I just got back from a job-related trip to Philadelphia. It was my first time there, and having heard so much about Dipinto guitars I jumped in a cab and went down to the Fishtown district to checkout the shop.

First I must say that it was a pleasure in talking to Chris Dipinto. Nice guy, very helpful, in no way pushy or trying to make a sale. He has some nice vintage gear, mostly cool Silevrtones, Vox and other cool "b" vintage guitars as well as several vintage amps. A small shop by Los Angeles standards but very "real", personal. Like a guitarist's living room.

I tried one of the two March IV's he had in the store (which was originally the guitar I was inteterested in). It didn't "speak" to me; had a flat fretboard, heavy, the edges of the body a bit too sharp/angular for my taste.

Then I tried the Galaxy 4.

Let me say this first: I cannot play a strat because I tend to pick on-top of the middle pu, scraping on it and that annoys the crap out of me.

I had assumed that the Galaxy was some freakish eye-candy deal. 4PU's?? I assumed the pu-scrape factor would be just that much worse.

WRONG. My pick lands cleanly between the first and second pu out of the 4; no scraping at all.

And what a TONE and feel......I loved it right away. You know that feeling when a guitar feels "right" and you strum a bar chord and it sounds homogeneous and concise. I used the Jazzmaster-style trem over and over....stayed in tuned perfectly! I mean....I speant 45 minutes playing, going through The Flowmasters songlist, playing through a BF Fender Princeton.

It was the Los Straitjackets model. silver sparkle with yellow-gold perloid pickguard and "almost matching" headstock.

I liked it, it was fantastic, great clean surf tone. The 4 rocker switches and 4 pu's truly give you an awesome and clearly distinguishable tonal variety. Never too thin, never too dark. The pu's have been modeled off the old Vox single coils (Chris used to sell mostly vintage Vox guitars; still has a few in the shop). If I had to name the type of tone this guitar has I would say "spaghetti western" as the closest verbal description.

So, yeah, I bought it with a hardshell case and he gave me a good deal on it too. Less than $550 w/ OHSC.

I also own a Wilson Bros VM-110 (among my 14 guitars), which I love and is my current practice/gig guitar. they are both in the same price range, different beasts but similar in quality, reliability (they stay in tune!!!!) only that of you want a VM-110, good luck. Can't trust Wilson bros on availability. The VM-110 is a Mosrite kind of sound while the Galaxy 4 is more of a Jaguar-meets-Vox sound with some cool strat-like twist with certain pu combinations.

I strongly suggest that for any of you looking for a unique looking and versatile surf axe under $1,000, that you should try-out a Dipinto galaxy 4. I was surprised at how solid and good it felt, how well it sounded and how the 4 pu config really opens the doors to creative tone-crafting on the guitar. Comfortable to play and did I mention it stays in tune even with lots of whamification???? No wonder Eddie Angel and Los Straitjackets both record and perform with Galaxy 4's (and a galaxy bass) instead of Fenders as they used to.

g

wow cool. I am sure DiPintos are too often overlooked. Glad to hear you are happy with your new guitar. As for the VM110's I concur, I don't think you will be able to get those ever again actually.

They are definitely what I'm planning to buy next...I'm glad you liked it. There's a shop here in the bay area that carries them from time to time but they're not consistently in stock and if they order one for me I'm forced to buy and not able to return it so it's reassuring to hear good reviews especially about the tone.

boyecho
nice review!

i'd love to play one as i feel kinda the same about the mach iv.

I was all excited about the Mach IV but it was not as "special" or unique as the Galaxy. I liked the Humbucker sound in the bridge but probably not for a surf kind of sound. The worse turn-off was the flat fretboard with zero curvature on it. It makes the guitar feel cheaper I suppose. The body also has a somewhat primitive boxiness along it's edges compared to all strat-ish styled bodies I've played.

The galaxy 4 however is groooo-veyyyy; nice balance, feel, finish. What can i say; I liked it. I have an AVRI JM, a Mosrite Excellent, a 1962 Gretsch 6120 (single cut, yes), a 1989 LP Goldtop, a 1957 Guild CE-100 jazz box with two Franz P-90's, etc etc. I own a few good axes, and this guitar seems to have enough vibe to fit-in there. I will only know for sure over time.

Now, there are two models of Galaxy 4's: The Los Straitjackets model with dot inlays and a very "plain" satin finish on the neck, and all the other Galaxies that have painted necks. The paint (I only saw one with a white painted neck, incl. the back of the headstock) makes the neck just a tad thicker but it feels smooooth. Also while the Los Straitjackets has dot inlays, the other color combniations have star-shaped perloid inlays.

Chris showed me a brand new color: green sparkle (identical to the Hallmark Sweptwing) with the same orange pickgaurd and headstock a the Los SJ model. It was bit too much for my eyes (orange-on-green) but maybe it will suit one of you guys out there.

g

Hey everyone -
I've been playing a Los SJ model Galaxie 4 the past 2 years and also really like the sound and playability. It sounds great through my 66 Showman that I picked up last year - power! I normally use the 1 and 4 pickups combined - any favorite settings that you've found? Great vibrato as you say. Let me know what strings you play - I have your basic 11-50 rounwounds, but have been thinking of trying flatwounds.
groucho26

I have a lefty Straitjackets. It's my first electric, so I don't have much to compare it too, but I've been happy with it.

The tone knob quit working almost immediately, which is a bummer, but four pickups usable in any combination has made up for that somewhat while I figure out how best to fix the knob.

I had the dealer put some .12 flats on there. It does stay in tune amazingly well.

To Flowmaster_G -
Sorry it took me so long to check back - I have not played out with the Galaxy, but have heard the Los SJ use theirs (with their nice Vibrolux Reverbs) and they sound great - very much like mine with the Showman.
I did not have to resetup with the 11s - let me know how you like yours, fave pickup settings etc.
groucho26

DGG
Chris is the coolest guy you may ever meet. My wife and I say hello every year down at NAMM and he's always cool Chris. If I were to have a custom git made for me I would hire him in an instant. He's one of my top MySpace friends for good reason.

I must say, he was very helpful and easy-going. I guess it's not everyday that someone from LA pops into his shop, down in the Fishtown section of Philly, and I was all dressed-up kinda "square" (I was attending a national academic conference as one of the speakers..I escaped from the conference to check-out the Dipinto shop). I had a great time there, for maybe an hour or so.

Later he even called a cab for me on the phone. All in all, a real old-school "neighborhood" scenario, hard to imagination that from that informal, almost friends-only kind of shop he runs a world-wide operation.

The Galaxy felt "right" in every way, this coming from someone who has mostly vintage A+ gear. I was watching Los Straitjackets videos on Youtube and their Galaxies sound fantastic. I wouldn't say very "distinctive" but very good.

Check-it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QT9zdgRVpw&mode=related&search=

If THAT'S not a great advertismement for the Galaxy IV, i dunno what is.

On the other hand the guitar does have a very distinctive "feel" to it. Once I recieve it (in about ten days...delayed hard case delivery to Chris' shop from TKL), I will know more. I will probably be playing it on stage with The Flowmasters at the Huntington Beach Pier when we open for The Surfaris on April 29 (Surf Museum's Surfin' Sundays event).

g

Enjoy it! I was just playing mine 20 minutes ago.

Check out the Dipinto on ebay right now, a Red Los Straightjackets model, not my cup of tea. Thought I'd pass it on to you Dipinto fans. www.myspace.com/thethunderheads

www.myspace.com/thethunderheads