Really good guitar, specially for the price. The sound is incredible and the construction of the instrument is exactly what I expected.Good Gibson strings and the guitar needed no adjustments made by a Luthier, for example.Once it's a inspired by Gibson classic model, it seemed to he the perfect choice for folk, rock and country musics I play.

4 years on and still a great guitar

I bought this guitar as an AJ-220 4 years ago from my local GC at the recommendation of a sales person who certainly sounded and played like he knew guitars - at the time, I did not. After 4 years of daily practice and playing, and with now 8 much more expensive guitars in my collection (3 acoustics), I can confirm that, as I was told at the time, this guitar plays well above its price. I still very much enjoy playing this guitar. More importantly, the guitar has always held tune very well, it came set up pretty well. I set up and work on my own guitars now and where I've had to work on frets (level and ends), nuts and bridges on even more expensive guitars, I never really had to do anythign to this one other than play it.Two freinds, one just today, bough this ... MoreI bought this guitar as an AJ-220 4 years ago from my local GC at the recommendation of a sales person who certainly sounded and played like he knew guitars - at the time, I did not. After 4 years of daily practice and playing, and with now 8 much more expensive guitars in my collection (3 acoustics), I can confirm that, as I was told at the time, this guitar plays well above its price. I still very much enjoy playing this guitar. More importantly, the guitar has always held tune very well, it came set up pretty well. I set up and work on my own guitars now and where I've had to work on frets (level and ends), nuts and bridges on even more expensive guitars, I never really had to do anythign to this one other than play it.Two freinds, one just today, bough this guitar on my recommendation as not just a starter guitar, but a credible player for years to come. I highly recommend this guitar.I will add that an acoustic guitar's tone depends heavily on the stings one uses. I've tried 4 or 5 different brands and all impart very different sound to the guitar. I won't make a suggestion here because tone is really very subjective. I will say that the guitar sounded great with the stings that came on it, but I've come to like one of the alternative, though very popular, string brands.

A True Phenom

I have 2 Epiphone AJ 220S guitars and an Epiphone Hummingbird Pro. HA, yes I love Epi's. My experience with both of the AJ 220S guitars is that when they are brand new the wood sounded just slightly tight. After a month of playing however they both opened up beautifully. Obviously they are well made because they are Epiphone's. Both arrived with a sticker on back of headstock indicating a factory setup which was flawless and the sound they deliver is phenomenal. Now the AJ 220S compared to the Hummingbird Pro. That would all come down to individual taste. The lows seem to be better in the Hummingbird despite it's somewhat smaller size, but the harmonics sound better in the AJ 220S. Let me be clear. I am a novice. When I say harmonics it is my attempt to describe the ... MoreI have 2 Epiphone AJ 220S guitars and an Epiphone Hummingbird Pro. HA, yes I love Epi's. My experience with both of the AJ 220S guitars is that when they are brand new the wood sounded just slightly tight. After a month of playing however they both opened up beautifully. Obviously they are well made because they are Epiphone's. Both arrived with a sticker on back of headstock indicating a factory setup which was flawless and the sound they deliver is phenomenal. Now the AJ 220S compared to the Hummingbird Pro. That would all come down to individual taste. The lows seem to be better in the Hummingbird despite it's somewhat smaller size, but the harmonics sound better in the AJ 220S. Let me be clear. I am a novice. When I say harmonics it is my attempt to describe the sound you hear when you strum a chord. When you strum the AJ 220S it sounds as though the strings are in perfect harmony, yet you seem to also be able to hear the tone of each individual string better than on the Hummingbird. Anyway if you are looking at buying one of those two guitars, the Hummingbird costs more. If you want to plug in, that will make a difference because the Hummingbird has excellent Shadow Electronics on board. If you are looking for that pure acoustic experience though, I actually feel like the AJ 220S edges the Hummingbird out. They are both great.

Beautiful but disappointing.

To say the least, this guitar is quite disappointing. First off, the form, fit, and finish is awesome. This particular guitar was a Demo and I expected some evidence of being played and handled but there was none. After tuning up, and running through a few songs, I began to think the poor projection and "tiny sound" was due to the strings...and just in case, I swapped out the Bridge Pins with better quality and restrung with the best possible strings. There was no change. Perhaps, in time, the Spruce top will age enough that the projection of the sound will improve. Don't expect this Model to sound as good as it looks.

