Epiphone DR-100 (Dreadnought) Acoustic Guitar Ultimate Review

The DR-100 (Dreadnought) is Epiphone’s best-selling acoustic guitar to date. The sound quality of the DR-100 is massive, and the build also makes it easily admirable.

The DR-100 is suitable for all genres of music, from country to rock to folk; it just keeps counting.

Epiphone DR-100 Review

If you are looking for an Epiphone DR-100 review before buying it, you are in the right place!  The DR-100 Acoustic Guitar (Dreadnought) is Epiphone’s best-selling acoustic guitar. The sound quality of the guitar is massive, and the build also makes it easily admirable. The DR-100 is suitable for all genres of music, from country to rock to folk; it just keeps counting.

The Epiphone DR- series is an acoustic dreadnought guitar manufactured in 2003, and the brand is still in production. The DR-Series replaced the already existing PR-Series that same year. The DR-Series and the Phased-out PR-Series use similar model numbers and numerical suffixes as both series are similar in construction and design.

Epiphone, one of America’s leading instrument makers, has existed for over a century, yet their products still rock. The history of the Epiphone can be traced back to 1873, when they were making exotic acoustic instruments to date.

The list of music legends associated with the Epiphone brand is remarkable. Country greats like Hank Garland, bluesman John Lee Hooker, and Beatles’ bassist extraordinaire Paul McCartney all fell in love with the Epiphone series. The Epiphone could be heard on albums by Gary Clark, Jr, Zack Wylde, Machine Head, The Waco Brothers, Radio Head, Paul Simon, The Strokes, Slash, Jeff Waters, and Paul Weller.

The Epiphone DR-100 Acoustic Guitar is the peak of an acoustic-produced musical instrument. Over the years, several acoustic guitars have been manufactured by different manufacturers- but most of them still fall short of the standards this guitar sets.

The sound produced by Epiphone DR-100 is fantastic; the vibration of the strings at various frequencies gives rise to different harmonics you wouldn’t resist if you were a lover of sounds.

The first time I heard this guitar’s sound and harmonics, I instantly fell in love. I never knew the brand of the guitar; all I knew was that it was acoustic. I had heard the sounds of other acoustics but was never moved the way I was when I listened to the sound produced by this guitar. The guitar’s sound and harmonics made a local artist sound like a professional, arousing my curiosity.

Economically, it offers excellent value for your money. For an acoustic of such quality, it’s worth every penny spent on it. In 2014, I purchased the Epiphone DR-100 online and saw more than I bargained for upon delivery. The sunburst was beautiful, and the fretboard was quite impressive, although the bridge pins were a bit harder than usual.

I wasn’t too impressed with the default tunings of the guitar when I first received it, it didn’t sound exactly as I heard before opting to buy it, but after tuning it to fit the sound I wanted, I was impressed. My candid advice to anyone who purchases any guitar is always to tune it to their satisfaction before use.

Considering several factors, I singled out the Epiphone DR-100 as one of the best guitars I have used. I decided to review this guitar because it was helpful to other users and me. Just relax, and take a sip while I prove to you why it is a safe bet.

Epiphone DR-100 Review: Build Quality

The Top of the DR-100 is made of a select Spruce. Spruce is a plank of wood most often used for guitar tops and is distinguished mainly by its pale yellow color. Spruce is a Tonewood that improves with age as vibration increases and is also known mainly for its stiffness-to-weight ratio.

Since Spruce grows with age, be rest assured that guitars made with Spruce sound better and better the more you play them. Just like wine tastes better with age! It comes with a pickguard and a truss rod which can always be adjusted to prevent bend in the Guitar, which results from lying idle for long periods.

The Spruce is commonly known for the clear fundamental harmonics it possesses, and that makes every guitar made of Spruce Tonewood to be top-notch. In making excellent acoustics, the importance of Spruce Tonewood cannot be underestimated.

Their hollow body usually characterizes acoustic guitars. The Body of the Epiphone DR-100 is made of Mahogany-known for its beauty, color, and durability. When I received my guitar, the first action I took was to place it on my arms to see the level of comfort with which I was satisfied. Although the guitar was a bit heavier initially, the neck was slimmer.

