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  #46  
Old 08-08-2016, 11:57 AM
Hot Vibrato Hot Vibrato is offline
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Originally Posted by Rudy4 View Post
Although it's not specifically period I kinda wish they would have added the split "frequensator" tailpiece like the one that was on my Triumph. Since they are amalgamating styles, nothing says Epiphone arch top (for me...) like the split tailpiece.

It would have been another way to highlight the product line. Since they went to all that trouble for tuners.
I was thinking the same thing about the frequensator.

I wonder if the tuners will be available aftermarket. I have two Epiphone archtops with that style of tuners ('41 Spartan, '53 Zephyr Regent), and they work pretty good, but it would be nice to upgrade to new tuners with an 18:1 ratio.
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  #47  
Old 08-08-2016, 03:53 PM
jpd jpd is offline
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Thumbs up Just saw this on another forum

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  #48  
Old 08-08-2016, 04:07 PM
Rudy4 Rudy4 is offline
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Sorry, that's just wrong.

The Veggie Chips are a pretty nice option, though.
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  #49  
Old 08-09-2016, 09:35 AM
jpd jpd is offline
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Default a bit more info....

Some more specs and info....I was surprised with the applied finish!

http://www.harmonycentral.com/expert...ssic?preview=1
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  #50  
Old 08-13-2016, 08:47 PM
Edbuff Edbuff is offline
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wow Mandobart thanks for the clarification. I now understand why I own so many different instruments.
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  #51  
Old 08-19-2016, 10:41 AM
gmr gmr is offline
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I ordered and received a honey burst Epiphone Olympic Masterbilt Century. It arrived yesterday. Have not had a chance to play it much. After removing the foam packing pad from underneath the bridge and getting the intonation reset I managed to get time to play just a bit. The guitar is indeed loud for its diminutive size. It is midrange strong as expected. The aesthetics of that plastic battery box turned out to be a non issue for me. At first look I did not like the satin finish and it does slightly diffuse the detail of top's grain. The top has some really nice looking grain under good light. The headstock is quite spectacular. The tuners are cool and do the job. The strings are some type of clear tone bronze set of a 12 - 53 gauge. I may try some vintage-ish monels later. It sounds quite nice so far. The satin-ish antique finish is a much better vintage finish effect than I have seen with some other "aged" finishes. I would have preferred a slight bit of final polish or buffing to give just a bit more gloss and clarity to better show off the top. I have not plugged it in yet. Overall, I really like it. It is a fun little guitar. I may order a Deluxe. But I want to give this one a little more time before I decide for sure. I am more pleased with this little Olympic each time I play it.

Last edited by gmr; 08-20-2016 at 06:59 AM.
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  #52  
Old 08-21-2016, 01:04 PM
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Thanks for updating the thread with your views. I am eagerly awaiting stock in the UK so hopefully in the near future I can try one
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  #53  
Old 08-21-2016, 03:12 PM
jpd jpd is offline
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[QUOTE=gmr;5038588]I ordered and received a honey burst Epiphone Olympic Masterbilt Century. It arrived yesterday. Have not had a chance to play it much. After removing the foam packing pad from underneath the bridge and getting the intonation reset I managed to get time to play just a bit. The guitar is indeed loud for its diminutive size. It is midrange strong as expected. The aesthetics of that plastic battery box turned out to be a non issue for me. At first look I did not like the satin finish and it does slightly diffuse the detail of top's grain. The top has some really nice looking grain under good light. The headstock is quite spectacular. The tuners are cool and do the job. The strings are some type of clear tone bronze set of a 12 - 53 gauge. I may try some vintage-ish monels later. It sounds quite nice so far. The satin-ish antique finish is a much better vintage finish effect than I have seen with some other "aged" finishes. I would have preferred a slight bit of final polish or buffing to give just a bit more gloss and clarity to better show off the top. I have not plugged it in yet. Overall, I really like it. It is a fun little guitar. I may order a Deluxe. But I want to give this one a little more time before I decide for sure. I am more pleased with this little Olympic each time I play it.[


