Epiphone PRO EAPC3ANCH Acoustic Guitar: Full Review

Epiphone is a longstanding American instrument manufacturer that traces its roots back to 1873. The company is now owned by Gibson but maintains its own identity and production facilities in Asia. Epiphone offers a wide range of acoustic and electric guitars, focusing on affordable high-value instruments for beginners and intermediate players.

The PRO-1 Plus is an all-solid tonewood acoustic-electric guitar from Epiphone’s Parlor series. It features a classic small-bodied parlor design with an all-mahogany body and solid spruce top. This is an acoustic aimed at delivering full dreadnought sound in a comfortable, easy-playing parlor size. The PRO-1 Plus incorporates Epiphone's eSonic preamp system and Shadow NanoFlex pickup for amplifying the guitar's natural acoustic tone. With its solid wood construction and Fishman electronics, the PRO-1 Plus punches above its price point. It's an accessible workhorse geared towards gigging musicians.

Construction

The Epiphone PRO-1 Plus is built with a solid Sitka spruce top, which provides excellent resonance and responsiveness. Sitka spruce is a popular top wood choice for acoustic guitars due to its strength, lightness, and ability to reflect soundwaves well.

The back and sides are made from mahogany, which gives the guitar a balanced tone with pronounced mid-range frequencies. Mahogany backs and sides are known for their rich, warm sound.

The fretboard is rosewood, which is a dense tropical hardwood that helps produce bright, crisp treble notes. Rosewood is an excellent fretboard material that holds frets securely.

The Epiphone PRO-1 Plus has a nut width of 1.68", which provides ample space for fingerpicking and complex chords. The slightly wider nut width allows more room between strings, making it comfortable for players with larger hands. The construction materials and design of the Epiphone PRO-1 Plus are optimized for producing a full-bodied, well-balanced acoustic tone.

Another quality acoustic guitar to consider is the Cordoba C1M-CE. This guitar features a solid Canadian cedar top with mahogany back and sides. The combination of cedar and mahogany produces a warm, rich acoustic tone with excellent resonance and sustain. The cedar top is lightweight and responsive, allowing the guitar to have a very playable feel.

The Cordoba C1M-CE has a slightly narrower 1.65" nut width compared to the Epiphone PRO-1 Plus. While not quite as wide, it still provides enough room for most playing styles and won't feel too cramped. The smooth satin finish on the neck contributes to the overall comfortable and fast feel of the Cordoba C1M-CE.

This guitar comes equipped with the Fishman Presys Blend pickup system, which allows you to plug into an amplifier or PA system. The Presys Blend combines a microphone and under-saddle pickup, providing both natural acoustic tone and amplified volume. An onboard preamp with volume and tone controls allows you to shape your amplified sound.

In terms of construction, the Cordoba C1M-CE features mahogany neck, back, and sides. Mahogany provides a balanced tone with nice warmth and resonance. The fretboard and bridge are rosewood, which helps produce crisp treble notes. Overall, the materials and build quality allow this Cordoba acoustic-electric guitar to produce balanced tone and reliable performance.

At around $500, the Cordoba C1M-CE is very reasonably priced for a solid-top acoustic-electric. It punches above its weight in terms of features, tone, and playability. If you're looking for an affordable but high quality acoustic-electric, the Cordoba C1M-CE is an excellent choice worth considering alongside the similarly priced Epiphone PRO-1 Plus.

Sound Quality

The Epiphone PR-5E has excellent sound quality that will satisfy even discerning players. It delivers a balanced tone across the lows, mids and highs, resulting in a rich and full sound.

The mahogany back and sides help produce a deep bass response, while the solid Sitka spruce top provides brightness and projection. There is a good balance between the low end and the treble, so notes ring out clearly. It has enough low-end to give strumming warmth, but not so much that it muddies up melodic playing.

The guitar projects very well, with impressive volume that fills a room. You don't have to play hard to get good projection. It maintains its balanced tone even when played more forcefully.

Overall, the tone is balanced, deep and resonant. The PR-5E has a classic acoustic guitar sound that works great for all styles of music. It has enough richness and nuance to handle intricate fingerpicking, while also having the projection for rhythmic strumming. From jazz to rock to folk, this guitar will excel in any genre.

The Martin LXK2 is another excellent acoustic guitar option to consider. With its solid koa top, koa pattern HPL back and sides, and Fishman Sonitone electronics, it delivers top-notch sound in a smaller travel-friendly size. The LXK2 produces a balanced tone with clear articulate notes across the tonal spectrum. The solid koa top provides brightness and projection, while the HPL back and sides offer depth and resonance. It's an extremely responsive and dynamic acoustic that excels for both fingerstyle and strumming. The onboard Fishman Sonitone electronics make it easy to plug in for amplified performances. Overall, the Martin LXK2 is an outstanding choice for guitarists looking for rich acoustic tone and versatility in a stage-ready travel guitar. You can learn more about the Martin LXK2 here.

When it comes to acoustic guitars, sound quality is of course paramount. Guitarists want an instrument that produces inspiring tone across the entire frequency range. They look for balanced lows, mids and highs with enough projection and volume to fill a room. An acoustic with excellent sound will showcase the player's skill and musicality. Both the Epiphone PR-5E and Martin LXK2 deliver professional-grade acoustic guitar sound in attractive price points. The PR-5E offers a deep, resonant mahogany and spruce tone perfect for fingerstyle and strumming. The LXK2 provides articulate solid koa brightness paired with koa HPL warmth ideal for intricate playing. While they have different construction styles, these two acoustics exemplify the balanced, nuanced tone that guitarists desire. Players looking for inspiring acoustic sound with versatility for diverse musical genres would do well to consider either the PR-5E or LXK2.

