VJonathan Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 Thought I would share one of my favorite Heritages with you. Can anyone guess what its called? _16_1.jpg _16_1.jpg_thumb _16_2.jpg _16_2.jpg_thumb _16_3.jpg _16_3.jpg_thumb _16_4.jpg _16_4.jpg_thumb
big bob Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 wow that is nice.. looks like this, only alot nicer, .... love the burst what does it sound like... http://www.gbase.com/Stores/Gear/GearDetai...spx?Item=839917
VJonathan Posted June 10, 2008 Author Posted June 10, 2008 ..........not even close to the same guitar as this one. Only two were made.
VJonathan Posted June 10, 2008 Author Posted June 10, 2008 It is 16". I am glad you like it. It's tap tuned too!
big bob Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 look like this one too.. RAno1_2.gif RAno1_2.gif_thumb
VJonathan Posted June 10, 2008 Author Posted June 10, 2008 It's very loud with a sharp high end. Especially in the higher registers.
big bob Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 how is it different fron the custom 16 at wolfe's ? looks like the same specs only with a different finish.. both nice guitars, I like the finish on yours better, ......old school
VJonathan Posted June 10, 2008 Author Posted June 10, 2008 That one is owned by Jay Wolfe and is the first one off the line. Mine was the second and the last.
VJonathan Posted June 10, 2008 Author Posted June 10, 2008 Only two of these guitars were made. They were the brain child of Jay Wolfe.
big bob Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 no I meant the one that is for sale ...... but then like usual I answered my own question, yours is maple the one at Wolfe's is mahogany, with a spruce top.... so... um ... never mind ;D
fxdx99 Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 Nice - full binding around body and neck, great finish. Is that a piezo bridge on it?
VJonathan Posted June 10, 2008 Author Posted June 10, 2008 No, my guitar has a solid carved spruce top, maple back and a three piece mahogany neck. Jay's is built the same way.
big bob Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 sorry for the confusion I ment this one... This is a one-of-a-kind custom 16" Heritage, Tap Tuned orchestra style acoustic guitar, with some outstanding features, including- Solid carved x-braced & tap tuned select spruce top, Solid carved golden Honduran mahogany body, 25.5" scale Hon. MH neck with an Ebony fingerboard, special 3 3/8" rim depth, 1 11/16'th nut width, Bone nut, ROSEWOOD binding (never done at Heritage!), Rosewood peghead veneer, gold Schaller tuners with Ebony buttons. This beautiful custom has that old 30's tone and is just as sweet as they come. There will not be another like it, and that's just kinda cool. Call us in Florida at 561-746-2209 (Pickguard available on request) Photo2_dfb0c.jpg Photo2_dfb0c.jpg_thumb
111518 Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 "Tap tuned" is when the top is carved to a particular resonant frequency, which a craftman finds by tapping and carving until the tone he/she is looking for is achieved. The idea is that it increases the resonance of the the top and the instrument. It is usually associated with acoustic instruments with carved tops, like violins, cellos, etc. --it must also increase the likelihood of feedback if the instrument is amplified.
cod65 Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 Thought I would share one of my favorite Heritages with you. Can anyone guess what its called? "Savory 16"?
VJonathan Posted June 10, 2008 Author Posted June 10, 2008 Tap tuning is the ancient art of carving the top and back of an archtop instrument so both pieces of wood (Spruce and Maple) resonate at the same frequency. This is rarely done today except in bespoke archtop guitars and of course in high end Cremonese violins. The archtop guitar is a direct descendant of the violin design. Hence, when the early Loydd Loar L5 guitars appeared in the late 20s' they were tap tuned instruments. When you listen to a a symphony, you will notice that some instruments cut above the mix. This is because the the wood on that particular instrument was carved to a particular pitch that resonates higher when played.
Gitfiddler Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 More about 'tap tuning'... http://www.siminoff.net/pages/siminoff_boo...itcorexTAP.html
111518 Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 Cool site, Gitfiddler. I especially like the photo of the custom case holding Loar's violin, mandolin, and musical saw! (That would never work for me ...I'd have a bad gig and take the saw to the other instruments!) I knew that Orville's big contribution was the archtop mandolin, but this site clarified for me Loar's role in both advancing those designs and applying the carved/tuned top to guitar, as VJonathan explains. Highly recommended. And sorry about the mistake in my post --tap tuning is about both the top AND the back, of course. The Heritage site still lists tap tuning, of top and back, as a custom option. Beautiful guitar, VJonathan. I'd love to one day luck into a real noncutaway archtop. It's interesting that they seem to be returning to the market, though most of the new ones I've seen are laminated or pressed rather than carved. Seems like I remember that Wolfe called these Savoy 16's? So Cod65 was very close, if my memory serves. Whoops again --just checked. "Rhythm Ace" and I'm sure it's a great Freddie Green-rhythm style guitar. Somebody had a guitar called a "savoy," I think?
VJonathan Posted June 10, 2008 Author Posted June 10, 2008 You're right 111518.. It's called the "Rhythm Ace." Heritage also calls it a "Sweet Sixteen." After I purchased this guitar, I sold off my flattops. I am hooked forever. Archtops Rule!
VJonathan Posted June 10, 2008 Author Posted June 10, 2008 Oh, I had forgot to mention that this guitar was tap tuned by Arron Cowles (sp?) who, btw learned the craft from Loydd Loar's tap tuner. Cool piece of history and provenance to the craft applied to this instrument.
Dick Seacup Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 Oh, I had forgot to mention that this guitar was tap tuned by Arron Cowles (sp?) who, btw learned the craft from Loydd Loar's tap tuner. Cool piece of history and provenance to the craft applied to this instrument. Did you get documentation of that connection when you purchased her, VJonathan? Not that it matters to me (or anyone), but if it were mine, I would love to have some sort of paper that connected "my" guitar with Loar. That would be very, very cool. Not that your Rhythm Ace needs the help in the coolness department...it has cool in spades!
VJonathan Posted June 10, 2008 Author Posted June 10, 2008 I did receive a letter from Heritage documenting the guitar and how it came about. However, no mention about the person who tap tuned it. Since Jay commissioned these guitars, I guess he could write something that validates the connection. Good point Dick Seacup!
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