1932 Epiphone De Luxe

**campusfive** · 06-14-2015, 01:37 AM

Well, I've definitely heard guitars with strings too light to get to speak at all, so there is something to heavy strings. But it's more important to find the sweet spot.

**Frank67** · 06-14-2015, 02:41 AM

I am with the others and prefered the tone of the epi over the other three. Very sweet and warm and round ... And nice playing!

**Keira Witherkay** · 06-14-2015, 02:47 AM

definitely i like the Epi tonally and visually ...

i was also impressed with the Eastman ...NOT that it sounded better than the Epi or Gibson BUT in that it was still in the same ballpark tonally despite the others clearly sounding better ...

the Epi had a crisper and to my ear a tone i enjoyed better .........

so yes in ranking Epi 1st by far then Gibson then last place but not totally dwarfed tonally was the Eastman

great find

**Archtop Guy** · 06-14-2015, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by campusfive

Wow, that was a tense couple of days.

I was really not digging the guitar. It lacked what I describe as "openness": meaning the instrument didn't seem like it wanted to vibrate. When a guitar speaks easily, it's almost as though it magnifies that effort you put in, and the Epi seems liked it was absorbing the force. There was little sustain or what some people call "natural reverb."

It came with 12's+13/17, and I put my own Martin SP 80/20's and had the action set up to my usual profile. It was very disappointing at first, but I couldn't tell if it was my own unfair expectations. Playing the x-braced, advanced and super worn-in L-12 is a very different experience, and I didn't want to be comparing apples to oranges.

I tried putting heavier strings on it, and that didn't help. I finally got somebody to play it so I could hear it, and it definitely sounded good from out in front. But it was clear that the L-12 spoke just so easily and just boomed when you barely touched it. So I decided to send it back, and was going to box it up this morning.

Last night, I figured I should play it a bunch and try to learn about it before it goes away. I put the lighter gauge strings back on, and tweaked that action back down a bit. All of sudden it just came to life, finally. The "magnifying" quality, the natural reverb, what I call "openness". I guess it's not going back. Oy vey.

> It's amazing what a different set up can do. It's easy to get sour on a piece that you haven't changed the strings on in a while then fall back in love with a new set. Glad you're keeping her.

**campusfive** · 06-20-2015, 05:13 PM

So, I've continued to play the Epiphone a bunch, and I've certainly warmed up to it. Unfortunately, I haven't had any gigs to use it on in the last couple of weeks, which is has been a bit of a bummer. But, the first gig I get to use it on is certainly an auspicious one: a fly-out gig to Lincoln Center.

My big band is opening Lincoln Center's summer concert series, "Midsummer Night Swing", and I'm gonna go a little guitar crazy and bring both the Epi and my ES-150. Thankfully, my friend who owned the guitar previously was able to sell me the Calton case he had made for it, and it arrived in time for the trip. Sadly the Hoffee I ordered for my ES-150 still hasn't arrived, but Jeff Hoffee offered to comp my shipping for the delay, so no hard feelings. I'll take this Hiscox I've been using for now.

**campusfive** · 06-20-2015, 05:17 PM

Also, if anybody in the New York or Boston area wants to see us play, we'll be at Lincoln Center on Tuesday 6/23, and in Beverly, MA Fri and Sat 6/27-28.

**Standin777** · 06-20-2015, 07:26 PM

Well I don't have the years in to reply on the guitars but... I could listen to you play any of them all day long, that was sweet to my ears...

**campusfive** · 06-25-2015, 10:48 AM

Here's a couple pics of the De Luxe in action:
1932 Epiphone De Luxe-jonathan_stout__photo_by_kevin_yatarola-jpg

1932 Epiphone De Luxe-jonathan_stout_s_all-star_orchestra__photo_by_kevin_yatarola-jpg

**campusfive** · 06-25-2015, 10:56 AM

I brought the guitar with me to TR Crandall and Retrofret for comparison, and I couldn't really say anything I played at either was overtly better than the De Luxe, at least for what I do. Considering they both had fantastic stuff, including a D'Angelico and a D'Aquisto, that was reassuring. Since I don't have upward of $40k for the D'A at Retrofret, that was nice consolation.

I was also told by the guy at Retrofret, who was familiar with that specific guitar, that he thought it was the earliest extant De Luxe, because he wasn't aware of any of the earlier ones. That was pretty cool to hear, as well.

**Hep To The Jive** · 06-25-2015, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by campusfive

Here's a couple pics of the De Luxe in action:
1932 Epiphone De Luxe-jonathan_stout__photo_by_kevin_yatarola-jpg

Looks good! So that was you, I didnt realize that, my buddy Ian who was on bass posted some videos from the show on FB, so I saw you playing! Is it mic on the tailpiece? Is it going directly to the board, or the amp that on the pic? How does this whole thing work?

**Klatu** · 06-25-2015, 12:08 PM

Let's hear it!

**backdrifter** · 06-29-2015, 10:21 AM

This is a great thread, thanks for sharing! I like all three guitars, they each have their own personality. For my money, I would keep the Gibson and the Epiphone. I love Eastman guitars (I've owned four of them and all have been great), but I think the Eastman and the Epiphone sound most similar, with the Epiphone sounding a bit better to me. The Epiphone and the Gibson are different enough to justify owning both, in my opinion. All three are gorgeous guitars.

By the way, I have drooled over the archtop.com photos of your Epiphone many times! There were times when I would've purchased it immediately if it had come back on the market, but of course it didn't. That is a really, really beautiful and unique guitar. I think it sounds amazing to boot, so I can't imagine parting with it.

I really enjoyed the stitched together playing. Thanks for taking the time to do that - it's rare that we get to hear these rare archtops back to back like that! Beautiful playing too!