Billy3000 wrote:With acoustics it can vary so much from instrument to instrument even on the same model built with the same type of materials used to build it, and built in the same factory. No two acoustics are the same. I've played a few epiphones that have been really nice, including the one that my student has, but a very large amount of them have a very dead feel and sound to them. That's why you need to play it before you buy. That shouldn't be a problem though because every guitar center has tons of epiphone acoustics in stock.
A huge role in this is that acoustics/hollowbodies are
way much more susceptible to weather/temperature fluctuations. Solidbody electrics are too, but they don't have as much "give".
Just having them mailed can drastically alter the way they left the factory. I'm weary of ANY acoustic guitar that is at the point of display for sale, because it had to have been shipped at some point... that's why I try to play every one they have in stock to gain some objectivity when trying out a new acoustic. It doesn't take much to warp a nice guitar into a cumbersome piece of junk, not much at all.
If it's definitely been stacked 100 boxes high to the ceiling in a catalogue warehouse somewhere and I'm not gonna get to play it until I already own it outright, then fuck it. Not worth the potential risks when I've already bought dud Fender electrics on occasion.
And yeah, a lot of the nice-looking Epis really suck. Same for their electrics these days though... the SC Special with P90s felt and sounded terrible.