Is this Mark Whitfield's new D'Angelico???

**SOLR** · 03-01-2023, 09:08 PM

A look that stems from the EX SS it seems, but with different headstock, single floating p-up, adjustable wooden bridge .....

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**sgosnell** · 03-02-2023, 12:05 AM

Why bother with a floating pickup if you're going to put pots into the top?

**David B** · 03-02-2023, 08:42 AM

Yes, he's mentioned on a past Instagram post that this is a prototype of a future signature model. He's been using it for some time.

**Woody Sound** · 03-02-2023, 08:45 AM

I like that headstock way better than the curly one.

**burchyk** · 03-02-2023, 08:58 AM

I would prefer this in blonde, with no fretboard markers, parallel strings behind the nut, and nickel hardware.

**SOLR** · 03-02-2023, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by sgosnell

Why bother with a floating pickup if you're going to put pots into the top?

Actually Martin Taylor's fibonacci also has a floater + knobs in the top as do the GB10 and many others.....
Martin Taylor Guitars - Joya

All designed for gigging

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**SOLR** · 03-02-2023, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by burchyk

I would prefer this in blonde, with no fretboard markers, parallel strings behind the nut, and nickel hardware.

Pretty sure they'll offer blonde and nickel..but the other 2 are doubtful!!??

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**Gitterbug** · 03-02-2023, 03:45 PM

Looks like money has talked. When I conversed with Mark about a decade ago in NY, he was completely happy with his red Marchione guitar - something between an archtop and a semi, as I recall.

**m_d** · 03-02-2023, 04:10 PM

Mark is gigging regulary with a D'Angelico it seems, there's a Live at Smalls on YouTube.

**David B** · 03-02-2023, 04:28 PM

**sgosnell** · 03-02-2023, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by SOLR

Actually Martin Taylor's fibonacci also has a floater + knobs in the top as do the GB10 and many others.....
Martin Taylor Guitars - Joya

I know they exist, I just don't understand why. If you're going to put relatively heavy pots/knobs into the top, why not just put the pickup into the top? My suspicion is looks and maybe economics, but maybe I'm missing something somewhere.

**rpjazzguitar** · 03-02-2023, 05:42 PM

Seems to me that a floater is going to sound different than a pickup bolted to the top. In one case the p/u moves with the top, in the other case it moves differently.

At that point, it's whatever sounds good to the user.

**SOLR** · 03-02-2023, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by David B

Thx for posting, Wow!! That Piano solo!!!!!!!

Can't say I liked Mark's tone much though, (sounds a lot like an EX SS) and looks like a different p-up ?? similar to the one on his Marchione...But Great playing as always....

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**SOLR** · 03-02-2023, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by sgosnell

I know they exist, I just don't understand why. If you're going to put relatively heavy pots/knobs into the top, why not just put the pickup into the top? My suspicion is looks and maybe economics, but maybe I'm missing something somewhere.

My guess is that pots on the pick guard tend to get in the way.... (IN the video of Mark at Smalls you see his right hand would knock those pots or he'd hurt himself).
FWIW I've had them and kept bumping into them while playing, unless the guitar is quite large then a larger pick guard seems to alleviate this effect somewhat...as do Schattens but don't really like those either.
Seems smaller semi hollows with floaters have the pots on the top...

I also would have guessed mark likes a certain more or less acoustic sound hence the floater, but I don't hear an acoustic at all on this same video....

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**kris** · 03-03-2023, 02:57 AM

**m_d** · 03-03-2023, 04:35 AM

They seem like worthy semi-hollow instruments. A bit expensive, but often discounted. The new headstock looks great and they don't skimp on electronics (take heed, Eastman and Ibanez).

**wintermoon** · 03-03-2023, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by m_d

They seem like worthy semi-hollow instruments. A bit expensive, but often discounted. The new headstock looks great and they don't skimp on electronics (take heed, Eastman and Ibanez).

The typical cutout w finial headstock and skyscraper inlay one normally sees on replica D'Angelicos are more or less based on Johnny Smith's New Yorker Special. The guitar Whitfield is using has the old style DA New Yorker pre cutout/finial headstock configuration.

**Woody Sound** · 03-03-2023, 01:07 PM

Mark was always a big fan of GB, so maybe the mini floater is a nod to him.

**John A.** · 03-03-2023, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by sgosnell

I know they exist, I just don't understand why. If you're going to put relatively heavy pots/knobs into the top, why not just put the pickup into the top? My suspicion is looks and maybe economics, but maybe I'm missing something somewhere.

I think this is a semi-hollow, not a hollow body, which explains the knobs being installed in the top. But why he would put a floater on a semi-hollow strikes me as the real puzzler here. I guess he likes the floater sound but wants the form factor and feedback resistance of that body, but that's only a guess.

**SOLR** · 03-03-2023, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by John A.

I think this is a semi-hollow, not a hollow body, which explains the knobs being installed in the top. But why he would put a floater on a semi-hollow strikes me as the real puzzler here. I guess he likes the floater sound but wants the form factor and feedback resistance of that body, but that's only a guess.

I would also guess, that the floater form comes from his Marchione.It looks like the same pick up in the earlier videos different in the live performance with Ulf and Martin....

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**rpjazzguitar** · 03-03-2023, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by David B

Mark is great, which is not news. Hadn't heard that pianist before -- don't know his name, but I expect I'll be hearing it. I love the way he comped and soloed.

**sgosnell** · 03-03-2023, 03:27 PM

Yes, it's the combination of floating pickup and controls in the top that I don't get. If you love the sound of a particular pickup, that's fine, I suppose. I wouldn't seriously consider putting a floater on a semi, but people do all sorts of things that I don't understand. Maybe I'm just slow, I dunno.

**SOLR** · 03-03-2023, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar

Mark is great, which is not news. Hadn't heard that pianist before -- don't know his name, but I expect I'll be hearing it. I love the way he comped and soloed.

Julius Rodriguez - Piano.
Mark Whitfield - Guitar
Peter Washington - Bass
Joe Farnsworth - Drums

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**John A.** · 03-03-2023, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by sgosnell

Yes, it's the combination of floating pickup and controls in the top that I don't get. If you love the sound of a particular pickup, that's fine, I suppose. I wouldn't seriously consider putting a floater on a semi, but people do all sorts of things that I don't understand. Maybe I'm just slow, I dunno.

I think of floaters in general as giving more of a pure pickup tone because of the way they're isolated from the top and the air mass inside the guitar, whereas set-in pickups in general have a thicker more overtone-rich sound (closer to the unplugged sound of the guitar) because of they way they're coupled with the top and the air mass. If you prefer the former, I guess it could make sense to put a floater on a semi-hollow. But I might be wrong about why floaters and set pickups sound the way they do.

**jazzkritter** · 03-03-2023, 06:14 PM

Dunno, but there’s a whole lot of GB10’s out there getting a lot of love for many years with floaters and body mounted pots.
Someone out there aside from Mark must think it’s a good idea.