Amazingly low price for a genuine solid Sitka spruce top and luxurious appointments.

Expert luthiery to rival Epiphone's classic 1930s guitars is evident in the Masterbilt AJ-500ME's precision top, back, and fretboard binding. A light guitar with great volume, projection, and natural warmth enhanced by solid mahogany back and sides.

The eSonic2 preamp
The eSonic2 preamp with built-in tuner features studio quality fidelity, premiere dynamics, and greatly increased harmonic content, resulting in uncompromising acoustic guitar realism. The preamp is equipped with a very accurate chromatic tuner. When the tuner button is activated, the tuner, there will be no output signal from the guitar. The tuner button can also be used as a mute function. By activating the tuner, you can avoid the loud pops when plugging in.

NanoFlex pickup
The term "Nanoflex" refers to its ultra thin (nano-like) profile and its flexibility that allows it to conform to any surface shape. This assures complete guitar-to-pickup-to-saddle contact. Unlike other under-saddle pickups, the Nanoflex design utilizes 7 highly-sensitive and ultra-responsive layers of sensor material to not only sense the vibrations of the strings but the vibrations of the guitar body as well. The Nanoflex is the first pickup to incorporate active amplification directly at the pickup. As a result, the signal does not pass through even a single millimeter of the wire and therefore, the signal quality is uncompromised.

Nanomag Pickup
Ordinary magnetic pickups have been used successfully to amplify electric guitars for years but when used to amplify acoustic guitars, they fail to deliver desirable acoustic response. That's because magnetic pickups have a very narrow bandwidth with an over-emphasis on mid-range frequencies. The Nanomag, referring to its small size and its composition, is a different kind of magnetic pickup that combines 3 Samarium—Cobalt magnets with on-board, active electronics to produce a low-impedance pickup with absolute linear response and an uncharacteristically wide frequency range.

Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-500ME Advanced Jumbo Acoustic-Electric Guitar Features:

• Solid Sitka spruce top
• Solid mahogany back and sides
• Rosewood fretboard
• Mahogany neck
• Nickel tuners
• eSonic2 stereo preamp with built-in tuner and NanoFlex/NanoMag pickup combination

For a fine-looking, great-sounding, and easy-playing flat top, you'll never beat this price. Order now.

Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-500ME Advanced Jumbo Acoustic-Electric Guitar

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Average of 11 User Ratings

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elGallo2

Posted by ElGallo2 from California on Nov 6, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: hobbyist

Reviewer's Play Style: Rock, country rhythm guitar

This is a follow up to my first review at the top of this list. After a few months of use, I began to notice the guitar drying out causing the strings to fret out on a hump in the neck. I have sent it back to Gibson and they will replace it, but they say it won't ship for another month. So, while this guitar looks and sounds great, be aware that the neck may not stay straight, especially if you live in a dry climate like California. I guess that it is true that "you get what you pay for." This may be a bargain guitar if you get a good one, but be prepared to deal with warranty claims.

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Epiphone AJ-500ME

Posted by ElGallo2 from California on Jan 6, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: hobbyist

Reviewer's Play Style: Rock, folk, country

Electronics not as advertised. eSonic Shadow 2 instead of Baggs Element. I don't know the difference, but it was a surprise. Vendor says that they publish the details provided by manufacturer and weren't aware of the change. Came with dead batteries; no big deal but irritating. Otherwise, great tone and projection but a little buzz on the low E string.

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Awesome guitar

Posted by Tommy from California on Nov 20, 2008

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Hobbyist

Reviewer's Play Style: fingerstyle, classical rock

Awesome guitar!!! Everything from the warm sound to the quality craftsmanship. Squier compared to fender is complete crap, but put an epiphone next to a gibson and they're almost on par with each other. The only complaint I have is the sides don't dip in enough so the guitar is a little bit difficult to keep in my lap, but that's not enough to discourage me playing for hours. Awesome guitar and an absolute steal for the price.

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aj500me

Posted by ryan adams from Somerset, Ky on Aug 6, 2008

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Active Musician

Reviewer's Play Style: Alternative Rock

I just recieved my epiphone AJ500ME in the mail after three weeks of waiting. And I gotta say it was well worth the wait. Please do not let the price describe the guitar to you. THIS IS A STEAL. the aj500me has a deep warm sound as well as a bright tone to accompany it. It has two pick ups: one electronic one on the neck (nanomag), and a microphone pickup in the back of the inside of the body (nanoflex). You can easily switch between the two to change the sound with its newer esonic2 pickup equalizer. It also has two places to plug in. Never saw on a guitar until I got this one in the mail. To further compliment its sound it has a solid spruce top! This means that its tone will IMPROVE over time. In short, if you purchase the aj500me, you are getting a high end sound for a mid range price. recording

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Best Deal On The Market

Posted by PhilOchsFan from Monterey CA on Jul 30, 2008

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Actively Playing For Over 15 years

Reviewer's Play Style: Rock, Folk, Punk, Metal, Classical, etc.

I just received the AJ-500ME(vintage sunburst) and am truly blown away by this guitar. I was definitely careful to inspect every detail of the guitar out of the box (frets, neck, bridge, bracing etc.) expecting the worse and ready to ship back if necessary. It was perfect, not even a speck of dust. I was prepared to do some adjustments on the action and truss rod as normal wih all new guitars........but didn't have to. The action was near perfect. Low enough to move around with ease, do some bends yet it has just enough tension to achieve some great volume. The tone is ideal for any playing style, it nice and tight when strumming, never muddy, yet it rings out when finerpicking (especially if you have your nails grown and shaped). I had ordered this about a month or so ago and it was on backorder, so in the meantime I went to my local music store and played everything. Gibsons, Taylors, Martin, Breedlove, Blueridge, Takamine....everything. The only guitar that really grabbed me was the Taylor 210, and I almost bought it but decided to wait and see. I'm glad I did. The Taylor had that signature high end punch that just grabs your ear, but didn't offer a lot of low end. The Martin had those nice boomy lows but the highs paled in comparison to the Taylor. This Epiphone is the best of both worlds. I have to tell you, I played the rosewood version of this and it didn't sound nearly as good. For perfect tonal balance the mahogany is the way to go. Epiphone has really stepped it up with these guitars. I can't comment on the electronics yet, I haven't had an opportunity to plug it in. The Shadow Esonic II system that it's equipped with is a dual pickup system with two 1/4" jacks capable of running stereo. You can use the pickups individually or blend them which should give you good control over the sound. The only reason I didn't give it a perfect 5 in features is that it didn't even come with a gig bag. As far as I can tell that's the ONLY place they cut corners on this one. Congrats Epiphone.

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Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-500ME Advanced Jumbo Acoustic-Electric Guitar

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$549.00

MSRP: $915.00 Savings: $366.00(40%)

Finance Now for $55/mo.

Availability: Expected 02-16-2010.

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