The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Archtops

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 08-18-2014, 10:18 AM
Gary-N-LA Gary-N-LA is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Southern California
Posts: 181
Smile 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.
__________________
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)
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08-18-2014, 01:42 PM
tdq tdq is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Mullumbimby, Australia
Posts: 1,460
Default

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.
__________________
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
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-21-2014, 09:41 PM
T. Sphere T. Sphere is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 76
Default

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.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-22-2014, 05:31 AM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,985
Default

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...
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-23-2014, 06:04 PM
T. Sphere T. Sphere is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 76
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa View Post
Ventura Blvd. - Exit 24 off 101 in Tarzana...
Funny, it wouldn't have occurred to me to consider shops in the valley. I'll have to make an expedition out there myself...
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-23-2014, 06:28 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,985
Default

Bring a drool cup with you when you go - this guy's got some of the rarest of the rare...
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-23-2014, 11:23 PM
Gary-N-LA Gary-N-LA is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Southern California
Posts: 181
Default

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.
__________________
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)
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 08-24-2014, 11:45 AM
Archtop Guy Archtop Guy is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: The Golden State
Posts: 679
Default

Gary,

Some of the things that make us archtop players so rare are
  1. Archtops are hard to find in stores.
  2. When you do find them, they are very badly setup.
  3. Including, acoustic archtops are setup with nickel flatwound strings, because someone at the store thought that archtops always have flatwounds!
  4. And even if they are found, well set up, they require a different touch that you don't have!
  5. And then, the good ones can be pretty expensive.

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.
__________________
Find your voice and tell a story!

Circle 'Round the Sun
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 08-24-2014, 12:02 PM
T. Sphere T. Sphere is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 76
Default

@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.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 08-27-2014, 07:11 PM
tdq tdq is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Mullumbimby, Australia
Posts: 1,460
Default

@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.
__________________
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
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 08-27-2014, 09:32 PM
Willy D Willy D is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Langley BC
Posts: 289
Default

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
__________________
Rickenbacker 4001 "Rikky"
Yamaha FG160 "Old Friend"
Godin 5th Ave "Machine Gun"
Kronbauer - TDK Mini Jumbo"Rosewood"
Kronbauer - Willy D "Ghost Rider"
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Archtops

Tags
archtop, dealers, los angeles, southern california

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:31 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=