1 7/8" nut width archtop?

[RobertD0]

Originally Posted by Digits_Only

Thanks! It's really fun to play, has an old timey, 20s kind of sound (which is what I was looking for) and is pretty visually stunning as well. Fingerstyle ragtime sounds really funky on it too, especially if you pick aggressively (it also gets LOUD).

The neck is basically the same profile as a Taylor 12 string.



The only upcharge was for the extra inlay work which was $75 IIRC. Because I subtracted out the standard pickup/electronics & pickguard, the two bevels and soundport were a wash price-wise.

No import charges. I found this on the Emerald site, I don't know if this is A.) correct, B.) is some special thing between the US and the EU or if it's universal:
"Will I have to pay import duties?

• If you are located within the European Union you will not have to pay import duty as VAT is already included in the price.
• If you are located in USA you will not have to pay import duty as Guitars are zero rated.
• If you are located in the rest of the world you should check locally about potential import duties."

I have a blonde Eastman AR371 (Gibson ES-175 clone) that I removed the electronics from, rewired it, and installed a Benedetto A6 pickup in. I bought it at a scratch and dent sale for $600 NOS, the pots, jack and pickup cost me $130, and now it sounds like a for-real grown up jazz guitar. If you close your eyes and listen, you'd think that guitar was waaaaaay north of $1K.

And the AR371 is the absolute bottom of Eastman's archtop line. The sound samples of the 800s and 900s I've heard are outrageously nice.

One of the reasons I went this route was that Eastman had stopped making their round soundhole acoustic archtop and I got impatient waiting for one to pop up on the used market. This also gave me an opportunity to customize the neck width, etc. too. Someday I might spring for an Erich Salomon guitar of the same ilk but for now this will do.



True dat. The workmanship is excellent, dare I say perfect. I can find no flaws or shortcuts in the build at all. The wood quality is far superior to any western-made guitars at that price point. There's no doubt they know what they're doing, and only getting better at it.



Thanks. Actually I found that design using Google. Mixing up the materials for the mountains, clouds, and moon was my idea after they presented me with a buffet of materials from which to make the inlay.

I tell ya, working with Lora and the Yolanda Team could get addicting. They are super responsive, very nice folks, that clearly got excited with the prospect of building this guitar. At the end they asked me if they could keep the pictures of it that they took!

Thanks for all the info. I checked out Yolanda Team's site and they're showing the inlay:
http://www.yolandateam.com/sdp/15949...h_armrest.html

Those specs are right up my alley. I showed the guitar to my wife and she said, "Get it if it's one you want." But I just bought a used Loar LH-400 in as new condition for less than half that price or I just might have done it. But I've learned to control GAS to some extent these days. I have three guitars - nylon, steel parlor and archtop. How many more do I need? Along with the half dozen or so horns, I'm running out of room in here!

That Erich Salomon is beautiful - at six times the price - and I'm sure it's worth every penny! I doubt the wife would say the same thing if I showed her that one.

[kmcmichael]

I converted a 7 string Eastman to a 6 string. It only required a different nut.

[pf400]

Not an archtop but Gretsch makes one superb guitar with a 1.75 inch nut width, the G6122-1959. Expensive though.

Wondering if anyone has changed out the nut of a 12 string guitar for a 6 string and how it affected the tone or pickup performance. May have to post a new thread for that.