D'Angelico article in today's New York Times

[jasaco]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/14/ny...ref=music&_r=0

[rpguitar]

Oh boy... can't wait to hear the slap of the peanut gallery's collective face-palm.

"Steve Pisani of D’Angelico Guitars, center, with Jay Jay French, of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister..."

[Greentone]

"It was a thrill to get that thing on my lap." He actually said that...for attribution. That's enthusiasm.

Now: the photograph reveals a lot. It shows a long row of flamey, maple-topped guitars. Guitars for the latter-day Les Paul generation [i.e., the guys and gals who flocked to the uber-flamey offerings from Nashville--great guitars, but not really _like_ the '58-'60 Standard] ready to apply 10-gauge strings and a newly discovered ability to play a 9th chord on a big-bodied guitar with a name. With Clapton playing one on tour...

Sorry to be cynical but time rolls on. John D's 1164 guitars were ALL of the D'Angelicos, I'm afraid. All else if Barnum/Bailey...cashing in. I don't begrudge this, at all. I will not, however, rush to try one.

FWIW, I wish Pisani, et al. the very best of fortunes in the venture. May archtops conquer the world.

[Greentone]

You know, if Todd Rundgren hadn't given Eric Clapton a '59 Les Paul Standard the guitar world would be a completely different place--all youth would be banging out lead solos on Jaguars or something and the Jaguar would now be worth $175K.

[Jabberwocky]

Oh boy... can't wait to hear the slap of the peanut gallery's collective face-palm.

"Steve Pisani of D’Angelico Guitars, center, with Jay Jay French, of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister..."

Well,

[Patrick2]

It was a very . . entertaining . . article. I and many others here could sit here and type out a lengthy reply. But, I fear such replies would only be received as diatribe. It's basically a bunch on marketing hype . . aka bull-shit. At the end of the day, all of those guitars are nothing more than very nice guitars, patterned after original D'As, with a self serving desire by the new owners to capitalize on the name and the fame of the original master. Not a damned thing in the world wrong with that either. As many of you know, I own two Heritage replicas. So, I'm not poo-pooing the concept. But, as Greentone accurately pointed out . . there were only 1164 real D'Angelicos ever made . . . and some of those were actually D'Aquistos.

By the way . . Eric Clapton seems to have a really little dick in that photo shown above. I'm just sayin' . . .

[Archie]

It was a very . . entertaining . . article. I and many others here could sit here and type out a lengthy reply. But, I fear such replies would only be received as diatribe. It's basically a bunch on marketing hype . . aka bull-shit. At the end of the day, all of those guitars are nothing more than very nice guitars, patterned after original D'As, with a self serving desire by the new owners to capitalize on the name and the fame of the original master. Not a damned thing in the world wrong with that either. As many of you know, I own two Heritage replicas. So, I'm not poo-pooing the concept. But, as Greentone accurately pointed out . . there were only 1164 real D'Angelicos ever made . . . and some of those were actually D'Aquistos.

By the way . . Eric Clapton seems to have a really little dick in that photo shown above. I'm just sayin' . . .

Add to that the disapproving looks Bob gives some of D'angelico's guitars and we are getting there ;-)

[DRS]

Weren't these re-issue D'As covered pretty extensively here and at TGP last year when they first came out? There was a vid of Pisani and someone else playing fairly poor blues using one. . What you ended up with is some hand made solid wood archtops by Gene Baker for $10k+ and some Korean lam guitars for around $1200-1500. Just like we've had two batches of D'A's before, Japanese Vestex and other Koreans. Just like we have Korean D'Aquistos by Aria.
This is old news.

[fws6]

Discussed to death so I think my opinions dont need to be vented again

Lets just say: Imitation is the highest form of flattery

if someone has a real DAngelico for sale let me know I am in the market

[SamBooka]

You know, if Todd Rundgren hadn't given Eric Clapton a '59 Les Paul Standard the guitar world would be a completely different place--all youth would be banging out lead solos on Jaguars or something and the Jaguar would now be worth $175K.

Huh?

[Woody Sound]

Well,

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...barf_blood.gif

[Patrick2]

Add to that the disapproving looks Bob gives some of D'aquisto's guitars and we are getting there ;-)

Where are you getting that from? Conversations I've had with Bob Benedetto have only revealed utmost respect and admiration for Jimmy and his work.

