Yoslate's guitar

[fxdx99]

Aw, crap that you got rained out, 'slate - that was the Bob Margolin gig, wasn't it?  Sorry about that - bet it woulda been fun.

[yoslate]

If a guitar is made with heart --and the picture of your new axe exudes heart-- then the little stuff can get rectified over time. 

 

Payability:

Caveat: This won't be as objective as I'd like it to be.  Maybe I'll have to ship the thing to John and let him evaluate it.  :wink:  My point of reference is my 576, which is a fatter, center-block, single cutaway 535, a terrific instrument.  The Super's a jazz box, and that's the way it was set up, but with a tune-a-matic (at my request), in place of the wooden bridge.  I suspect this makes a substantial  difference in the tone.  It came with .013's, BIG wire, and the action was relatively high.  I suspect the fret wire is 6150, feels like it anyway.  Nice set up, and it played very well, but not my style.  The first thing I noticed, and it was striking, is how the guitar jumps in hand.  Strum the open strings and let it decay.  The entire guitar vibrates in a very lively way.  It's like playing an old Martin dreadnaught; the guitar is, despite knobs, pickups, and tailpiece, delicate like that.  I could feel it in my belly, in my palm on the back of the neck, and at the headstock; the whole thing just shakes and resonates.  Big chords move an awful lot of air; it's loud acoustically!  The absence of a block is obvious in the instrument's resonance. 

 

One of you guys had posted about having to sell one because it's a lot of guitar to wrap yourself around.  I didn't really get that post at the time...do now!  I'm 6'1" and have long arms.  That is a consideration.  Reaching across the 18" hip to twiddle knobs is a long way to go.  And the depth of the guitar (3"), plus that arched top, plus that bridge sitting way up on it is, in fact, a consideration in owning one of these.  The ebony fretboard is 1 3/4" at the nut, with five-ply  binding.  It looks wider than it is.  The neck-carve is a shallow "C."  I have a custom order 150 with a 1 3/4" neck, which duplicates a '60 SG Les Paul, my favorite neck.  This new neck is just about identical.  Given the neck's dimension and the large fretwire, and the fact that in standing with it, the guitar is "out there" in front of you as you hold it, I find I have to be a good bit more accurate in fretting both chords and single note lines.  Sounds weird, I know; it plays wonderfully, but it demands a bit of precision; it's not forgiving.  May be because I'm not used to it, or because of the "reach" required to play it, my left hand is at a different angle.  I suppose the longer strings running to the trapeze affect string tension, giving them a slightly more loose, snappy feel than the 576.  I've since restrung it with .011's, which are not at all whippy but play with a nice silky feel.  The guitar makes you want to play well, seems to expect that of the player!  All of this attests to build quality.  The boys on Parsons Street nailed this one.  I'm anxious to let you guys at the Pilgrimage have a go to see what you think.  Tone report later....

[ingeneri]

Yoslate,

 

Congrats on the new Super Eagle.  As I've mentioned, I'm actually shorter/smaller than you but can play this guitar comfortably.  The trick is to 1) have your strap set a bit higher than is standard for rock guitars, and more importantly, 2) angle the guitar like diagonally so the neck is close in like a classical instrument.  Having the guitar off to the side (look at photos of Burrell) helps you do this and helps make the Super feel like a smaller guitar.  I'm not sure if you've already installed the strap button, but I had mine placed on the underside of where the neck meets the body (inside the cutaway).  I did this at the suggestion of the Guitar Shop guys in DC who work alot on vintage instruments.  I believe Taylor uses this position on their guitars.  In addition to being a very stable thick block of wood, this also helps positioning the guitar while still holding it securely.

 

Yoslate's already seen this, but here's my review for another website of the Super:

 

http://www.playjazzguitar.com/members_XX00...rums_index.html

[Gitfiddler]

All this talk about Yoslate's Super Eagle got me to thinking about the original 'little man with the big guitar', George Gobel.

 

Remember photos of his huge Gibby L-5 tucked under his arm?  Well his guitar was customized for his smaller body.  It was a slimmer depth than standard so that he could play it more comfortably.

 

GOBEL GUITAR:

 

http://www.gruhn.com/features/gobel/

 

GOBEL PHOTO:  (check out the cool 'rope' strap!)

 

http://www.hostpix.com/feb13-nd/schbirds1.jpg[/img]

[chico]

All this talk about Yoslate's Super Eagle got me to thinking about the original 'little man with the big guitar', George Gobel.

 

 

GOBEL PHOTO:  (check out the cool 'rope' strap!)

 

http://www.hostpix.com/feb13-nd/schbirds1.jpg[/img]

 

Y'know, I forgot all about the "singer" part of George Gobel's talent---

thanks for reminding me.  That is a great old pic.

 

For those of us old enough to remember when he was a regular on Johnny Carson's show, what a highlight it was when he was on.  His jokes were A+ classic comedy one-liners, and Johnny would set him up so good..

 

I now return you to Yoslates guitar thread...

 

BTW, my Millie DC and HFT 445 both have the strap button drilled into the heel of the neck.  Works great.  Surprised they didn't ask you before shipping it, but I am not going there after all you've been through getting it, Yo. 

 

Congrats.

[fxdx99]

George Gobel was a singer/guitar player?!?!  Huh, learn something everyday.  I remember him being a comedian, but didn't know he played/sang. 

[chico]

George Gobel was a singer/guitar player?!?!  Huh, learn something everyday.  I remember him being a comedian, but didn't know he played/sang. 

 

I think all the entertainers from his era were, or had to be, song and dance entertainers to get their starts..  ??

 

Even Bob Hope had a Uke prop.

