

I have read, researched, contimplated...done everything short of playing this great-looking guitar. It sounds like they are going to become very popular. What I don't understand, is why Epiphone selected the title "Masterbuilt" for these guitars. I mean, shouldn't all Epiphones be "Master-built"? I don't get it. After all my research of these guitars, I still think I'm going to buy an Epiphone "Regular-built" ej200 instead.