Any chance you can send a recording in acoustic mode? Thanks, Jpd
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  #54  
Old 08-21-2016, 03:21 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Monels or 85-15's, medium gauge...
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Last edited by Steve DeRosa; 08-21-2016 at 05:08 PM.
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  #55  
Old 08-30-2016, 10:48 AM
gmr gmr is offline
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I will definitely try the monels and will check out this 85/15 strings. I will probably cycle through a set of those new nickel bronze D'adario string too. I would love to try to record this thing but my skills are not the ideal for showcasing an archtop and I have no idea how to record and post it here. I want to love this guitar. So far I do like it but I think they could have done a bit better for the money. The Godin archtop sounds good and seems better built, and is less than the smallest version of these Epi's in cost...... And is built in North America to boot. I was intent on getting a Deluxe but I'm not convinced yet. A good Loar LH600 would be a better deal, I think. The arching in these Epiphones seems more subtle than the originals..... Maybe just my imagination. It is fun to play. The neck is spec'd at 1.69" wide nut width, but the bulk of the neck is substantial. I like the way it sounds with my rudimentary fingerpicking skills.
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  #56  
Old 08-31-2016, 01:24 PM
MC5C MC5C is offline
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I'm not quite clear - the new Epiphones, are they solid spruce top, laminated back and sides? Is the top pressed rather than carved? is the top a uniform thickness, or is it graduated thicker in the middle, thinner at the edge? is there a recurve at the edge?

For an archtop to have a good to great acoustic sound, the top and the back must both be graduated and have a recurve at the edge. This is what brings the top and back alive and creates the richness of the sound. The liveliness of the back is so very important in an archtop, completely unlike a heavily braced flat-top guitar back.

Contrary-wise, if an archtop is to be amplified with a normal magnetic pickup, it actually responds better to a laminated top/back/sides approach - hence the legendary status of the ES-175 in jazz guitar.
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  #57  
Old 08-31-2016, 05:06 PM
Hot Vibrato Hot Vibrato is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MC5C View Post
I'm not quite clear - the new Epiphones, are they solid spruce top, laminated back and sides?
Yes
Quote:
Originally Posted by MC5C View Post
Is the top pressed rather than carved?
Yes
Quote:
Originally Posted by MC5C View Post
is the top a uniform thickness, or is it graduated thicker in the middle, thinner at the edge? is there a recurve at the edge?
I think it's a uniform thickness with no recurve. Never seen a pressed top that was graduated

Quote:
Originally Posted by MC5C View Post
For an archtop to have a good to great acoustic sound, the top and the back must both be graduated and have a recurve at the edge. This is what brings the top and back alive and creates the richness of the sound. The liveliness of the back is so very important in an archtop, completely unlike a heavily braced flat-top guitar back.
While this is all correct in theory, and a fair generalization, I've played some fantastic sounding pressed and laminated archtops with no recurve on the top or back. And likewise, I've played carved archtops that don't sound very good at all. Hopefully the new Epi's will deliver in the tone department, but I still haven't seen one, so i'll have to wait and find out for myself.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MC5C View Post
Contrary-wise, if an archtop is to be amplified with a normal magnetic pickup, it actually responds better to a laminated top/back/sides approach - hence the legendary status of the ES-175 in jazz guitar.
I love ES-175s, but many of my favorite archtop players play/played solid wood archtops with magnetic pickups. Laminated guitars are definitely less prone to feedback in higher volume situations. I guess it's all about choosing the right tool for the job.
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  #58  
Old 08-31-2016, 08:09 PM
gmr gmr is offline
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The top is solid but I am imagining g it is press formed. I would think being carved would be a hi point for advertising a d the Epi ads do not mentioned the top being carved. I like the tone though the only hands on comparison I have had are the Godin Fifthe Avenue, a Gretsch 9550, and a 1950 ES 125 so I can't speak of how close the sound is to a classic archtop. The Olympic is smaller but just as loud as the above mentioned guitars. The top does have a slight bit of the recurve on the edges but the overall form of the archtop seems pretty subtle to my eye...not the most archtop-ish shape to me. It is less than I hoped for since I am a big fan of Epiphone and Gibson. If it were priced a hundred dollars less I probably would be thrilled at the value for the buck.
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  #59  
Old 09-05-2016, 05:43 AM
capefisherman capefisherman is offline
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Could someone who owns one of the new line please describe the shape and feel of the neck profile? thanks
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