[ingeneri]

I realized the link I provided has gone dead. Here's the text of the review I mentioned:

 

Features : 8

2002 Heritage Super Eagle. 18" wide bout with 3" depth. 25.5" ebony fingerboard. Carved spruce top with mable back and sides. Grover rotomatic tuners with imperial buttons. Two routed Schaller pickups. Everything you'd expect for this type of jazz box. Not a ten given the cheapo stock pickups and fugly pickguard (it does grow on you).

 

Sound : 8

Acoustically, this was surprisingly loud given the two big pickup holes in the top. This thing easily projects and you really don't need an amp to practice. Plugged in, this guitar has a nice warm and deep tone. It cuts through a loud pianist better than my D'angelico with a floating p/u. As an 18" carved instrument, feedback is an issue. But this is less of a problem than I anticipated. The Schallers are ok, but had I ordered this from the factory I would have gotten Seth Lovers.

 

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10

Not a single blemish or errant piece of sloppy glue. The 18" bout is surprisingly comfortable. I had heard bad stories about huge Super 400s and was nervous given I'm not the tallest guy in the world. However, the smaller 3" depth really seems to make a difference. You really don't notice the difference except for having to reach a bit more for the volume and tone knobs. I did replace the plastic nut with bone.

 

Reliability/Durability : 10

I bought this used when it was 5 years old and it looked brand new. I've gigged regularly using this without any backup. I can't foresee any problems.

 

Customer Support : No Opinion

See reliability. I've had no need to call.

 

Overall Rating : 9

A good old fashioned 18: guitar for about a 1/4 of the cost of a Super 400. All Heritage owners relish these kinds of stories, but the guitar shop where I got the initial set up said these were far better than the Nashville 400s. However, I wish Heritage would dump the Schallers altogether in favor of their HRWs or Seth Lovers. But, to be fair, you can get this without additional cost when ordering from the factory.

 

:this_thread_is_useless_withou: The picture is in the avatar.  Those wishing better shots should harass my wife to take more photos of me at gigs. ;D

[Sparky]

I had no idea George Gobel was a guitar player! I thought he was a comedian based on his Carson appearances.

Remember how everyone used to smoke cigarettes on those shows? It was amazing the camera could pick up images through the

blue fog. Sorry... so off topic.

[big bob]

OK ... we've waited pretty darn patiently,  :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou :this_thread_is_useless_withou

[Kuz]

So Rob says, "Hey Kuz, you're going to the factory can you check on my guitar, can you check the color, can you check for the p-90s, can you check for the nut width, can you, can you, can you....?

 

All we ask for is a tone report & a few pics

 

The natives are growing restless.

 

Hey if Charlize Theron became stupid over night and ended up with me for 3 days I'd still need a break.

 

So Rob your excuse for delayed tone report & pics are.... ;D

[yoslate]

[/http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE025.jpg[/img]

 

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE024.jpg[/img]

 

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE017.jpg[/img]

 

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE016.jpg[/img]

 

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE012.jpg[/img]

 

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE009.jpg[/img]

 

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE008.jpg[/img]

 

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE005.jpg[/img]

 

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE003.jpg[/img]

 

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE002.jpg[/img]

 

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE001.jpg[/img]

[SouthpawGuy]

Very very nice indeed !

[tulk1]

Is that fret board stock? Or special order? Love it!! Oh, and the rest of the guitar is kinda dandy, too.

[yoslate]

Thanks, guys!  I have no camera....  Getting Alex to take the shots, burn them to disc, get them to me, and then my downloading them on a dial-up system was pretty tedious!  Thanks to Southpaw for the photobucket info, and Bird for a little tech help...and of course Kuz for the "encouragement"!  I'd been using Flickr...and not so hot, I think.  Used photobucket this time.  Apologies for taking so long.  Tulk, that is a stock ebony fretboard with the split-block inlay and standard (6150, I think) fret wire.  The only custom detail on the neck is the 1 3/4" nut width.

[Kuz]

Nice job with the pics.

 

Now tone report please and I'll never bug you again. ;D

 

Oh, please be honest if it has lived up to your dream expectations.

[SouthpawGuy]

I particularly like this little detail .....

 

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE012.jpg[/img]

 

What's that called again ?

 

( not the pickup, duh  ;D, the end of the fingerboard)

[Gitfiddler]

'Cupid's Bow'.

[Gitfiddler]

And is that a Rosewood bridge base??

[chico]

Wow.

 

a stunner.

 

a fine piece of art.

 

love the closeup of the pickup/fretboard. 

 

truly exquisite piece of woodwork.

 

hey, bet it sounds killer too.

[High Flying Bird]

Whoa!  That is a work of art.  I will have to show these photos to my buds.

[tulk1]

'Cupid's Bow'.

 

I like that. And the way it points right at the pup like "use me!".

[Thundersteel]

WOW! 

 

 

That's a stunner!  Well done!   

[111518]

Beautiful guitar, Yoslate.  I'm particularly impressed by the tight grain on the spruce top and by the depth of the finish.  I wondered a little how they would mount the P-90s ...the spacers look well fitted and right.  Congrats on a real "statement"guitar. 

 

Other players associated with 18" archtops ...two of my favorites: Robben Ford (early in his career) and Eric Gale.  Pretty cool company.

[yoslate]

Yo 'fiddler, you know that's rosewood!  And thanks, 111.  Yeah, one of the first things I noticed was how tight and parallel the grain in the top is, good eye!  Those guys know wood!  Apparently the mounting of P-90's on this particular guitar was a bit of a logistical problem, from what Ren told me.  But yeah, they resolved it nicely, and the workmanship on those mounts, as everything on the guitar, is seamless.  It is their top of the line instrument, and you'd expect it to be right, but to have the stick in hand is to see Parsons Street at its very best, I think.  I can't wait to meet the folks who crafted it.  I wish I was a player remotely deserving of this piece, but retirement is coming!    ;D