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Let’s all party at Mike’s.
Originally Posted by Crm114
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02-19-2022 09:33 PM
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that’s right you guys tonight special is Linguine tossed in a Sunday gravy garlicky spinach and Italian sausages that simmered in the Sunday Gravy
Lou Malnattis Classic Sausage Pizza
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Looks deee-lish!
Love Lou's to death. Sadly the TOC version is a lot thinner than what you get in restaurant. Still, prolly gonna place an order soon, cuz the taste is there, even if the thickness is not...
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Yer killin me Big....
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@Big Mike Lou Malnattis pizza is Chicago deep dish pizza at it's best for sure! Mangia!
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The Heritage built DAs in some cases, probably most, had Johnny Smith type pickups made by Kent Armstrong. I have experience with one Excel. It surprised me because I was expecting the pickup to be hotter, more shrill, like a Gibson Johnny Smith pickup. It wasn't. The Gibson pickup can be "tamed" with adjusting the amp tone controls to dampen the hi-fi quality. The Kent Armstrong sounded more PAF to me.
I'm not saying one is better than the other. Both are fine. But there is a difference IMO.
Here's the Armstrong pickup on the Excel and New Yorker.
BTW, I didn't know that Marv Lamb sprayed the sunset burst finish on the NYer. Floyd Newton did most of the finishes at Heritage back then and was a master. He had worked in the finish booth for Gibson for many years previously. But I know that Marv did all of the goldtops for Heritage because of the cost of that finish and the expertise needed. I don't know any more about the goldtop spraying process. Marv did tap tuning as well but did it differently than Aaron Cowles and Jim Hutchins. Each of them had their own approach, but they respected each other.
Aaron Cowles was not gifted in doing bursts. I can attest to that. He did great naturals though.
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So your friend has one of GB's gold records? Originally Posted by Marty Grass
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Hey Woody it’s BigMike
i’m the guy that sold Marty the New Yorker and the pictures were shot in my office at what I jokingly referred to as my George Benson shrine
That is not George Benson’s personal gold record for Weekend in LA but one that was given to somebody in promotion or distribution
George has all his gold records hanging at his place
I’m such a George Benson fanatic I have four of his gold records and I’m always looking for additional ones
Big
Originally Posted by Woody Sound
Last edited by Crm114; 02-20-2022 at 11:23 AM.
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Mark, Originally Posted by Marty Grass
The Heritage built DAs in some cases, probably most, had Johnny Smith type pickups made by Kent Armstrong. I have experience with one Excel. It surprised me because I was expecting the pickup to be hotter, more shrill, like a Gibson Johnny Smith pickup. It wasn't. The Gibson pickup can be "tamed" with adjusting the amp tone controls to dampen the hi-fi quality. The Kent Armstrong sounded more PAF to me.
I'm not saying one is better than the other. Both are fine. But there is a difference IMO.
Here's the Armstrong pickup on the Excel and New Yorker.
BTW, I didn't know that Marv Lamb sprayed the sunset burst finish on the NYer. Floyd Newton did most of the finishes at Heritage back then and was a master. He had worked in the finish booth for Gibson for many years previously. But I know that Marv did all of the goldtops for Heritage because of the cost of that finish and the expertise needed. I don't know any more about the goldtop spraying process. Marv did tap tuning as well but did it differently than Aaron Cowles and Jim Hutchins. Each of them had their own approach, but they respected each other.
Aaron Cowles was not gifted in doing bursts. I can attest to that. He did great naturals though.
I do not believe that the Heritage built DA replicas came with pickups. In The Frank Green book, there is a picture of mine (#27) sans pickup. My friend who has one here in San Francisco got his without a pickup and had his luthier install one. Perhaps Pat Amato had those pickups put on the two that he owned? Check the underside of the one on the blonde Excel. I did on mine and it turns out to be an Armstrong Jazzy Joe, not one of the more expensive handmade Armstrong pickups.
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I bought that Excel right there from Fran Amato that’s right Patrick’s widow.
And yeah that may not of been stock putting it on there but Patrick put it on there and he never bought shit for any of his gear
Pete Moreno or Ronaldo Orlandoni put that pick up on that guitar
probsbly a Kent Armstrong hand wound Johnny Smith
i’m BigMike and I approved this message
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And the answer is:
A George Benson pickup!
It sounds good to me. Does anyone know if GB actually used the Ibanez GB pickup? Big??
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Marty that’s a real score the GB pick up with that GB stamp on it that’s hard to find my friend
I’ve heard from a number of sources that George does use the GB pick up on his GB10s
I do understand that he uses something else on the larger set pick up model guitars he uses on stage
I’ve been told it’s something like a gibson classic 57
The crazy thing about that is is when somebody’s looking to get an original super 58 pick up which is what is in the set pick up George Benson models everybody I know says hey the classic 57 sounds just like the super 58
you know what George is just a guy that likes to tinker with his stuff and it’s just got a look stock on the stage
after he retired his red prototype GB5 that he toured with for years he got a set of Alumitone custom pick ups for it and when I met him backstage we talked about that and he said “Mike you’re gonna like the way those pick up sound”
BigLast edited by Crm114; 02-21-2022 at 09:03 AM.
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re: the JS D'Angelico replica by Aaron Cowles, I had posted this ten years ago, but here it is again:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I have some second-hand insight about the construction on Johnny's D'Angelico 17" New Yorker Special. For a number of years I owned a guitar that the original owner claimed was an almost exact copy of Johnny's guitar, which he had borrowed during the time the copy was being made. He told me how that came about, but I don't actually remember the story, other than he said it happened. There was quite a bit of detail about the construction of the guitar, none of which I remember.