[SierraTango]

Weren't these re-issue D'As covered pretty extensively here and at TGP last year when they first came out? There was a vid of Pisani and someone else playing fairly poor blues using one. . What you ended up with is some hand made solid wood archtops by Gene Baker for $10k+ and some Korean lam guitars for around $1200-1500. Just like we've had two batches of D'A's before, Japanese Vestex and other Koreans. Just like we have Korean D'Aquistos by Aria.
This is old news.

Lest we forget, there have been more than two batches of D'A' replicas before Vestax. Heritage, Triggs, Comins and Art Valdez produced New Yorker reps. If I were in the market for a D'A' (and I'm not) I would look into a copy built by one of the the above.

[Greentone]

SamBooka,

The Les Paul craze was started when Eric Clapton started playing his '59 sunburst Standard in Mayall's Bluesbreakers, then in Cream. That guitar was given to him by Todd Rundgren (who subsequently ended up with Clapton's "The Fool" painted SG/Les Paul, by the way). Before Clapton played the 'burst, you couldn't _give_ away Les Pauls--they were pawn shop uglies...$200 guitars.

From that beginning we have gotten to the point that not only do the handful of real Standards command prices that are the equivalent of a house, but now every guitar has to have flame maple on the top to attract the demographic, as they say.

Hence, the picture...Michelangelo's "God Reaches Out to Adam" but as Todd reaches out to Eric.

Sorry if I was being obtuse.

[Cunamara]

A guy I know bought a D'Angelico a couple of years ago- one of the modern ones, not a real one. His comment on it was "it sounds exactly like I want a jazz guitar to sound. I don't care about the name." Something to be said for that.

[Archie]

Where are you getting that from? Conversations I've had with Bob Benedetto have only revealed utmost respect and admiration for Jimmy and his work.

Well he wasn't impressed by the tops on some of D'angelico's work. Something about the plates not being cut and glued properly.

Its regarded that Jimmy is 'The' one or so I have been able to make out over the years.

[SamBooka]

SamBooka,

The Les Paul craze was started when Eric Clapton started playing his '59 sunburst Standard in Mayall's Bluesbreakers, then in Cream. That guitar was given to him by Todd Rundgren (who subsequently ended up with Clapton's "The Fool" painted SG/Les Paul, by the way). Before Clapton played the 'burst, you couldn't _give_ away Les Pauls--they were pawn shop uglies...$200 guitars.


.

I thought Eric got his first LP on Charring Cross rd after Andy Summers picked one up. Eric was at Andy's flat, tried and liked the guitar and Andy said "they have one left". I dont remember if it was the Selmer shop since I dont really know the area and have never been.

I know TR eventually got the fool (and painted it over iirc) before restoring it back to something close to original condition.

[fws6]

>Well he wasn't impressed by the tops on some of D'angelico's work. Something about the plates not being cut and glued properly.

Yes John DA sometimes joined the center seams on his tops a bit sloppy and already put cleats on it to reinforce. Thats a bit sub par construction wise, and was what Bob Benedetto comments on in his book. A mere detail though.

Dangelicos construction details like mitres, finishes, etc all at times are a bit sloppy. He wasnt known for meticulous construction (Jimmy Daquisto was) - but he was known for great sounding guitars

[Patrick2]

Well he wasn't impressed by the tops on some of D'angelico's work. Something about the plates not being cut and glued properly.

Its regarded that Jimmy is 'The' one or so I have been able to make out over the years.

Again I ask . . where are you getting that from? Your original comment was that Bob gave disparaging looks to D'Aquisto's guitars. I see that you've edited it to read D'Angelico's guitars. But, either way, for the most part Jimmy's work IS John's work. As you know, John mentored Jimmy . . then Jimmy took it to the next level. Also, how could either of them have possibly cut and glued tops incorrectly? It's not like they were using hand saws. John was making guitars in the 20th century . . . not the 16th century. John is known to have destroyed guitars in mid build process if he detected an imperfection that couldn't be corrected without detection.

