The Acoustic Guitar Forum

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

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #16  
Old 01-23-2017, 01:45 PM
kayakman kayakman is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 756
Default

Keep looking for a nicer L7, they are out there..
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 01-23-2017, 02:00 PM
Chipotle Chipotle is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2,301
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kayakman View Post
Keep looking for a nicer L7, they are out there..
You can find nicer for sure, but for a price? I'll at least take a look and see if I can bargain it down, but I just want to be sure it's not totally out of line.

You can find deals on anything if you wait long enough and search hard enough, but sometimes you just wanna jump. :-)
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 01-23-2017, 02:06 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,983
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chipotle View Post
As soon as you write that, I just had to do a search... and found one right nearby: http://www.musicgoroundfortcollins.c...guitar-natural

I don't know much about those... from what I can see elsewhere online, the wear isn't out of the ordinary for that era instrument (although what happened just below the tailpiece?) and the price isn't out of line either. Does that look like a decent deal?

...You can find deals on anything if you wait long enough and search hard enough, but sometimes you just wanna jump...
I'm with kayakman - the pickguard, tuners, and tailpiece appear to be replacements (likely the bridge as well), it looks like it was oversprayed, and I'd be concerned about those tire tracks on the top...

Buy in haste, repent at leisure - there's other (and better) stuff out there for reasonable prices...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 01-23-2017, 02:19 PM
Chipotle Chipotle is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2,301
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa View Post
I'm with kayakman - the pickguard, tuners, and tailpiece appear to be replacements (likely the bridge as well), it looks like it was oversprayed, and I'd be concerned about those tire tracks on the top...

Buy in haste, repent at leisure - there's other (and better) stuff out there for reasonable prices...
Thanks, that's the kind of info I was looking for. I also noticed the color of the wood inside the fretboard inlay borders appeared different from the rest of the fretboard, as if added later. Maybe it's not in as great a shape as it seems....

Edit... didn't mean to hijack the thread. I think the lesson applies, though: be informed before you shop. And AGF is as great resource!
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 01-23-2017, 02:34 PM
jim777 jim777 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: South Jersey, USA
Posts: 277
Default

Peerless also makes some nice new archtops.
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 01-23-2017, 05:25 PM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: The Isle of Albion
Posts: 22,067
Default

I suggest some clarification here.

Surely a genuine archtop guitar is an acoustic guitar with a carved top.

An acoustic archtop may have a magnetic pick-up suspended from the raised fretboard.

Any guitar with a pick-up screwed to the top, is surely compromised acoustically, and becomes , essentially, an electric guitar.

I believe that most guitars designed for this purpose have large central wooden blocks installed under the top to reduce acoustic vibration.
__________________
Silly Moustache,
Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer.
I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom!
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 01-23-2017, 06:03 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,983
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
...Any guitar with a pick-up screwed to the top, is surely compromised acoustically, and becomes, essentially, an electric guitar...I believe that most guitars designed for this purpose have large central wooden blocks installed under the top to reduce acoustic vibration.
Only since 1958 in a production instrument (Les Paul's circa 1941 Epiphone "Log" being the exception), and that being a thin-body; since the mid-1930's your typical jazz guitar has been a full-size hollow-body archtop - whether carved/laminated, or equipped with built-in or floating pickup(s) - and the impetus for the development of thin-body instruments (with or without a center block) was the need to reduce acoustic feedback, as music grew louder and guitarists were in close quarters with increasingly-powerful amps. Although technically "electric" guitars some of the early single-pickup, non-cutaway models - particularly in the larger sizes - had surprisingly good acoustic tone; in the waning days of the big bands a number of knowledgeable players equipped themselves with fully-laminated first-run ES-300's or post-war 17" ES-150's, many of which could give a typical period all-acoustic L-7 some stiff competition (I owned a '47 L-7 and played a few 17" ES-150's over the years so I speak from experience here). With the resurgence of interest in archtops in general there's been a revival of these simple-but-effective instruments - Loar, Godin, and Washburn have all produced 16" ES-125 type models in recent years - and the circa-1950 ES-175 and its imitators/descendants have never lost their popularity among jazz players...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 01-26-2017, 12:30 AM
M Hayden M Hayden is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: The Glorious East SF Bay, CA
Posts: 1,064
Default

Having owned and played both inset-pickup and floating pickup archtop from a variety of makers, here are some observations....

- floating pickup guitars are a little woodier or stringier but don't seem to produce as much sustain as set-in pickups
- set-in pickups add sustain and warmth at the cost of some sonic detail
- just like any other acoustic instrument, scale length matters - longer often adds power, and shorter often adds sweetness
- laminates are not necessarily bad - depends on the use case.

Acoustically, a solid spruce top with a low arch a la Benedetto is warm and woody and wonderful, and records like a dream when miced.

