Joey Posted January 31, 2011 Posted January 31, 2011 I have a 1996 H555 I bought new in 1996. On the label inside the guitar is a marking in a circle in red RME ENC. This is stamped on the label (in red), hand written on the label also. It is also stamped in red on the body which I can see through the other F hole. The guitar was flawless when purchased and was checked out by a top notch Luthier who did the initial set up. Does anyone know what this marking means?
tulk1 Posted January 31, 2011 Posted January 31, 2011 Any way you could post a picture of that? Would be very helpful. Well, at least to me.
big bob Posted January 31, 2011 Posted January 31, 2011 Photo's would help.. My custom 575 non cut has stuff on the label I still can't decipher...
Joey Posted January 31, 2011 Author Posted January 31, 2011 The marking is merely a red stamp RME with ENC directly under the RME in a circle.
tulk1 Posted January 31, 2011 Posted January 31, 2011 It might be some sort of control "number" (i know, it's letters) or designation. Maybe they were trying a new supplier or something like that and needed to track it. Just a WAG. Altho', seriously, that would be uncharacteristic of them, especially in '96
Patrick Posted January 31, 2011 Posted January 31, 2011 The RME indicates Rutherford Music Exchange . . . EMC are the initials of the former owner Eddie Capauana. Rutherford Music Exchange is a small shop in Rutherford NJ that used to be a Heritage dealer. My former jazz instructor bought . . actually traded. . . his 1958 Epiphone Emperor for a brand new custom order Golden Eagle. Eddie has long since passed away. Eddie was as strong a proponent of The Heritage brand as Jay Wolfe is. The new owner dropped The Heritage brand. I'm currently trying to get him to reconsider. . .but, dealers are just not buying speculatively right now. Anyway, that's the history behind the RME EMC.
tulk1 Posted January 31, 2011 Posted January 31, 2011 The RME indicates Rutherford Music Exchange . . . EMC are the initials of the former owner Eddie Capauana. Rutherford Music Exchange is a small shop in Rutherford NJ that used to be a Heritage dealer. My former jazz instructor bought . . actually traded. . . his 1958 Epiphone Emperor for a brand new custom order Golden Eagle. Eddie has long since passed away. Eddie was as strong a proponent of The Heritage brand as Jay Wolfe is. The new owner dropped The Heritage brand. I'm currently trying to get him to reconsider. . .but, dealers are just not buying speculatively right now. Anyway, that's the history behind the RME EMC. Well, there you go!! Mystery solved.
FredZepp Posted January 31, 2011 Posted January 31, 2011 Ha... how cool that Patrick knew this one. I was running through the possible answers in my head, and nothing clicked. I wouldn't have been able to guess those answers...
Patrick Posted January 31, 2011 Posted January 31, 2011 Well, there you go!! Mystery solved. Yep! I just got off the phone with Bill Paige. He and Ren confirmed it. I usually don't like to talk about the deceased unfavorably, but, sometimes Eddie Capauana could be a real d*** head. He was a Heritage fan to a fault. When I saw the beautiful Golden Eagle that Vinnie Corrao got in trade for his Epi Emperor, I had to visit RME to see the other Heritages Eddie had in stock. That was back when I was collecting vintage guitar. There, hanging on the wall, was a dead mint 1960 ES175N with a single P90 pup. A natural/blond 1960 ES175 with a single neck P90 pup was . . .and still is quite a rear bird. Only 5 of them ever made. I immediately wanted to buy it. Eddie wouldn't sell it to me. He said I should buy a Golden Eagle like my jazz teacher Vinnie. When the conversation turned for the worse, I left the store before it got completely out of hand. (That was in 1993. I was 43 years old and not quite as tactful, diplomatic and mellow as I am today.) I did wind up buying a Golden Eagle, custom made for me in 1994. But, not from Eddie!! That 175 is probably worth around $20K today due to its rarity. He was selling it on consignment for $2,100.
FrankV Posted January 31, 2011 Posted January 31, 2011 Yep! I just got off the phone with Bill Paige. He and Ren confirmed it. I usually don't like to talk about the deceased unfavorably, but, sometimes Eddie Capauana could be a real d*** head. He was a Heritage fan to a fault. When I saw the beautiful Golden Eagle that Vinnie Corrao got in trade for his Epi Emperor, I had to visit RME to see the other Heritages Eddie had in stock. That was back when I was collecting vintage guitar. There, hanging on the wall, was a dead mint 1960 ES175N with a single P90 pup. A natural/blond 1960 ES175 with a single neck P90 pup was . . .and still is quite a rear bird. Only 5 of them ever made. I immediately wanted to buy it. Eddie wouldn't sell it to me. He said I should buy a Golden Eagle like my jazz teacher Vinnie. When the conversation turned for the worse, I left the store before it got completely out of hand. (That was in 1993. I was 43 years old and not quite as tactful, diplomatic and mellow as I am today.) I did wind up buying a Golden Eagle, custom made for me in 1994. But, not from Eddie!! That 175 is probably worth around $20K today due to its rarity. He was selling it on consignment for $2,100. He didn't want to sell it to you, or you were haggling over the $2100? If you were willing to pay the asking price, and he just said "piss off", then you should have been ticked. At 43, 53, 103, I don't know how much tact or diplomacy I'd need to handle that!
Patrick Posted January 31, 2011 Posted January 31, 2011 The OP, Joey, says that this guitar was purchased new. I would hope he could further elaborate on that. Joey; was it you who bought it new? I see from your Avatar that you are from the New York area. Did you buy it from Rutherford Music Exchange? It could have been bought from another dealer who sourced it from RME. Any additional info?
