Epiphone FT-120 Excellente Reissue Review

[@HayesTech]

What Epiphone is coming out with in their Masterbuilt and Inspired by Gibson line up is crazy good. We have the J200 and absolutely love it. I want to get a few more of these guitars for reviewing. Great video....

[@Edward1312]

Purchased the guitar new in Dec 20 for £850 they are now retailing just over 2 years later new for £1250!

[@HayesTech]

@@Edward1312 Yep. That J200, that we purchased, was about $900.00 (out the door) and they too are now selling for around the $1,000.00 to $1,200.00 range. We are still very impressed with our J200. I've made several videos with it. I really want to get a Masterbuilt Texan and compare it with my 65 Texan. Keep up the great content.

[@jefferyclark351]

Great review on this guitar sir. Watched every review I could fine a least 5 times each. Your review has the closet sound to this guitar now that I have had it couple weeks. This is a fine sound coming out this wood box. Thank you for a most sincere honest review. Jeff Clark from Rockdale Texas

[@rogerd9150]

Hi Jeffery! Fellow Texan here from North Texas. You still enjoying that guitar because I was thinking about getting one?

[@jefferyclark351]

@@rogerd9150 it’s a different sounding guitar not the volume I wanted. Got a Martin d16 style Special.. it’s the guitar center exclusive one with full size dreadnaught size . They have them used for around 1200 to 1500 . Twice the guitar as the Epiphone excellente. The Martin d16e style SPECIAL has the same specks as the hd-28. It depends on what you want. The excellente seems muted to me.

[@jefferyclark351]

@@rogerd9150 the excellente is super heavy too. I played about 20 Loretta Lynn songs on it and that’s all my shoulders could take . Got to say it’s one pretty thing this guitar. But the honey moon didn’t last long.

[@TheTomvaliente]

Sounds Nice! Sounds REALLY Nice! I didn't know that Epiphone was making Masterbilt guitars in Indonesia.

[@Edward1312]

Worth noting that production at the Sammick factory Indonesia of Epiphone inspired by Gibson and the Frontier and Excellente reissues ended in 2023. Manufacturer of these guitars is now undertaken at the Epiphone facility in Guan dong China. Look for the 23 number signifying the Sammick Indonesia factory in the serial number. The 23 usually appears as the 5 and 6 numerals in the serial number. on the guitar label in the sound hole. .

[@paulgeorgia8013]

It’s a beauty and it sounds great 😊 Good luck with it. I’m shopping for one now

[@charlie-obrien]

What a gorgeous guitar. It is the only one that rivals the Hummingbird in the Epi dreadnought range. And the sound is comparable to the J-45. I have a feeling that Epiphone snuck this one past Gibson and rewarded us with a true classic. I bought a new piggy bank and I'm eyeing my current guitars to see if there is a possible a sacrifice can made to get the Excellente.

[@PageCrowes]

Hi my friend. I'm lucky to be handed down vintage excellente from Kalamazoo g bison factory from my grandfather. I'm in Michigan

[@PageCrowes]

Video on my channel..

[@scottmyers4065]

Just bought one about an hour ago.

[@giuseppedimarco4212]

Just got mine today. Sounds dark not happy with it. Looks beautiful that's it.

[@Edward1312]

Its a shame you think that way as I think it looks, plays and sounds excellent.

[@giuseppedimarco4212]

@@Edward1312 not this one. Is yours loud and sound crisp and bright? It feels great easy to play but the sound wasn't there.

[@Edward1312]

@@giuseppedimarco4212 To me the Frontier sounds brighter, I have the Frontier and Excellente but overall IMHO the Excellente is a better guitar.

[@giuseppedimarco4212]

@@Edward1312 even the guy at Guitar Center played it and said the same thing sounds dark. I'm going to return it and look for something else I guess. I really wanted to love this guitar or maybe get another and see if it is better .

[@bonkant6584]

Same here. I wasnt happy with mine at all. My $320 yamaha was louder and had more bass. That yamaha is still my go to after selling my Excellente.

[@jefferyclark351]

It doesn’t have any volume at all . Maybe the big ass pickguard plus the fishman electronic has it muffled down.

[@aldovergara9035]

It sounds terrific.

