Epiphone this week announced the resurgence of their classic Emperor Hollowbody in a new suped-up package officially dubbed the Emperor Swingster.
The guitar (shown here in Wine Red) is expected to feature a newly updated set of pickups designed specifically for the Swingster (Epiphone SwingBuckers?) along with a push/pull tone knob for tapping standard and parallel wiring schemes, a “pinned” tune-o-matic bridge with rosewood base and roller saddle, and an old school Bigsby B60 vibrato tailpiece armed with traditional-style “wire” arm.
The Birth of a Great Gibson: Johnny A. Tells His Signature Model’s Story
Only a handful of guitarists receive the honor of a Gibson Signature Model, and even fewer are as intimately involved in the creation of the instrument that bears their name as six-string hero Johnny A.
We recently asked the Boston-based instrumental virtuoso to tell us the story of the creation of the Johnny A. Signature Model.
Asked about his devotion to the ES-335, six-string great Larry Carlton once said the instrument allowed him “to go between blues, and jazz, and rock, with the same guitar.”
It’s that sort of versatility that’s made the ES-335 a favorite among some of the world’s finest players. Since its introduction in 1958, the semi-hollow-body, semi-acoustic classic has earned lavish praise for its warm sound, terrific sustain, resistance to feedback, and great playability. That praise has continued with the recent release of the much-anticipated 50th Anniversary 1960 ES-335TD.
Through the years, a Who’s Who of rock, jazz, and blues players have turned to the 335 at some point in their careers. Young guns such as Jason Wade of Lifehouse and Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother are increasingly turning to the ES-335, as well.
Way back in the '80s, if you told the hordes of Gen-X teens mesmerized by “Stray Cat Strut” playing 300 times a day on MTV that they would one day shell out hard-earned money to see Brian Setzer sing Christmas songs, they would have sneered or said “gag me with a spoon” or “whatever.”
HAYWARD, CA—Capitalizing on the successful and critically acclaimed Badwater series, AXL presents the Badwater Semi-hollowbody electric guitar, for players who want the individuality of a distressed Badwater finish on a semi-hollowbody humbucker guitar.
AXL Badwater guitars offer players unique finishes and aged components in an exceptionally well-designed and playable package. The Badwater Semi-hollowbody expands the line by adding a dual-humbucker semi-hollow guitar with a set neck.
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Gretsch Brian Setzer hollowbody electric guitar review great for swing jazz rockabilly blues
I’m sorry to say I missed any kind of “official” announcement from Gretsch, but the company has apparently released two new models of their gorgeous Country Club Hollowbody –– one in two-tone smoke gray/metallic violet finish (shown here,) and the other in bamboo yellow/copper mist.
Both the G6196TSP-2G and G6196TSP-BY Country Club are decked out in gold hardware, and will sport laminated maple bodies, a two-piece maple neck with tapered heal (Modern Gretsch shape,) rosewood fretboard (12? radius) with 21 Medium Jumbo frets, and a 25.5? scale length.
I have for most of my life been in one player guitar bands. I cannot say if has been by design or fate. Being the lone guitarist and having eclectic tastes in music I have relied on a diverse collection of guitars to paint a sonic spectrum of tone. One aspect of this spectrum is mixing acoustic and electric characteristics.
At one point I was using an ES 335 for this task. While the ES335 is a great guitar, it is not going to give you a pure acoustic guitar sound. The other drawback to the classic Gibson is the ES 335 is prone to feedback when pushed to the limits with gain.
It can be a risky proposition when a company famous for its acoustic guitar–building prowess ventures into the wild-and-woolly territory of electric guitar manufacturing. Several large and well-known companies have made admirable attempts in the past and failed miserably, despite offering decent instruments. Taylor entered the electric guitar market in 2005 and has already enjoyed more success than previous contenders by offering a diverse lineup of electric models that provide guitarists with useful features, outstanding playability and competitive prices.
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