deefstes wrote
What is the story behind that odd tailpiece?
this is an original 1939 design epiphone tail piece called ...wait for it a
"Frequensator " cool name .... 8)
below from internet archtop site
Epiphone Style Frequensator Archtop Tailpiece
This Tailpiece was designed by the Epiphone Guitar Company. The concept was to lenghten the Bass strings to obtain a better response. You may have noticed that many tailpieces are graduated to allow the bass strings to be longer but none as much as the Frequensator.
I think this explains the sound difference.
"The short fork on the bass side results in a deeper tone. The longer fork is used on the treble side for extra brilliance. The forks are interchangeable for varying tone as well as string tension. Epiphone used them to change the tension on the strings. By making the bass strings longer through the tailpiece, the tension is higher and stiffer, making for a "tighter" bottom end sound, while the shorter top strings would have looser tension and therefore easier to play solos on the higher strings and upper frets of the instrument."
Alan Ratcliffe wrote
Very cool Keira. Now that's a proper archtop... ? If it's anything like the Epiphone Sheraton and the Joe Pass model, it should be pretty awesome.
BTW - The size doesn't worry you at all? A 335 feels massive to me, so if the Emperor is much bigger...
Gearhead wrote
@Alan have your ever met the Keiranator in person?
Alan Ratcliffe wrote
Gearhead wrote
@Alan have your ever met the Keiranator in person?
No, not yet... Why? Is she tall? Still, if you are used to nylons and Teles... But then, I suppose if she plays bass too...
Gearhead wrote
Seem to recall a story about uprights... This Emperor is actually small ?
in answer to all this .yes i'm way tall but gearhead is taller ....and i have long arms that easily wrap around an archtop ? and i have owned and played jazz box's all my life , even if i wasn't using it on stage i normally had one lying around .......i'm adicted to them .....and used to them ...
and yes you mentioned the tele alan ..... thats the one thing i "don't " like about the tele is that it's so small bodied......... i prefer a bigger bodied guitar ............
and yes gearhead i played upright bass for years so the emperor regent will not be the biggest bodied instrument i've played.......
i love big bodied jazz guitars mostly because i sit and play the bigger the body the better (not in weight but size ) as it sits higher on ones leg without having to prop it up ..... i truly can't sit and play with say a les paul shape, which i find very small as .the guitar is way too low when you have it on your leg ...i have to then use a strap and still sit which is very uncomfortable cos les pauls are usually heavier .. ..................
anyway whats all this preoccupation with size , ?
Gearhead wrote
It does not say where these are built?
as far as i know these are "eastern built guitars" the price is not bad they list at $1100 but sell street price for $600 - $700 in US and i'm getting mine after discount brand new for a few hundred over 6K ....... so my price is about right to US street price if we allow R10 to dollar for import cost/exchange ect so i'm not getting a 'deal of the century" but i consider it a fair price...........in fact a totally acceptable one...and i'm just greatful there's one available in country or it'd be a 3 month wait ........ and this buy was to have this specific guitar in this specific colour......so i have to pay what i have to pay ... if i want it ....... and this specific 30's design has just intruiged me and blown me away to want it and want it now......
GAS to the nth degree
Alan Ratcliffe wrote
Very cool Keira. Now that's a proper archtop... ? If it's anything like the Epiphone Sheraton and the Joe Pass model, it should be pretty awesome.
@ alan well it's in the same series ......... and price wise i can get a joe pass signiture epiphone at about 1K cheaper than the emperor (i was offered one they had in stock) so it's more expensive by a grand than the joe pass signature so i'm expecting similar quality .....and anyway i have a deal with stuart if it's flawed or badly constructed when it arrives i won't buy .........
but yes as you say a "proper archtop' (but unfortunately NOT a true vintage one ..as in original 30's .which i never could afford ) what i like is the design has a floating mini humbucker pickup so what i've heard on you tube it's a more complex open sound with more of a real 30's traditional jazz sound than say a 335 0r even 175 which use full size humbuckers ......... btw i see gretch and eastman also make their copies of this epiphone emperor regent .... so i guess the design is a 'classic" and good enough of a design if it's copied as the "classic 30's big band archtop" design by other companies too