[@jefferyclark351]

What kind of strings you have on yours/ just received mind. It doesn’t have any citations all . Maybe the strings. It sounds good but it’s a hush puppy

[@Edward1312]

The strings here are made by Gibson which are the strings it comes with but I've changed mine now to bluegrass Tony rice 13's MTR13 signature strings by Martin which are much better IMHO.

[@annabellabellissima8942]

Hello Tony Could you give me the 2 measurements of the width of the shoulders and the bottom of the guitar? Kind regards 👩Anna👩

[@Edward1312]

28cm and 41cm Anna

[@annabellabellissima8942]

ThanXXX Tony, I thought the upper part was wider..

[@Edward1312]

@@annabellabellissima8942 Def not as just measured it.

[@williamcatalano1762]

Dude I haven't even seen any place with these and it's rare that they have the inspired by Gibson's in the States. I think guitar center might have the hummingbird but sweetwater doesn't have any. I want to pull the trigger on some of these haha

[@Edward1312]

They are made in Indonesia so it may be a supply problem, I had to wait months for mine. I suspect they may end up being a limited run anyway so good luck.

[@williamcatalano1762]

@@Edward1312 Yeah I can see the Excellente being limited but not so much the Inspired By Gibson. I really just want the Hummingbird 12. I'd love the Excellente as well but it's not a need or have to. I just think it's a really cool looking guitar and a cool piece of history.

[@Edward1312]

@@williamcatalano1762 The Inspired by Gibson Hummingbird 12 appears to be the hardest of the lot to get hold of at the moment, no one has them in store in the UK.

[@williamcatalano1762]

@@Edward1312 I haven't seen anyone around me have any of them in and if they did they were gone within the first couple days. Online looks rather bleak too. Even guitar center doesn't have anymore of any of them.

[@NytronX]

A dude in Japan is buying them all and selling them on ebay for $1200. They did the same thing with the 1994 Epiphone Excellente. There's some kind of obsession in Japan over these Epiphones.

[@emyceeeieong9058]

Sounds quite thin to me, I assume you were using a thin pick right?

[@Edward1312]

Its more to do with the strings it came with which werent very good.

[@richardkeene4476]

I have 1 love it

[@lawrencerasmus]

I bought a Rd 328 but it's light , want a heavy guitar , do you like the sapele as much as rosewood?

[@Edward1312]

There is no sepele in the Excellente the fretboard is Ebony and the body, is Spruce top with the rest Ovangkol.

[@johntrik]

These are Time travellers for sure !

[@WysteriaGuitar]

Very thin sounding with very little sustain, perhaps the finish is too thick or it's overbuilt...

[@Edward1312]

That's more to do with the strings than the guitar as the strings which it comes with and which are featured in this video are not very good.

[@WysteriaGuitar]

@@Edward1312 Well I hope so friend as I really was considering this model.

[@Edward1312]

@@WysteriaGuitar Once I put on some Tony Rice MTR 13 nickel wound 13''s it suddenly game to life!

[@WysteriaGuitar]

@@Edward1312 Good to know thanks Tony...now if i can just find one in stock in the States...

[@stathkon]

I love it But they say that the sound awful when plugged

[@Edward1312]

That's rubbish, they sound great unplugged.

[@stathkon]

@@Edward1312 yes, but when plugged?

[@Edward1312]

@@stathkon Its a great guitar both plugged and unplugged.

[@stathkon]

Are the strings 11 or 12?

[@Edward1312]

@@stathkon 12

[@EmptyMirrorMindful]

Nice review, been looking for as many on this guitar as I can find for multiple opinions. For those interested, here is another one done by JP Cormier with a higher end sound recording (no offense Tony - thank you for your work!) kzbin.info/www/bejne/mV6Xdoefp8ebmas - this is the one that really turned me on to these. JP seems to be pretty honest in his reviews I have found as well. I keep hearing about a thick application of poly on this killing the tone but I have read it is actually a pretty thin one with satin finish? Perhaps quality is dropping to keep up with production demand? Have to admit I am not a huge pick guard fan. It seems to me it would kill sound responsiveness of the top but just an opinion. I have owned master builts in the past and best playing guitars I have owned, and I have owned some of the best.

[@jefferyclark351]

Jp says all he plays is super sound. I believe this fellow tony is a more sincere review.

[@mikesing01]

So how is holding up after 3 years?

[@Edward1312]

Very well, especially considering it only cost me at the time £850 new.