Epiphone PR-150 Acoustic Guitar Vintage Sunburst – The Ultimate Review

The Epiphone PR-150 is a very well-made guitar that sounds pretty impressive for its price. There is almost nothing that can be said against it. This is perfect if you are a beginner looking for a guitar that won’t require upgrades very soon.

If you want to find the complete Epiphone PR-150 review and buying guide, then you are in the right place. For such an easy-to-afford guitar, Epiphone PR-150 is the perfect acoustic guitar for you starting on.

Review Summary:

The name ‘Epiphone’ rings quite a few bells for anyone with even a slight interest in musicianship. And it should. Established in 1873, Epiphone is one of the oldest and most respected instrument-makers brands. Even after being acquired by its main rival Gibson, it has maintained the trend of delivering top-notch instruments for both the beginner and the professional. Epiphone guitars have been used regularly by legends like Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Kurt Cobain. No wonder every guitar player wishes to own an Epiphone-branded guitar.

Although Epiphone is better known for its premium products like its Ltd. Edition Elitist guitars and Les Paul electric guitars, they have gone a little out-of-the-box with their PR-150 and delivered a low-quality guitar in price but high in sound and quality.

The Epiphone PR-150 is a spruce-top guitar with a Mahogany body and neck and is made to feel sturdy and durable. The fingerboard is Rosewood, which goes along beautifully with the Mahagony neck. Made with good quality wood and a synthetic bone bridge saddle, it produces rich sounds without burning a hole in your pocket. You can pick this guitar up for around $150 from Amazon and other online retailers, and if you wait for some Black Friday sort of opportunity, you may even get this guitar for less than 100 dollars. To be clear, this is a fantastic deal for sure.

Decoding the Epiphone PR-150 Acoustic Guitar Vintage Sunburst: The Ultimate Review

An acoustic guitar is almost always the first starter guitar of any player. And coming from a brand like Epiphone, the PR-150 seems very enticing. I’ll look for the three top aspects of any guitar – looks, build, and sound. The guitar’s specifications are excellent, and a detailed look at the guitar proves that the PR-150 is a great choice for any beginner, or for that matter, a professional player just looking for a spare guitar for his RV.

Epiphone PR-150 Review: How It Looks

I have always been a big fan of guitars featuring a vibrant sunburst color. And as the name suggests, the PR-150 comes in a vintage sunburst and natural light brown finish. I prefer the dark black and the bold gold combination the sunburst finish provides. The guitar looks classic and feels excellent. The vintage-style soundhole is supported by a tortoiseshell-style black pickguard, made more remarkable by that 60’s-era “E” logo embedded on the pickguard in white color.

The headstock is in plain black polish with the Epiphone branding in gold. The back of the guitar is like any other acoustic guitar – a simple dark brown. The fingerboard has twenty frets with dot inlays marking the fret numbers at regular intervals. A pretty helpful feature for any beginner. The body features no cutaway, making the last few frets a bit inaccessible, though this won’t be a problem after you get used to the guitar and start practicing.

The tuners are all die-cast nickel and relatively standard, as is expected from a guitar this cheap. The all-nickel hardware will last long, but the tuners may have to be replaced.

This is the only significant problem with this guitar. It requires frequent tuning because the factory tuners tend to slip, though it is a problem with any starter guitar and won’t take much time to fix.

Overall. The Epiphone PR-150 is an excellent guitar of quality. The vintage sunburst color, the spruce-top Epiphone-branded in the black finish, the black pickguard, and the rich brown Rosewood fingerboard are not readily available in this sub-$200 range of guitars.

How It Builds or Builds Quality

This is the main advantage of owning the Epiphone PR-150. It is made of excellent high-quality wood and is made to last long. The body of this Epiphone is made from Mahogany, a premium-quality wood, promising to deliver a rich tonal range. The finishing of the guitar is excellent, with no sharp edges, glue stains, or splinters to be found.

