Jeff Matz, just above, has some good comments and from listening to his music over the years, I certainly respect his opinion. The Loar archtops may be a good place to start looking and the price point is fairly modest.
I own an Eastman AR910CE which I like a lot. Here is a link to Eastman archtops:
http://www.eastmanguitars.com/archtop-guitars-16-and-17 I am getting the archtop sounds that I really like from my Eastman archtop, but I am using it like an electric jazz guitar, played through a clean, very high quality tube amp. I had a Guild jazz guitar before the Eastman, but I was never really able to get the sounds I wanted -- that classic Gibson L5 sound but without the big price tag. I like playing Martin Taylor fingerstyle jazz, though I am not nearly as accomplished as Martin Taylor.
I got mine from LA Guitar Sales, who is a sponsor here on the AGF.
I also have a 1970s era Gibson ES335, but to me, that guitar does not produce a classic jazz sound. However, it is a super versatile electric guitar, good for all kinds of general electric music.
Best of luck!
- Glenn