Posts Tagged ‘335’

New Guitars

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

It is a long time since I have posted and a lot of things have happened since my last post. Two new acquisitions, two inexpensive guitars that I can work on and get up to scratch that will enhance my collection. I have agreed with my wife Kristin that purely on the grounds of how much space we have the limit is 5 guitars in the house. I have reached my limit and it is strictly a one in one out policy from this point onwards.

well here they are and I will explain below what the plans are:

Joseph's guitars feb 2010

My Guitars

From left to right

1) Tobacco Burst 1987 “Epiphone by Gibson” Sheraton II (AKA E-by-G, made in Korea, Samick). Bought this semi hollow guitar for a very good price a few knocks and dings but has lots of character, just what you want for a blues guitar. I want to change the total electrics in this guitar and want a set of Lollar Firebirds, which I will split with pull-push tone knob controls. I will also get this guitar professionally set up. Those pickups should hopefully give me the bite and bark I am looking for from this guitar.

“E-by-G Blues” is a test recording of an improvisation by me playing a little lead over a blues backing track on my “E-by-G”

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2) Cherry Burst 1997 Epiphone “Joe Pass” Emperor II (made in Korea, Samick). A full bodied entry level Jazz guitar. I have a total new assembly in this guitar from Mojotone in the US, and I put in a set of Seymour Duncan pickups Jazz (neck) JB (bridge). I have also changed the tailpiece, bought an additional TOM bridge to compliant the existing ebony bridge (can switch them for tonal reasons) and put a set of black speed knobs. I have plans to change the pickups to a set of GFS mean 90’s sometime in the spring.

“E-by-G Blues: Alternative take” is a test recording of an improvisation by me playing a little lead on my “Joe Pass” over a slow blues chord progression also played on my “Joe Pass”

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3) Tobacco Burst 1989 Epiphone Sheraton II (made in Korea, Samick). Semi hollow guitar I want to change the total electrics in this guitar and want a set of good quality PAF pickups. It might look strange that I will have two Sheraton’s but I am aiming for two completely different tones from the two guitars, I want a sharp biting, barking single coil type vibe from my E-by-G I am hoping the Firebird minis will deliver for me. This 89 Sheraton will be completely different the wiring and the PAF’s I am hoping will get me somewhere close to a 50’s/60’s Gibson 335 classic PAF sound.

4) All my guitars are second hand and this is the least expensive. A nice Vintage Sunburst Samick SG, I was missing a solid bodied guitar and for little money this will fill that niche. Will see if in time this guitar deserves the SD’s I will take from the Joe Pass. Hoping it gives me a nice feeling and I do put that SD Jazz/JB set of pickups in there.

Finally, and definitely not least.

5) My Levin 335 my only acoustic.

“I’ll never get out of these blues alive” is a test recording of a piece of a John Lee Hooker tune played on my Levin acoustic.

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I feel the Sheraton’s cover most bases for me and once modified they are “keepers” the other three are luxury.

I will always hunt for my dream 1960 Epiphone Zephyr 311/312 thinline in natural like the one John Lee had in the 1960’s.

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Found my Epiphone Sheraton

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010
Epiphone Sheraton II

Epiphone Sheraton II

Just before the New Year, I found the Epiphone Sheraton I have been looking for. It is an 1989, Korean built guitar, in Tobacco Sunburst.

It is a very beautiful guitar, and I am very happy with it. It is all stock, exactly as it came from the Epiphone factory and was a fair price and came with a case.

I am enjoying the guitar as it is at the moment, sounds fine through my amp. However, I have started research on the Epiphone forums, about a set of pickups for this guitar.

In due course I will replace all the electrics and mount a new set of pickups in the Sheraton. The guys on the Epiphone forums are amazing, and I now know, where I am headed to find the tone I want for this guitar.

It is not going to be easy, the ideal pickups would be from a 1960 Epiphone Zephyr, they are rare and expensive, so I will have to find an acceptable compromise.

I will try out a few neck pickups, however, I may have found what I am after in the shape of the Jason Lollar Firebird mini.

Sounds like this: Jason Lollar Firebird (neck)

Well, I will carry on with my research and enjoy the guitar as it is for now.

Then, as things progress, I will update this post.

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Levin 335

Sunday, December 13th, 2009
Levin 335 acoustic archtop

Levin 335 acoustic archtop

I intend to have two Epiphone guitars, my Joe Pass Emperor II, and I would like a Sheraton at some point in the near future.

These are moderately priced guitars, that are affordable to me. Then with a  little work I can get them to where I want them to be, and for sure, they can certainly do what I require.

But, in truth what I would ideally like to have, is the quality of the original Epiphones and Gibson guitars. So, if I had the finances, I would have a vintage 1960 Epiphone Zephyr, or a Gibson 175, instead of my Joe Pass, and a Gibson 335 or an original Sheraton instead of one of the later made affordable Sheratons.

So, the aim is to try to get as close as possible to the original quality I want, at a price I can afford.

Living in Sweden, of course I had to check out the guitars made here. My research led me to a guitar maker called Herman Carlson Levin. The older Levin guitars were built to standards that are lacking in later mass produced guitars.

So, one could say the quality of these vintage Levins are comparable with Gibson or early Epiphone guitars. Levin vintage archtops, are beautiful guitars and I have recently, for a very fair price, bought a nice example of a 1959 Levin 335. The Levin quality was such that at one time Martin guitars were made by Levin artisans.

The seller was keen that the guitar be played, rather than just kept as a specimen by a collector. I traveled to Gothenburg to collect the guitar last weekend. The guitar is in reasonable condition given its age, and the fact that, during its 50 years, it has obviously had a couple of floating pickups attached, then removed, it is currently in its original acoustic configuration.

The guitar needs a bit of work on the set up, but the intonation and action are fine, and it plays well, and also has a lovely feel and tone, especially since I changed the bridge. I will have a little work done on this guitar, which I am very happy with.

I might even one day get a nice floating pickup and see how that sounds. However, really just enjoying the acoustic side of this guitar at the moment.

The seller wanted the guitar to played, and indeed it is being played and enjoyed on a daily basis.

The beauty of this guitar is, it is the real deal. The latter day Epiphones are mass produced replicas of once handmade, original guitars. My Levin 335, was made with that handmade precision, and OK, it has picked up some character over the years, but with a little work will be soon back to its pristine glory.

I plan to have 4 guitars to cover the various styles I want to play and learn and the Levin 335 is my second acquisition after my Joe Pass Emperor, and like the Joe Pass, it is here to stay.

I now have two guitars I am very happy with, and can get down to some serious practice hours, enjoying them both.

here I am trying out the Levin, with that Hooker tune I am trying to learn, (you can hear the original here)

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