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Epiphone PRO-1
Epiphone PR-5E
VS
Playability
88
Sound
83
Build
62
Value
93
Score
78
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Playability
77
Sound
79
Build
64
Value
83
Score
73
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Epiphone PRO-1 vs PR-5E

Reasons to Get
Epiphone PRO-1 over PR-5E

Release Year
2014 vs 2012
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Nut Material
NuBone vs Plastic
Hard and self-lubricating nut to keep it in tune
Body Shape
Dreadnought vs Thinline
Prominent low-end tones in a large body
Scale Length
24.72'' (627.9mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Value Score
93 vs 83
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Epiphone PR-5E over PRO-1

Type of Frets
Medium vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickups Brand
Fishman vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Body Shape
Thinline vs Dreadnought
Very thin and lightweight body
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.72'' (627.9mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Other Key Differences
Epiphone PRO-1 vs PR-5E

Saddle Material
NuBone vs Plastic
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Granadillo vs Pau Ferro
Different Bridge Material
Fretboard Wood
Granadillo vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
NuBone vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Epiphone PRO-1 vs PR-5E

Back Material
Mahogany
Same Back Material
Sides Material
Mahogany
Same Sides Material
Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck 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
Nut Width
1.68'' (42.7mm)
Same string separation at the nut
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
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people

Common Strengths

  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Solid Top Wood
  • 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

SET PRICE ALERT

Epiphone PR-5E Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Epiphone PRO-1 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 78 compared to the Epiphone PR-5E's 73 score, although not by a lot.

The Epiphone PRO-1 wins when it comes to sound, playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the Epiphone PR-5E has the upper hand when it comes to build quality.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Epiphone PRO-1
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Epiphone PR-5E
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • 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 PRO-1 Overview

  • From Epiphone's 2014 Original Acoustic series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 24.72"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Select Spruce top
  • Select Mahogany back
  • Select Mahogany sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • Granadillo fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • Granadillo bridge
  • Acoustic EZ-Profile “C” Shape Set neck
  • 20 Jumbo frets
  • 18:1 ratio Epiphone Deluxe tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Epiphone PR-5E Overview

  • From Epiphone's 2012 Modern Acoustic series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Select Spruce top
  • Select Mahogany back
  • Select Mahogany sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Sonicore (Preamp/Active)
  • Pau Ferro bridge
  • Acoustic C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Epiphone Premium Die cast 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
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.

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.

Woods Used in the Epiphone PRO-1

Granadillo wood pattern used for guitar building
Granadillo

Granadillo is often used as a replacement for rosewood, but it's not widely available. It is harder and denser, so the tone is said to be more chimey than rosewood.

Woods Used in the Epiphone PR-5E

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Winner: Epiphone PR-5E.

Electronics

The Epiphone PR-5E comes with a preamp that allows you to connect it to an amp, unlike its competitor. This allows it to have more versatility and sound quality if you want to record with it or play live.

Winner:Epiphone PR-5E.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Epiphone PRO-1
Sustain 80
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 83
Epiphone PR-5E
Sustain 65
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 79

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 PRO-1 compares to the Epiphone PR-5E.

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 PRO-1 has a NuBone nut. It's made by the same company that makes TUSQ nuts. It's slightly softer but hard enough to give you a brighter sound when playing open strings. It's also self-lubricating, so it's good for tuning stability.

On the other hand, the Epiphone PR-5E comes with 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.

Winner: Epiphone PRO-1.

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 PRO-1's are 18:1 ratio Epiphone Deluxe while the Epiphone PR-5E's are Epiphone Premium Die cast

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Epiphone PRO-1
  • Expensive Wood
  • NuBone Nut
  • NuBone Saddle
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Electronics
  • Laminated Top Wood
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Epiphone PR-5E
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • 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

Final Build Quality Scores

Epiphone PRO-1
Quality of materials 66
Features 65
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 62
Epiphone PR-5E
Quality of materials 51
Features 85
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 64

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 PRO-1 Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42.7mm (1.68'').

This is considered a narrow width for a 6-string guitar. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.

If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string more easily at the nut.

Scale Length

Epiphone PRO-1's Scale Length
Epiphone PRO-1's Scale Length
Epiphone PR-5E's Scale Length
Epiphone PR-5E'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 PR-5E has the longest scale: 25.5". The Epiphone PRO-1 is only 24.72" long. This is a 0.78'' (19.8mm) 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 PRO-1 Neck Profile
Epiphone PRO-1's neck profile
Epiphone PR-5E Neck Profile
Epiphone PR-5E'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.

Both the Epiphone PRO-1 and the Epiphone PR-5E have a C-shaped 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 PRO-1 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 PRO-1 and the Epiphone PR-5E 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.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Epiphone PRO-1:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Epiphone PR-5E:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Epiphone PRO-1 Frets Size
Epiphone PRO-1's Frets Size
Epiphone PR-5E Frets Size
Epiphone PR-5E's Frets Size

The Epiphone PRO-1 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Epiphone PR-5E's Medium frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Epiphone PRO-1
Bending & Vibrato Ease 100
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 90
Playability 88
Epiphone PR-5E
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Epiphone PRO-1 vs PR-5E
General Epiphone PRO-1 PR-5E
Brand: Epiphone Epiphone
Year: 2014 2012
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China China
Series: Original Acoustic Modern Acoustic
Colors: Black Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Select Spruce Select Spruce
Sides Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Back Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Granadillo Pau Ferro
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: 18:1 ratio Epiphone Deluxe Epiphone Premium Die cast
Fretboard: Granadillo Rosewood
Neck Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Decoration: Dot Dot
Scale Size: 24.72" 25.5"
Shape: Acoustic EZ-Profile “C” Shape Acoustic C
Frets: 20 Jumbo Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: NuBone Plastic
Nut Width: 42.7mm (1.68'') 42.7mm (1.68'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fishman Sonicore (Preamp / Active)