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Great job, Joe! That prime example of "School of D'Angelico" is going to open up nicely in your capable hands, especially in proximity (spatially and if I may say, spiritually) with its' august precursor. Play long, and prosper!
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02-06-2016 09:47 PM
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After weeks of learning such a tune, my hands got use to the shallowness of the HDA neck. I tend to forget a lot of the other arrangements I know when I don't play them during a long learning period. So today, I need to polish up on my old stuff. This morning, I played my Excel for about 2-1/2 hours. It took a long time for my hands to get re-acclimated with the fuller neck on my DA. All my other tunes began to slowly come back to me. It's scary though. My brain can only hold onto so many of these complicated tunes.
The neck profile on my DA is very different then the neck on the HDA. But the playability is incredibly similar.
The thickness at the rim on the HDA is a smudge over 3-1/4. The arch adds a bit, the measurement inside the cutaway is almost 3-7/8".
JD
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Joe,
I really enjoyed "The Boy Next Door." I agree with MG--very strong, authoritative tone, when compared with Johnny Smith. The Heritage D'Angelico is just a sensational instrument in your hands. Great playing, great sound.
Keep 'em coming.
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Thanks 2b.
i am very happy with the guitar. If Gruhn sells that guitar for anywhere near $6500 I'd go to the bafroom in my pants.
It's a wonder no one talks about the lineage of these guitars. Patrick didnt know about the connection to John D'Angelico (Ron DeMarino) and Jimmy D'Aquisto (Cris Mirabella). I am bringing mine up to see Cris in a couple of weeks. He says he is sentimental and he wants to see the HDA. When you get right down to it, these guitars were built by an all star team of luthiers, including the tailpieces being engraved in the same shop as the ones on the real DA's. Marty Turman did it right in my book.
Joe D
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After chasing my tail with a couple of Japanese sellers that didn't have the guitar they were selling I decided Saturday wasn't my day. I took a nap and with a new outlook took a peek on eBay for D'Angelico guitars. WOW up pops a ghost built Heritage New Yorker acoustic. #1040, signed by all the old boys. She's a real beauty! Now my Excel has her bigger cousin to keep her company...
Ad says it was part of the inventory (a show piece) of a defunct music store and had never been sold. How about that ??? I'm truly convinced that the best Heritages were made in the early 90s. I spent half the night awake reading old threads about the HDA's and seeing a lot of Patrick's posts.
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Mike,
I wonder why that one has an Excel tailpiece instead of the New Yorker tailpiece? We would have to ask Ron DeMarino (who was a part builder of these) and we will need a medium to do that as Ron is long gone.
Note the tailpiece on mine:
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I spotted that right away, looking at old photos of Patrick's guitars where my Excel and your New Yorker were together. Frankly I ain't kicking her outta bed for eating crackers (or having an Excel tp...).
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I have a guess. Your incoming is number 40. Mine is number 27. The Tailpieces were made by the same company that made the originals, but Heritage used their Super Eagle mold for the bodies which were 2 inches shorter than D'Angelicos 18 inch bodies, thus bringing the tailpieces closer to the strings. Perhaps by the time number your incoming number 40 was made, Ron DeMarino decided to use an Excel Tailpiece (Which was an inch shorter, IIRC) to get closer to the original tailpiece/string relationship? Patrick mused about the mistake on his/mine in a thread on this forum. And BTW, count me among those on this forum who miss Patrick. When I first showed up here, he welcomed me warmly. I am proud to own one of his guitars.
Originally Posted by BigMikeinNJ
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?I do remember how seeing the original D'As that they lent Heritage to copy from how the real ones had longer bodies. The tailpieces were copied exactly and with those shorter bodies they came really close to the bridge, far closer than the originals. It may be that - or it may be that being 1040 they were running low on the correct tailpiece and used the Excel version. That's some outstanding wood on her and I can't wait to play it. And being it was built all acoustic has me wondering what special properties this baby has... I don't think I'm gonna modify it to be electric. I'll leaver her as is. IF I did electrify it I'd used Schatten hidden controls and either a Rhythm Chief 1100 or a Kent Armstrong single coil (like what is on the Super Patrick and my Guild Johnny Smith).
Big
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Marty Turman told me that he sold 40 D'Angelico II guitars in all (15 New Yorkers and Excels, 25 of his other models). Assuming he started with serial number 1001, your incoming could be the very last one, making your theory quite likely. Mine was built as an acoustic and someone before Patrick ( either the original owner or Jay Wolfe) added a Kent Armstrong hand made Johnny Smith PUP with volume and tone controls on the pickguard. Perfect!!!
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Wow, beautiful guitar Mike. Very beautiful. congratulations.
Steve DeMarino is still around. He is in the lumber business, but he still is restoring D’Angelicos. He would know about the tailpiece. He is a really nice guy.
Once again, beautiful Guitar. Have fun with it!
Joe D
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Very nice.
A few years ago I got a blond Heritage Johnny Smith that was in a warehouse in Pennsylvania and was NOS. It was in a small music store for a few years. That store went out of business. Someone bought the entire inventory and sold off lots of it.
A newly retired teacher had a part time passion of looking into estate and other sales of musical instruments. He found this trove of Heritages and bought about 10. I got two from him.
The New Yorker story has some similarities. Yes, and the tailpiece theory makes sense.
Congrats!
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Thanks Joe, good to see you around...