That doesn't translate well to a lot of live situations, though. In many live situations, a single pickup laminated jazz box works better - that is, is warmer and more sustaining - than a lot of acoustically better, far more expensive instruments. This may require a pickup swap for more clarity but sounds way better through a guitar amp than many solid archtops, and it doesn't feed back like fully-acoustic carved guitars.

So if the goal is to play acoustically, then a fine hand-carved solid wood jazz box is just the thing. If you need to be able to set up quickly and have consistent, feedback-free tone in unpredictable casual situations, laminated jazz boxes serve that need.
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 01-27-2017, 06:41 PM
Spook Spook is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 882
Default

Was in the same boat. Nice flat tops.. Goodall, Kinscherff.. but wanted an archtop. Playing them in music stores was disappointing. Cardboard. Some of this was my untrained ear. Some was the 10 gauge electric guitar strings they were strung with. Some was that so few archtops are good acoustic instruments.

Loar has a loyal following. May need to be tweaked but don't let that put you off.

Yunzhi/Wu was the path I went. Google for reviews and comments. Very low ($1K) dollar risk for very good guitars built on the Benedetto pattern. Not a 30's vibe in appearance or sound but good acoustic instruments in best quality solid hand carved woods. I bought one. Ended up with seven. The oval hole models are the best all-rounder's. I play these every day.

Eastman oval hole would be my first choice if buying used. They don't make them anymore but are a very good acoustic instrument for any type of music.

Lot's of people of looking for good Gibson L7's. If you can play one and know that's what you want it will probably hold value well.
__________________
Spook
Southern Oregon
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 01-27-2017, 07:35 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,983
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Spook View Post
...Eastman oval hole would be my first choice if buying used. They don't make them anymore but are a very good acoustic instrument for any type of music...
FYI they're back, the new model designation is AR400, and they're available in at least three finishes - tobacco burst (Ted @ LA has one of these - looks cheap IMO ), classic ('20s L-4 redburst - Soundpure had one and it's my fave of the bunch - this one's on my 2017 GAS shortlist ), and blacktop (like an F-2 mandolin or early L-10), as well as a mandocello version...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 01-31-2017, 07:54 PM
1Charlie 1Charlie is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Posts: 1,484
Default

For around $1000, I would be looking for a Guild X-50 from the '50's or early '60's. Beats an ES-125 at its own game!
__________________
Neal

A few nice ones, a few beaters, and a few I should probably sell...
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 02-06-2017, 07:36 AM
willysunday willysunday is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 349
Default

Dave,

If you're still looking...

"Peerless also makes some nice new archtops" they sure do. I just picked up a 17" Monarch from an ad in Jazz Guitar classified. Great guitar and hardshell for $900- looks new. The same guy has a Cremona by Peerless that also looks new for a little more money.

Someone mentioned Peerless makes guitars for other brands- Epi & others. I don't know if they are building the new Masterbilts or not.

On the other hand, I have some vintage arch tops. Kalamazooes, Harmony and very nice '48-49 Gibson L-48. If you're interested, email me at nedelab at gmail dot com.

bill
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 02-07-2017, 10:12 AM
sayheyjeff sayheyjeff is online now
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 3,376
Default

I have extremely happy with the Eastman 805 e I bought used a couple
Of years ago. My first guitar of this type. It was hardly more expensive than the loar, godin, and slip one models I found to compare. Found it to be a lot of guitar and I am aging a lot of fun with it.

Jeff
__________________
Flammang RS35, Flammang el35, SC 000 12 Fret ss, SC H13, SC PJ, Rockbridge 00, Eastman 810ce, Recording King RPH 03, Martin LX (on loan), Martin 0018vs (given to Godson), Lowden F388c (traded), SC OM (traded), Martin OM28v (traded), Martin 00017s (sold), Bourgeois Martin Simpson Slope D 12 fret (sold), Larrivee Parlor (traded), Larrivee L05MT (sold), Gibson LG1 (sold), Seagull Folk (traded)
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 02-07-2017, 08:18 PM
Wengr Wengr is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Northeast Penna.
Posts: 2,287
Default

Where to start imo, would be to determine if you desire an acoustic guitar, or an electric guitar.
__________________
Sobell Model 1
Sobell six string archtop
Gibson ES-165 Herb Ellis
Eastman John Pisano
Gibson Johnny A
Franklin Prairie State
Collings D1A
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 02-07-2017, 08:55 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,983
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wengr View Post
Where to start imo, would be to determine if you desire an acoustic guitar, or an electric guitar.
Um, he did:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Sharona View Post
...I'm talking (in particular) about full-hollow acoustic arch tops, not semi-hollow or solid body arch top guitars...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
Reply

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

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:01 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=