Joey Posted February 1, 2011 Author Posted February 1, 2011 I certainly did buy it new from Rutherford Music for $1300 (tax included)with case. Funny, I called Heritage a couple of years ago and they could not tell me what these markings meant. No the mystery is solved thanks to Patrick. My guitar teacher Vinnie turned me on to Heritage when I was taking lesson back in the 90's. I love this guitar. In fact I have Fralin Pure PAFs due in any day. I will report back when they are installed.
Patrick Posted February 1, 2011 Posted February 1, 2011 I certainly did buy it new from Rutherford Music for $1300 (tax included)with case. Funny, I called Heritage a couple of years ago and they could not tell me what these markings meant. No the mystery is solved thanks to Patrick. My guitar teacher Vinnie turned me on to Heritage when I was taking lesson back in the 90's. I love this guitar. In fact I have Fralin Pure PAFs due in any day. I will report back when they are installed. Hey man!! Was your teacher Vinnie Corrao?? Did you read any of my posts on this thread?? Vinnie Corrao and Eddie Capuano were best of friends. Vinnie and Tal Farlow used to do jazz clinics and duo performances at Rutherford Music all the time. In fact, they started it at Sweetest Sounds Music shop when Eddie worked there before he opened his own place . . . Rutherford Music. Did you study with Vinnie at his home in Point Pleasant? I still miss his wife's Christmas cookies. Vinnie had . . probably still has, a fantastic 1964 Super 400 with sharp cut away.
Joey Posted February 1, 2011 Author Posted February 1, 2011 Hey man!! Was your teacher Vinnie Corrao?? Did you read any of my posts on this thread?? Vinnie Corrao and Eddie Capuano were best of friends. Vinnie and Tal Farlow used to do jazz clinics and duo performances at Rutherford Music all the time. In fact, they started it at Sweetest Sounds Music shop when Eddie worked there before he opened his own place . . . Rutherford Music. Did you study with Vinnie at his home in Point Pleasant? I still miss his wife's Christmas cookies. Vinnie had . . probably still has, a fantastic 1964 Super 400 with sharp cut away. Hi Patrick, I studied with Vinnie Malacarne in Portchester New York. Russ Defilipis (a real nice guy and excellent player)who worked at Sam Ash - White Plains hooked me up with Rutherford Music as a Heritage dealer. Thanks again for solving the mystery.
Patrick Posted February 1, 2011 Posted February 1, 2011 He didn't want to sell it to you, or you were haggling over the $2100? If you were willing to pay the asking price, and he just said "piss off", then you should have been ticked. At 43, 53, 103, I don't know how much tact or diplomacy I'd need to handle that! Actually, I think I scared him off . . alerted him to the true value of the guitar. When I saw it and played it, then confirmed the year by the serial number I kind of jumped through my skin a little. If I laid back and didn't look so anxious, I probably could have walked out with it. That guitar, for a 1960, was supposed to have a PAF humbucker in it. The P90 made it even more unique. I believe that he was going to go back to the guy who had it there on consignment and tell him it was worth more money. Either that or he was going to keep it for himself. Oh . . .I was definitely ticked. That's why I ended the discussion and walked out. I knew I was about to go off on him and the only thing that stopped me was that it would have reflected poorly on my former instructor, who sent me there. I didn't want to put Vinnie in a bad light.
Patrick Posted February 1, 2011 Posted February 1, 2011 Hi Patrick, I studied with Vinnie Malacarne in Portchester New York. Russ Defilipis (a real nice guy and excellent player)who worked at Sam Ash - White Plains hooked me up with Rutherford Music as a Heritage dealer. Thanks again for solving the mystery. I know Russ. He's a very good friend of George Benson. He and George have a relationship that transcends music. They are truly best buddies. I believe he now works as a program director for CBS News in New York City. Finger style jazz player. He has a beautiful L5 and a real nice 1952 black guard tele. Also works with John Tropea often. His project "rd3" was very enjoyable. Russ is a very interesting player. I do not know Vinnie Malacarne though. Are you from up in Westchester County? Do you know of Rock Island Sound? They have 2 stores. The original store is in Rye . . and they just opened a new store in Tarry Town. I'm trying to get the owner, Paul Bessolo to take on the Heritage line.
Patrick Posted February 1, 2011 Posted February 1, 2011 Hey Joey . . . I thought you might enjoy this You Tube video of Russ DeFilipis. Listen to this arrangement he does of Byrdland!!! I gotta give Russ a call ...see where he's playing. I'd love to go and see him again.
Joey Posted February 1, 2011 Author Posted February 1, 2011 I know Russ. He's a very good friend of George Benson. He and George have a relationship that transcends music. They are truly best buddies. I believe he now works as a program director for CBS News in New York City. Finger style jazz player. He has a beautiful L5 and a real nice 1952 black guard tele. Also works with John Tropea often. His project "rd3" was very enjoyable. Russ is a very interesting player. I do not know Vinnie Malacarne though. Are you from up in Westchester County? Do you know of Rock Island Sound? They have 2 stores. The original store is in Rye . . and they just opened a new store in Tarry Town. I'm trying to get the owner, Paul Bessolo to take on the Heritage line. Yes I remember Russ telling me that he was good friends with Bensen. I also remember his L5 which he played at a Sam Ash "Over 30 club". Russ is a great guy and always helped me out when he was both a salesman and tech at Sam Ash.
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