DiPinto Galaxie

Picked this greenburst up on eBay, just because Los Straightjackets sound so good with theirs. The vibrato works flawlessly, and the pickups sound loud & crisp. The neck is painted glossy black, which drags a little, so I used steel wool to dull it up a bit. Much faster now. The tilt back peg-head & straight string pull help the vibrato stay in tune, and make for a snappy tone. The finger-board also drags a bit, and might have a clear finish on it. The star inlays have a lot of filler around them, but no one can see it from the stage. The 5 way selector wasn't making it for me, other than positions 1 & 5, but being an inveritable tinkerer, I installed a 3 way strat switch for pickups 1 & 4. Much better, but I ended up calling Chris DiPinto, and getting a pickguard for the Galaxie 2, which has 2 single coils at the neck & 2 single coils at the bridge. I wired them as humbuckers, because 2 are RWRP, to the 3 way, with coil tapping switches, and that made a world of difference.

After the mods I made to the pickup switching, I can get any sound I want, and it stays in tune all night long! After trial & error I use the coils closest to the neck on both humbuckers, as single coils. The one closest to the bridge is just too weak, but the second one sounds just like a tele. My band plays classic rock, from the Bealtles to Santana, and this guitar totaly rocks. On ballads, the neck pickup is the best. I haven't gotten as many compliments on my tones, from the audience & band members, for any of the other 10 guitars I play. Los Straighjackets play this model, and I was a little skeptical as to whether they record with it, but it has their sound "right out of the box", and many more.

Being a Korean guitar, I wasn't expecting much, but it's made pretty well. Very solid construction, and the pearl pickguard, headstock & tuners are very eye pleasing. The greenburst finish is good too, but I wouldn't have picked it if I'd bought a new one (hardly any of my stage clothes are green!) It is a little heavy but not too bad. Frets are nice and a little higher than a stock Strat. I had to tweak the switching system, but I enjoy that kind of stuff, and it really did make a huge difference.

This thing is built as solid as a Les Paul! I play it all night without a backup, any rarely have to retune. The first time I broke a string onstage, I was amazed that it didn't go out of tune, like my Strat or Gretsch with vibratos do. I use the vibrato all the time, and I can't get this thing to go out of tune! Since I bought it used, on eBay, the previous owner might have done some tweaks, as most vibrato systems need. Having only a gig bag makes me a little nervous about transporting it to gigs, as a hardshell case isn't available, so be carefull.

As I said before, I called Chris DiPinto (he actually answered the phone!) and ordered the Galaxie 2 pickguard. He was very nice & helpfull. We corresponed through e-mail many times, and when my pickguard order was held up, he threw in a free t-shirt. I don't see Fender or Gibson doing that!

I've been playing for 30 years, and this is one of the best sounding guitars I've ever owned, and I've owned plenty. I've got a 66 Strat, 60 Gretsch Double Anniversary, 67 SG & numerous others. I play out at bars, festivals & privates at least twice a week. I would replace this DiPinto if it were stolen, and I'm looking for another one right now! As with all guitars, it's hard to really compare, because they all have certain things they do well, but this one does many things well. It's a great addition to your arsenal, if you spend a little time tweaking it, as I've done with every single axe I've owned. BUY ONE!

The guitar has a great paint job, bright red. However the neck is gloss black. The front of the headstock is covered with tortise shell that matches the pickguard, very cool looking. The tuning machines have pearl buttons! It is vaguely jazzmasteresque in shape with 4 single coil pickups and a five way switch. Very flashy, kind of cheesy in a cool way.

I have primarily been using it for surf, country, and cleaner type sounds. The jazz tones are really very good for a mid to low priced guitar. It has several different sounds and the pickups are very loud and clear.

