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just strum
January 18th, 2009, 06:48 PM
I can't locate a good picture yet, but

Epiphone Emperor Swingster
Epiphone's new Emperor Swingster guitars sport a stylish hollowbody look with licensed Bigsby tailpieces. Available in Trans Black, Wine Red, Sunrise Orange, and Natural finishes, the Swingsters feature high-quality Grover tuners, Roller Tone-o-matic bridges, and new "Swingster" pickups with push/pull series/parallel switching. Other appointments, including premium fingerboard inlays and a detailed headstock inlay, give the new Emperor Swingsters a historic vibe.

Epiphone Emperor Swingster Features:

* New line features four guitars, with a historic hollowbody look
* Bigsby-licensed tailpiece with original wire arm
* Roller Tune-o-matic bridge and Grover tuners
* New "Swingster" pickups with push/pull series/parallel switching
* Available with Trans Black, Wine Red, Sunrise Orange, and Natural finishes

tjcurtin1
January 18th, 2009, 06:51 PM
Strum, with all the guitar swapping you do, you certainly fit the 'Swingster' designation...:poke: ;)

markb
January 18th, 2009, 06:51 PM
The little picture in the Sweetwater feature looks pretty cool. I see they've gone for the Merle Travis style Bigsby handle, nice touch!.

just strum
January 18th, 2009, 06:52 PM
Strum, with all the guitar swapping you do, you certainly fit the 'Swingster' designation...:poke: ;)
:rotflmao:

just strum
January 18th, 2009, 06:53 PM
The little picture in the Sweetwater feature looks pretty cool. I see they've gone for the Merle Travis style Bigsby handle, nice touch!.

I saw that at Sweetwater, I wish they had a bigger color picture.

sunvalleylaw
January 18th, 2009, 06:59 PM
Maybe it would be similar to this: http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/ES/Epiphone/Joe-Pass-Emperor-II.aspx but with a Bigsby. Seems like it would be based on the little pic and this, and the name. Looks interesting!

Katastrophe
January 18th, 2009, 07:08 PM
The picture is tiny but it looks kinda like a Gretsch.

tot_Ou_tard
January 18th, 2009, 07:13 PM
The picture is tiny but it looks kinda like a Gretsch.
A Gretschen, an itty bitty Gretschen.

just strum
January 18th, 2009, 07:22 PM
Me thinks tot has been in the fizzy drinks again.

Geraint Jones
January 19th, 2009, 11:28 AM
That just gave me a warm glow , and not down my leg either ,when I followed the link to how much the Sheraton was going for.Unable to part with the guitar I sold my first car for I`ve rarely played it in the 20 odd years I`ve had it . At least thats worth a few bob unlike the Ford which has probably rusted back into mother earth .

Rocket
January 29th, 2009, 10:36 AM
Did anyone else notice that Sweetwater has removed all references to that "Swingster"?

SuperSwede
January 31st, 2009, 02:23 AM
Looks like a really cool guitar!

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/2/4/7/552247.jpg

Rocket
January 31st, 2009, 11:00 AM
That's an Elitist Country Deluxe.

markb
January 31st, 2009, 02:43 PM
That's an Elitist Country Deluxe.

Or, in other words, the Epi version of the Gibson/Chet Atkins Country Gentleman.

Rocket
January 31st, 2009, 03:19 PM
Or, in other words, the Epi version of the Gibson/Chet Atkins Country Gentleman.
Pretty much... but the thread was about Epiphone Emperor Swingster.

markb
January 31st, 2009, 03:32 PM
Pretty much... but the thread was about Epiphone Emperor Swingster.

Indeed! Which still doesn't appear to exist, at least at epiphone.com. Maybe it's another victim of the recession like the VOX Black Diamond modeling amps, announced everywhere then gone in a puff of virtual smoke :)

just strum
January 31st, 2009, 04:05 PM
Pretty much... but the thread was about Epiphone Emperor Swingster.

you mean the apparent nonexisting Epiphone Emperor Swingster.

I sent an e-mail to Gibson to get their spin on this latest "new product" of theirs. Seems to be on the same path as the Epiphone Valve Senior. Maybe they are part of the Washburn family now, huh?

