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Taking its cues from of the most famous acoustic guitars on the planet

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• Review

Well, not really. A Korean guitar like this would be good enough to use live, whereas some others we've seen simply wouldn't. We've already mentioned the evenness of the sound projection, but this is wood we're talking about here, and even laminated guitars will improve with age.

This one has already started, and while it couldn't be expected to go head to with a Gibson J200 – or any other acoustic with the kind of price tag a J200 can command – it stands out well from the crowd. There's a slight hint of boxiness to the tone, but I reckon this big Epi should mellow down to become a very usable guitar.

We're tempted to say that the visual appeal alone justifies the price tag; after all, it's a great looking guitar. But on a more down to earth level, the construction, finish, playability and sound are on a par with a guitar costing significantly more.

The problem with cheaper acoustic instruments is that their looks and finish can be uninspiring, and their tone plain off-putting. The EJ200, on the other hand, looks and sounds good, and we've no doubts as to its ability in earning its keep.

It doesn't matter what a guitar costs; if it doesn't do what's expected of it, then it's not really money well spent. The Epiphone EJ200 performed well and sounded good and we think you'd be hard pushed to get more guitar for the money. It's certainly won new friends around here.

Originally reviewed in Guitarist magazine, August 1997.