Here are a few gripes. The bridge took alot of fiddling to get the intonation and action right. It is supported by two screws on each side of the bridge assembly, and is loose on the top of the guitar (kind of like an archtop) being held down by the strings. Even though the truss rod is adjusted at the headstock there is a relief in the pickguard as if it is at the heel end of the neck. The nut is cut kind of wierd. The slots are very deep and the poor tuning retention after using the whammy bar is a result of this I'm sure. Once I raised the action and adjusted the bridge It plays very well. I'm buying one of the aftermarket nuts from string savers, then I'll update this review and let you know about the whammy bar.

The guitar looks great and hopefully will last. I'll have to let you know. I only have had it a short while.

Have never talked to them.

Great stage guitar! Very good sounding. A flashy, fun guitar. They won't miss you on stage with this one.

Just got this guitar a couple of weeks ago off eBay. Some music store was clearing their stock out and I bought it sight unseen. A mistake on my part. I was told to look on the DiPinto web site... but this guitar the Galaxie 4 isn't exactly what they have on the web site. The guitar on the Dipinto website in pink sparkle has star fret position markers and a pearl covering over the headstock. Very cool looking. This Galaxie 4 has dot markers and a plain maple head stock. Other than that 22 frets, parts made in korea I would guess, maple neck with rosewood finger board, solid body, 4 p.u.'s, volume and tone, input mounted on the pick guard (which is pearl), body is kinda like a Fender Jazzmaster.. has a similar trem and bridge assembly, tilt back wacky looking headstock with 6 tuners, pearl buttons on the tuners. My guess this guitar is a second. The bridge saddles are like the typical Gibson tune a matics.. but the string grooves are unevenly cut. 5 way switch, 1= front pu, 2= all pu's, 3=front 2 pu's, 4= rear 2 pu's, 5= back pu. 2,3,4 positions are hum bucking. PU's appear to be the same kind they're putting on the Vox reissue guitars these days. The neck is a little heftier than my 62 reissue strat as are the frets. Neck feels good enough. Came with a DiPinto gig bag and trem bar.

I bought this guitar for it's cool looks... part of which was spoiled by it having a cheaper neck on it (see above) and to be my main surf guitar. The front and back pu's do the surf thing fairly well. Output on the pu's is fairly weak.. but they have a nice clean sound. There is a volume drop off in positions 2,3,4.. strange since these are humbucking. I don't find the middle positions to be very usable. The trem does the surf thing fairly well.. although I'm going to have to put graphtech bridge saddles on this to try to keep it in tune for a full set. Again, this is a surf guitar.. think Jazz Master but wilder looking.

Action was ok on this guitar out of the box. Innotation decent, but I haven't really checked it. PU's were adjusted ok... I'll prob rais the bridge PU some. Like I said, I think this guitar is a second.. cheaper neck and I've noticed the bridge has some elements that don't fit quite right. Dispite all that... the guitar plays and sounds 'pretty good'... and still looks pretty cool (but not WAY COOL).

Everything seems pretty solid... One thing that bugs me is the trem bar. It fits in a little metal tube that goes under this trem plate (Jazz Master style) and when you use the trem you can acoustically hear the bar clank against the tube. To the guitars credit, this clanking can't be heard through an amp.. and if you're playing at gig level. I feel I can depend on this guitar... however, it'll need tuning every 4 or 5 songs if used in typical surf mode. I never gig without a back up...

Didn't deal with DiPinto on this purchase... if I would have I would have sent it back for one with the Star/Pearl Headstock neck on it. No warranty... bought as is.. bla bla bla... Again, I think this guitar is a second.

I've been playing for 20 yrs... gigging for the last 6. This guitar is an addition to my "Cheap A$$, New Retro, Ordered off the Net, Wacky Guitar Collection". I also own Dearmond Jetstar & M75-T, Brownsville Chiorboy (surf green), Musicvox Spaceranger and Danelectro Hodad. Is there something I wished I'd asked before buying this guitar... yes, "does it look exactly like the one on the DiPinto website?". What do I love about it? It's pink sparkle.. and looks wacky as he!!. What do I hate? "need I say it again....?" Actually... for $329.00 with gig bag, it's still a good deal. It's a very usable guitar for playing surf music... I wouldn't use it for anything else and it looks "way cool dude"...but could be cooler!!!!!!