Brian Krashpad
February 4th, 2009, 11:57 AM
Looks like a really cool guitar!

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/2/4/7/552247.jpg

Wow, they'd already copped the Gretsch pot layout on the Kats, but thumbnails too?

:thwap:

just strum
February 4th, 2009, 08:07 PM
you mean the apparent nonexisting Epiphone Emperor Swingster.

I sent an e-mail to Gibson to get their spin on this latest "new product" of theirs. Seems to be on the same path as the Epiphone Valve Senior. Maybe they are part of the Washburn family now, huh?

The response from Gibson as of today:

Hello Mark,

Thank you for the email. We are researching your inquiry and will respond with information as soon as possible. Thanks for the inquiry.

That was Monday.

just strum
February 6th, 2009, 06:45 AM
From Gibson this morning:

Hello Mark,



Thanks for your patience while we looked into this for you. We have plans for release of this model later in the year. Unfortunately, we don’t have specific details at this time, but check our website from time to time, as we’ll post information as soon as it is available. Thank you for the inquiry.

Brian Krashpad
February 9th, 2009, 06:59 AM
Thanks for the update Mark!

That's very interesting.

just strum
August 24th, 2009, 01:49 PM
Looks like a really cool guitar!

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/2/4/7/552247.jpg

I still haven't found anything in the States, but the one above is sold in England (and maybe elsewhere) as Epiphone Emperor Swingster Semi Acoustic Guitar, Sunrise Orange

http://www.dv247.com/guitars/epiphone-emperor-swingster-semi-acoustic-guitar-sunrise-orange--63050

markb
August 24th, 2009, 02:51 PM
By the time it actually appears you could have saved up for the Gibson :)

Brian Krashpad
August 25th, 2009, 08:06 AM
Here's the US-model, looks like they lost the banjo arm-rest, and pick-guard, and made a couple other changes:

http://www.epiphone.com/images/N_1625a.jpg

Official Epi news release is here w/more pics:
http://www.epiphone.com/news.asp?NewsID=1625

" World famous for making some of the best and most innovative hollow-body guitars, Epiphone conjures up some of it's past with the NEW Emperor Swingster. Starting with the same body and neck as used on their Emperor-II guitar and made famous by the jazz master himself, Joe Pass, Epiphone swings into action and turns it into a serious twangin', rock-a-billy slingin', country flingin' machine!

Classic Construction with SwingBucker Pickups! With it's hand-scalloped arched Spruce top combined with a laminated arched-back Maple body and glued-in 3-piece Hard Maple neck, the Swingster has what it takes to satisfy any professional's demand for great tone. At the heart of the guitar are Epiphone's NEW SwingBucker(tm) pickups and a series/parallel electronics switching package that outperforms all others in it's class. Specially designed for the Swingster, the humbuckers offer no hum performance and feature classic Alnico-V magnets, enamel wire and over-wound coils for the perfect combination of warmth and bite.

Series/Parallel Switching. Two push/pull Tone controls allow you to change each pickup's output individually from parallel to series wiring creating a palette of useful sounds to tap into ranging from warm humbuckers to "quacky" single-coil type sounds and everything in-between. Of course, any swinging machine needs a vibrato and the Swingster is no exception featuring a Bigsby Licensed B30 with original style "wire" handle as preferred by "Certified Guitar Player" and legend, Chet Atkins.

But wait... there's MORE! Unlike some, Epiphone spares no expense by adding a "pinned" tune-o-matic bridge with roller saddles for smooth operation and accurate return to pitch which is preferred when using a vibrato.

Loads of Bling. Topping it all off are Epiphone's trademark, multi-bound headstock with the classic mother-of-pearl "vine" inlay, premium Grover(tm) tuners and a multi-bound, 20 fret Rosewood fingerboard with block inlay. Gorgeous! And Epiphone stands behind every guitar they make with a Limited Lifetime Warranty and Gibson 24/7/365 Customer Service. If you're ready for a professional guitar with unique features and a killer price tag, swing into a new Emperor Swingster today. Can you dig it? Oh yeah!

