Epiphone Broadway: China vs. Korea?

[FRS635]

Hi,

I plan to get an Epiphone Broadway in the near future. While reading several forum threads I saw a number of posts claiming the current Chinese production being worse than the older Korean models. I couldn't find however, how exactly the Chinese models are worse. Is it something that can be fixed by doing a setup or replacing electronics? Somehing else?

Looks like I have to mail order, no matter if I buy new or used. So, no testing. When buying 'new' I can return the guitar, with 'used' this is rather uncommon here.

Thanks,
Steff

[LtKojak]

Construction-wise, you just can't generalize and say one country's production is "better" or "worse" than the other.

However, the electronic components (specially p'ups) and some of the hardware used on Epis since 2011 are far better than any other past production.

HTH,

[339 in june]

I just bought a Broadway (new) one month ago (made in 2014)
It is made in Korea (Unsung factory) according to label AND serial number Epiphone Serial Number Decoding - The Unofficial Epiphone Wiki
Except normal set up due to string gauge change, pick-up height adjustment to get the right tone plus fret polishing, nothing to complaint. It plays well, sounds good ... Good guitar for the € !

But I had the opportunity to play it at the store, and get a good price !

Good luck in your quest !

[plasticpigeon]

They have different shaped f holes. the old ones have f holes like an L-5, the newer ones are a different shape, perhaps like a Benedetto. I can't comment beyond that, but i prefer the look of the old ones better. If you can find an old Japanese one, or a newer elitist, which is made in Japan, they are in a different league.

Used Guitars and basses - Stageshop

[Jerzy]

If you need a really good Epi Broadway,definitely look for japanese Elitist or Elite(older version).Much more expensive,but you buy once.

[FRS635]

Thanks for the replies (and the pic).

The current ones look good then, beside the f holes. With the upgraded electronics better than I had hoped. Will post an update when it's here.

An Elitist would be too much, I'm at Mickey Baker lesson 5.

[barrymclark]

This is my Korean (1996 Peerless) made one.

[Klatu]

I'm consistently impressed by the quality of Korean and Chinese guitars these days. It used to be the case that you got what you paid for when it came to cheap guitars. They tended to be unplayable pieces of crap that led beginners to give up on the instrument because of high action, sloppy fretwork, etc.

Nowadays, CNC machines control a good deal of the building process and the result is a consistently good guitar. Even the ones that leave the plant with some quality control issues can usually be remedied by a competent repairman for a reasonable sum.

When I've seen pros play on Korean or Chinese instruments, the results have been just fine. I can't recall having thought, "He'd play cleaner lines on a finer instrument", or "This tone stinks."

Here's an example of a great player coaxing fine sounds out of a "budget" Asian archtop:

[Jabberwocky]

Steff, fook me but yeah, totally consider an MiJapan Epiphone Broadway Elite/Elitist. It is quite worth the extra outlay. (Sorry, I've just had two bottles of Erdinger.)

You didn't ask but I am going to put it out there anyway; if you're skint and am looking for an MiChina or MiKorea Broadway spread your wings a little further and look for an Ibanez SJ500VLS or SJ300. ~17" pressed spruce top archtops of the same style. 24.75" scale length though.

Our friend ArchtopHeaven has an SJ500VLS for sale. I'm not shilling for him but check it out all the same.

[FRS635]

Thanks for the new suggestions.

Pulled the trigger this morning. There was one Broadway considerably cheaper than the others and I decided to get it quick. It's gone now from the webpage so it looks like it was the last one. Have to wait two days until I find out why it was *that* cheap.

Re Ibanez: my limit was € 600,-. I was really interested in an Ibanez AFJ95 first but tried one in the shop and couldn't bond with it at all (probably because I had no clue what I was doing).

[FRS635]

Got it last week. So far I'm happy with the sound, acoustic and electric. Much better Jazz sound than my '82 Ibanez Musician (with Japanese Super 58 pickups). Some things I found:

• flawless finish
• neckblock seems to be a single piece of wood unlike older Korean models
• made in Nov. 2012
• made in Korea @Unsung like 339 in june's
• small f holes although the pics in the shop said otherwise
• buzzes when the strings aren't touched. Internet says this is normal, but my Ibanez doesn't do this. However the Ibanez has all the electronics in a shielded box.
• it looks like binding but the headstock doesn't have actual binding. It has a transparent plastic plate with black print on the back. so it's only three parts for the whole headstock decoration: the transparent plate, a binding colored plate below that and a piece of MOP inside this plate. Hard to notice from the front but from the side you can see it. From a budget production point of view I think it's kind of brilliant. But not perfect. (I may be wrong on the construction, of course I didn't disassemble it).
• neck is made from 3 parts to save wood.
• and of course no flamed maple on the back and sides. As Ibanez can do flamed maple for a lower price I think that's intentional by Epiphone to keep a feature gap to more expensive models like the Elite.
• heavier than I thought it would be

So, some shortcuts construction-wise, but I'm fine with those.

What irritates me a bit it that the guitar may have a symmetry issue. I took a pic as perpendicular as I could and drew in a center line going through the middle of the saddle and the middle of the tailpiece. This may not be the correct way to find the middle. I tried taking the half between the bows too but that was even more off.



So far so good, but in detail:



The pickups are clearly off center and the #6 string is further away from the fretboard edge than #1.

I could move the bridge to the left to correct this, but it is already closer to the left f hole.

But maybe this is how the pickups should be?

[Stevedel]

When my Broadway was delivered, the bridge was off a little bit also. You have to loosen the string tension to remove the protective layer of foam from under the bridge anyway, so just "scooch" it over a little. Just a little, until the strings are over the pickup poles.

[plasticpigeon]

It may be slightly asymmetric, but i bet most guitars are if you look at them hard enough. I have a Japanese elitist Broadway, and the pickups are slightly off centre, and the headstock is not quite symmetric, and although it bothered me a bit when i got it, I now don't care as i am not scrutinising it when i play, and like on yours, the asymmetry is only a couple of mm, I'm sure you will forget about it in time if you think it is a nice playing guitar.

[vinlander]

I have seen off centered pickup even on expensive Gibson, nothing to worry about when just slightly off.

[FRS635]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like a minor issue then. Waiting for a new set of strings, then I can finally remove the foam and all the stickers, including the € on the pickguard.

[Stevedel]

The emblem on my pickguard came loose on it's own. Although, it seems to stick OK on my Peavey Valverb's foot controller.

I'm certain that you will like your Broadway. I really like mine.