Epiphone Emperor Swingster

[just strum]

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]

Strum, with all the guitar swapping you do, you certainly fit the 'Swingster' designation...oke:

 

[markb]

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]

Strum, with all the guitar swapping you do, you certainly fit the 'Swingster' designation...oke:

:rotflmao:

 

[just strum]

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]

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]

The picture is tiny but it looks kinda like a Gretsch.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

The picture is tiny but it looks kinda like a Gretsch.

A Gretschen, an itty bitty Gretschen.

 

[just strum]

Me thinks tot has been in the fizzy drinks again.

 

[Geraint Jones]

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]

Did anyone else notice that Sweetwater has removed all references to that "Swingster"?

 

[SuperSwede]

Looks like a really cool guitar!

 

[Rocket]

That's an Elitist Country Deluxe.

 

[markb]

That's an Elitist Country Deluxe.

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

 

[Rocket]

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]

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]

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]

Looks like a really cool guitar!

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

:thwap:

 

[just strum]

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]

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]

Thanks for the update Mark!

That's very interesting.

 

[just strum]

Looks like a really cool guitar!

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]

By the time it actually appears you could have saved up for the Gibson

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Here's the US-model, looks like they lost the banjo arm-rest, and pick-guard, and made a couple other changes:

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]

The new one for the America's loses everything in looks that made the British sold version worthy.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

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]

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]

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]

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]

A moot point?

Seems their may be some confusion from the other end as these are entirely different guitars - www.epiphone.com/images/N_CDGP.pdf