Over the last few months, I have played several of these at the various DFW Metroplex guitar centers and I have continued to be blown away. Every Epi j-45 I have picked up is set up perfectly ( for my standards ). I have played a few Gibson J-45's over the years and I think these actually feel and sound better. The Epis have that woody warm yet subtle J-45 sound. I am seriously considering picking one up. Here is an ad on the verb for a used one.
Differences
Price - $750 new vs. $2800 for Gibson
Epi comes with lower end finish sonitone / Gibson has nicer LR Baggs
Epi nut width is .08 more narrow than the Gibson
Epi is poly ( everyone I have seen is tastefully done with a thin almost nitro looking finish - not the mirror finish you see with other poly guitars / Gibson is nitro
Epi does not come with case ( big whoop )
Epi is bone nut / saddle vs Tusq on Gibson ( epi has the edge here IMO )
Epi is indian laurel board and bridge vs. Indian Rosewood on Gibson
Everything else to my eyes was identical.
All in all I think these are great. I believe if you are on a budget and you might have let that old J-45 go somewhere along the way, this would make an amazing substitute. Maybe not family heirloom material, but these will fit a certain bill for sure.
Epiphone J-45 | Reverb
The new Epiphone Inspired by Gibson J-45 promises tone and feel in the spirit of Gibson's stalwart classic at a more wallet-friendly price. Features of the J-45 include: an all solid-wood body, bone nut and saddle, carved and scalloped bracing with a dovetail neck joint. and vintage tuning keys. ...
reverb.com
Differences
Price - $750 new vs. $2800 for Gibson
Epi comes with lower end finish sonitone / Gibson has nicer LR Baggs
Epi nut width is .08 more narrow than the Gibson
Epi is poly ( everyone I have seen is tastefully done with a thin almost nitro looking finish - not the mirror finish you see with other poly guitars / Gibson is nitro
Epi does not come with case ( big whoop )
Epi is bone nut / saddle vs Tusq on Gibson ( epi has the edge here IMO )
Epi is indian laurel board and bridge vs. Indian Rosewood on Gibson
Everything else to my eyes was identical.
All in all I think these are great. I believe if you are on a budget and you might have let that old J-45 go somewhere along the way, this would make an amazing substitute. Maybe not family heirloom material, but these will fit a certain bill for sure.