Review: Epiphone Special Edition PR-5-E Cutaway Acoustic
I'm reviewing a PR-5-E that is a Custom Shop Special that's part of the Epiphone “Guitar of the Month” program. Each of those special editions is really just the stock guitar but comes with one “special” extra feature.
In this case, my PR-5 comes in an attractive Alpine white finish with the usual gold hardware. As I describe this guitar, other aspects may come out that are different than the regular model. Epiphone has made one thing clear about the “Guitar Of The Month” series, which is that the pricing will be affordable (rare with Special Editions).
In this case, the guitar was manufactured in China, which I imagine kept the price down at its usual 299.99 internet price. This will probably bring about the usual disdain from some guitar snobs, and frankly, it did from me also, but this guitar sold me on its merits.
Among those include a solid spruce top, mahogany body and neck, and excellent Grover tuners. Action at the nut was excellent, and while the action was high towards the bridge, it was easily adjusted with a little sandpaper. I'm a big fan of mahogany guitars, you get the warmest sound from guitars made from that wood.
I have heard and read, however, complaints that this is a “quiet” guitar. The key thing to keep in mind is that Epiphones (and many Gibsons for that matter) are not Martins, or even Seagulls, etc. Historically, those guitars have always had a quieter, silker tone.
The thing to remember is that aesthetic judgment, even by experts, is mainly a matter of taste. I'll trade volume for tone any day.
Even the famous Gibson Hummingbird for all its size isn't as loud as a big Martin. By the same token, the sound is more versatile. Being an acoustic/electric, the price can be kept down as it doesn't have to be built to compete with a more acoustic-only model. Also, one thing I can add, this model is as light as any high-quality brand I've tried (remember, fragility is often a side product of quality in acoustics).
Any acoustic/electric played alongside an equivalent-priced acoustic-only guitar will sound flat or quieter...period. No contest.
Two reasons: One, the cutaway (that sells the guitar in most cases) imposes restrictions on the bracing and sound qualities of the box (which an acoustic guitar is), and two, this type is designed to hit hardest in the midrange. This style was designed originally for stage work where a guitar with a boomy bass or extreme highs sounded lousy on stage or the tone had to be compressed in the studio (and of course, to improve access to the upper frets).
The major player that essentially created this market was Ovation, and its “thinner” sound characteristics made it a superb stage guitar, especially in large halls. From there, it wasn't a big leap to cut away acoustic/electrics built to reduce feedback.
When considering an acoustic/electric, that's the basic lineage to be aware of, and the sound theory you're hearing and considering buying.
That, and “looks” of course. Curaways do look cool. Any honest player will have to admit that any guitar has to have at least some “mojo” and have a look and feel that makes playing it a pleasure. Also, many can overlook less volume because they play at home, or only use it live once in a while in smaller venues. Those who do regularly use it live give up some frequency response so their guitars won't sound tinny or muddy from a boomy bass.
At 300.00 this particular guitar is a fine value. The fretwork is impeccable, running your fingers along the neck shows no rough edges and no uneven frets. The thin neck is as fast playing as you can get for an acoustic.
The acoustic sound is good, use 10's or 11's and you get a wonderful chiming or twang, use 12s and you get a thicker, almost jazzier tone. The body is wide, but the box is thinner, so ergonomically, it's quite comfortable to play. The curves are in the right place, so it fits against the body nicely. It's not a high-volume guitar, but it's got a good tone, and that's where the electrics come in.
It has an Epiphone Dark Shadow 4-band EQ system. You can tell its emphasis by the fact that two of the bands are dedicated to the midrange. The bass does come alive when amplified, and it has a fine electronic sound. I've heard a lot of opinions about this system, but I've had no problems with it, and I like the 4-band system. It would have been nice to have a Fishman EQ though.
Also, put a little extra gain on it (below feedback level) and it's a surprisingly good blues/Hawaiian slide guitar. Just for fun I cranked it up a bit (and stood clear of the amp) and got a bit of the Elmore James/George Thorogood sound. Since I'm using 12s, messing around with the EQ also uncovered a nice acoustic jazz sound, a la Johnny Smith or Howard Roberts, and it became obvious that this is one very nice 300.00 guitar.
The thing about acoustic guitars is that on one hand, you get what you pay for, but also, the price does or does not matter. An old Epiphone FT-130 can blow away a 500.00 Yamaha, and a new 400.00 Seagull can sound twice as expensive. It's very, very subjective.
There are some things that are sort of constant. A solid spruce top is desirable, for sound, and for a sound that gets better with age. Body wood counts, in this case, mahogany makes a warmer sound, so preference counts. Neckwood counts, a maple or walnut neck would have sharpened the sound here and maybe made this guitar less attractive to me. Bracing counts, but that's generally irrelevant in this category, the electric/acoustic type.
In the case of the Custom Shop PR-5-E, it's a case of the wood, construction, style, and price point coming together to make a guitar that was more compelling than others that were in some cases much more expensive (or similar, like a Seagull). The fact that it was made in China is irrelevant in this case, as I could only find one small flaw in the construction, and the detailed work was excellent.
I walked into the guitar store looking for an acoustic that I could eventually convert into a Howard Roberts type (this style has the same type of body), and at 300.00, the store manager had himself an easy sale.
The PR-5-E is a proven mid-priced guitar, and I strongly recommend you get the Special Edition while it's still available, it has better detail work for sure. In any case, it's a fine guitar with a unique sense of style, not one of the faceless crowd of very similar acoustics. At this price, it's a steal.
- Al Handa
2007
Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.