The fretboard of the guitar is another excellent addition to the PR-150. It is made of Rosewood coupled with smooth frets, which is pretty nifty, considering that many companies, including Gibson, have started to experiment with new materials a lot, and a Rosewood-Mahogany guitar is hard to find at this price.

The slim-taper profile of the Mahagony neck is very comfortable to play and is suitable for sliding, bending, and other such guitar techniques. The select spruce top with a Rosewood fingerboard and Mahogany neck is a durable combination, and you will know the solid quality of the guitar when you hold it in your own hands.

All in all, I found the PR-150 to be well-made. The build quality matches the other costly series of Epiphone and Gibson guitars. At this price range, you won’t find another guitar that carries the branding of a company like Epiphone with top-quality craftsmanship. It is reliable and sturdy and will be one of my top recommendations for someone looking for a cheap guitar that they have been planning to use for quite a few years.

How It Sound or Sound Quality

The Epiphone, as I said earlier, is made from a very excellent Mahogany and Rosewood combination. And this shows up clearly when you start to play the guitar. The sound quality of the Epiphone PR-150 is the best in its class, without a doubt. It beats Rogue and Takamine and fierce competition to famous brands like Yamaha and Fender.

The guitar comes entirely straight out of the box with the default factory strings, which do the job well. The treble is bright, with the bass being a little (petite) light unless you bring more power to your down strokes. But overall, the sound is clear and balanced on both ends of the fret.

I still found some problems with buzzing in the lower two strings, but that may be because of my neck adjustments. It’ll be a rare case to find this buzzing issue, and even if you encounter it, a little tuning and action adjustment will solve it completely.

What struck me at first was how clear the sound was. Even when guitars sound fantastic, it is only sometimes that you get to hear the distinct sound of each string getting added up together. With the Epiphone PR-150, I could hear the different tones of the strings clearly while strumming. This makes the guitar sound crisper and fuller.

My Personal Opinion About Epiphone PR-150 Acoustic Guitar Vintage Sunburst

It is only sometimes that a guitar in the price range of $100-$200 handles and sounds, as well as the Epiphone PR-150. Considering all the aspects of looks, build and sound, the guitar is an excellent value for money. This is my highest recommendation to beginners looking for a cheap guitar that can handle rough use and the advanced needs of players. It is perfect for beach parties, practice sessions at your house, or passing it around among your student guitar players.

The only close competition for this guitar is the Yamaha 700s. But I will still choose the Epiphone because of its build quality and clarity of sounds. Pair it with an expensive set of strings, and this guitar will be ready for anything you may want to throw at it – live shows, recording sessions, and just plain practice.

I have owned an Epiphone guitar before, and it is one of the few brands I trust to give me a reliable guitar with good sound at this price. I also know experienced players who use this guitar and often recommend it to their students. You can save money with this guitar and get a sound that will last you for years. The limited lifetime warranty and Gibson’s customer service are a few perks of this guitar. It is a perfect guitar for all intents and purposes, and you will never regret buying this one.

You may review the following summary of this guitar’s features to get a gist of this final review and decide whether the guitar is for you.

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Why You Need To Buy The Epiphone Pr-150 And What I Dislike From It

Pros

The brand of Epiphone ensures good quality, and its guitars come with a Limited Lifetime Warranty, which only adds to the already long life of the guitar.
The build quality of the PR-150 is excellent and gives the guitar an excellent feel.
The guitar’s clarity is impressive, and the sounds are rich and balanced.
It is very cheap. You will save a lot of money and still get a premium product.

Cons

The tuning may change a little too frequently. This will have to be solved by changing the factory tuners. It is a common problem with guitars of this price, and manufacturers cannot be blamed. They have to keep the price low, too, right?
You may find the bass to be a bit low. Fixing this will require some neck adjustments and tuning.

My Final Thought

It is also ideal for advanced players looking for a spare guitar that won’t cost much but still sound good for recording and jamming sessions.

Please keep it in your garage for the weekend playing, on your front porch, take it on your camping trips, gift it to your kids, or do whatever you want. The PR-150 will handle it all and still give excellent results.

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