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Parabar

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Parabar last won the day on August 27 2017

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About Parabar

  • Birthday 04/17/1954

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  1. Depending on what pickups you replace them with, it could make a little or a lot of difference. The switches and pots are unlikely to make much difference in tone; replacing them would be more for functional improvements, for example if you wanted a different taper on the volume or tone pots. My Epiphone Lucille is completely stock, and I've found no need to replace anything on it.
  2. What kind of amp are you using? I have a couple of late-90's Epiphones with stock humbuckers and also a couple of semi-hollow guitars made by Samick (who made the Sheratons in that era), and have not experienced the unwanted breakup and muddiness you describe.
  3. The Emperor Thinline has a bridge mounted directly to the top, rather than on a wooden base as the full depth one has. Therefore you need a Bigsby B-7, B-70 or B-700 with the tension bar. This model was specifically designed for thinline electrics with a bridge mounted to the top. The other models with no tension bar will not have sufficient break angle. Here's a pic of the style you need:
  4. Intonation issues are almost always more to do with the nut slots or bridge slots being too tight and binding the strings. It's very rare for the tuning machines to be at fault.
  5. Natural or not, my D'Angelico EXL1 is the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen.
  6. I own a 2001 Samick-made Joe Pass Emperor II, and it is one of my favorite guitars ever. I have played a few others --- both pre-Joe Pass and Joe Pass models --- and the only significant differences were the location of the pickup selector switch. A few years ago I saw a more recent Chinese made Joe Pass in a local Guitar Center, and was disappointed to see the body had much less of an arched top than any of the ones I was familiar with --- cost-cutting measures, no doubt. Nonetheless, the new ProBucker pickups are very good, and the coil-splitting features on the newer Pro models are very appealing. I haven't tried a Joe Pass Pro, but have tested the newer pickups and switching on a recent Sheraton, and was favorably impressed. That said, I have no plans to replace the pickups in my Joe Pass, as I am able to get all the sounds I want from it by adjusting my amp settings. I have not been at all impressed with the Epiphone ES-175 model. It's cutaway shape is wrong and unappealing, and the f-holes look cheap. Tonally and ergonomically, all of the Emperor II's I've played (Joe Pass or otherwise) have been better guitars, and I prefer the original Joe Pass/Emperor II design to the second-rate imitation ES-175. I don't understand why they didn't at least get the shape right, as the Epiphone Sorrentos from the 90's have it exactly accurate. If I were in your shoes, I would try to get my hands on one of the newer Pro models. If I was happy with the sound, action and feel, I'd probably go with it to have the versatility of the coil split. If not, I'd look for an older Samick made one, as they seem to have the most consistent quality and turn up fairly regularly used at decent prices.
  7. I changed the knobs to pearl-tipped Tele style knobs. Matches the fingerboard inlays:
  8. There are also Wildkats in Sunrise Orange out there that turn up every so often.
  9. I've had mine for quite a few years now and I like it a lot --- great tone, comfortable to play. However it's not radically different from my Casino, so if I was hard up for cash I'd consider selling it. In fact, a few years back I was in a dodgy cash situation so I put this up for sale along with another guitar, an amp, and some accessories. The other guitar sold, as well as the amp and some accessories, but not the Sorrento, which I'm happy about, since the other things that sold got me through the lean times. Here's a picture: Another thing I like about it is the correct (and aesthetically pleasing) body, cutaway and f-hole shape. The more recent re-issues --- as well as the Epi ES-175 --- look oddly misshapen by comparison.
  10. It's a really fun guitar to play. The action is even and smooth, and the pickups are brighter and crisper than the humbuckers I have on similar guitars --- somewhere between a typical Gibson/Epiphone humbucker and a Gretsch Filtertron. It's even nicer because it only cost $275 brand new with hardshell case. A pawn shop in the midwest had several of them on eBay a few years ago --- for that price I took a chance and I'm glad I did.
  11. I find it kinda amusing when someone who hasn't actually seen or played certain guitars wants to argue with someone who has. Like a Chihuahua yapping his head off at a Rottweiler on the other side of the fence. Whaddaya gonna do?
  12. I just found the pics online, so not sure what year. I've seen flamed Sheratons like that before (love that dark burst!), and they are NOT photo-flame, but actual veneers. The Matsumoku Sheratons and Emperors were very high-quality instruments --- some would say on a par with the Elitist series --- so they didn't cut corners and costs with photo-flames and such like. If you do a Google Advanced Image Search for "Matsumoku Sheraton," you may find more details. I have a Karera thinline semi-hollow whose model number is SH-800-AN. The AN stands for Antique Natural, but I'm convinced this was made by Peerless using Sheraton specs (the "SH" in the model name) Notice the headstock logo which somewhat resembles a letter "P" for Peerless. This guitar is also all real wood veneers, including the pickguard, which I like a lot.
  13. A Matsumoku Sheraton like yours is a very high quality quitar to begin with. Unless the tuners are actually worn out, the tuning instability is more likely to do with either the nut or bridge slots binding the strings somewhat. A little graphite, nut sauce or filing by a competent luthier should solve the problem --- unless, as I mentioned, the tuners themselves have worn to the point they no longer grip properly. This is pretty rare.
  14. Hi Ben --- Your guitar is definitely a Matsumoku-built Emperor Thinline (that's the "T" at the end of the model number). As you suspected, the original Frequensator tailpiece has been replaced. These were made through the 80's so pinpointing the exact year isn't easy, but they are very high-quality guitars. Many rank them comparably to the Elitist series, and they have sold recently on eBay for over $1,000 Congratulations on a great guitar -- hope you enjoy it!
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