Emmons PP changes over the years

[Larry Behm]

I was told by Kelcey at Emmons:

Around 1970 they started using a metal pedal stop bar, thicker end plates and a fat back apron. Having owned several ‘67-68’ PP’s I can attest to the Fat back series being more aggressive, edgy and Tele like in my hands vs a 335 or L5 type guitar style.

You have to drive one to feel the difference, they are not for everyone.

I also ordered a new set of Kluson tuners, 19-1 ratio me thinks, enclosed gear like a Grover. Oh when will this journey ever end? Never for me, I enjoy the hunt.

I am now using a 12 sting bar and a TT 15 speaker/cab docking enclosure. I for one am never locked into what we might have done in 1975, we are 50 years down the road and maybe just maybe things have taken a turn for the better in amps-effects-strings etc. I am open to trying something different, I may not like it but you never know it might be just that little thing that puts the spark back in my presentation.

[Skip Edwards]

Larry...
I have a '74 D10 fatback, and it's the bomb...
And yep... a 12 string bar gives you more "real estate" on the bar for doing slants.

[robert kramer]

I have a '73 Rosewood Satin finish Fatback. It's not the best sounding horn I have, but it's "my" guitar (or "wife" as we are used to say). The guitar plays itself, travels the best, and will not go out of tune. It's the guitar I usually take when going into a new scenario. I know of four '73s / '74s in town, all of which sound better than mine (and played by better players than me). One, a 73' black Satin, is the clearest sounding Emmons I ever played. I've had my Fatback for 44 years. Reliability is a consideration when looking into an Emmons.

On a personal note, when I bought the guitar, it had black & white fretboards with medium wear. The biggest mistake I ever made was replacing them with colored fretboards. Think twice when thinking about "updating" or "rebuilding" a push/pull, or asking her to do too much. It's like a Tele, they got it right the first time.

[Henry Matthews]

Yes, I think the changes made improvements to guitar. I have a 74 D-10 glossy rosewood. Though not a fatback, it’s one of the best playing and sounding push pulls I’ve owned but I did also like the 74 bolt-on with wood necks also and can’t remember but think it was a fatback. The fatback’s seem to have a more midrange tone to me and when you add the fact that was a bolt-on plus wood necks really made it an awesome guitar. I kick myself everyday for getting rid of it.

[Nathan Golub]

Interesting thread! My two guitars are a 74 and 75 rosewood D10 p/p. The 74 is a fatback, satin finish, wide pedal, metal butterbean tuners - the 75 is glossy, cutback, narrow pedal, tulip style tuners. The 74 is a solid feeling guitar and sounds very aggressive/midrange heavy. It holds its tuning really well. The 75 was on long term loan to a friend, just got it back last week. After not playing it for about a year I was surprised how different it sounds from the 74…more of a scooped eq, and better sustain in the high register. It has a few more quirks than the 74 but it’s been fun to reconnect with the guitar. fwiw the 74 was once owned by Weldon Myrick, who sold it to Mike “Cookie” Jones.