D'Aspiranta New Yorker Archtop

**Woody Sound** · 09-16-2013, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by bluejazz57

Hi all,

I've recently bought one of these in excellent second hand condition.

I think they were a forerunner of the Peerless guitars made in Korea.

Anyone got any info on these?

Yes, an early version of Peerless. I bought one new, used it on and off for several years. A doctor in California had them made and imported. Super guitar for the $. Pickup sounded a little thin, but that was the only downside. Most of them were a yellowish natural, but mine was a rare iced-tea sunburst, like this one:

D`Aspiranta Jazz signed retrosonic.co.uk

**2bornot2bop** · 09-16-2013, 12:41 PM

Kris' guitar, with that handwound Kent Armstrong handwound, looks like a very expensive archtop. Kris, where in Poland did you find a handwound KA???

**kris** · 09-16-2013, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

Kris' guitar, with that handwound Kent Armstrong handwound, looks like a very expensive archtop. Kris, where in Poland did you find a handwound KA???

kent armstrong pick-ups
I've found it in Slovakia.
I 've bought Framus palisander bridge today.
It is really good quality bridge for arch-tops.
FRAMUS Mostek gitarowy z regulacj? wysoko?ci strun - Mostki typu hollow-body - Mostki sta?e - MOSTKI - CZ??CI DO GITARY ELEKTRYCZNEJ

Best
Kris

**2bornot2bop** · 09-17-2013, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by kris

kent armstrong pick-ups
I've found it in Slovakia.
I 've bought Framus palisander bridge today.
It is really good quality bridge for arch-tops.
FRAMUS Mostek gitarowy z regulacj? wysoko?ci strun - Mostki typu hollow-body - Mostki sta?e - MOSTKI - CZ??CI DO GITARY ELEKTRYCZNEJ

Best
Kris

Slovakia, fabulous! Please give feedback on the bridge later. I've been curious about this style of bridge for a long time. It looks very nice!!!

**kris** · 09-17-2013, 02:01 PM

Framus rosewood bridge works exelet with my arch-top guitar.
Attachment 8603

**grahamdabass** · 09-30-2013, 11:43 AM

Your Peerless with the controls on the body s the same configuration as my D'Aspiranta. Mine was customised by it's previous owner, a guitar builder/ repairer as he felt there was a need for a tone knob on the guitar. It certainly gives it a greater range and still looks cool.

**Moonchky** · 10-03-2013, 11:51 AM

I just bought an early D'Aspiranta New York on EBay. It's gorgeous and plays quite well i think although I'm new to archtops. Mine wants to feedback on a low D and I'm not sure why. I noticed a few upgrades and revisions to the guitar in the posts on this thread especially on Kris' guitar. I'm pretty sure mine is stock with only a volume knob and a pickup of unknown manufacturer. Would you mind making a few suggestions and explanations regarding your reasons for the upgrades? I'd love to make my guitar the best it can be. Thanks!

**kris** · 10-04-2013, 04:03 AM

Congrats .
D'Aspiranta is really great sounding jazz box.
Your orginal pick up is quite loud and not bad quality.
I upgraded my D'Aspiranta for Kent Armstrong PaF floating pick up.
The sound is a little darker and fatter after this upgrade.
I also put a new tone control on fingerest and new Benedetto tailpiece/ebony over metal base/.
New tone control can create dark or treblle sound.Benedetto tailpiece bring me more sustain.
You can also experiment with different wooden bridges/ebony or rosewood/.
Best
Kris

**hotdotdog** · 10-04-2013, 10:44 AM

All hollow body jazz guitars will feedback at certain frequencies if the guitar is too close to the amp. Many of the musicians who play these types of guitars do not want a tone knob because it will color the tone even when turned up all the way. They prefer to make the adjustments at the amp. That being said, if you're not a purist, there's nothing wrong with modifying your guitar to have a tone pot added. Your pickup is the one designed by the creator of the D'Aspiranta to closely mimic the Gibson Johnny Smith model.

**Moonchky** · 10-04-2013, 11:13 AM

Thanks for the input. I mostly play fingerstyle if that has any bearing on the upgrades. I'm thinking I might do a piecemeal upgrade starting with the bridge for added sustain and see where that takes me. I'm playing through an LR Baggs preamp into an AER acoustic amp so I have fairly good tone control and I don't think I'd change it mid-song. I also think it's pretty hard to decide on a different pickup. The one I already have sounds ok but perhaps there are sound files in the forum for some quasi A-B comparisons that will spell it out for me.

