Epiphone Elitist Broadway Electric Guitar Review :: Electric Guitars Reviews

classic big-box jazz guitar with incredibly luxurious appointments.

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Fully professional-quality guitars non-professionals can afford, the Elitist line from Epiphone combines over 125 years of instrument building experience and expertise with the finest materials. The results are musical instruments of impeccable quality and beauty.
The Epiphone Elitist Broadway Electric Guitar is a classic big-box jazz guitar with incredibly luxurious appointments. A solid-spruce carved top on AAA flamed maple back and sides mean high-end tone to go with its high-end looks, which are provided by 24K gold-plated hardware, precision binding all around, ebony fretboard, inlaid bridge, and abalone/mother-of-pearl fretboard inlays. Gibson-made USA humbuckers with independent volume and tone controls.
To show that Gibson stands behind every guitar, all Elitist instruments feature the Epiphone Limited Lifetime Warranty backed by over 100 years of uncompromising Customer Service from Epiphone and Gibson Musical Instruments.

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Sound of Epiphone Elitist Broadway Electric Guitar

  • smooth, full bodied sound;
  • immaculate in both sound and appearance;
  • it offers all of the warm tone and impeccable craftsmanship of an L5 Gibson (almost $ 8000) but at a much more reasonable price;
  • great for jazz;
  • the tone is fat and mellow;
  • the acoustic sound is not close to the carved tops;
  • unbelievable full spectrum of sound, really fills the room;
  • big, fat, warm jazz tone with lots of punch when you need it (Kenny Burrell and Wes stuff from the 60’s and 70’s; Johnny Smith “Moonlight in Vermont” tone);
  • ok for R’n’b, Atkins/Travis type things and for electric slack-key;
  • the sound through the AC30 (normal channel, cut knob wound three-quarters on) is classic jazz of the early 60s ;
  • you can run the guitar with the volume knobs over halfway off and the sound doesn’t whimp out, which means you can open up the amp more;
  • not at all bass heavy like some true hollowbody electrics.

Pros of Epiphone Elitist Broadway Electric Guitar

  • a fine affordable instrument, recommend to all the professional players;
  • immaculate in both sound and appearance;
  • it offers all of the warm tone and impeccable craftsmanship of an L5 Gibson (almost $ 8000) but at a much more reasonable price;
  • comes close to the Gibson arch-tops;
  • beautiful woods, nice inlays, and great fret job ;
  • feels solid ;
  • big, fat, warm jazz tone with lots of punch when you need it;
  • you can adjust the neck down very low and still not worry about rattles;
  • the solid spruce top makes a big difference in tone.

Cons of Epiphone Elitist Broadway Electric Guitar

  • the L-5 is a little more responsive to right hand dynamics;
  • the front pickup is very fat.

Suggestions for this Epiphone Guitar

  • Thomastik-Infeld flatwounds and a little intonation adjustment;
  • the neck is of the best you will find anywhere – you can adjust it down very low and still not worry about rattles;
  • use no stomp boxes with this guitar;
  • adjusting the pole pieces makes a big difference in tonal response ;
  • you can shape your sound pretty easily by adjusting polepieces to mess with the magnetic field.

Amps & Effects used by users – Fender tube amp, Acoustic Image Clarus 1R, Raezer’s Edge, Yamaha G-50/112, Mesa Boogie 50 caliber+, Fender Vibrosonic, Bassman 70, mid 60’s Vox AC30, Soane-Tone valve reverb unit, Fender tube amps (Super Reverb reissue, Blues Deluxe, Deluxe Reverb)

Features + Technical Specs
Tuners Grover with Imperial Buttons
Fingerboard Ebony
Neck 5-Piece Maple/Rosewood/Maple/Rosewood/Maple
Neck Joint Set, 14th fret
Nut 1-11/16″, Bone
Bridge Ebony
Scale 25-1/2″
Top Solid Spruce
Back AAA Flame Maple
Sides AAA Flame Maple
Rhythm PU 50SR (Gibson USA Humbucker)
Treble PU 50ST (Gibson USA Humbucker)
Controls 2-V, 2-T; 3-Way Pickup Selector
Machine heads Grover
Strings Gibson USA
Hardware 24K Gold
Finishes Natural, Vintage Sunburst
Click below on page 2 for more photos of this musical instrument

Disclosure: we may be compensated for our reviews. Click here for details.

1 Comment

  1. Jeffrey Matthews

    Thank for the excellent review!

    Reply

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