Duesenberg

[forestryguy]

Anyone have experience with the Duesenberg line? Very cool looking. Do they have sort of a Gretsch vibe?
Duesenberg

 

[dookie]

Haven't experienced one myself but I did see Ron Wood playing one ...

 

[1guitarslinger]

I've been curious about these as well. So far Ron Wood is the only guy I've seen playing one. Would be nice to hear from someone who actually owns one.

 

[alpep]

checked them out at namm. familiar bodies with big oversized headstocks. I was shocked at how much they cost.

 

[1guitarslinger]

Shocked as in "I can't believe they think they can sell these for that price", as many people feel about Gretsches?

 

[Riscchip]

Last I heard, Deusenbergs were priced very reasonably. I've never seen one in person, but they look very cool.

 

[forestryguy]

There is a price list on the website. They may be a little high, depending on dealer discount. They only list 3 US dealers and all are far from me.
I just wonder how the pickups and trem bar compare and how good the fit & finish is. The photos look very nice.

 

[decay-o-caster]

Originally posted by forestryguy
There is a price list on the website. They may be a little high, depending on dealer discount. They only list 3 US dealers and all are far from me.
I just wonder how the pickups and trem bar compare and how good the fit & finish is. The photos look very nice.

Very highly reviewed in (British) Guitarist recently. I will admit to some Duesenberg-curiosity...

 

[bluegrif]

They've been getting rave reviews in the British mags. Apparently top quality workmanship and hardware, pickups, etc. In light of that I don't think the list prices are all that high. (How many German products do you know of that are cheap?) They seem to be pretty reasonably priced in Europe. Maybe if they can establish more US dealers the retail prices would drop. They do have some very interesting models. For me personally I'm afraid it'd be the same old complaint: neck too narrow at the nut. But it should be just right for many players.

 

[Stike]

A couple weeks ago I saw Tift Merrit and her guitarist Brad Rice was sportin' a Ron Wood model, that thing sounded GOOD. I didn't get a chance to play it but he raves about it.

 

[haslar]

I played the Duesenberg Carl Carlton model.
It reallys is a lovely guitar.
The metal pieces are absolutely first-class quality, higher than Gibson standards in my opinion.
The wood work and finish is not as good as Heritage and Gibson, however.

The pickup choice is particularly clever: a P90-like in the neck position, and a humbucker in the bridge.
They are exceptionnally well balanced, and sound great.

The neck profile is excellent.

The overall feel falls between a Gretsch 6120 and a Gibson ES335.
This guitar has a lot of mojo.

I almost bought this guitar, but eventually settled upon a Heritage H535 (more suited to my jazz needs).

The price/quality ratio of Duesenberg guitars is absolutely unmatched, here in Europe anyway and IMHO.

There you go !

 

[Sammy]

I tried three different models, can't remember which ones, when they were first imported to the UK quite a few years ago now.

They all looked superb but I must admit was dissappointed in the playability and sound of all of then for the price at that time.
Maybe they have improved since then!

Sammy

 

[billyC]

I played a friend's Ronnie Wood model last year and when I saw a similar model come up for sale online I snagged it for a very resonable price.

It is the new Starplayer DTV+ and it closely resembles the Woodie model with the exception of the cool pearl top. Same pickups: their PAF bridge and P90 neck w/a nice coil-tap/soapbar mix in the middle switch position. The bridge and neck deliver spot-on classic tones, while the smoother middle sound is warm and can be made twangy or jangly based on amp settings.

Here's the manufacturer's link:
http://www.duesenbergusa.com/dtv+.html

Previous posts describing body and neck design, fit and finish are accurate and IMHO as good or better than most high-end manufacturers. Think German engineering with a little mojo added....

The Plus (+) name denotes a piezo bridge. Tone purists please note: Going with a piezo is a utilitarian move. My live sets require several changes from acoustic to electric. So in the interest of show pacing I begrudgingly installed Powerbridges on my Strat and Tele. I can get close to acoustic tone while playing with my loud-ass band.

Unfortunately, I cannot say their unusual piezo wiring scheme is useful for me. The bridge transducers are engaged by a switch on the pickguard but you can't hear them until you turn the tone control above detent. This makes for an incredibly tinny sound from BOTH your piezos and the magnetic pickups because the output is not separated at the jack. I may investigate alternative wirings to suit my needs.

All in all, my bandmates seem to dig hearing me play this--instead of the Fenders--through my VHT Pittbull 45 combo. Bonus: Their Bigsby-esque tremolo is killer smooth and stays in tune pretty well thanks to their clever redesign.

Other than the wiring, my only complaint is that the neck carve and scale seem slightly large for my tastes. Kind chunky like an early Les Paul. But the good news is that it is pretty lightweight being a semi-hollow.

Over and out, ~Billy

 

[Phantom]

I have test played those few times and if you are in to that kind of guitars Duesenberg is a great choice!

It felt very good to play, sounded like a guitar should and the Retro looks is great.
And since you maybe can't afford to buy the Duesenberg car, this guitar you maybe can

It would be COOOL
To step out from this and pick some chords for the girls with a duesenberg guitar

 

[Berlin Chris]

Duesenberg have quite a following here in Germany. Very well made guitars, great pickups, nicely designed with top notch parts. Over here they are WAY cheaper than Gretsch or PRS (with the exception being the Ron Wood model).

I especially like the (new?) 12string model which has some Rickenbacker design-elements in it combined with Duesenberg´s typical P90/humbucker combo. Extremely cool guitar reasonably priced at around 1300 Euros.

 

[billyC]

A definite downside that I hadn't noticed prior to my earlier message:

The piezo's plastic bridge saddles move around freely when you loosen the tension while replacing strings. In other words, there is no set-screw to hold them in place (like on most TOMs) to retain the intonation settings.

I guess I'll have to note each saddle's spot when I change the strings. Drag!

 

[gururyan]

I have been wanting to add a Starplayer to my collection, but the new Imperial is drool-worthy beauty!

 

[Duesenberg*USA]

Thanks for all the kind words in here. We feel that our guitars have really started to take off in the States and in Europe. I saw you guys talking about artists and here are some more that have started playing our guitars.
Elvis Costello, Slash, Blind Boys of Alabama, Buddy Miller, Jedd Hughes, and many more. And it seems that everyday someone has seen us or played someones and want to jump on.
Elvis put it best, "this thing has pure Mojo.."

 

[Antero]

Elvis Costello has one, now? Man, I worship that guy.

And holy crap! On the artists section - Brain Green - that dude went to high school with me!

Small world.

 

[randall g]

This is my first post here!

I have a Duesenberg "DSP" model in a "melon" red color - looks like a faded fiesta red.

2 humbuckers, with a push-pull to split the coils. Nice chunky les paul type neck and medium jumbo frets.

Nice to get away from strat-style guitars for versatility.

I like it through my '70 Marshall 50 watt, my Boogie Mark III, and recorded with my Vetta II.

I saw a picture of Slash playing the Ice Pearl hollow body at a Blue Jay's baseball game.