**kris** · 10-04-2013, 01:10 PM

This is my actual sound on D'Aspiranta:
https://app.box.com/s/9k4o3awol9jydhotsyfv

**Moonchky** · 10-04-2013, 01:23 PM

That's wonderful Kris. I feel like I need that pickup now (maybe a few lessons too!)

**edh** · 10-04-2013, 01:41 PM

@Kris, nice sounding box, and wonderful playing.

**kris** · 10-04-2013, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by Moonchky

That's wonderful Kris. I feel like I need that pickup now (maybe a few lessons too!)

Thanks...;-)
Best
Kris

**kris** · 10-04-2013, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by edh

@Kris, nice sounding box, and wonderful playing.

Thanks a lot
Best
Kris

**kris** · 10-05-2013, 01:57 AM

More acoustic sound on D'Aspiranta jazz box:

**jazzuki** · 10-05-2013, 04:37 AM

Grahamdabass. Thanks for the "heads up".Sorry not have replied sooner but have been away. The the Peerless tone /vol controls configuration.This was done by the previous owner when he purchased from new.I contacted Peerless in UK and they the only info I could get from them was the date of manufacture March 2007. As I have said on this site before I always wanted a D'Aquisto "New Yorker" but couldn't afford it at the time in 1983.This was when"James L.D'Aquisto " full page ad. was in the U.S.Guitar Player mag.at that time.In fact I still have the full page cut-out of this ad from Apl.1983. I missed out when Aria bought out D'Aquisto Aspiranta after Jimmy's death. But when I knew that Peerless had designed their "New York" in homage to D'Aquisto,I took what was offered in 2008 with body controls. Plays like a dream whether fingerstyle or pick,and is in fact the loudest of all the Peerless range when played acoustically. So I hope you enjoy yours?

**jazzuki** · 10-05-2013, 11:16 AM

Hotdotdog.Re feedback on archtops.Have you tried covering the F-holes with clingfilm? Try it. I believe Benson has used it at times.

**kris** · 10-05-2013, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by jazzuki

Hotdotdog.Re feedback on archtops.Have you tried covering the F-holes with clingfilm? Try it. I believe Benson has used it at times.

Attachment 8774...or Doug Pulgs...:-)

**jazzuki** · 10-05-2013, 02:42 PM

Kris.As a point of interest-what make of strings and gauge do you use on the D'Aspiranta? Re the plugs they look great.

**kris** · 10-05-2013, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by jazzuki

Kris.As a point of interest-what make of strings and gauge do you use on the D'Aspiranta? Re the plugs they look great.

I use Thomastic Swing 13" flatwound strings on my D'Aspiranta jazz box.
Actualy I play high action bridge set up.

**grahamdabass** · 10-07-2013, 06:03 AM

Thanks for your reply. I guess it's a question of preference whether one wants a tone knob handy on the guitar or not. Mine were added by a predecessor and I do found I use the tone quite a bit. I have seen original D'Angelico's and D'Aquisto's with both Volume and Tone pots mounted on the pick guard. I guess most were made to order to you got what you asked for. I play my D'Aspiranto acoustically quite a lot and have wondered about fitting a Piezo pickup as well. I think both Pat Metheny and Martin Taylor do this so that when they are comping they are on the acoustic tone and flick the magnetic pick up in for soloing.

**jazzuki** · 10-07-2013, 06:57 AM

Grahamdabass.Yes I agree-that's what I think with my Peerless"New York" I got what the previous owner ordered-BTW. I was in Swanage last week on hols.in Weymouth where I have family.

**mangotango** · 10-07-2013, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by jazzuki

Grahamdabass.Yes I agree-that's what I think with my Peerless"New York" I got what the previous owner ordered-BTW. I was in Swanage last week on hols.in Weymouth where I have family.

Of course, Swanage has an EXCELLENT Jazz festival every year. So you have as good an excuse to go to that as you could wish!! I suppose you might need to visit the family at some point............

**jazzuki** · 10-07-2013, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by mangotango

Of course, Swanage has an EXCELLENT Jazz festival every year. So you have as good an excuse to go to that as you could wish!! I suppose you might need to visit the family at some point............

Thanks for info but my family are moving to Derbyshire in two weeks.Sods law?