Excellent setup, flawless construction/finish Unheard of low price.

The sound of this guitar is pure harmony. It has excellent volume. Finish including bindings on body and neck are flawless. This guitar does not need a thing except playing. Action is low and even the strings are great which is not usually the case on a new guitar. I also ordered an epiphone Les Paul Studio from Jeffsmusicgear. Another awesome bargain. If you are guitar shopping and you don't get one of these Epiphone AJ-220S guitars then you are just not serious about saving real money on a high quality instrument. This guitar appeared brand new and was shipped double boxed in factory Epiphone carton.

Excellent value for a beginner

I just started guitar (most recent attempt) 6 months ago. I had an Ovation that I got used, but I wanted a new guitar for my new attempt. In my research, Epiphone consistently rated among the top in the bang for the buck category. I was drawn to this model because I wanted a sunburst finish and reasonable quality - at least the top had to be solid wood, and I really wanted electronics - but my budget didn't allow for that.When I got the guitar, I really liked it. The action was set up pretty well out of the box, but as I got more comfortable I sanded down the saddle a bit and got the action right where my beginner's fingers need it, with no buzzing at all. It sounds good, it stays in tune, and it looks good. I have noticed no things on the guitar that make me feel ... MoreI just started guitar (most recent attempt) 6 months ago. I had an Ovation that I got used, but I wanted a new guitar for my new attempt. In my research, Epiphone consistently rated among the top in the bang for the buck category. I was drawn to this model because I wanted a sunburst finish and reasonable quality - at least the top had to be solid wood, and I really wanted electronics - but my budget didn't allow for that.When I got the guitar, I really liked it. The action was set up pretty well out of the box, but as I got more comfortable I sanded down the saddle a bit and got the action right where my beginner's fingers need it, with no buzzing at all. It sounds good, it stays in tune, and it looks good. I have noticed no things on the guitar that make me feel like it's a low quality instrument, or that I cheaped out. The rosette is kind of plain (and honestly they could have probably left it out), but that's about it. The neck is a good size for me and the guitar as a whole makes me WANT to play it. The Ovation I had, the neck was too narrow and it constantly slid off my lap. This guitar is a beginner's dream. I really like that the guitar has an artificial bone nut and saddle. The Ovation had a plastic nut and saddle, and the difference is noticeable in the guitar's sustain, staying in tune, and not binding when tuning. Hopefully the harder material will help these parts last longer as well.The only negative, and thing I wish I had increased my budget for are the lack of electronics. I know I can add a pickup later on, but the good ones are more expensive than I originally expected them to be. I will likely keep this guitar until my skills improve enough to justify a "better" guitar, and even then I won't get rid of this one.

Mixed Bag

Bought this to play acoustic along with my son. Sounds and plays very good, at least as good as the import Martin dreadnoughts that I've tried at a fraction of the price. It has a nice, full sound that belies it's price point. Playability is excellent; it came set up with the action nice and low but not so much that there was fret buzz, and the neck relief was spot-on. The neck itself is very nice, feeling neither too thin nor too thick, and a width I find very comfortable. The frets were well dressed and level, with no sprout. I had a spare Musicians Gear Dreadnought case laying around and it fit perfectly (even though this is call an advanced jumbo). Cosmetically, the vintage sunburst is gorgeous.Now, the reason why this guitar got 3 stars instead of 5... The ... MoreBought this to play acoustic along with my son. Sounds and plays very good, at least as good as the import Martin dreadnoughts that I've tried at a fraction of the price. It has a nice, full sound that belies it's price point. Playability is excellent; it came set up with the action nice and low but not so much that there was fret buzz, and the neck relief was spot-on. The neck itself is very nice, feeling neither too thin nor too thick, and a width I find very comfortable. The frets were well dressed and level, with no sprout. I had a spare Musicians Gear Dreadnought case laying around and it fit perfectly (even though this is call an advanced jumbo). Cosmetically, the vintage sunburst is gorgeous.Now, the reason why this guitar got 3 stars instead of 5... The finish around the edges of the headstock was pretty rough. Not so bad as to make me want to return it, but enough to notice. Also, and most importantly, after playing about an hour and a half the saddle started to split. I was going to replace with a Graph Tech saddle eventually, but it's not something I really wanted to do so early on (my son's first Rogue bought for next to nothing lasted 3 years before developing issues with saddle wear and cracking). Without the saddle issue basing my rating on the sound, playability, and majority of the cosmetics I would have given this 5 stars; the fact that a critical component started failing after less than 2 hours made this a 3 star guitar at best.

