Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Product Description

When it comes to acoustic guitar tone and quality, nothing performs like an all-solid wood instrument. Harking back to the 1930's and Epiphone's heritage as masters of acoustic guitar design, the Epiphone Masterbilt Collection combines traditional construction methods and historic features with premium all solid tone woods to bring you a new "vintage" instrument with deep rich lows, shimmering highs and a balanced mid-range. While many other guitars in this price class use pressed backs, spliced neck joints and even artificial wood backs and sides, you can be assured that every Masterbilt holds true to it's all solid wood promise.

Vintage Construction, Historic Sound

As with all Masterbilts, the DR-500MCE features a solid Sitka Spruce top, hand-scalloped Sitka Spruce braces, and mahogany kerfing along with a rosewood bridge and bone saddle. One of the great attributes of a Sitka Spruce top is that it gets better with age--and playing time! The DR-500MCE's historic dreadnought shape with a spectacular cutaway also contributes to its great tone by providing the classic booming bass and mid-range projection that has made the dreadnought style a favorite of rock, country, bluegrass, and folk musicians.

The DR-500MCE also has a solid mahogany back and sides, which adds to the guitar's legendary tone as well as a hand-shaped solid mahogany neck. The 25.5" scale mahogany neck joins the body at the 14th fret and is adorned with carefully cut "split-diamond" pearl fretboard inlays. The historic "off-set" headstock has a "stickpin" headstock inlay along with a 1.68" bone nut. Players looking for vintage tone and vibe will appreciate the handcrafted dovetail neck joint and hide-glue construction as seen in all classic '30s era acoustic guitars. One of the outstanding features of the DR-500MCE that wasn't seen in the original Masterbilts is its superbly shaped cutaway allowing for easy reach of all the frets.

Superior Technology You've Been Waiting For

While the DR-500MCE sounds great "unplugged," it really comes alive when plugged-in, thanks to the new eSonic2(tm) preamp system. Made in cooperation with Shadow Germany, the new eSonic2 preamp features a built-in, easy-to-use tuner. When engaged, the guitar's output is automatically muted with no "popping" noise, making it a perfect choice for stage use. You can even push in the "tuner" button and unplug the guitar without a loud "pop." Other controls on this state-of-the-art preamp include Master Volume, NanoFlex(tm) Tone, NanoMag(tm) Tone, stereo blend, low battery indicator and a phase switch to help eliminate unwanted feedback.

The preamp uses two 2032 lithium watch batteries that are not only lightweight, but provide significantly longer life than old-fashioned, heavy 9V batteries.

Revolutionary Stereo Pickups

Under the bone saddle is Shadow's proprietary NanoFlex, low-impedance pickup. Not a harsh piezo like you'd find on budget models, the NanoFlex uses unique flexible sensing material featuring integrated active electronics that not only can pick up string vibrations but also top and body vibrations as well for a truly acoustic tone not possible with piezo pickups.

Complimenting the NanoFlex is the revolutionary NanoMag pickup mounted at the end of the fingerboard. Exclusively from Shadow, the NanoMag features 3 Samarian-Cobalt magnets and an integrated active circuit to capture all the highs and lows, including a wide range of harmonics. With your choice of either 1/4" mono output blending both pickups or 1/4" stereo output splitting the two pickups, you have incredible flexibility and opportunities to create the perfect acoustic tone live.

Epiphone Quality All the Way

Other features included quality vintage-style Grover(r) Sta-Tite 18:1 ratio machine heads, a bone nut and saddle, imitation tortoise pickguard, nickel hardware, and a bound body, neck and headstock.

The Masterbilt Story

First released in June 1931, the original Epiphone Masterbilts made a big impression on musicians from all styles of music and the new Masterbilts have done the same. The original Epiphone Masterbilt catalog made the promise: "The possessor of an Epiphone instrument has the assurance that every possible precaution has been taken to build instruments for lifetime performance and pleasure." And they still make that promise!

Like all Masterbilts, DR-500MCE comes with Epiphone's Limited Lifetime Warranty and Shadow's 5-year warranty (electronics) and is backed by world famous 24/7/365 Gibson Customer Service. zZounds is an authorized dealer of Epiphone products.

- Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
- Body: Solid mahogany
- Side: Solid mahogany
- Neck: mahogany; 1-piece plus heel
- Neck Shape Options: SlimTaper(TM) "D" profile
- Neck Joint: Glued-In, Dove-Tail with hide glue
- Truss Rod: Adjustable
- Scale Length: 25.5"
- Fingerboard Material: rosewood with mother-of-pearl Split-Diamond Inlays
- Neck Pickup: Shadow NanoMag
- Bridge Pickup: Shadow NanoFlex
- Electronics: eSoinc-2 Stereo Preamp
- Controls: eSonic2 preamp with built-in tuner, stereo output, Master Volume Pot, NanoMag EQ Pot, NanoFlex EQ Pot, Phase "Anti-Feedback" Switch, Electronic Tuner Activation w/Output Mute Switch Binding: Body: 6-ply; Neck:1-ply, Headstock: 3-ply
- Fingerboard Radius: 14"
- Frets: 20; medium
- Bridge: rosewood
- Saddle Material: Bone
- Nut Width: 1.68"
- Nut Material: Bone
- Hardware: Nickel
- Machine Heads: Grover(r) Sta-Tite(tm) 18:1 ratio

Dimensions and Weight in Packaging

Natural

Shipping Weight: 9 lbs

Shipping Dimensions: 44 x 19 x 7 in

Vintage Sunburst

Shipping Weight: 9 lbs

Shipping Dimensions: 45 x 19 x 6 in