Top Material Select Spruce
Back Material Laminated Maple
Side Material Laminated Maple
Neck Material 3-pc Hard Maple
Neck Shape SlimTaper
Neck Joint Glued-In
Truss Rod Adjustable
Scale Length 24.75"
Fingerboard Rosewood with mother-of-pearl Block inlays
Neck Pickup SwingBucker
Bridge Pickup SwingBucker Plus
Controls Bridge Volume, Neck Volume, Bridge Tone with push-pull series/parallel, Neck Tone with push-pull series/parallel, 3-way pickup selector (toggle)
Binding Headstock - 5 ply, Neck - 5 ply, Body - 5 ply, F holes - 1 ply
Fingerboard Radius 14"
Frets 20; medium-jumbo
Bridge "Pinned" Rosewood base with roller saddle tune-o-matic, Licensed Bigsby B30 Vibrato with wire handle
Nut Width 1-11/16"
Hardware Nickel
Machine Heads Grover 16:1 ratio
Colors Sunrise Orange (OR), Translucent Black (TB), Wine Red (WR
Options Hard Case
Warranty Epiphone Limited Lifetime"

msteeln
August 25th, 2009, 02:11 PM
The new one for the America's loses everything in looks that made the British sold version worthy.

Brian Krashpad
August 25th, 2009, 02:53 PM
The new one for the America's loses everything in looks that made the British sold version worthy.

EVERYTHING?

Gotta disagree with that. 3 changes are purely cosmetic:

Pickguard, banjo armrest, headstock inlay.

And I don't care about any of those.

I prefer the Gretsch 3/1 pot layout of the Euro to the LP/335 4-pot layout of the US version.

But I prefer the look of the pickups of the US version.

Only thing I miss from the Euro version is the 3/1 pot layout. I have that on my Wildkat and like it a lot.

msteeln
August 25th, 2009, 08:42 PM
Well, almost everything.
I really like the headstock change and fretboard end ala Byrdland, but the many other changes - lame Bigsby, knobs/layout, non ornate bridge base, plain top, plain tuners, silver hardware, common block inlay vs classy thumbnails, no armrest, PU covers, no pickguard, no F hole binding, while all cosmetic differences, make for an even less interesting guitar right out of the gate.
Right or wrong, looks is usually what piques our interest in any particular guitar, and these changes make it an immediate NO, for me.

Brian Krashpad
August 26th, 2009, 04:56 AM
Well, almost everything.
I really like the headstock change and fretboard end ala Byrdland, but the many other changes - lame Bigsby

Isn't the Bigsby the same in both?

mrmudcat
August 26th, 2009, 07:39 AM
Bigsby is the same(Both are just the cheap trademark name bigsby)

F-holes have 1 ply binding on both euro and u.s. versions

Grover tuners are pretty nice (although they are most likely the newer asian imports):bravo:

One thing to note the euro site does not have this in stock,so the picture is most likely a promo mockup.The specs on the guitar from the press release says spruce top not laminated flame maple as depicted in first photo. I do like the grover imperial style tuners if indeed they are on the euro versions. My opinion nothing more or less:AOK:

msteeln
August 26th, 2009, 02:43 PM
Seems their may be some confusion from the other end as these are entirely different guitars - www.epiphone.com/images/N_CDGP.pdf

mrmudcat
August 26th, 2009, 03:55 PM
I agree brother!!!!:thwap:


I do like the above guitar alot!!!

ricks blues
September 16th, 2009, 11:22 AM
Wow, they'd already copped the Gretsch pot layout on the Kats, but thumbnails too?

:thwap:


you guys are talking about 2 different guitars - one is a chet atkins master built guitar and the other is the new epiphone swingster - ther were no changes made they are 2 different guitars?

chrisdb
September 21st, 2009, 08:27 PM
those pickups look like GFS Retrotrons.
I dropped a pair of Retrotron "Memphis" into a solid body sunburst Peavey T-60 and I have to say they are a nice pickup- more Gretsch than Rickenbacker like I was looking for- but a real nice tone and very well made.
I would like a jazz box body and short scale (for an electric) with a decent tremelo and a filtertron style PU, but I don't have much faith in Asian factory guitars.
I've played one Epi dot and one gibson 335- they look much the same but the Gibson was a dream to play and the Epi was pretty bad. I tried a new Gretsch and was equally unimpressed- pretty to look at and ugly to play.