Playability

The Epiphone Classic features a slim tapered neck profile that promotes comfort for the player's hand. The low string action, meaning the strings sit closer to the fretboard, also enhances playability and helps make fingering easier. With a 24.75" scale length, the guitar neck length is slightly shorter than typical acoustic guitars. This shorter scale also aids playability, allowing for easier fretting and reaching the strings, especially for players with smaller hands. While the short scale does mean tighter string tension, the guitar still produces an impressive full and balanced tone. The easy playing feel makes this a nice option for beginners looking for an accessible introductory acoustic. More advanced players will also appreciate the effortless fretting enabled by the slim neck and low action.

Hardware

The Epiphone PRO EAPC3ANCH features high-quality hardware that contributes to its full, balanced tone. One standout is the Chrome sealed tuners that hold the guitar in tune extremely well and make re-stringing an easy process.

The compensated bone saddle provides excellent intonation across all six strings. Intonation refers to the guitar's ability to play the correct pitch on every fret without going sharp or flat. The bone material also adds a bit of brightness and clarity to the tone.

The guitar has 5-ply top binding that gives it a premium look and feel. The multiple layers of binding help protect the spruce top from cracks and splits over years of play. It's a beautiful finishing touch that complements the guitar's solid spruce top.

Overall, the hardware components enhance both the aesthetics and functionality of this acoustic-electric guitar from Epiphone. The tuners, saddle, and binding are well-made parts that enable great tone production and tuning stability.

Electronics

The Epiphone PRO-1 Plus System electronics are powered by the Shadow ePerformer preamp and pickup system. This gives the PRO-1 Plus excellent plugged-in amplified tone in addition to its strong acoustic sound.

The Shadow preamp has volume and tone controls so you can shape your amplified tone. There's also a built-in tuner that makes it easy to keep the PRO-1 Plus in tune before gigs or practice sessions. The tuner out jack allows you to connect to an external tuner as well.

With its Shadow preamp and pickup system, the Epiphone PRO-1 Plus can handle both acoustic and electric needs. You get the full-bodied acoustic tone when unplugged, and great amplified sound when plugged in. The onboard volume, tone and tuner controls give you flexibility and convenience.

Pros

One of the biggest pros of the Epiphone PRO EAPC3ANCH acoustic guitar is its high-quality materials and construction. The guitar features a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and a slim taper mahogany neck. This combination produces a beautifully balanced and versatile tone that works well for various musical genres.

The Epiphone is also known for its easy playability. It has a slim and comfortable neck profile that makes it effortless to play, even for long periods of time. The action and string height are set low and allow smooth chord changes and fretting. This makes the Epiphone PRO a great choice for beginners looking for their first serious acoustic guitar.

The guitar's craftsmanship and attention to detail result in an instrument that sounds, plays, and feels like a more expensive model. Serious players will appreciate the quality found in the Epiphone PRO at its accessible price point. It's an excellent value for an all-solid wood acoustic with pro-level tone and playability.

Cons

The Epiphone PRO-1 Plus is not without some drawbacks:

• The electronics could be better. While the Shadow ePerformer preamp does offer some tonal shaping capabilities, more advanced players may find it lacking compared to higher-end preamps that allow more precise EQ adjustments. The tuner is also basic and doesn't offer much beyond standard chromatic tuning. Upgrading the electronics could make a noticeable difference in sound quality.

• It lacks a cutaway for easy upper fret access. The solid headstock means you can't easily access notes past the 14th fret or so. Those looking to play a lot of solos up the neck may find the lack of a cutaway to be limiting at times. A cutaway model would make those higher notes easier to reach.

Alternatives to the Epiphone PRO-1 Acoustic

The Epiphone PRO-1 is a decent entry level acoustic guitar, but there are some alternatives worth considering in a similar price range:

Seagull S6

The Seagull S6 is a mid-priced acoustic guitar known for its excellent tone and playability. It features a solid cedar top with Canadian wild cherry back and sides, which gives it a warm, balanced sound with good resonance and sustain. The neck is slim and comfortable with a dual action truss rod for easy adjustments. Hardware includes an integrated set neck and Tusq nut and saddle. The craftsmanship and attention to detail makes this a great option in this price range.

Yamaha FG800

Yamaha's FG800 is one of the best-selling acoustics with its combination of quality and affordability. It has a solid Sitka spruce top, Nato back and sides, and rosewood fingerboard. The tone is well-balanced with good projection. The playability is easy with its slim neck, adjustable truss rod, and slightly smaller body size. The matte finish is durable and doesn't require a lot of maintenance. Overall, this is an excellent beginner guitar with Yamaha's reliability.

Conclusion

The Epiphone PRO EAPC3ANCH is a high quality acoustic guitar that punches above its weight class and offers great value. With its laminated spruce and mahogany construction, this guitar produces a balanced and pleasant tone that works well for various music genres.

While not as fancy looking as more expensive models, the PRO EAPC3ANCH's traditional dreadnought body provides excellent projection and sustain. The fast slim neck and smooth rosewood fingerboard make it an accessible instrument for beginners and intermediates alike.

The Epiphone sounds richer and louder than other acoustics in its price range. While it may lack some bass compared to a more expensive guitar, the PRO EAPC3ANCH offers a great balance of warm lows and bright highs.

The hardware holds up well and allows for stable tuning while still being easy to adjust. The premium finish gives this guitar a classic look suitable for any player.

Overall, the PRO EAPC3ANCH punches above its class and provides amazing value at this price point. For beginners or intermediates looking for a well-made acoustic with balanced tone across the frequency range, the Epiphone PRO EAPC3ANCH is easy to recommend.