I was expecting these controls to be difficult to access and use, but I was very surprised by how easy it is to adjust them. The Masterbilt Century Deluxe archtops are available in both a Vintage Natural and Vintage Sunburst aged gloss finish. for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases. An optional case (Epiphone Century Collection De Luxe hard case Part# 940-DELCS / UPC 711106700229) is available and is a highly recommended purchase to go along with this guitar. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines. __________________________________________________. Five minutes with this guitar and you'll know exactly why big archtops were so popular in the pre-electric big band days. The Epiphone Masterbilt Century series takes advantage of this beautifully. The tone control is active. The pickup is an under-saddle Shadow NanoFlex™ HD model, and the wiring runs through the floating bridge and the arched top near the treble side of the bridge. While the Epiphone Masterbilt Century De […] - HC -, Epiphone Masterbilt Century De Luxe Classic ($1,499.00 MSRP, $899.00 "street"). And for the same notion, there are numerous archtop players that are stuck in their ways and would rarely consider an acoustic guitar. Archtops only had a very brief time in the spotlight as purely "acoustic" guitars before electricity took over; even today, nearly every guitarist you ask will probably associate the term with electric guitars for jazz musicians. My only complaint of the preamp system is that, The guitar is punchy and clear with great base response. The new Masterbilt Century series was inspired by vintage Epiphone archtop models from the 1930s. The De Luxe Classic is part of Epiphone's Masterbilt Century collection of vintage-inspired instruments. For more on the story behind this series, be sure to check out this article right here on Harmony Central. Ace Music Inc. Irvine, CA, United States. Epiphone Masterbilt Century Deluxe Classic There are plenty of acoustic guitar players who play amplified, but never consider using an archtop electric guitar. © 1995-2019 Harmony Central, Inc. All rights reserved. 18 of 19 people (95%) people found this review helpful. The build quality is incredible and really surprised me for an epiphone. But I just cant get over how thick the neck is. $500 + $30 Shipping. real nice out of the box needed no adjustment put a set of elixir strings on it sounds great more deep end great buy have 8 guitars now. The tuning machines have a art-deco look to them like the ones found on vintage Epiphone archtops, with distinctive looking "marboloid crown" buttons and satin nickel gear housing covers with a stylized Epiphone E stamped into them. Also built into the same housing as the output jack is the battery compartment, which takes a standard 9V alkaline. Because of that, the all-acoustic archtop's era of popularity was relatively short. They are not mere recreations though; they have been improved with an 18:1 ratio for precise and stable tuning, and this guitar really does hold its tuning well. The solidly built Deluxe Classic weighs in at right about seven pounds. Epiphone has a long history as one of the world's premier archtop guitar builders. It's much nicer then its price suggest, This guitar is truly stunning and zZounds pictures dont do the top back or sides justice, Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri 7:30AM - 11:30PM (EST). Picked it up Saturday. Gear Outlet. $600. The lineup includes other archtops, including the Zenith and Zenith Classic, De Luxe, and Olympic models. Joined Jun 19, 2012 … Sing play guitar, bass , drums, sax, keyboards, I just purchased this guitar and have now had it for 24 hours. The fingerboard is the perfect size. The body features three-layer binding on both the top and back, and the f-holes and headstock are left unbound. Historically they were considered to be one of the most respected archtop brands, and in the middle of last century Epiphone models went head to head with guitars from other highly respected archtop builders like Gibson and D'Angelico. You can purchase the Epiphone Masterbilt Century De Luxe Classic from: If you'd like to discuss the Epiphone Century De Luxe Classic, be sure to check out this thread in the Harmony Central Acoustic Guitar forum. That throwback feeling is exactly what Epiphone set out to inspire with this new addition to the Masterbilt series , a tribute to one of the company’s long-lost acoustic models. I'm gonna have to check them out for real. Like the rest of this guitar, the neck is unapologetically big and stout, measuring 0.950" thick at the first fret, and 1.704" wide at the bone nut according to my digital calipers. This is a BIG bodied guitar, with a 17" width across the lower bout, and measuring 21" long overall. The projection is simply outstanding. The De Luxe Classic also has good feedback resistance compared to many flat top guitars. Lifetime Guarantee The Epiphone Masterbilt De Luxe Classic Acoustic-Electric Guitar comes with a limited lifetime guarantee and world renown 24/7/365 Gibson Customer Service. Ideally you should remove and replace the strings one at a time so that tension is retained on the bridge to help keep it in position. Epiphone 6-String Acoustic-Electric Guitars. Review: Epiphone Masterbilt Century Collection Guitars. Epiphone Masterbilt Century De Luxe Classic Acoustic-Electric Guitar. Those vary primarily in the size of the body, as well as their sound hole design, with round hole and f-hole ("Classic") options being available for the Zenith and De Luxe models. There was no finish errors or short cuts made. Everything else is spot on, I think this guitars value is amaizing. 17% price drop. Classic Epiphone archtops were the source of inspiration for the Century De Luxe Classic, though it gets a modern update with its eSonic HD preamp system. Because of the De Luxe Classic's floating bridge, care should be taken when restringing it. While archtops were the only all-acoustic guitars that could hang in there with any hope of being heard in a big band context, it wasn't long before guitarists started adding electric pickups to them. While the Epiphone Masterbilt Century De […] The De Luxe Classic has a solid spruce arched top with traditional longitudinal braces that contribute to the guitar's unique sound, just as on the vintage originals. Did you? I own both the Olympic and the De Luxe Classic and have the round holed De Luxe on Back Order check out my comments herehttp://www.epiphone.com/News/Features/2016/Harmony-Central-Reviews-MBC-Deluxe-Classic.aspx, © 1995-2019 Harmony Central, Inc. All rights reserved. Very fast neck and well hidden controles. Well balanced with plenty of harmonics and a full body sound, I mostly Paly acoustic but the preamp system is amaizing and I will be utilizing it. Worth every last penny, if I didnt have this guitar I would buy it again, I made my living playing music for 40 years. The De Luxe Classic is part of Epiphone's Masterbilt Century collection of vintage-inspired instruments. Epiphone Masterbilt Century Deluxe Classic There are plenty of acoustic guitar players who play amplified, but never consider using an archtop electric guitar. The optional De Luxe Masterbilt Century Hard Case comes in a beautiful Russet Brown modeled to look like the original leather-covered Masterbilt cases from the 1930s. The neck meets the body at the 14th fret. As with any instrument (and there are many) that uses a floating bridge, if you knock it out of position, you'll need to re-intonate the guitar by re-adjusting the bridge to the correct location.