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Epiphone J-15 EC
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio
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Playability
77
Sound
80
Build
62
Value
83
Score
73
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Playability
78
Sound
85
Build
72
Value
88
Score
78
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Epiphone J-15 EC vs J-45 EC Studio

Reasons to Get
Epiphone J-15 EC over J-45 EC Studio

Neck Profile
Acoustic 1960's SlimTaper D-shape vs Acoustic Rounded C
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Nut Width
1.677'' (42.6mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Reasons to Get
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio over J-15 EC

Neck Profile
Acoustic Rounded C vs Acoustic 1960's SlimTaper D-shape
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickups Brand
Fishman vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone vs Plastic
Good quality nut with rich tone
Top Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.677'' (42.6mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Value Score
88 vs 83
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Epiphone J-15 EC vs J-45 EC Studio

Saddle Material
Plastic vs Compensated
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Pau Ferro; Reverse-Belly vs Reverse Belly Pau Ferro
Different Bridge Material
Nut Material
Plastic vs Synthetic Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Epiphone J-15 EC vs J-45 EC Studio

Back Material
Mahogany
Same Back Material
Sides Material
Mahogany
Same Sides Material
Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Pau Ferro
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Hollowbody
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
0
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Number of Frets
20
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Epiphone J-15 EC Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Epiphone J-45 EC Studio is probably the better product overall with its final score of 78 compared to the Epiphone J-15 EC's 73 score, although not by a lot.

The Epiphone J-45 EC Studio wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Epiphone J-15 EC in every aspect.

However, there's still a reason to choose the Epiphone J-15 EC instead. If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Epiphone J-15 EC is easier to play.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Epiphone J-15 EC is the better choice.

The Epiphone J-15 EC meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Epiphone J-45 EC Studio meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Epiphone J-15 EC
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Epiphone J-45 EC Studio
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Epiphone J-15 EC Overview

  • From Epiphone's 2021 Modern series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Select Spruce top
  • Select Mahogany back
  • Select Mahogany sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • Pau Ferro fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: NanoFlex, low-impedance pickup (Preamp/Active)
  • Pau Ferro; Reverse-Belly bridge
  • Acoustic 1960's SlimTaper D-shape Set neck
  • 20 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Premium Die-Cast with Kidney Buttons: 14:1 ratio tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Epiphone J-45 EC Studio Overview

  • From Epiphone's 2021 Modern series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Layered Mahogany back
  • Layered Mahogany sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • Pau Ferro fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Sonicore (Preamp/Active)
  • Reverse Belly Pau Ferro bridge
  • Acoustic Rounded C Set neck
  • 20 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Epiphone Premium Die Cast with Kidney Bean Metal Buttons tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The most important thing that will determine the tone of an acoustic guitar is the wood. Let's take a look at the differences between both .

Woods Used in Both

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Pau Ferro wood pattern used for guitar building
Pau Ferro
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Pau Ferro has a dark, chocolate-like color with straight dark grains that is being used as a replacement to Rosewood due to the regulations. It produces a warm tone that is somewhere between Mahogany and Rosewood. Find out more about Pau Ferro.

Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.

Winner: Tie.

Electronics

Both come with electronics that allow you connect them to an amplifier or interface for recording.

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Epiphone J-15 EC
Sustain 70
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 80
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio
Sustain 85
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 85

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Epiphone J-15 EC compares to the Epiphone J-45 EC Studio.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in China.

China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Epiphone J-15 EC has a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.

On the other hand, the Epiphone J-45 EC Studio comes with a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.

Winner: Epiphone J-45 EC Studio.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Epiphone J-15 EC's are Premium Die-Cast with Kidney Buttons: 14:1 ratio while the Epiphone J-45 EC Studio's are Epiphone Premium Die Cast with Kidney Bean Metal Buttons

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Epiphone J-15 EC
  • Expensive Wood
  • Electronics
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • Low-Quality Material Saddle
  • Laminated Top Wood
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Compensated Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Epiphone J-15 EC
Quality of materials 56
Features 75
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 62
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio
Quality of materials 76
Features 85
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 72

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Epiphone J-15 EC Nut Width
Epiphone J-15 EC Nut Width
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio Nut Width
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Epiphone J-45 EC Studio has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.6mm (1.677''). This is a 0.4mm (0.016'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Epiphone J-45 EC Studio, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Epiphone J-15 EC's Scale Length
Epiphone J-15 EC's Scale Length
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio's Scale Length
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Epiphone J-15 EC has the longest scale: 25.5". The Epiphone J-45 EC Studio is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Epiphone J-15 EC Neck Profile
Epiphone J-15 EC's neck profile
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio Neck Profile
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Epiphone J-15 EC has a D type of neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.

The Epiphone J-45 EC Studio, on the other hand, has a C neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Epiphone J-15 EC Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the Epiphone J-15 EC and the Epiphone J-45 EC Studio have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Epiphone J-45 EC Studio favors large hands more than the Epiphone J-15 EC. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Epiphone J-15 EC:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Epiphone J-15 EC and Epiphone J-45 EC Studio Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

Epiphone J-15 EC
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77
Epiphone J-45 EC Studio
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 78

Specs Side-by-Side

Epiphone J-15 EC vs J-45 EC Studio
General Epiphone J-15 EC J-45 EC Studio
Brand: Epiphone Epiphone
Year: 2021 2021
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China China
Series: Modern Modern
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Select Spruce Solid Sitka Spruce
Sides Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Back Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Pau Ferro; Reverse-Belly Reverse Belly Pau Ferro
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Premium Die-Cast with Kidney Buttons: 14:1 ratio Epiphone Premium Die Cast with Kidney Bean Metal Buttons
Fretboard: Pau Ferro Pau Ferro
Neck Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Decoration: Dot Pearloid Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: Acoustic 1960's SlimTaper D-shape Acoustic Rounded C
Frets: 20 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 20 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Plastic Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 42.6mm (1.677'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: NanoFlex, low-impedance pickup (Preamp / Active) Fishman Sonicore (Preamp / Active)