Heritage Golden Eagle vs. Gibson L5
sheetsofsound
I have 2 golden eagles. One is a thinline (Gibson L5 CT specs) and the
other is full size. Both have 2 built-in humbuckers and both sound
pretty much like an L5 should.
Any thoughts on this from the Gibsonophobes? ;)
steve
On 8-Mar-2011, sheetsofsound <jackz...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Any thoughts on this from the Gibsonophobes? ;)
Did you mean people who fear gibsons?...or did you mean to say
"Gibson-ophiles"?
I own two Eagles, one spuce and maple, and the other spruce and mahogany.
The first sounds remarkably like a friends 1950s L-5P. The second sounds
darker, but just as good.
steve
--
"If the founding fathers were alive today, they'd be rolling in their
graves."
Joe Liberty
hw
"sheetsofsound" <jackz...@gmail.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:2d5c0ca5-2017-43ba...@22g2000prx.googlegroups.com...
yea, for every ten posts on gear that you post here, you could've practiced
benson picking for a hour ;) just sayin'...
ScotGormley
I have a Golden Eagle, too, and it has a real Super 400 kind of vibe
to it. Great guitar. Mine has a sharp cutaway, which I really love.
dwabeslim
guitar and I wish I'd kept it It cost 1/3 what a Gibson would on the
used market.
I think they are great values and like Gibson's each one is a "one
off" so it's tricky to generalize, best to try one out which is not
news to anybody here.
GC
Klatu Verata Necktie
How long have you had the Golden Eagles?
sheetsofsound
the thinner one i've had a while but just picked up the standard size
one. It's a full size and to me sounds a lot like the L5 I used to
have.
Klatu Verata Necktie
I've got one and love it, but I find myself playing my Eastman Del Rey
more often. Go figure.
ScotGormley
Oops! Just realized that mine is the Super Eagle - 18" with Seth Lover
HBs.
sheetsofsound
That's what I thought you had.
Clyde Spillenger
position. I liked it better than the Gibson Wes model with which it
was competing. I sensed that the Golden Eagle had a thinner top,
which vibrated more and produced a woodier sound. The Gibson had a
thicker top and produced a more clearly "electric" sound. But I
suppose some prefer that sound.
Clyde
sheetsofsound
> I had a Golden Eagle for a while with a single HB mounted in the neck
> position. I liked it better than the Gibson Wes model with which it
> was competing. I sensed that the Golden Eagle had a thinner top,
> which vibrated more and produced a woodier sound. The Gibson had a
> thicker top and produced a more clearly "electric" sound. But I
> suppose some prefer that sound.
The two that I have are interesting. They both have dual, set-in
pickups. But the thinner one has a much more acoustic sound. I'm
assuming the top is thinner on it. They both sound great but the one
with the thicker top sounds a bit more L5-ish to me.
JoeJazz2000
that sounds better, including a luthier-built custom guitar. I got it
new in the early 90s, probably 1992. I channel Wes and Kenny through
its amazing tone. I sound just like them when playing it, or least how
they'd sound if they had seven thumbs on each hand and no useable
fingers, and just started playing yesterday.
Keith Freeman
> they'd sound if they had seven thumbs on each hand and no useable
> fingers, and just started playing yesterday.
Could it be we are related? ;-}
-Keith
Clips, Portable Changes, tips etc.: www.keithfreemantrio.nl
e-mail: info AT keithfreemantrio DOT nl
Michael L Kankiewicz
FWIW, I have owned both a Gibson Johnny Smith (1969) and a Heritage Johnny
Smith. The Heritage's neck/fretboard beats the Gibson by far. In fact,
that Heritage is the best fretboard I've played.
MK
ho...@jhu.edu
I have a question about the GEs with the built-in pickups. Do these
have X-bracing, like my GE with a floating pickup, or are they
parallel braced? I ask because the X-bracing in mine looks like it
may preclude cutting a hole for the neck pickup. The X is very close
to where the hole would be. Just curious about difference between the
floater and built-in models.
I have owned 2 GEs. My current one has a very thin top and produces a
great sound. Very warm, woody and resonant. I dont have much L5
experience, but think my GE is woodier with more overtones. The only
problem I have is that it is the most feedback-prone archtop in my
collection (due to thin top). My first GE I tried out for a few days
~10 years ago and then returned. The sound was simply dull and
uninteresting, perhaps due to a thicker carved top (?). I also played
one in a shop once that was like my current version. These are all
floater models; I have never played one with built-in pickups,
however.
Andy
dwabeslim
that started out as a floater. It was sent back to Heritage and they
cut in a HB right at the end of the board. You could see the x brace
right under if you removed the pu. The brace was not cut at all .
This guitar, which I tried out on a few gigs, was very bright for a
built in due to the x brace and thinner top. A fellow player and
archtop cat came in and said "it sounds like an L5" [This guy has 3
killer vintage L5ces guitars BTW] My point is in the room it
sounded like an L5, a lively one that is.
I decided to pass on it as the sound was a bit delicate again I think
due to the X and thinner top. I like to be able to push the energy
a bit so too delicate does not really work for me. The guitar had a
killer neck and fantastic playability though.
GC
sheetsofsound
Anytime you cut an x brace to install a pickup you risk stability and
possible buzzing. Cutting the top and leaving the brace seems like a
formula for buzzing. I think you really need parallel bracing to get
the L5 sound.
dwabeslim
The top was quite thick at the end of the board
I agree re the xx vs parallel bracing but this guitar must have had
just the right thickness on the top to take the HB because there were
no nicks in the braces at all. No buzzing after 8 years of playing.
As this was done at Heritage perhaps they compensated in some way.
I had a great '63 L5,parallel of course, that someone converted to
ces [duh] the braces were compromised[though reinforced] and it was
real thin in the high end.
re "The L5 sound"
I've owned 9 60's L5's and one '58 all unmodified and I can tell
you, they ran the gamut in sound including a couple that were very
bright and "acoustic,delicate" sounding where you'd have sworn there
was X bracing present
sheetsofsound
Interesting stuff. I guess there's no single formula. Both of my
eagles get the L5 sound IMO but one of them has much more acoustic
properties (ironically the thinner one).
eric s
I have an actual Eagle (not golden or super), which is an all mahogany
17 in full depth archtop with a floater. I LOVE its acoustic sound,
and never play it electric. Keep it strung with bronze half rounds.
E
Chickenhead
Well, I do have two dogs.
"sheetsofsound" <jackz...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:820eabb8-66f5-4b58...@22g2000prx.googlegroups.com...
> dude, i practice 4 hours a day, work 60+ hours a week have a house, a
> dog and am putting 2 kids through college. Thanks for the life-
> coaching.
steve
On 10-Mar-2011, "Chickenhead"
<kuNOrtSPAMs...@YOUhoVERYtmail.MUCHcom> wrote:
> Thanks. Now I have even less of an excuse for not practicing ;-)
Or sleeping, even.