Epiphone PPAG-EAFTVSCH3 Acoustic Guitar: Full Review

The Epiphone FT-100 is a budget-friendly option in the Epiphone acoustic guitar lineup. It's a dreadnought style guitar made with laminated materials in Epiphone's Chinese factory. Despite its affordability, this model still strives to carry on the Epiphone tradition of making great sounding and feeling acoustic guitars accessible to all levels of players.

The FT-100 has a classic dreadnought shape that projects sound well. It combines a spruce top with mahogany back and sides to produce balanced tone across the tonal spectrum. The neck has a smooth satin finish and the body binding and rosette give it some visual flair. Overall, it's an excellent choice for new players looking for their first serious acoustic or a reliable backup for gigging musicians.

Build Quality

The Epiphone PPAG-EAFTVSCH3 is a well-constructed acoustic guitar with excellent attention to detail. It features a select spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and a mahogany neck.

The guitar's solid spruce top provides brightness and volume. Spruce is a popular choice for acoustic guitar tops due to its responsive sound. The guitar's back and sides are made from mahogany. Mahogany offers a balanced tone that emphasizes the midrange. This gives the guitar a smooth, resonant sound.

The build quality is impressive for an acoustic guitar at this price point. The materials are carefully chosen and the guitar exhibits excellent craftsmanship. The dovetail neck joint is securely attached. The nut slots are cut straight and at an appropriate depth. The frets are smoothly finished with no sharp edges.

Overall, the materials and construction of the Epiphone PPAG-EAFTVSCH3 are comparable to more expensive models. While not a high-end instrument, the guitar's solid wood construction and quality of craftsmanship make it an excellent value. The attention to detail ensures reliable playability and resonant tone.

Another acoustic guitar with excellent build quality in this price range is the Luna Guitars HEN PA SPR. Like the Epiphone, it has a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides. The spruce top provides volume and clarity while the mahogany offers a balanced tone. It also features scalloped bracing for optimized resonance.

The Luna HEN PA SPR has precise craftsmanship throughout. The dovetail neck joint is tight, the nut and saddle are cut well, and the frets are finished smoothly. The satin finish is thin and allows the wood to resonate freely. The rosette and binding are done neatly with no sloppy glue spots.

The Luna guitar sounds open and responsive. It has excellent intonation up the neck. The bass is punchy but not boomy. Trebles have sparkle and definition. Chords ring out with sustain. Single notes have rich harmonics.

In terms of playability, the Luna HEN PA SPR has low, comfortable action right out of the box. The neck has an easy, slim profile that makes forming chords effortless. The wider nut width provides room for fingerpicking.

All in all, the Luna HEN PA SPR rivals more expensive instruments in its build quality and attention to detail. Much like the Epiphone model, it provides amazing value by combining quality tonewoods with precision craftsmanship. For guitarists shopping for a well-made acoustic on a budget, both of these models are excellent choices worth considering.

Sound Profile

The Epiphone FT-100 Acoustic sports a all-mahogany body and mahogany neck. This tonewood combination produces a balanced, well-rounded tone profile that is versatile for various playing styles.

The mahogany body and neck provide a smooth, mellow midrange, adding warmth and depth to the guitar's voice. Though mahogany lacks the shimmery highs of spruce, it makes up for it with robust low mids that fill out the sound. The bass response is slightly attenuated yet remains focused.

When strummed, the Epiphone FT-100 projects pleasingly with a balanced sound. Notes sustain and bloom nicely. The all-mahogany construction gives it a controlled bass and compressed midrange. The result is an acoustic guitar that handles both rhythm chording and fingerstyle playing with ease.

The compact dreadnought style body provides balanced and comfortable playing feel. Despite the smaller body size, sound production is not compromised. Volume and projection are adequate for most playing scenarios. While not as booming as a full dreadnought, the Epiphone FT-100 still delivers a balanced, quality acoustic tone.

The Yamaha CG192S is another excellent option for an all-solid mahogany acoustic guitar. Yamaha is known for making great entry-level and midrange acoustics, and the CG192S delivers their quality craftsmanship at an affordable price point. The smaller concert body style results in a very comfortable playing feel while still providing impressive volume and projection. The mahogany construction gives it a balanced, rounded tone profile that excels at chordal playing. The bass has plenty of low-end punch while the midrange is smooth and focused. Overall, the Yamaha CG192S is an outstanding choice for an all-mahogany acoustic guitar. For more details, check out the full review here: Yamaha CG192S

In summary, both the Epiphone FT-100 and Yamaha CG192S are great options for mahogany acoustic guitars. The Epiphone delivers classic mahogany tone in an affordable, entry-level package. And the Yamaha provides their renowned build quality and sound in a comfortable concert-sized body. Players looking for an all-mahogany acoustic with balanced tone and playability can't go wrong with either of these fine instruments.

Playability

The Epiphone FT-100 offers excellent playability thanks to its comfortable neck profile and setup. The neck has a slim taper "D" profile that provides a nice smooth feel for both chording and soloing. It measures 42mm wide at the nut which is ideal for most players.

