D'Angelico New Yorker

**neatomic** · 01-01-2017, 06:50 PM

phil upchurch is old school hip (and his advice rings true)...incredible player..was guitar behind benson for years...good stuff

cheers

**BigMikeinNJ** · 01-01-2017, 10:40 PM

THIS was the video I was thinking of, while waiting on my L5 I watched this again and again. You can tell how awesome playing a guitar of this caliber is to a guy like him who really FEELS IT...

**HeyNow** · 01-02-2017, 01:54 AM

Originally Posted by medblues

Wow, I thought he was playing my (now fully acoustic) Heritage Johnny Smith for a second or two :-) Minus the $1000 AKG C414 of course ! That made me feel happy.

I bought both of my C414s for less than $600 each. One came with a 6 month warranty (from Alto Music) and was pretty much new.

**Hammertone** · 01-02-2017, 03:24 AM

I was in Retrofret on Friday and played that '39 L-5P - cool guitar, really nice sounding but with a fairly quiet voice (the recording is cranked). No D'A in sight, but they do have a great-sounding '46 blonde Epi Deluxe in stock if anyone is interested.
And a couple of super-swell old Martins, including a particularly sweet old O-18.

**fws6** · 01-02-2017, 05:29 AM

It is also great how they made up that sales pitch that Jimmy foresaw the future and with his magical time machine did an original 1980s finish on it in 1961 ;-)

John & Jimmy regularly refinished their instruments, there were many customers bringing in their guitars every decade or so for finish work. To them, it was normal maintenance. So for that reason, I would regard a DA refinish by DA still as original finish.

But I guess if you're a dealer trying to sell with a 65k price tag, you have to be good at making up stories.

**medblues** · 01-02-2017, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by HeyNow

I bought both of my C414s for less than $600 each. One came with a 6 month warranty (from Alto Music) and was pretty much new.

Thanks Heynow, I am covered with mics for now: much cheaper MXL and a paired C4s from Studio Projects but haven't had the time to learn recording and try them out yet. Then I got infatuated with the Zoom handheld recorder which has a less steep learning curve I hope.

**mercosound** · 01-02-2017, 10:29 AM

I consider Hammertone's comment - "No D'A in sight, but they do have a great-sounding '46 blonde Epi Deluxe in stock if anyone is interested." - to be a good tip. I first played an Epi Deluxe at Retrofret a couple of years ago. At that time, it was the best sounding archtop in the shop (no offense to the L5s/Super 400 that were present), and reasonably priced. I didn't purchase that particular guitar, but it was an eye (ear?) opening experience. I did end up with a 1940 Deluxe from across the rivers in NJ (Lark Street Music), and it's definitely a keeper.

I should mention that the Epi currently in stock at Retrofret isn't the same one I played, but I'd bet that it's another good 'un. Back in the 40s, early 50s, Epiphone was located in NYC, and was in serious competition with Gibson in the archtop marketplace. I had been told that Epis from that period were worth looking into, but didn't believe it until I played one.

Still like to own a D'Angelico someday....

**Archtop Guy** · 01-02-2017, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by kkfan

What gorgeous playing!

Do those look like phosphor bronze strings?

After listening to this guitar and it's player I seriously considered sending my Triggs D'Angelico ll back to Triggs to have him shave the sides down to that 3"width and respray the guitar to match that gorgeous color.That had to be Jimmy that sprayed that one.What a great combination of guitar and player.

**skykomishone** · 01-02-2017, 01:57 PM

I give it (the D'A) an A++ for sweet and rich tone.

**wintermoon** · 01-02-2017, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by fws6

It is also great how they made up that sales pitch that Jimmy foresaw the future and with his magical time machine did an original 1980s finish on it in 1961 ;-)

John & Jimmy regularly refinished their instruments, there were many customers bringing in their guitars every decade or so for finish work. To them, it was normal maintenance. So for that reason, I would regard a DA refinish by DA still as original finish.

But I guess if you're a dealer trying to sell with a 65k price tag, you have to be good at making up stories.

yeah, that guitar was obviously refinished later.
reminds me of a story of when I went to an older guys house to buy an L-5 from him. he was the orig owner of a D'Angelico NYer cutaway and asked if I wanted to see it. sure I said, and the guitar looked about brand new. then he showed me the original receipt and it said natural finish. it too had a D'Aquisto sunburst, but he insisted it was original.

btw, I disagree that if the luthier who built an instrument refinishes it himself, it's original.
yeah it's nice if the builder did it and depending on if they changed their shading over the years it might look original, but imo if it's refinished it's refinished, period.

**Stringswinger** · 01-02-2017, 03:41 PM

D'Angelico and D'Aquisto were concerned with making (and maintaining) the best sounding guitars ever. Catering to cork sniffing collectors was not their forte'.

Thank goodness for that.

**HeyNow** · 01-02-2017, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by Hammertone

I was in Retrofret on Friday and played that '39 L-5P - cool guitar, really nice sounding but with a fairly quiet voice (the recording is cranked). No D'A in sight, but they do have a great-sounding '46 blonde Epi Deluxe in stock if anyone is interested.
And a couple of super-swell old Martins, including a particularly sweet old O-18.

Apparently, they have a Ken Parker archtop.

I notice the small bodied vintage Martin's in Retrofret's videos are absolute cannons. There's a video where the player has to keep turning down the recording device. The archtops are for some reason quieter.

**Hammertone** · 01-02-2017, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by HeyNow

Apparently, they have a Ken Parker archtop….

They have his 2006 Olive Branch (Ken names his guitars) with a $50,000 ask, which is pretty funny considering that you can get Ken to make you one for way less than that. It's an earlier iteration of his design, with the soundhole off the lower bout instead of the upper bout, and goofy-looking tuners. Nice little guitar with a deeper voice than his newer guitars - I pounded away on it for awhile after getting them to raise the action.

**Greentone** · 01-02-2017, 05:45 PM

This thread is a real treat. Not only do the D'Angelico and the Gibson '39 L-5 Premier sound delightful, but the thread features the GREAT Phil Upchurch on a vintage, blonde ES-175D. Who could ask for more?

I've been following Upchurch since the late-60s/early-70s, when he started showing up in Guitar Player magazine. I started tracking him down on records then and have been a fan since. I saw him with George Benson in the 70s during the "Broadway"/"Masquerade" period. IIRC, PU was playing a Polytone guitar for at least part of the gig. [Upchurch is the only guy besides Pat Martino that I can recall who played Polytone guitars and basses.]

Upchurch later endorsed the new D'Angelico guitars. I have a great jazz album by him on which he plays one of their completely carved models.

He is a great guitarist.

**wintermoon** · 03-19-2020, 06:42 PM

I wasn't aware of John switching from finials to eagles

just when you thought you've seen it all....

D'Angelico New Yorker-dangelico-ny-jpg

D'Angelico new yorker basket case 1950's stained | Reverb

**neatomic** · 03-19-2020, 07:02 PM

????

& it sold!

cheers

**wintermoon** · 03-19-2020, 07:05 PM

to be fair, the case and Imperials are worth at least 1/2--2/3rds that

**citizenk74** · 03-19-2020, 08:35 PM

What a shame to see such neglect. There's bound to be a story there.

**DRS** · 03-23-2020, 11:23 AM

The cutaway makes me think it was one of the lam bodies that John fitted his necks to. The Eagle is a nice touch.
Who would forget a D'A guitar - even if it was a lam body - in an attic?