John D'Angelico was a master . . as true to form as was Lloyd Loar. But, in that all of his higher end guitars were VERY hand made, almost exclusively hand made . . I don't doubt that there were some areas of very insignificant and almost undetectable imperfection. But, for Bob to say just by looking at a top that it was cut and glued improperly sounds to me like pie in the sky.

[DRS]

SamBooka,

The Les Paul craze was started when Eric Clapton started playing his '59 sunburst Standard in Mayall's Bluesbreakers, then in Cream. That guitar was given to him by Todd Rundgren (who subsequently ended up with Clapton's "The Fool" painted SG/Les Paul, by the way). Before Clapton played the 'burst, you couldn't _give_ away Les Pauls--they were pawn shop uglies...$200 guitars.

From that beginning we have gotten to the point that not only do the handful of real Standards command prices that are the equivalent of a house, but now every guitar has to have flame maple on the top to attract the demographic, as they say.

Hence, the picture...Michelangelo's "God Reaches Out to Adam" but as Todd reaches out to Eric.

Sorry if I was being obtuse.

I don't belive this is correct. The Beano album was released in 1966 coincidentally on Rundrgen's 18th birthday. Rundrgen was still playing in a local Phily band, then. How he would've gotten over to the UK to give Eric a burst is a mystery. But you are correct that Les Pauls were forgotten guitars before Eric made the Beano album. And he only wanted a LP because Freddie King was pictured with a gold LP with P90s on one of his albums.

[SamBooka]

SamBooka,


Hence, the picture...Michelangelo's "God Reaches Out to Adam" but as Todd reaches out to Eric.

.

And I think you got it backwards.. somewhere I read that Clapton was God.

[sgcim]

I played one of the new 'D'Angelicos' (the one modeled off of the New Yorker), and it's a damn good guitar for it's price, about $900.
I would've bought it, but the necks are too fat for my little hands.
I'm lucky enough to have a real D'Angelico that my father bought from his best friend, Duke (a jewelry designer, who was a close friend of John D's, and who designed the headstock design on the New Yorkers as well as the fingerboard inlays) for $500 in 1936.
Duke was a tiny guy, and John D. traced his hand on a sheet of paper, and made the neck to fit his small hand.
All of John D's guitars were made especially for his customers, and no two are exactly alike.
My father grew up on Elizabeth St. in Little Italy, and John D. was just another merchant in the neighborhood, and he wasn't that well known in the 1930s. My father remembered Jimmy D'Aquisto as the little kid that used to sweep up the place.
There have been several attempts to revive the D'A name, but they are all illegal, since John D. had no heirs.
One of the reps of the first company that tried to cash in on the D'A name visited my family's house back in the 70s, and tried to work out a deal where they would let us have a new 'D'A' in exchange for our real D'A.
Luckily, my father wasn't a jerk and told them to screw themselves.
Since then, there have been a bunch of other people in the business who have tried to pull similar deals (Mandolin Bros. told my father it was a POS, and offered him $1,500 for it at the LI Guitar Show), but to no avail.
IMHO, the only living luthier who comes the closest to making a real D'Angelico today is Roger Borys, by virtue of the fact that he apprenticed with Jimmy D. for four years, and the fact that I played one of his carved tops, and it was equal in quality to the D'A's I have played in the past. There may be other luthiers that make similar guitars, but either I haven't played them, or they lack Roger's credentials.
Roger's most well-known guitar model is the B-120, a laminate electric archtop (my main gigging guitar)that was designed by him, Jimmy D. and Barry Galbraith.

[fws6]

Do you have a pic of your 1936 Dangelico then, Id love to see

i have a 1932 one of the very first he made

[Greentone]

I don't belive this is correct. The Beano album was released in 1966 coincidentally on Rundrgen's 18th birthday. Rundrgen was still playing in a local Phily band, then. How he would've gotten over to the UK to give Eric a burst is a mystery. But you are correct that Les Pauls were forgotten guitars before Eric made the Beano album. And he only wanted a LP because Freddie King was pictured with a gold LP with P90s on one of his albums.

Yikes! I just finished two books--one on Summers and one on Rundgren--and I conflated the facts. Mea culpa! Rundgren was most certainly in high school when Clapton was in The Bluesbreakers. It was, of course, Summers who offered up the 'burst Les Paul. So.......

[sgcim]

It looks exactly like yours!