Specifications:
Body: Poplar
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Frets: 22
Scale: 25 1/2"
Pickups: Four DiPinto Single Coils/Or Two Humbuckers
Selector: Five Position Switch/3 position
Controls: One volume, one tone
Bridge: Floating intonatable bridge with removable cover/Tune-o-matic
Tuners: Enclosed Gear pearl button machines

1st off: The guitar is a Galaxie not a Galaxy.
I bought this guitar in December 2000 (but I paid for it in October 2000) for the low, low price of $419 w/tax. I got a break because it was literally the first one he sold after recieving the prototypes for display. I think thelist for $549 now.
Chris used to make all his guitars himself, but now he has a line of his guitars that are manufactured in Korea, I believe this was to make his guitars more affordable.
Anyway, it's Korean. Mine has no serial number?? Apparently, a mistake??So if they ever become collector's items....
It has a bolt-on neck, two Vox re-issue PU's rewired as humbuckers (at least that's what Chris told me) and the body shape is sort of like a Jazzmaster, but cooler. Also, I got a gig bag with the purchase.

I play my Galaxie through a Carvin SX 200(don't laugh, it's a great amp) and it sounds great clean or dirty. Despite raising it to the max, the bridge position PU doest not have a very high output, but sounds good and tight. Real crisp. mostly, I just play through the neck position PU and forget about it. This guitar is very quiet, even when my amp's cranked up. I'd say this guitar is fairly versatile. The action's good, the neck's fast (rosewood) and the tone is sort of unique, but basic enough that you can play rock, blues or jazz on it and not have it sound cheesy.

Set-up was great. After more than a year, I just had it set-up again?GOD! this thing never goes out of tune. PU's were a little low, but that's easy to fix. I chose the greenburst finish, which just looks awesome. Especially with those mother of pearl star-shaped inlays. Everything else seems fine.

This guitar is sturdy, I'd say. It's light as a feather, but sturdy. As far as live playing goes, I've only played out with it once, but it was as reliable as ever. Frankly, that's why I got it. After years of buting Big name imports that sucked, I decided to go with a local boutique with a good rep (He's sold guitars to Thurston Morre and Rick Nielsen).

I live in Philly where DiPinto is based. all I know is: Chris is really nice. They're boutique guitars, of course, he's gonna bend over backward to help you out. You're playing his reputation.

I've been playing about 15 years. I don't own a lot of gear, as I'm young (30) and I have one kid and another on the way. Plus, I work for a publishing company, pttttttth! I would definitely buy another DiPinto Galaxie, the Mach IV looks good too. It's a Mosrite copy. As for my Galaxie, I love it's sound, that it never goes out of tune, that it has great action. I love this guitar! I only comapred it to all the other crappy guitars I've had in my life, and this won going away. That's really it: The Galaxie is an inexpensive guitar with great sound, a distinctive, retro-modern look. A+.

this guitar was made probably in 98 before chris started his korean line and made it in his own shop in philly. the korean guitars are bolt on and mine has the neck thru body. 22 fret hand made. solid top. 1 volume, 1 tone control . 1 on/off switch for each single coil noisless pickup. passive electronics and a unique "all out" button which cranks the volume of both pickups and turns them both on. push the button again and everything goes back to normal. no idea what the body is made out of. solid black color. kinda funky shape , like early teisco. hand machined brass block tremolo with roller saddles and sealed vintage tuners. rosewood fingerboard with purple plastic triangle inlays. no accessories included.

my style ranges from rock to country to ????. i love all guitar music and play it through a marshall half stack. virtually noiseless at any volume. very wide range of sounds thru pick up experimentation. i like the balls out switch for leads and hit the button again to bring me back to original pickup and volume settings. the pickups are covered with bicycle reflector material , can't tell what they are. but boy do they scream. guitar looks like retro japanese but can sound like a muddy les paul.