Pretty nice guitar

Overall, this is a pretty nice acoustic guitar, but with a couple of manufacturing errors - only one of which actually bothers me. The guitar looks great (sunburst) and I could find no flaws in the fit or finish. The neck is a comfortable shape, smallish, with nice action. The tuners work well and I find the AJ220 stays in tune well. It is a little heavier than a Martin Custom D but noticeably lighter than a DRS2. It has a different sound from the 14 year old Martin - less projection and low frequencies, but light, airy, and musical. The strap buttons are large, I carefully unscrewed it, attached the strap, and reattached the button. The first manufacturing problem is that the end pin hole for the D string is miss cut. My pin puller couldn't lift it (but a pair of ... MoreOverall, this is a pretty nice acoustic guitar, but with a couple of manufacturing errors - only one of which actually bothers me. The guitar looks great (sunburst) and I could find no flaws in the fit or finish. The neck is a comfortable shape, smallish, with nice action. The tuners work well and I find the AJ220 stays in tune well. It is a little heavier than a Martin Custom D but noticeably lighter than a DRS2. It has a different sound from the 14 year old Martin - less projection and low frequencies, but light, airy, and musical. The strap buttons are large, I carefully unscrewed it, attached the strap, and reattached the button. The first manufacturing problem is that the end pin hole for the D string is miss cut. My pin puller couldn't lift it (but a pair of plyers did) when I went to change strings. The pin sets very deep in the hole and requires plyers to remove. The second issue is that the Epi "E" on the pick guard is, or was glued on (although not particularly well). It fell off as I first picked it up to tune. At first I was a little bummed, but looking at the guitar without the "E" - I liked it much better. A little hand rubbing (glue) and my AJ220 has a cleaner appearance. For the price, this is a nice guitar. The sound is much more open, less boxy than the Epi DR100. It is easy to play and the solid spruce top (at least) should improve in tone.

Really amazing value for all you get. More than entry level.

The AJ220s seriously compares to more expensive guitars out there. Many 'experts' compare it to the Gibson J-45 for general sound and comfort playing. As other comments, the sound is excellent with the 'bell' AJ design as it amplifies but does not boom. A fine fullness yet highs are clear and not diminished. Sounds great sitting on the couch or in a larger room performing. There was a time when different factories produced different quality, but it seems now these are all built in the Gibson-Epiphone factory in Qingdao City, China. That factory has been noted for their advanced systems like the electrostatic finish dept. and quality control. That lighter finish is great for improving the resonance of the wood. From the numbers, mine was built less than a year ago ... MoreThe AJ220s seriously compares to more expensive guitars out there. Many 'experts' compare it to the Gibson J-45 for general sound and comfort playing. As other comments, the sound is excellent with the 'bell' AJ design as it amplifies but does not boom. A fine fullness yet highs are clear and not diminished. Sounds great sitting on the couch or in a larger room performing. There was a time when different factories produced different quality, but it seems now these are all built in the Gibson-Epiphone factory in Qingdao City, China. That factory has been noted for their advanced systems like the electrostatic finish dept. and quality control. That lighter finish is great for improving the resonance of the wood. From the numbers, mine was built less than a year ago and the final set ups are in the US. Ready to play out of the box with less than 1/4 turn on the rod for perfect action. A friend's AJ220s has really played in for him and tells me it only gets better in time as the top spruce ages. Just compare with guitars at higher prices and for the quality, sound, solid top, dovetail neck and superior tuners, you can't go wrong with this one.