Head to head
Epiphone El Niño Travel Acoustic, Natural vs Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst
The verdict
The Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst comes out ahead overall — 74 to 64 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Epiphone El Niño Travel Acoustic, Natural wins on
- Better value (74 vs 63)
- Lower price ($179 vs $3,199)
Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst wins on
- Better build (91 vs 61)
- Better playability (75 vs 64)
Scorecard
| Metric | El Niño Travel Acoustic, Natural | J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 64 | 74 |
| Build | 61 | 91 |
| Playability | 64 | 75 |
| Sound | 60 | 60 |
| Value | 74 | 63 |
Full specifications
| Spec | El Niño Travel Acoustic, Natural | J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Epiphone | Gibson |
| Type | Acoustic | Acoustic |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | — | US |
| Body wood | Layered Agathis | Mahogany |
| Neck wood | Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Granadillo | Rosewood |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 20 | 20 |
| Scale | 22.68" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | — | LR Baggs VTC |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $179 | $3,199 |
| Back | Layered Agathis | Mahogany |
| Body Finish | Satin Open Grain | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | J-45 | J-45 |
| Body Styles | Small Body | Round Shoulder |
| Bridge | Reverse belly Granadillo | Traditional belly up |
| Case | Gig bag included | Hardshell Case |
| Finish | Nickel | Nickel |
| Fret Count | 20 | 20 |
| Headstock | Small Sloped Dovewing | — |
| Joint | Dowel | Compound Dovetail Neck-to-body |
| Model | EANNANNH1 | OCRS4550VS |
| Nut | PVC | Bone |
| Profile | C | Rounded |
| Saddle Material | Compensated | Bone |
| Scale length | 576.0mm / 22.68in | 628.65mm / 24.75in |
| Side | Layered Agathis | Mahogany |
| String gauges | Phosphor Bronze .013, .017, .026, .035, .045, .056 | 0.053, 0.042, 0.032, 0.024, 0.016, 0.012 |
| Top wood | Select Spruce | Sitka Spruce |
| Tuners | Epiphone Covered | Grover Strap Cream Button |
| Accessories | — | Includes Gibson Accessory Kit |
| Binding | — | Multi-ply top, single-ply back |
| Bracing | — | Traditional hand scalloped X-bracing |
| Bridge Pins | — | Tusq |
| Controls | — | Volume and Tone Controls |
| Fretboard inlay | — | Mother-of-pearl dots |
| Fretboard radius | — | 304.8mm / 12.0in |
| Nut width | — | 43.81mm / 1.72in |
| Pickguard | — | 50's, Tortoise |
| Truss Rod Cover | — | Black |
| Tuner Plating | — | Nickel |
| Under Saddle Pickup | — | LR Baggs VTC |