action was perfect from dealer. flaws are mostely cosmetic . you can see the seam between the neck thru and body. and some glue around the nut. you can tell this is a hand made custom guitar. mr anderson, moore , smith and mcnaught have nothing to fear from this one. everything works fine , but it looks like someone put this guitar together out of spare parts in his garage. in fairness to mr dipinto, i believe that is the look he was going for and he did succeed. after all, thats why i bought it. the intonation really rots though. no instructions were included , i learned the electronics thru trial and error. but i don't dare try in intonate this thing. may bring it to shop later. the difference between open and 12 fret is as much as 1/4 step on some strings.

this guitar is rock solid reliable. not a whole lot to go wrong. any home fix would look fgactory on this piece. #2 wood screws, no problem. very thin body and light too. i've played it standing for hours and can still feel my shoulder. very thin body is also comfy. put away the back up.!

i spoke to chris once before i bought it. no warrenty . and 6 month wait for a hand made guitar from his shop. and absolutely no discount from list. no repairs needed. mr dipinto is really a nice person and i'm sure he would help me if i had any prob;lems. its nice to speak to the father of your baby and not some factory worker. no offense to guitar factory workers.

i've been playing for 12 years. on and off. i currently own 2 strats. parker , ibanez artist, les paul,prs any many others. recently , i've decided to collect only hand made unique instruments. this one is definately the wildest. its so different and i would have boiught it on looks alone, it was a nice surprise to find how light and playable it was. the body thinness makes it the guitar i grab first to play 100 percent of the time. the intonation thing usually mekes me switch thoough. then the parker gets the nod. i wish this guitar had better intonation. then it would be my main ax. just ordered a custom built guitar from diodati. will write a review when it is built. see ya

The Galaxy is a solid body, 25.5 scale new entry into the market. The body is alder with a rosewood fretboard. Although I think Dipinto makes some of their guitars in the Philadelphia shop, my model was the first shipment from a Korean factory. The best feature of the guitar is the 4 pickup configuration. My model has 4 single coils and a surf style tremolo. The tremolo is a bit of a problem as it is hard to find a stable tuning once it is used. The tuners are pearl button, non-locking and enclosed and seem pretty good. I bought the greenburst finish model, which is really well done. One caviat, this a heavy guitar - heavier than the Les Paul by a bit. There are no obvious signs of poor workmanship or inferior parts anywhere except the strap button screws, which were really cheap and didn't look like they could hold the guitar in a standing position. Overall, I am really impressed with the quality for it's price ($500)

This guitar is LOUD. I have a Strat, Les Paul and Rickenbacher and this guitar's average volume level is considerably higher than any of the others. I find this to be a bit of a set-back when I switch guitars. I believe the 4 pickup setup has something to do with it. The best sound feature is that it provides a good middle ground between the "bell chime" Strat sound and the low end growl of Les Paul. It's pretty versatile. It would be a good start for a young musician looking for a bit of everything at a good price.

I bought the guitar from DiPintos in Phila. The setup was better than any guitar I've ever bought new, but the owner seemed really intent on providing good quality right off. Pickup height and intonation were very good. I guess the best comparison is with Hamer, since they seem to care about quality for the Dollar as well.

It looks like it could take a beating, but I've only played a handful of gigs using it. The tuning stability was very good in a few cool air-conditioned clubs, a big plus.
The strap buttons and screws are poor, I changed them right away.
I've played a couple of gigs with it where I never touched the backup guitar. The rating is blank due to lack of any real history.

No need for any support yet. One potential problem is the lack of any explanatory material, how pickups are wired, how to lock the tremolo. I've been to the DiPinto shop many times and they always treated me well and have given any information necessary. I don't know how service is for anyone outside of Philly.

Overall, I like this guitar. I've played for 25 years(10 years in local bands) and I've played quality guitars for a long while. This guitar holds it's own with higher priced guitars. If you don't have the cash for Gibsons and high end Fenders, take a look at the Galaxy. Young band players should really like this guitar