Choosing the right guitar that can suit your playing style and level is not easy. With the number of available guitar models on the market, it is virtually impossible to compare them all and evaluate them one by one. Well, however, you can try reading some online reviews and articles before deciding to buy a guitar. This helps a lot in giving you a better insight about which to choose and what to expect, though, in the end, it is still necessary to get your hands on the real thing and hear the sound yourself.
If you are looking for a versatile all-rounder guitar, you can put Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE into your consideration. This is a great guitar with impressive performance and value whose sound is so rich and beautiful, suitable for almost any genre and style. The secret behind such prowess is, of course, its construction. Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE only uses solid woods, making no compromise in delivering the best tonal qualities. The guitar is also equipped with Shadow NanoMag & NanoFlex pickups and eSonic-2 electronics, making it ready for on-stage performance.
Available in Natural and Vintage Sunburst finishes, Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE is one beautiful vintage musical instrument. The guitar comes with a solid Sitka Spruce top and solid Mahogany back and sides. The one-piece neck features a classic dovetail joint and is attached with the hide glue, whereas the fretboard and bridge are carved out from smooth and solid Rosewood. For such a reasonably priced guitar, there are a lot of nice details on it. The split-diamond inlays, along with the asymmetrical headstock, enhance the style even more. The guitar has a dreadnought body, but it has a single cutaway that allows easier access to the frets. As the effect, it has great playability. However, the satin finish of this guitar does not help in enhancing the durability. Solid tops are prone to scratches and damage, and this fact does not exclude Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE. Well, as long as you don’t over-abuse it, and you take a good care of it, there is nothing to worry so much about. At least the guitar comes with an imitation tortoise pickguard that will allow you to play without being ridiculously extra cautious.
| Price | Features |
|---|---|
| - Quality vintage-style Grover Sta-Tite 18:1 ratio machine heads - Imitation tortoise pickguard, nickel hardware - Bound body, neck and headstock - NanoFlex uses unique flexible sensing material featuring integrated active electronics - NanoMag has 3 Samarian-Cobalt magnets and integrated active circuit to capture a range of harmonics |
Just like what you would expect from Mahogany, Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE sounds rich and warm. It has pronounced bass and midrange, giving the tone such depth, but it is also bright and crisp when playing high notes. It also performs astonishingly in strumming. The guitar responds to aggressive strumming with an open, shimmering voice. Chords and single notes rang impressively with harmonic details. You can shift between flatpicking and fingerpicking conveniently with this guitar.
The pickups deserve their own explanation. The NanoMag and NanoFlex prove to be the perfect choices for Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE. They demonstrate true string-to-string balance, and the sound is greatest when these two pickups are used in blend. They are so capable that they can capture the warmth and richness without sacrificing any crisp and sparkle. Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE is excellent for both strict acoustic playing and plugged-in performance.
Specifications of Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE
Top solid Sitka Spruce
Side and Body solid mahogany
Neck mahogany; 1-piece plus heel
Neck Joint Glued-In, Dove-Tail with hide glue
Neck Shape SlimTaper “D” profile
Truss Rod Adjustable
Fingerboard Material rosewood with pearloid Split-Diamond inlays
Bridge Pickup Shadow NanoFlex
Neck Pickup Shadow NanoMag
Electronics eSonic-2 Stereo Preamp
Controls
Stereo output, built-in tuner, Master Volume Pot, NanoFlex EQ Pot, NanoMag EQ Pot, Phase “Anti-Feedback” Switch, Electronic Tuner Activation with Output Mute Switch, Binding – Body: 6-ply; Headstock: 3-ply; Neck:1-ply
Scale Length 25.5″
Frets 20 frets, medium
Fingerboard Radius 14″
Bridge rosewood
Saddle Material Bone
Nut Material Bone
Nut Width 1.68″
Hardware Nickel
Machine Heads Grover Sta-Tite 18:1 ratio
Color Natural (NA), Vintage Sunburst (VS)
Weight (+/- 5%) 5.1 lbs
Pros of Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE
– All solid woods construction for the best quality tone
– An all-rounder with excellent and versatile sound
– Great playability
– Good electronics
– Reasonable price
Price of Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE
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