Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE Acoustic/Electric Stereo Guitar

When it comes to acoustic guitar tone and quality, nothing performs like an all-solid wood instrument.

The Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE guitar combines traditional construction methods and features with premium all-solid tone woods to bring you a new-vintage electric guitar with deep, rich lows, shimmering highs, and just the right amount of mids. 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 this Epiphone guitar holds true to its all-solid wood promise.

It features a solid Sitka spruce top, hand-scalloped Sitka spruce braces, mahogany kerfing, a 25-1/2"-scale rosewood fingerboard, and a rosewood bridge. Players looking for vintage tone and vibe will appreciate the handcrafted dovetail neck joint and hide-glue construction. The Epiphone DR-500MCE guitar has a solid mahogany back and sides, as well as a 20-fret, hand-shaped mahogany neck that joins the body at the 14th fret, which is adorned with carefully cut, split-diamond pearl fretboard inlays. As with all Masterbilts, the Epiphone electric guitar features a vintage-style offset headstock with a stickpin inlay.

While the Epiphone DR-500MCE sounds great unplugged, it really comes alive when plugged in thanks to the eSonic2 preamp system. Made in cooperation with Shadow Germany, the eSonic2 preamp features a built-in, easy-to-use tuner. When engaged, the Epiphone 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 Tone, NanoMag 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.

Under the bone saddle is Shadow's proprietary NanoFlex, a low-impedance pickup. Not a piezo, this unique flexible sensing material features integrated active electronics into the Epiphone electric guitar that not only pick up string vibration, but also top and body vibrations for a truly acoustic tone without the harshness of piezos. Complimenting the NanoFlex is the revolutionary NanoMag pickup mounted at the harmonic-rich, 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 a 1/4" mono output blending both pickups, or a 1/4" stereo output splitting the two pickups, the Epiphone Masterbilt guitar pickup gives you incredible flexibility and the opportunity to create the perfect acoustic tone live.

Other features on the Epiphone Masterbilt acoustic electric guitar include quality vintage-style Grover Sta-Tite 16:1 ratio machine heads; bone nut and saddle; imitation tortoise pickguard; nickel hardware; and a bound body, neck, and headstock.

Features

• Top material: solid sitka spruce
• Body material: solid mahogany
• Side material: solid mahogany
• Neck: mahogany, 1-piece plus heel
• Neck shape options: SlimTaper "D" profile
• Neck joint: glued-in, dove-tail, hide-glue construction
• Scale length: 25-1/2"
• Fingerboard: rosewood with mother-of-pearl split-diamond inlays
• Neck pickup: Shadow NanoMag
• Bridge pickup: Shadow NanoFlex
• Electronics: eSonic-2 stereo pramp
• 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 with output mute switch
• Binding: 6-ply body, 1-ply neck, 3-ply headstock
• Fingerboard radius:14"
• Frets: 20, medium
• Bridge: rosewood
• Saddle material: bone
• Nut width: 1.68"
• Nut material: bone
• Hardware: nickel
• Machine heads: Grover Sta-Tite, 18:1 ratio

This instrument was sent by the Manufacturer to an authorized refurbishing center. Instruments are regularly transferred to this center for a variety of reasons including: cosmetic flaws, small repairs, store returns, or overruns. Once the instrument has received any necessary repairs it is sold to musical instrument retailers like Bird & Bee. These instruments are sold as used and no warranty is offered by the Manufacturer. In order to prevent fraudulent warranty claims, the back of the head stock is stamped "USED" and the original serial number has been replaced with a new one by the authorized refurbisher. Most guitars have no visible flaws. If a flaw exists we do our best to describe and document the flaw in our pictures and description.

This guitar has a small bubble under the finish on its side near the lower bout.  This is not a crack or a separation but a finish imperfection.  Other than that, this guitar is in mint 'as new' condition.  

We gave this guitar a proper set up and it plays beautifully up and down the neck without any ringing or buzzing.

The Bird & Bee Guarantee

All the guitars we sell come to us from a variety of sources and in a variety of conditions. Each is thoroughly inspected, repaired, cleaned and receives a basic set up prior to listing. With each guitar, we provide full disclosure regarding the nature of the repairs and their current condition.

While many of the guitars we sell may look like it, none are "NEW", and none carry manufactures warranties. We however stand behind the work we do on these guitars, and are happy to offer a full refund or exchange within the first 15 days, if there are any problems with the instrument whatsoever.