Head to head
Epiphone Masterbilt Frontier, Iced Tea Aged Gloss vs Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst
The verdict
The Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst comes out ahead overall — 74 to 69 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Epiphone Masterbilt Frontier, Iced Tea Aged Gloss wins on
- Better sound (68 vs 60)
- Lower price ($899 vs $3,199)
Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst wins on
- Better build (91 vs 70)
Scorecard
| Metric | Masterbilt Frontier, Iced Tea Aged Gloss | J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 69 | 74 |
| Build | 70 | 91 |
| Playability | 72 | 75 |
| Sound | 68 | 60 |
| Value | 67 | 63 |
Full specifications
| Spec | Masterbilt Frontier, Iced Tea Aged Gloss | J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Epiphone | Gibson |
| Type | Acoustic | Acoustic |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | — | US |
| Body wood | Solid Maple | Mahogany |
| Neck wood | Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Laurel | Rosewood |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 20 | 20 |
| Scale | 25.51" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | Fishman® Presys VT™ | LR Baggs VTC |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $899 | $3,199 |
| Back | Solid Maple | Mahogany |
| Binding | Multi-ply | Multi-ply top, single-ply back |
| Body Finish | Aged Gloss | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | Frontier | J-45 |
| Body Styles | Square Shoulder | Round Shoulder |
| Bridge | Laurel | Traditional belly up |
| Bridge Pins | Ivory with Black Dot | Tusq |
| Case | Optional Acoustic AJ/Dreadnought Hard Case 940-EDREAD; Dread/AJ Acoustic EpiLite™ Case 940-EDREADHG | Hardshell Case |
| Controls | Fishman® Presys VT™ Soundhole mounted Volume and Tone | Volume and Tone Controls |
| Finish | Gold | Nickel |
| Fretboard inlay | Pearloid Split Block Rectangles | Mother-of-pearl dots |
| Fretboard radius | 304.8mm / 12.0in | 304.8mm / 12.0in |
| Fret Count | 20 | 20 |
| Joint | Dovetail; Glued-in, 14th fret | Compound Dovetail Neck-to-body |
| Model | EMTFITAGH1 | OCRS4550VS |
| Nut | Graph Tech® NuBone® | Bone |
| Output Jack | 1/4" Heavy-Duty Epiphone | — |
| Pickguard | Historic Frontier | 50's, Tortoise |
| Preamp | Fishman Presys VT | — |
| Profile | C | Rounded |
| Saddle Material | Bone | Bone |
| Scale length | 648.0mm / 25.51in | 628.65mm / 24.75in |
| Side | Solid Maple | Mahogany |
| Strap Buttons | 2 - bottom and side of heel | — |
| String gauges | Gibson™ Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings .012, .016, .024w, .032 .042, .053 | 0.053, 0.042, 0.032, 0.024, 0.016, 0.012 |
| Top wood | Solid Sitka Spruce | Sitka Spruce |
| Truss rod | Dual Action | — |
| Truss Rod Cover | 2-Ply Bullet, Elongated E | Black |
| Tuner Plating | Gold | Nickel |
| Tuners | Gold, Keystone Buttons | Grover Strap Cream Button |
| Under Saddle Pickup | Fishman® Presys VT™ | LR Baggs VTC |
| Accessories | — | Includes Gibson Accessory Kit |
| Bracing | — | Traditional hand scalloped X-bracing |
| Nut width | — | 43.81mm / 1.72in |
More Masterbilt Frontier, Iced Tea Aged Gloss comparisons
- Masterbilt Frontier, Iced Tea Aged Gloss vs SJ-200 Standard, Tri Burst
- Masterbilt Frontier, Iced Tea Aged Gloss vs 1960 Hummingbird Reissue, Heavy Aged, Washed Cherry Sunburst
- Masterbilt Frontier, Iced Tea Aged Gloss vs J-45 EC Studio, Vintage Sunburst
- Masterbilt Frontier, Iced Tea Aged Gloss vs J-200, Aged Vintage Sunburst Gloss