The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #176

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    Quote Originally Posted by lawson-stone
    It certainly isn't merely about place. And of course any tradition of instrument building can have good and bad moments. A lot of folks do like the "Vestax" era D'Angelico's but I've never played one. I think it's a case where a couple of conspicuous examples--Matsumoku in the 70's, Terada at later times-- sets a kind of bias or expectation. The Japanese copies of Gibsons in the 70s (as you know I'm quite sure) triggers the "lawsuit" crisis when Ibanez got served. Those "lawsuit" era guitars contributed to the "MiJ=Great" idea, I think. The Matsumoku L5ces copies (Aria Pro II PE180) also are dynamite, and those sold in Japan continued to have the Gibson style headstock shape.

    Anyhow, you're certainly right that mere geography is no predictor of quality.
    As the owner of both a pair of Vestax NYL2's and a NYL4 18" I'd have to say I'd prefer a "Vestax" guitar over a Matsumoku, which I've also owned. They're "better." However the Vestax guitars do suffer a weak leak in the pickup. It must be replaced. But I've only owned the 3 floating pickup models.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #177
    Wow, just joined this site and did a search on "Emperor" and to my delight found your post Fred.

    Your Youtube videos have been inspiring and in fact I upgraded my 2003 Epi Emperor's pickup with a
    Vintage Vibe Charlie Christian style floater after hearing yours on a video. I had Pete Biloft build
    me one that attaches to the neck like the stock Epi pickup and it sounds great.

    Have you settled on a string choice for the Emperor? I've currently got Thomastic GB flats on mine.

    Cheers,
    Bill

  4. #178

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    Hi Bill,

    Glad I could help in your choice. TI GB sounds like a very good choice. I have put myself TI Swing 13-53 which is very close.

    Best to you and your music.

  5. #179

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    Hooray! This guitar and her sister Broadway are not exactly "unsung heroes", but with another brand sticker their resale value would be totally different. Emperor Regent is my first "modern" archtop (after a playing hiatus of over 20 years) and will be the last one to leave the house. Mine is a -99 Natural by Peerless. With a PU upgrade, this is a pro level instrument, as proven by Fred's tone - and superb playing. Thanks!

  6. #180

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    Very nice sounding guitar and great playing, very tasteful. The guitar sounded better in the 1st video imho, the 2nd is a little ‘ploinky’ to my taste. But for a relatively cheap Asian it punches well above its weight!

    I notice you always use tasteful backing tracks. Could you elaborate on that a little further? Where are they from? Thanks!

  7. #181

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    Quote Originally Posted by Little Jay
    Very nice sounding guitar and great playing, very tasteful. The guitar sounded better in the 1st video imho, the 2nd is a little ‘ploinky’ to my taste. But for a relatively cheap Asian it punches well above its weight!

    I notice you always use tasteful backing tracks. Could you elaborate on that a little further? Where are they from? Thanks!
    Hello Little Jay,
    You're right, the sound is better on the first video, more woody and notes with better diffinition. There is no piano in the backing track on the first video, so the sound can expand better I think. Maybe I also mixed differently the acoustic and amplified sounds the second time, with less acoustic signal.

    As for the backing tracks, I'm mostly using my personnal Jamey Aebersold series. I often re-work the sound of them by removing the piano (always on the right track) and correcting some EQ. That's it.

    Best.

  8. #182

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    My 1996 Emperor Regent, blonde, is doing great, no issues other than a slight dimple where the screw holds on the pickguard. I only wish the gold plating was thicker as it has worn a bit on the tuning keys and pickup cover from playing. The sound steadily improves, as is expected, but not at the same rate as nitro-cellulose finished guitars. The polyurethane finish is very durable by comparison, but it does not 'breath" so the aging is a much slower process, but that is OK.

    I found that the choice of strings, where and how you play them, and your tone controls on the guitar and amp have more to do with getting the "jazz" sound than the actual pick-up. I can get jazz tones from a single coil on my Fender Strat, so the Emperor's mini bucker is really a good pick-up by comparison and more over, it does not affect the acoustic tone. The laminated neck block is actually a good thing and you will never have problems with the neck to body joint unless you drop/damage the instrument. I have an ES-175D if I need the fatter PAF sound, and do not expect the Emperor Regent to sound like it does, nor do I want it to. The acoustic sound is really good all by itself, and blended with the pickup, it has it's own unique woody overtones that inspire me t play more. In short, I am much happier exploring the tonal capabilities of this guitar than trying to make it sound like another guitar.

    The Emperor Regent is my poor man's Johnny Smith which I can take places and enjoy without worrying about it being stolen or damaged. If I had an L-5 CES, Super 400, or a Johnny Smith, it would be nice, but they would never get played live, or leave my house. Epiphone did great job making this guitar and it is a shame that they never sold enough of them to continue offering them. Due to that, they have slowly been going up in price, enough to stay ahead of inflation, and have held their value, which is testimony to their continued popularity amongst musicians on a budget.