Marty, I believe it sir. The seller's other items are just odds and ends from an old time music store - lots of accordion reeds and stuff... Can't wait until the seller sees his emails from eBay. LOL. I'm thinking about having it overnighted, sort of like I did the L5... we could have some seriously crazy weather between Florida and Chicago and I don't want this bad boy (or girl) just knocking around.
Can't believe my luck.
And as for Patrick and missing him: I'm friends with Fran Amato on Facebook and I send her regular parcels of Fannie May candy. That poor lady misses Patrick so much. Makes you stop and think that we should all slow down a little bit, lighten up on the social stimulants and so on, treat ourselves a little better with an eye for sticking around a lot... She saw me post the photos for this one and said it reminded her of Patrick, what can you say to her huh ??? (shrugs shoulders).
Big
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Bigmike I wanted that guitar and inquired awhile ago about it. I wanted to make sure it was an 18” and it was. They originally started price around 7$k. That was crazy but at $5 not a bad deal. I probably would have bought but I need to sell my Elferink first. Not that the Heritage is. necessarily better just different.
I knew a well-to-do collector/player who once said he bought another guitar when he got bored playing because it had him back playing more. Great logic I just don’t have the huge amount a land he owed. Story was he had a heart attack they ask about his health insurance he said, how much do I owe i can write tbe check now. If you need cash I just have go to the bank.
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Spoke at length to the seller today and he's a great guy. He's handling the liquidation of everything that was in his father's shop. Still has a Carlo Greco "teardrop" which was the last guitar Mr. Greco ever made. Hmmm...
Gabriel was saying they originally paid 9K for the NY'er...
BigLast edited by BigMikeinNJ; 01-06-2019 at 05:28 PM.
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Yep, 9K in 1990's dollars was what that guitar sold for, to a dealer! 5k in todays dollars is a great price. Marty Turman told me that he had a New Yorker tailpiece left over from the D'Angelico II project when I talked to him a few years ago. Perhaps he still has it. His office number is (516)-868-4877. He had 150 guitars in his collection when I talked to him (and I think he enjoys talking guitars). Mike, perhaps you and Marty need to compare notes. That could be a Long conversation!
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Guys- Marty Turman passed away in 2016.
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Wow. That means I talked to him right before he died. RIP Originally Posted by QAman
Mike, Steve DeMarino is probably the last living person to possibly answer any questions about your incoming guitar. Congrats on having a matched set.
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Marty Turman was in his early 60's when he passed. It truly is later than we think. Play them guitars and spend time with loved ones.
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Yeah - I was at Marty’s checking out a Johnny Smith for Jazznote shortly before he died . He had a finished basement with over 150 guitars . Originally Posted by Stringswinger
Congats on the Heritage DA BigMike - I remember when Marty was selling these at the NAMM show in early nineties.
I also agree that Heritage produced their best guitars in the 90’s - that was a great period for Archtop builders .
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So true - we are all getting older and must enjoy each day and count our blessings. Marty was an avid golfer and lived in the Hamlet golf club in Commack NY - and he loved his guitars for sure. Not sure whatever happened to his instruments. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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We need a full report on the guitar and maybe a sound check.
On another note I had met Marty years ago and wow I did not realize the connections. I did a funerial earlier this week at the Parish and as my Pastor Fr Eric always says when we are in the sacristy before getting ready for the Funeral Liturgy...................."we are not far behind"............how true. You wonder who passed on the forum and we never know. I have some really good friends I seem to have never met in person like SS, QAman ( maybe out paths cross at the 5 town years ago}, Marty, Citz74, Matt the guitar builder and others...……. In the end I don't think the question is what guitar you played...…...but what "guitar player you helped or shared a laugh and story. Hopefully this is one question among others
Remember BIGMIKE...……….it did not happen if we don't get the full report and sound check...…………..
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Going down early tonight, maybe got 5 hours of sleep last night, while I was trying take my nap today Gabriel called. So here’s the matched set, all in all it was a great score, but the shit tires you some. . Looking at the New Yorker I’m fine just fine with it as is.We re an obsessive group of nit pickers, sometimes too obsessed.
I’m gonna be taking some time off and playing. Do some cooking
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Mike, that is an outstanding instrument, congratulations! I would leave it as is, it looks perfection to me
Play her in health!
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Yup in total agreement - that's the way it left the shop and I like it. Some purist might say "but it's not a NY'er tp..." shit and the body isn't exactly the spec of a real NY'er either... I'm pleased as hell I found and got it. And will be it's first owner - since 1992 and never played ?? WOW... Originally Posted by jim777
Mike, that is an outstanding instrument, congratulations! I would leave it as is, it looks perfection to me
Play her in health!
And to those demanding a performance - I ain't Joe. I don't have the gear or the inclination to record myself playing. You come here, you break bread with me and then maybe you'll hear me play... I sing mostly really old religious hymns such as:
In The Garden
Open My Eyes
Shall We Gather At The River
so I'm an oddity on this site, I don't gig - the last time I gig was at a Convalescent Home playing hymns and visiting shut ins... I loved all those people. I never noticed the smell of the place - and when I walk in that room this shy guy comes out of his shell and hams it up and sits with people. One of the most rewarding times was when the piano player and half the singers didn't show up. It was me, my GB10 and Deluxe Reverb (turned down real low). All the residents came close and being real quiet THEY SANG... It's was so beautiful to hear. The Angels had to be singing with us - it was Angelic...
So you know me a little better now
Big
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