A Review of the Epiphone AJ18S Acoustic Guitar

When I first decided to take guitar lessons, I was not in a financial position to spend a lot of money. I decided that it would be ok to start with a cheap instrument. As a musician, I appreciate a quality sound. As a teacher of brass and wind instruments, I understand all too well that you get what you pay for. I figured that going cheap was going to be my compromise.

The store owner talked me out of going cheap, but I didn't have to break the bank either. I just listened to him play a few different guitars so I could hear the difference in quality. I decided on the Epiphone AJ18S, mainly because of the sound. The AJ18S has a solid spruce top. Being a brass player, this meant exactly nothing to me until I heard this guitar played next to a more inexpensive guitar with a laminate (plywood) top. The tone quality of the AJ18S was clearly better. A laminate guitar doesn't have as full a sound as one with a solid top.

The action on this guitar is medium and plays comfortably. I've played acoustics that were lower, but this one is comfortable as is. One thing that I will note about the tuners is that they do hold well. My guitar is rarely too far out of tune, even when I haven't played in awhile.

Cosmetically, there isn't too much to say. My Epiphone is an ebony finish. There is nothing flashy about the AJ18S. The hardware is gold tone and there are six inlays on the fretboard. This guitar does what it's supposed to do , and that is sound good and play well.

I've taken this guitar into a classroom full of middle school students and given them the opportunity to "try it out". After several years of bringing this guitar in for student demonstrations, I can honestly say that this is a tough guitar!

New, the Epiphone AJ18S lists for $389. It can be found used for about $150. This guitar is well worth the money. You'll get a quality instrument that is durable and sounds great for the price.