# Noodled on an Epi ES175.



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I popped into Steve's on Queen West after work. Not too loud, it was Monday. I spied an Epiphone ES175 and thought I'd give it an acoustic noodle. Not bad. Well set up - which is a surprise for Steve's, but I would change the strings to flat wounds. There was dust on the neck side of the pickup rings - which said it had been there for a bit and I was likely the only one to give it whirl in a while. Thing is, it was listed at $130 cheaper than at L&M. I did find the 3 1/2 " thick body a little awkward at first (yes, I don't own an acoustic}. I have my 335 copy set up with flat wounds and I've been doing a little bit of jazzy blues wanking. I've been finding the idea of a hollowbody electric interesting. Ibanez has an almost identical copy the AG75








Epi on the left, Ibanez on the right









I usually take Harmony Central and Musician's Friend reviews with a grain of salt, but these were amazingly high for these two guitars.

But I also find the the Ibanez AK80 interesting - a little larger but thinner with a spruce top and a rosewood bridge.










This one is new and there are no reviews on it yet.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

I love the Ibanez hollow and semi-hollows. A whole lotta bang for the buck.

How did the Epi and the Ibanez compare price wise?


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

I like the Ibanez a bit better, tried out those very guitars at Steves a few weeks ago actualy January now that I think about it.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Pricing is where is gets a little bizarre. It the US, the Epi ES175 is $100 more than the AG75. At L&M the Epi is literally twice as much ($780 vs $390). The Ibanez is cheaper than it is in the US. At Steve's the Epi was $650. Didn't see the Ibanez there. The AX80 is $465 at L&M about $15 more than in the US. The Epi is $499US at MF. Go figure.


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

Hey Robert just remember that once it cross's the border the epi only carries a 1 year warranty and because it came across the border it might not have any unless purchased froma Yorkville distributor authorized dealer, I just learnt about this a few days ago as I was having a problem with one of my Epi's only to find that I had one year to have it fixed and that the Epi lifetime warranty is only for the US.Ship


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I would never buy a guitar from the US, unless it was a very uncommon model that I wanted very badly or I had windfall of $$$ and wanted to get a Baker b3 or something. I have not seen the Ibanez models in either L&M or Steve's.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

The more I look a the specs of the Ibanez AK80, the more I can see it as different from the other hollowbody electric models. It has 20 frets, like the other hollows, but the neck pickup is set right up against the neck. The Epi ES175 is at least half inch or more away from the neck. The AG75 is flush too, but the AK80 with it's spruce top and rosewood bridge says this is going sound different. Now, if I could only find a store that has one to noodle on.

Here is a larger picture:


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Has anyone seen or tried out the AK80 ???


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## starjag (Jan 30, 2008)

Not the Ibanez, but the Heritage H-576 also has the neck pickup set right up against the neck. I really like the tone of the pickup in that position!


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I've tried them--nice actually.

The Ibanez AG series have bodies that aren't quite as wide at the lower bout--and this has an effect on the sound.

Whether that's a good thing or not depends on what you're looking for, but it is one of the reasons I got an AF95 rather than an AG95.
The AG95 has a lovely figured bubinga body and the sharp florentine cutaway--and they look great, but I couldn't get away from the sound of the AF95 and so while it has the rounded venetian cutaway which I don't like as much I got that one. 

Pricewise, when I bought it, the Ibanez AF95 was less than the Epis, and the AG75 is priced lower than the AG95, so the Ibanez was cheaper--at least at that time.
I also tired an Epi ES-135 I really liked as well
Although those are semi hollows.


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