hotfordcoupe Posted July 22, 2012 Posted July 22, 2012 Hi gang. I'm a former Heritage owner and will be seeking to buy a Golden Eagle at some point in the future. The question I have concerns the standard vs. the tap tuned top and back. How much of a difference is really there between them? Is the difference really significant and worth the extra money or am I chasing rainbows again? Any information you can give would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Ned Posted July 22, 2012 Posted July 22, 2012 I have one of each. The tapped tuned does some cool things on specific notes and with overtones. It is a 575 acoustic guitar non-cut awat. The sweet 16 is not tap tuned but i don't think it would make any differnce once amplified - might even increase feedback. I would be tempted to tap tune simply because it is an old world art and the luthier who does it for heritage won't be doing it forever. Pros: fun on an acoustic, cool customization, honors that big expanse of beautiful spruce, extra- hand made Cons: subtle once amplified, potentiall feed back Since it is your money, I say go for it. It will make it more special guitar.
hotfordcoupe Posted July 22, 2012 Author Posted July 22, 2012 Thanks Ned. The main reason I'd be going for the tap tuning is because I want the instrument to be acoustically the best I can find, i.e. a really old world style,good archtop that dowsn't come with the huge vintage price. I can see where the difference would be more subtle with pickups mounted to the top but with a solid top and a floater, I was hoping the difference would be more significant. I'm primarily not a gigging musician. I volunteer 2 days a week to play dinner music, (light jazz not smooth jazz) at a nursing home. I'm currently playing a 1939 D'Angelico Excel which has an old refinish and refret so it's not prime real estate but still it's getting too expensive to take out and it's not a very loud guitar. I want something with a bit more acoustic power in a modern made instrument from a company I know and trust where I'm sure I'll get what I want.
Ned Posted July 23, 2012 Posted July 23, 2012 The eagle is larger than either of mine and i get pretty good volume - certainly amazing dynamic range on the 575. Your eagle will sound great even in such fine company as you have. If i understand you correctly, a floater seems much better than cutting into the top. I'm sure yours will come with a pretty piece(s) of spruce - that's a large expanse. It will tomorrow's vintage piece of craftsmanship. I've been thinking about the effect of tap tuning since my earlier response. The best I can say is that the difference is like when you put on a fresh set of strings and the harmonics are a little more forward and the sustain rings a little longer. I like your scheme.
hotfordcoupe Posted July 23, 2012 Author Posted July 23, 2012 Thanks again for the info, Ned. I should explain something as to why I'm so interested in the uncut top with a floating pickup. I'm primarily a history buff and my interest centers on the supposed 'golden age" of the archtop in the 30s and 40s when the greatest majority of archtops were used without a mounted in pickup. If anyone used amplification, they either miked the guitar or put on a floating DeArmond something or other. That's what I meant by a new or modern guitar made in the old school style, i.e. completely acoustic first and electric second. I know the Heritage company can and will easily accomplish this as I'm sure Gibson won't or make me mortgage my house.
Ned Posted July 23, 2012 Posted July 23, 2012 We may have something iin common http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/gallery/image/3726-h575-custom/
pressure Posted July 23, 2012 Posted July 23, 2012 Have you considered a used Heritage Johnny Smith? Johnny Smiths have fully acoustic spruce tops with floating pickups.
hotfordcoupe Posted July 23, 2012 Author Posted July 23, 2012 Have you considered a used Heritage Johnny Smith? Johnny Smiths have fully acoustic spruce tops with floating pickups. Absolutely yes. I had one in suburst and I sold it at least 12 years ago. Why? I don't remember and I have regretted that decision very much since. My biggest problem at the time was that I truly did not know what a good archtop was supposed to sound like. I was chasing after a holy grail of sorts that didn't exist. I know that's a hard thing for an archtop collector to admit but after hearing certain recordings I now have access to, I realized all the mistakes I made. Some of the tonal responses I got from certain archtops didn't sound like I had imagined them too. Now I know differently.
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