Mine was the acoustic/electric AJ-200 model. I agree that the electronics on that weren’t all I would have liked. Just not “hot” enough for a guy who does a lot of light finger picking. I has a little money and a guy was offering a Yari DYM-94 on Craig’s List for $400. That is a remarkable guitar with great electronics - Piezo pickup for live stuff, plus a condenser mic for recording. I also had a LR Baggs Active Element system put into my Guild which did not require any kind of cutting. Both are far superior to what was in the Epiphone. As long as I don’t have to play a Takamine. I just have an irrational visceral dislike of those things. The Yari blows them away anyway.
What Guild do you have?
We went through that era when the 'big three' American-made acoustics were Martin, Gibson, and Guild . . . and Guild was by far the little, little bother.
They weighed about twice as much as a Martin or Gibson, but they were wonderful guitars. George Strait still plays a Guild D-55 (I have an American-made D-55, and it's a great guitar). Nanci Griffith switched from Martin to Guild early in her career, before eventually going to her trademark Taylor 512c with the Florentine cutaway. John Denver played Guilds for years, until he went with those koa Taylors with the koa tops.
You still can't beat a Guild 12-string for a 12-string acoustic.
As long as I don’t have to play a Takamine. I just have an irrational visceral dislike of those things.
I may be wrong, but don't you have to blame Garth Brooks for America's short-lived love affair with the plywood Takamine? I don't know if it was the whole "mixing board" bit on the upper bout of the guitar, or Garth, that made them popular.
I've played them. I'm not certain that your dislike of those guitars is irrational - visceral maybe, but not irrational.