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#1
02-11-2017, 10:38 AM
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Arch Top tune down or not
I inherited a Epiphone Triumph made in New York. My question is. after getting different answers from different sources. Do I tune this down or not. I have it tuned down at the time, and still play it from time to time. What's better.. Thank You.
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#3
02-11-2017, 11:13 AM
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First off, congratulations on a wonderful guitar - I was born just a couple blocks from the NYC factory, and I've had an affinity for these instruments since before I even started playing; used to see those elegant old '30s-40s comp boxes all the time in the store windows along "Pawnshop Row" on Manhattan's East 14th Street - ironically, mere footsteps from their point of origin...
That said, if your Triumph is in good structural condition there's no reason not to keep it tuned up to standard pitch - and if it's not up to snuff get it to a tech who knows what he/she is doing when it comes to archtop guitars ASAP, as neck geometry in particular is extremely important to both structural stability and tone potential. FWIW these instruments were routinely strung with 14-60/15-62 sets - Epiphone even offered the option of setting up your guitar from the factory with a wound B-string if you were strictly a rhythm player; back in the '80s I had a '46 Blackstone set up with PB 14's - no playability issues, and all the cutting power associated with the Epiphone name - so a modern 13-56 set should cause no problems...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
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#4
02-11-2017, 11:27 AM
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This Guitar and me go back as long as I can remember.... One day after I had quit playing for ever (twenty years or so) and after my father had passed I took this Guitar out and put it on a stand. That's when I herd a "pppssst hey kid remember me?" I picked it up and it lit my fire again and its still burning out of control. That was in 2008. Sometimes it brings tears to my eye when I think about it. Thank You!
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#5
02-12-2017, 10:15 AM
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Minor, you are fortunate indeed to have some a beautiful instrument with such a deep connection!
I've owned a couple of Triumph's, great guitars. To your question, I keep all my archtops, old and new, tuned to concert pitch. For me, it makes it easier to play with a wide range of people, horns, or guitars. And my voice is used to it. Like Steve said, there is no structural reason why an old carved top guitar needs to be tuned down. Not only that, but they were designed to be played with a certain amount of tension on the strings / bridge, so that might be the optimum tone. OTOH, do what your music and your hands tell you.
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