Although he was coy about who actually were the luthiers (one did the wood, another the inlay), I eventually uncovered the guy who built the guitar itself, who turned out to be a very well-known builder who confirmed that he made it. In addition, during the late '80's I bought a few guitars from Johnny himself when he was selling his shop to Larry Rice, and Johnny confirmed that the events the original owner told me were true as far as borrowing Johnny's guitar.
The guitar turned out to be as beautiful a guitar as I have ever played. The woods were superlative, the woodwork perfect, the detailing immaculate. It was the second best-sounding acoustic archtop that I have heard, the first being a non-cut Stromberg Deluxe. If it weren't for one little detail, it would have been my favorite guitar ever. Unfortunately, that detail made it all but unplayable for me.
Johnny has said that the neck on his D'Angelico was "wide like a plow handle." The original owner took that to heart, and had this one made more like the business end of a Loiusville Slugger. The neck was not only wide, but extremely deep and rounded. I have small hands for a man, and found the neck to be just too much for me to play comfortably. I could chunk out some chords on it, but lines were impossible. Despite that, it was such a nice guitar that for most of the time I owned it I managed to play it at least a few minutes a day.
I seriously downsized my guitar collection about a dozen years ago, and this guitar was one of the victims, but I have to say that it was a painful decision for me. Before I did, I tried to get the original luthier to slim it down, but he was too involved with other business to consider it. I probably should have x-rayed the neck to see if the truss rod location would allow the neck to be shaved, but rather than mess it up I decided to let it go. The dealer who sold it told me the buyer was a best-selling author who is also a guitar enthusiast, and who loved the guitar, big neck and all. Even so, I saw the guitar for sale at a dealer awhile ago, with an added pickup.
BTW, one detail that differed from Johnny's guitar was that his had engraved inlay, but for some reason, that never got done on the copy. The other difference was the way the serial number was done, since it was supposed to be an homage rather than a counterfeit.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
These were from the original owner, showing the unfinished back.
I can confirm that Thom VH's letter is accurate.
Danny W.
P.S. Beautiful guitar MG!Last edited by Danny W.; 02-20-2022 at 11:57 PM.
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There is a lot of collective wisdom on this forum!
For anyone reading this thread who may be confused by all of this brand incest, here is a concise list of the D'Angelico guitars:
D'Angelicos hand made by John D'Angelico
D'Angelico replicas made by Aaron Cowles
Authorized D'Angelico replicas made by Arturo Valdez, Michael Lewis, Victor Baker, Gene Baker and Rick McCurdy
D'Angelico II replicas and other hand made guitars made by Jim Triggs, Heritage guitars and Ron DeMarino
Vestax D'Angelicos made in Japan
D'Angelico guitar company guitars made in Korea, Indonesia and China
Did I leave anything out other than counterfeits?
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They look fantastic but I didn't realise JL was an archtop-ian. Do you know what guitars he owned? Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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Ron DeMarino worked on all of John Lennon's guitars and was not an archtop luthier to the exclusion of all else. Originally Posted by Irishmuso
To my knowledge, the only archtop guitar that John Lennon played and owned long term was his 1965 Epiphone Casino. That was his main guitar. But he owned others over the years.
John Lennon's musical instruments - Wikipedia
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Today I got the New Yorker back with a pair of Schatten pots, an endpin jack and a Dearmond 1100 installed. Gary Hines found the pickup for me, and I'm indebted to him for that great find. A local luthier, Rob Doolittle from the Kalamazoo Guitar Factory, did the installation.
Many of you are also fans of the 1100. It is a fine pickup and serves this type of guitar well.
Here are the installation pics.
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Cris M. worked at RDM's music store for many years. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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Mighty handsome guitar, there, M.G.! So nice, in so many ways! Congrats!
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Wow, you’ve got to be proud to own that one M. She’s truly a beautiful guitar!
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little present; George Bensons 1964 D’Angelico from Yesterday’s session, he won 2 Grammy’s with this particular one. Originally Posted by Crm114
never goes on tour, is solely locked up in the safe except for special occasions.
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I saw GB live in a jazz club in Toronto in the 1970’s, before Breezin’, when he was still touring around playing straight ahead jazz. It was a life-changing experience for me that I will never forget. He was playing a beautiful D’Angelico New Yorker that looked exactly like this one. Could it be the same guitar? Originally Posted by Phx
little present; George Bensons 1964 D’Angelico from Yesterday’s session, he won 2 Grammy’s with this particular one.
never goes on tour, is solely locked up in the safe except for special occasions.
Keith
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I cannot say that with 100% certainty but I believe this is his only D’Angelico that looks like this. I do know that this is among his most precious guitars if not the most precious. He told me recently the whole story how he got ahold of this one and what this guitar is to him. I was at the studio where he played on this one as well as the Ibanez guitars and honestly even for a non-musician like me I can hear a difference. Originally Posted by floatingpickup
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I don't doubt that at all. It suggests two things to me, both of which are not new. First, 99% of the audience can't tell the difference in an auditorium. Those who can tell will still be happy with the "second tier" guitar. Second, taking your favorite guitar on stage is not worth the risk. The corollary of these two points is that such a precious guitar is primarily for the pleasure of the player and perhap friends and family. Originally Posted by Phx
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If he owned this guitar back in the 70’s, it may very well be the same one I saw him play. I talked to him after the gig (he was extremely friendly) and when I asked him about the D’A, he pulled it out of the case and handed it to me so I could have a really close look! It was a stunning instrument. I will never forget that night for not only the incredible music, but also how nice George was to me. Originally Posted by Phx
Keith
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