#1
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Archtop Dealers in Southern California
Can you folks recommend a dealer in Southern California that carries an excellent selection of archtops, including acoustic archtops? After all your kind advice in educating me, I'd like to spend some quality time with a number of different instruments, but having come from the flattop and classical world, I don't know where to go.
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2012 Martin 000-42 - Sitka/EIR 2015 Santa Cruz Custom 000 - Sitka/EIR 2013 Taylor Custom GA - Cedar/Maple 2019 Taylor 522ce V-Class 12-Fret - All Mahogany 2021 Rainsong V-OM 1000-NSX - Spruce/Carbon Fiber 2008 Fender Stratocaster 70s Reissue (Natural) |
#2
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I've been quietly keeping my eyes open at my local guitar shops, (West LA) but there doesn't seem to be a lot around, from what I've seen. McCabes has a couple, Boulevard usually has a 1-2 Eastmans on the wall and if you chat to the guys they sometimes have a few out the back.
Truetone Music in Santa Monica has a couple of new Loars on the front and some nice funky older ones. The only "highend" one I've seen was at LA Guitar Sales - and from memory that was the only one in store.
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National Resophonic NRP 12 Fret Loar LH-700-VS Archtop Eastman E8-OM Herrmann Weissenborn Recording King RP-10 Recording King RG-35-SN Lapsteel Maton 425 12-string ESP 400 series telecaster Eastman T485 Deering Americana Banjo My Youtube |
#3
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An "excellent" selection? None, IME. Some may carry an archtop or two or three on occasion, but you can't count on it. I have seen a few at...
McCabes -- Eastmans mostly, but occasionally Loars and Godines, once, a vintage Gibson. Last time I was in (mid-July) there were none. Westwood Music -- the occasional vintage archtop, though I've not visited in a while. Boulevard Music -- a coupe of Eastmans in the past. Haven't been in for a while. When I was in the market for an acoustic archtop, I wound up buying from Guitars 'n' Jazz as I couldn't find one I liked locally. |
#4
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This guy's got more than a few, all primo stuff - check out his website under the individual brand names (Gibson, Epiphone, D'Angalico, Guild, Hofner, etc.):
http://www.normansrareguitars.com/ Ventura Blvd. - Exit 24 off 101 in Tarzana... |
#5
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Funny, it wouldn't have occurred to me to consider shops in the valley. I'll have to make an expedition out there myself...
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#6
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Bring a drool cup with you when you go - this guy's got some of the rarest of the rare...
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#7
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Yes, I spent an hour at Norman's last week. Incredible selection of vintage instruments, particularly Martins. I played six or seven acoustic archtops and none of them did it for me at all. Played several old Gibsons (up to $8K), a Kalamazoo and a Martin R18. I didn't even know Martin made archtops.
I still want to try a Loar LH-700 or LH-600, but so far, I may have to conclude I'm a flattop player. The acoustic archtops left me feeling flat. They sounded weak, lacking the depth and richness of tone I'm used to in my guitars. However, I can't recommend Norman's Rare Guitars enough. The salesman, Mark, brought me exactly the guitars I was interested in and left me alone to try them out. If I was shopping for a used Martin, I would schedule 3-4 hours or more here and just play all afternoon. They must have 200 used Martins - every variety you can imagine, every vintage. Astonishing.
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2012 Martin 000-42 - Sitka/EIR 2015 Santa Cruz Custom 000 - Sitka/EIR 2013 Taylor Custom GA - Cedar/Maple 2019 Taylor 522ce V-Class 12-Fret - All Mahogany 2021 Rainsong V-OM 1000-NSX - Spruce/Carbon Fiber 2008 Fender Stratocaster 70s Reissue (Natural) |
#8
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Gary,
Some of the things that make us archtop players so rare are
I started searching for, and playing, archtops thirty years ago, and I wouldn't get the sounds that I do if I hadn't been persistent! Keep up, and enjoy the hunt. |
#9
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@Gary-N-LA -- I understand your feelings, having come from the flattop guitar myself. It took me a couple of years of trying out those occasional archtops I would find in my guitar store visits, and listening to recordings acoustic archtop players, before I decided to take the plunge and get one. Would have loved a vintage Gibson or Epiphone but wasn't prepared to spend a small fortune for a guitar I might not get along with. In the end, I went with a new Eastman 910, no cutaway, no electronics, natural finish. I've had it about 3 1/2 years now.
At first I wasn't at all happy with the sound I was getting from it, but had it professionally set up, have experimented with a wide variety of strings and picks, have played the hell out of it, and can now produce a sound I like. It takes practice, IMO. Also IMO, the sound of an acoustic archtop is unique. It's got nothing to do with the sound of a flattop; it is it's own thing. If you come to it wanting to strum and fingerpick as you would with your dreadnought you're bound to be disappointed. If on the other hand you work at achieving a sound you're happy with, and perhaps learn some of the literature composed for the instrument as you do so, you may be pleasantly surprised with what you can get out of the instrument. |
#10
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@Gary-N-LA: Just looking over this older post and thought I add a thought, after your posts in my Loar thread: I tried an Eastman 810 (I think it was) and thought it had a beautiful sound, much lusher than my Loar 700, so you might find this more suitable on your quest for a nice fingerpicking archtop. I went with the Loar as I was after more of a choppy, drier old school sound (it being affordable certainly helped me make up my mind), which it does well.
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National Resophonic NRP 12 Fret Loar LH-700-VS Archtop Eastman E8-OM Herrmann Weissenborn Recording King RP-10 Recording King RG-35-SN Lapsteel Maton 425 12-string ESP 400 series telecaster Eastman T485 Deering Americana Banjo My Youtube |
#11
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In my travels from Canada to Santa Rosa Ca - to play old-timers ice hockey believe it or not - (world famous Snoopy Tournament, I digress) - anyway a bit south of there in Petaluma, there is a shop called Tall Toad Music that always seems to have a plethora of archtops flat tops, vintage etc. I know I drooled bit on my last visit in 2012
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Rickenbacker 4001 "Rikky" Yamaha FG160 "Old Friend" Godin 5th Ave "Machine Gun" Kronbauer - TDK Mini Jumbo"Rosewood" Kronbauer - Willy D "Ghost Rider" |
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Tags |
archtop, dealers, los angeles, southern california |
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