The action on this guitar is set low right out of the box. There is very little fret buzz thanks to the GraphTech NuBone nut and saddle. The string height at the 12th fret measures about 2.5mm on the treble side and 3mm on the bass side. This allows easy forming of barre chords and makes it comfortable to play higher up the neck.

The 25.5" scale rosewood fretboard has a 12" radius which gives a very playable feel. The medium-jumbo frets are nicely finished providing smooth transitions up and down the neck. Overall the FT-100 offers excellent playability right out of the box.

Hardware

The hardware on the Epiphone PPAG-EAFTVSCH3 acoustic guitar is high quality for the price. The tuners are open-gear nickel with smooth and precise turning action to keep the guitar in tune. The nut and saddle are made from graphite to improve sustain and clarity.

The bridge utilizes a rosewood design that is both visually appealing and provides excellent resonance and sustain. The strings pass over a compensated saddle that is individually set for proper intonation up the neck. Overall, the hardware components are well-made and allow the guitar to be easily kept in tune while providing a rich, full sound.

Electronics

The Epiphone FT-100 features a Shadow ePerformer preamp and pickup system designed to deliver a balanced acoustic tone that maintains the character of the solid spruce top.

The undersaddle Shadow ePerformer pickup uses a proprietary flexible sensor to capture the guitar's natural sound. It has been described as producing a "quack-free" plugged-in acoustic tone that avoids piezo quack and feedback issues.

The preamp has basic treble, bass, and volume controls allowing you to shape your amplified tone. The easy-access battery compartment makes it simple to change the preamp battery as needed.

Overall, the electronics provide flexibility for amplifying your acoustic sound in live settings or recording while retaining the true unplugged voice of the FT-100. The Shadow system aims to produce a natural amplified tone without excessive eq tweaking. The simple controls give you essential tone-shaping options.

Comfort and Ergonomics

The Epiphone FT-100 has a comfortable and ergonomic dreadnought body shape that provides excellent balance whether playing seated or standing. Though slightly on the heavy side at over 8 pounds, the guitar's weight is evenly distributed so it doesn't feel too neck-heavy or body-heavy.

The wider lower bout and shoulders offer plenty of room for strumming, while the slim tapered neck allows easy access to upper frets. The 25.5" scale length is ideal for most hands, enabling comfortable fretting and chording. Though a contoured neck heel would improve upper fret access, the joint between neck and body doesn't create any sharp edges.

Overall, the FT-100's traditional dreadnought proportions place the body, neck, and hardware in an alignment that most guitarists will find natural and accommodating. While not the lightest acoustic guitar, its thoughtful shape and weight distribution provide very good comfort and playability.

Value for Money

The Epiphone DR-100 is an excellent value for those looking for a quality, affordable acoustic guitar. At around $120, it's priced significantly below more premium models from Martin, Taylor, and Gibson while still offering solid build quality and sound.

Compared to other guitars in the same sub-$150 price range like the Yamaha FG800 or Fender FA-100, the Epiphone DR-100 stacks up very well. It has a slightly fuller sound with more bass response thanks to its mahogany and spruce tonewood construction. The neck also feels smooth and comfortable right out of the box, with a slim taper profile.

While serious guitarists may eventually want to upgrade to a more high-end instrument, the DR-100 is perfect for beginners or those on a tight budget. It provides a great platform to learn on and develop your skills over the first few years of playing, without breaking the bank. Many are surprised at the quality Epiphone has managed to deliver in such an affordable package.

So for those looking to buy their first acoustic or get a solid beater guitar for travel and practice, the Epiphone DR-100 represents fantastic value compared to most competitors. It punches above its class in terms of build, sound, and playability.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Classic dreadnought body shape provides full and balanced tone
• All mahogany construction gives a warm, rich sound
• Select spruce top handles strumming and fingerpicking well
• Slim neck profile ideal for smaller hands or long practice sessions
• Includes preamp powered by 9V battery to boost volume and shape tone
• Attractive vintage sunburst finish with vintage styling

Cons

• Laminate back and sides don't resonate as well as solid wood
• Electronics can add buzzing or feedback at higher volumes
• High action at nut and saddle may make barre chords difficult
• Tuning can be unstable especially with heavy strumming
• Lack of cutaway limits upper fret access
• Only available in one color and finish option

Conclusion

The Epiphone DR-100 is an excellent entry-level acoustic guitar that punches above its weight class. Though it has a budget-friendly price tag, it does not compromise on tone or playability.

The all-laminate construction results in a bright, balanced tone that projects well. The slim neck profile and low action facilitate comfortable playing while the premium hardware improves tuning stability. Though electronics are absent, the DR-100's acoustic voice needs no amplification to fill a room.

With its impressive build quality, rich sound, and easy playability, the Epiphone DR-100 is highly recommended for new players and those looking for an affordable secondary guitar. While professional musicians may eventually look to upgrade, this guitar will more than meet the needs of most beginner and intermediate players. For its price, the DR-100 delivers outstanding quality and has all the hallmarks of an instrument punches above its class. If you're looking for a great starter guitar that will grow with you, the DR-100 is an excellent choice.