What makes a Broadway a Broadway?

[Betz]

Apologies if this is a really dumb question.

If someone says they have a ‘Strat or a Les Paul, I know exactly what that guitar is regardless of who made it. But I have seen references to Broadways that are:
Venetian cutaway or no cutaway
Acoustic, a floating pickup, a single mounted pickup, or two mounted pickups
Parallel braced or X-braced
Variations on scale length
Variations on lower bout width
Variations on body depth

So, for those who know, what do you assume when someone says they have a Broadway?

[omphalopsychos]

There’s no consistency. Gibson cares so little about the heritage of the Epiphone line that they just apply the model name whenever they like.

Historically it meant solid maple/spruce rosewood board and block inlays. Instead of maple it was walnut up til the late 30s. The Broadway was the mid tier line of professional acoustic archtops, between the Triumph (like and L7) and the Deluxe (like an L5). You could say the Broadway was Epiphones L12.

[Betz]

Historically it meant solid maple/spruce rosewood board and block inlays.

That makes so much sense. That is the form that the rest was built on.

Thanks!

[ThatRhythmMan]

Just to add another thing, I’ve never seen an x-braced Epiphone Broadway. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist, but I’m not familiar with that as a spec that ever occurred.


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[Tal_175]

That makes so much sense. That is the form that the rest was built on.

Thanks!

Epiphone Broadways that were made in the last 20-30 years have laminate spruce tops with two pickups. They are sort of Asian made, laminate L5's.

[Gitterbug]

I concur with Tal. There must be dozens of Asian-made 1990s-early 2000s Broadways for every original survivor. So: 17", laminated maple sides and back, parallel bracing, single-piece maple neck, laminated top with spruce top veneer. (Am I right? My parallel Emperor Regent has one.) Two humbuckers. Great guitar for the money, the Elite version even more so.

[omphalopsychos]

Tal and Gitter you’re talking about the Asian made budget line Gibsons. In my worldview those are as much a Broadway and the Asian made D’Angelicos are Excels.

[omphalopsychos]

Oh yeah and the other thing worth adding. The original Broadway was 16 3/8” lower bout. In 1935 they switched to 17 3/8” (copying Gibson who increased their archtop sizes soon before them).

After Gibson bought Epiphone they made a Broadway Regent for a while, which had mini humbuckers and laminate construction. At least that one had a lot in common with the originals. But as far as I’m concerned that’s when Epiphone history ends.

[Betz]

Just to add another thing, I’ve never seen an x-braced Epiphone Broadway. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist, but I’m not familiar with that as a spec that ever occurred.


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i had to go back and figure out where I got that. It must have been here:

X or Parallel Bracing - What is Your Preference and Why?

It does not specifically mention the Broadway; just the ability to specify the bracing on a custom. I think at that point they were all running together in my head and, of course, a custom is . . . custom.

It makes sense that bracing would be consistently parallel as the Broadway, in my limited experience, has ‘a sound’. In my head (again), it is ‘Autumn in New York’ and when I hear that sound on a sweet chord melody song it is, as often as not, a Broadway. Thus my original question.

[Betz]

After Gibson bought Epiphone they made a Broadway Regent for a while, which had mini humbuckers and laminate construction. At least that one had a lot in common with the originals. But as far as I’m concerned that’s when Epiphone history ends.

Is it safe to say when the D’A’s or current luthiers build ‘a Broadway model’ they harken back to those ‘30s Epiphones?

[omphalopsychos]

Is it safe to say when the D’A’s or current luthiers build ‘a Broadway model’ they harken back to those ‘30s Epiphones?

No.

[hotpepper01]

The whole confusion was started when Epiphone used a name - taken from an earlier Epiphone model - and used it for a new model. The Broadway is not the only model in that respect. Think of the Emperor...The original Emperor does not look like an Emperor J, F, Regent or Joe Pass Emperor. Apperantly, making up a new name for a model is difficult at the Epi stable.

And BTW I think there are way more stat and LP models out there then there are Broadways and Emperors

[Doctor Jeff]

I played one this weekend at a guitar shop. It felt great, typical Epiphone neck, etc., and sounded very good, though much more prone to feedback that the other guitar I played that day (Gretsch). The quality seemed very good.

If I needed a good archtop at a decent price, I’d consider one.

[Gitterbug]

Reminds me of GM naming "policy". In the 1970s when I lived in USA, the German-made Opel Ascona was a popular car. Suddenly, no more Ascona but an inferior product from Japan, named Isuzu Opel.

[Betz]

The whole confusion was started when Epiphone used a name - taken from an earlier Epiphone model - and used it for a new model. The Broadway is not the only model in that respect. Think of the Emperor...The original Emperor does not look like an Emperor J, F, Regent or Joe Pass Emperor. Apperantly, making up a new name for a model is difficult at the Epi stable.

And BTW I think there are way more stat and LP models out there then there are Broadways and Emperors

You are correct, and if you include builders other than Fender there have probably been hundreds of versions of Strats. But if you saw just the profiles of the three guitars, there would be no confusion over which was a Strat, which was a Tele, and which was a Les Paul. It does not appear that the concept of a Broadway is as singular or distinctive, but the players still know what you mean when you say it.



I think omphalopsychos probably got as close

[skykomishone]

I was told by a fairly experienced luthier once that Epiphone was using up their best wood inventory in the years just before Gibson acquired them and that transition period. He felt there were some pretty good guitars then. I'm not an Epiphone expert, but I do own a vintage Emperor (1936), and it's one hell of a guitar. And I've played some pretty amazing pre-Gibson acquisition Epiphones.

[lawson-stone]

I was told by a fairly experienced luthier once that Epiphone was using up their best wood inventory in the years just before Gibson acquired them and that transition period. He felt there were some pretty good guitars then. I'm not an Epiphone expert, but I do own a vintage Emperor (1936), and it's one hell of a guitar. And I've played some pretty amazing pre-Gibson acquisition Epiphones.

I actually have a top, back, and bent sides from that cache of tone wood. I plan to try to learn to build guitars when I retire in a few years, and I'm hoping to develop the skill to do justice to that old tone wood. But of course plans for Emperors are very hard to come by!

[Doctor Jeff]

I actually have a top, back, and bent sides from that cache of tone wood. I plan to try to learn to build guitars when I retire in a few years, and I'm hoping to develop the skill to do justice to that old tone wood. But of course plans for Emperors are very hard to come by!

What kind of wood? Maple?

[lawson-stone]

What kind of wood? Maple?

I am pretty sure the top is spruce and the back/sides are maple-I could just be assuming that.