DiPinto?

[Bertotti]

I saw Someone reference this in another thread but figured I would ask. Gretsch and Teles and Strats and Rics and Gibson Martin etc come up here fairly often but DePinto? I never heard of them until mentioned here.
So what’s the scoop? Niche market? Oddball make? Or just not mainstream? Or perhaps I’m just more isolated than I thought?

 

[drmilktruck]

Check them out here:

http://www.dipintoguitars.com

Surf inspired guitars (although more than that.)

Los Straitjackets play them.

 

[The_Devils_Tool]

DiPinto guitars are not high dollar, and don't rank anywhere near the production scale of even Gretsch (which I still consider a niche market comparatively even to the big boys). But they're fun bolt on not-strat machines with funky sparkle colors and lots of buttons. The GDP had a hugely long thread with all kinds of pictures which was a fun read.

When I was a Gretsch fanboy/purist, I would have scoffed at the idea of owning a DiPinto guitar - as it stands I think I own more DiPintos that I do Gretsch guitars.

 

[Bertotti]

I have seen those before I didn’t realize what they were!

 

[Synchro]

I have seen those before I didn’t realize what they were!

I’ve played one. They are great for Instrumental Rock. The four pickup model actually has four very distinct sounds. It’s one of those guitars that would be fun to have, but probably more aimed at the Surf/Instrumental-Rock market. If Los Straitjackets ever calls me, I’ll buy one.

 

[audept]

Tavo @TV the Wired Turtle is a great fan of these guitars.

 

[Henry]

I thought they were Fisher Price's instrument line . . . .

 

[Synchro]

I thought they were Fisher Price's instrument line . . . .

That doesn’t mean that they don’t sound good.

 

[wabash slim]

Oddball in my book, right up there with Tiescos.
Doesn't mean they're bad, just wierd.

 

[Ricochet]

I thought they were Fisher Price's instrument line . . . .

Yellow, red and blue...it's My first Sony!

 

[The_Devils_Tool]

Well, they are more fun to play than say, Electromatics.

 

[MentalTossFlycoon]

Being heavily into Surf Instro and Los Straitjackets I purchased a GalaxieIV about 10 years ago. It may be one of the best sub $1000 guitars I have ever purchased. Very well built, great fit and finish, good hardware. The pickups have a very unique sound and with 4 of them controlled by individual on/off rocker switches, you can get just about any sound you like out of it. The only thing to keep in mind with this guitar is.... rocker switch down to floor turns pick up on, rocker switch up turns pick up off. That means whenever all the rockers are up the guitar is OFF......no sound. If you happen to get exaggerated in your strumming upstrokes you can turn the pickup(s) off just like a cord went bad or unplugged. I witnessed Eddie Angel have this very problem at a concert a couple of years ago. He was wailing away in the middle of a song and his guitar went dead. He was checking cables, amps, stomp boxes before finally realizing he knocked his pickups off.

 

[Synchro]

Oddball in my book, right up there with Tiescos.
Doesn't mean they're bad, just wierd.

They are definitely different.

Being heavily into Surf Instro and Los Straitjackets I purchased a GalaxieIV about 10 years ago. It may be one of the best sub $1000 guitars I have ever purchased. Very well built, great fit and finish, good hardware. The pickups have a very unique sound and with 4 of them controlled by individual on/off rocker switches, you can get just about any sound you like out of it. The only thing to keep in mind with this guitar is.... rocker switch down to floor turns pick up on, rocker switch up turns pick up off. That means whenever all the rockers are up the guitar is OFF......no sound. If you happen to get exaggerated in your strumming upstrokes you can turn the pickup(s) off just like a cord went bad or unplugged. I witnessed Eddie Angel have this very problem at a concert a couple of years ago. He was wailing away in the middle of a song and his guitar went dead. He was checking cables, amps, stomp boxes before finally realizing he knocked his pickups off.

I would prefer switches that were a little less easy to inadvertently operate. That’s not to say that I have any suggestions, but I wish that there was another solution. If I couldn’t live without a four pickup guitar, I would probably build my own, with a Jazzmaster body, and maybe the slide switches and mounting plate from a Bass VI.

 

[TV the Wired Turtle]

I saw Someone reference this in another thread but figured I would ask. Gretsch and Teles and Strats and Rics and Gibson Martin etc come up here fairly often but DePinto? I never heard of them until mentioned here.
So what’s the scoop? Niche market? Oddball make? Or just not mainstream? Or perhaps I’m just more isolated than I thought?

I wouldnt have said a peep, but @audept opened a Dipinto portal and I fell through!