Epiphone DR-100 dimensions

The Epiphone DR-100 guitar is 25.5 inches wide, 5.5 inches thick, and 42 inches long. DR-100 features a mahogany neck, a classic dreadnaught mahogany body with a Spruce top.

The reddish-brown timber of mahogany clearly describes the artistic nature of the guitar. The durability could also be traced to the mahogany. On the wood hardness scale, mahogany ranks about 6 to 10. Over the years, the body and neck of classics such as the Les Paul Jr., Les Paul Special, and SG were made of mahogany, giving you an insight into what to expect from the DR-100.

The body of the Epiphone DR-100 is characteristically rich, warm, and resonant. It sticks to the arm without any form of discomfort. The neck has a slip-taper shape that promotes speed while reducing playing fatigue. To a large extent, the little neck enhances its playability.

The neck has a rosewood fingerboard with 20 frets on it. The 14-degree headstock is lovely; it gives more pressure to the nut. The hardware of DR-100 is made of nickel. It’s important to know that Nickel is characterized by its strength, flexibility, and resistance to heat and corrosion.

The machine head features die-cast premium tuners. The Epiphone DR-100 has a rosewood fingerboard and a rosewood bridge, which produce a great acoustic tone. The fingerboard features Pearloid dots fret markers and Epiphone’s iconic ‘dove wing.’ The carved rosewood bridge matches the price; not harmful in any way. The beauty scale is 25.5″, the nuts (1.69″), while the Slim taper neck is wholly glued into the body.

The tampered fingerboard makes it easy for anyone to move their hands across the frets. The presence of the Rosewood gives the extra fingerboard durability.

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Epiphone DR100 Review: Sound Quality

The quality of sound produced by the Epiphone DR-100 is astonishing and beautiful, provided you get your tunings right. Once you’ve got the right tune, it takes you on an incredible ride; you wouldn’t even imagine it could.

The sound of this acoustic guitar is distinct; maybe you wouldn’t understand if you were not in my shoes. As a singer who plays with rhythm most of the time, no acoustic guitar has given me the motivation I got from the Epiphone DR-100. I played different genres of music on it, and there was no question mark at the end. I play blues, rock, pop, and a little country; I never expected it would work out well for me.

The chords are cool without buzzing; most chorded songs sound good. Although they seem sturdy, the sound is excellent. Epiphone DR-100 delivers satisfactory resonance and produces higher-end notes and lovely acoustic sounds.

Epiphone DR100 Review: Pros And Cons

Pros

• The specially bent headstock and die-cast tuners keep the guitar in tune for longer.
• The tuning pegs are excellent, making tuning easy.
• Relatively easy to play. Kids wouldn’t have issues playing this guitar; my kids never did.
• Has a good feel.
• Produces several harmonics at different vibrational frequencies.
• It is starter friendly.

Cons

• Even expensive items have flaws, as do inexpensive ones too. These are the following flaws you might encounter: Sounds a little bit flat occasionally, Although not so obvious.
• Harmonic notes are not as perfect, so don’t expect it to sound like the Gibson Hummingbird.
• It includes gig bags instead of complex shell cases.

My verdict and conclusions

There are certainly few shortfalls to expect from cheaper instruments; some of the features might need to be on par with the very best but, to an extent, can deliver their primary functions perfectly. Considering the price, Epiphone DR-100 offers excellent value for your money, which I can boldly attest to.

The tuning boxes are fantastic but don’t expect it to be like the $3000 worth Gibson Hummingbird; but hey, what do you expect from a hundred-dollar guitar? Just be ready to tune it to your taste. If you experience some issues in tuning, you don’t need to worry about it; tighten the countersunk screw at the top of the tuning peg, and you are ready to go.

The strings are pretty right to produce any sound you desire, but they must be classy enough. The durability of the DR-100 cannot be disputed, as the Spruce Tonewood gets better with age.

Like another expensive guitar, The Epiphone DR-100 is made of Spruce Tonewood which is the secret to its various harmonics, While the machine head features die-cast premium tuners. Its body and neck are made of the same mahogany as the classical guitars.

If you have been searching for an affordable quality guitar, the Epiphone DR-100 is the right pick. I strongly recommend this guitar based on my personal experience with it. If you like my review, share it with your friend!