A fantastic guitarist, artist and luthier acquaintence of mine; Chris Dipinto is responsible for the incredible creation of the Dipinto Galaxy guitars. He and his wife married the Teisco and fender offset vibe with an extremely versatile instrument that fortunately does NOT feel like any jag or jazzmaster Ive own, yet totally familiar if you grew up playing Ibanez guitars from the 80s. Fast and sleek necks that are thinner and flatter feeling than a fender yet reminds you are playing an offset with much more functionality.
They do vary and in recent times he's created an american line, although every guitar produced in Korea comes under his shop for setup. I've had several different variations of the Galaxy IV, but ended up with an early-ish version of the Galaxy IV Eddie Angel/ Los Straitjackets model as it has the original mahogany body and original factory korean pickups. all important if you chase the sound of the Straitjackets. My sunburst ash model was the greatest departure from that sound.
While they do surf in an epic way, I find they fill my need for shreddy hair band sounds and alt rock much better than my Johnny Marr jag. Prob because they have ceramic pickups with a mess of configurations.
I made the mistake of spending large bucks on having peter florance (rip) replace the stock pickups with his custom jag winds in my sunburst ash model, as it became a jag on steroids and had a closer sound to pre Dipinto Los Strait Jackets sounds.
side note: eddies original model came w the early 5 way blade selector (so I had to have one w a blade selector, the lightest G4 I owned)

idiot w a galaxy IV ash body

here's the ash model once you scroll past 0:22 and its long but will let you hear a healthy demo of its pickup config

 

[Bertotti]

I wouldnt have said a peep, but @audept opened a Dipinto portal and I fell through!

View attachment 184009
A fantastic guitarist, artist and luthier acquaintence of mine; Chris Dipinto is responsible for the incredible creation of the Dipinto Galaxy guitars. He and his wife married the Teisco and fender offset vibe with an extremely versatile instrument that fortunately does NOT feel like any jag or jazzmaster Ive own, yet totally familiar if you grew up playing Ibanez guitars from the 80s. Fast and sleek necks that are thinner and flatter feeling than a fender yet reminds you are playing an offset with much more functionality.
They do vary and in recent times he's created an american line, although every guitar produced in Korea comes under his shop for setup. I've had several different variations of the Galaxy IV, but ended up with an early-ish version of the Galaxy IV Eddie Angel/ Los Straitjackets model as it has the original mahogany body and original factory korean pickups. all important if you chase the sound of the Straitjackets. My sunburst ash model was the greatest departure from that sound.
While they do surf in an epic way, I find they fill my need for shreddy hair band sounds and alt rock much better than my Johnny Marr jag. Prob because they have ceramic pickups with a mess of configurations.
I made the mistake of spending large bucks on having peter florance (rip) replace the stock pickups with his custom jag winds in my sunburst ash model, as it became a jag on steroids and had a closer sound to pre Dipinto Los Strait Jackets sounds.
side note: eddies original model came w the early 5 way blade selector (so I had to have one w a blade selector, the lightest G4 I owned)

idiot w a galaxy IV ash body

here's the ash model once you scroll past 0:22 and its long but will let you hear a healthy demo of its pickup config


View attachment 184003

View attachment 183995

View attachment 184004

I like it! I have always wondered why someone hasn’t made a single pickup guitar where you could slide the pick up anywhere between the bridge and neck.

 

[The_Devils_Tool]

I thought the very very earliest Korean IV's were poplar, but I don't remember where I read that. I've got a super early blade that was in the first Korean run and it's my lightest for sure.

 

[TV the Wired Turtle]

I thought the very very earliest Korean IV's were poplar, but I don't remember where I read that. I've got a super early blade that was in the first Korean run and it's my lightest for sure.

View attachment 184038

yes you have the mahogany and they are very light! The finishes were thinner too, my red one would chip easy while my Eddie Angel GV could be used to hammer in wood pegs at an amish barn raising Btw.. your guitar is soooo nice, sometimes the yellow pearl gets to me, and I want aged white pearl all around

 

[CBHScott]

Being heavily into Surf Instro and Los Straitjackets I purchased a GalaxieIV about 10 years ago. It may be one of the best sub $1000 guitars I have ever purchased. Very well built, great fit and finish, good hardware. The pickups have a very unique sound and with 4 of them controlled by individual on/off rocker switches, you can get just about any sound you like out of it.

I fully concur.

I still kick myself for not pulling the trigger on one with a natural finish some years back at CME. I had played it through a clean tube amp of some sort (can't remember), and the tones were fantastic. I just thought that maybe later, I would just pick one up online - until I searched...oops.

 

[Bertotti]

Not exactly a sub 1000$ guitar but O bet someone here would like this color. Maybe @TSims1

DiPinto Galaxie 4 Safari 'Nudie’ 2020 Hot Pink/Silver Sparkle | Reverb

This is a very limited Dipinto Galaxie, I believe only 3 or 4 exist with this special pickguard featuring a faux f-hole. Signed by Chris DiPinto on the back of the headstock, bodies and necks made in China and assembled here in the USA by Mr. Dipinto. 4 hot single coil pickups with matching silve...

reverb.com

 

[Bertotti]

Sadly if I’m going to chase a guitar over a grand it will be a tele of my dreams.