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  #1  
Old 02-19-2018, 10:26 AM
Prof_Stack Prof_Stack is offline
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Default Gibson Modern Archtop

I saw yesterday on the Gibson website that they have a Gibson Custom "Modern Archtop" with carved solid top spruce and laminated maple sides and back. $5k list price. Two "57" pickups.

Is this a new item, or one that has been available via custom shop for a while?

Anyone here have experience with it?
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Old 02-19-2018, 10:57 AM
cmajor9 cmajor9 is offline
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Here's the Gibson product page:

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Elect...n-Archtop.aspx

Actually, the Modern Archtop has both a carved spruce top and carved mahogany body (not laminate). Of course its still intended as as electric guitar, not acoustic. Good to see Gibson trying something new.
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Old 02-19-2018, 11:06 AM
imwjl imwjl is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Prof_Stack View Post
I saw yesterday on the Gibson website that they have a Gibson Custom "Modern Archtop" with carved solid top spruce and laminated maple sides and back. $5k list price. Two "57" pickups.

Is this a new item, or one that has been available via custom shop for a while?

Anyone here have experience with it?
No but I've compared other Gibson Custom Shop guitars to Collings and Herritage. I hope their trying something new at Collings prices means you get Collings quality.
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Old 02-19-2018, 10:19 PM
Prof_Stack Prof_Stack is offline
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Is the Modern Archtop made in the USA?
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Old 02-19-2018, 10:44 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Thumbnail markers, small Florentine cutaway hollow body, "eggplant" pickguard - reminds me of a '57 Gretsch Rambler with cat's-eye soundholes (another "borrowed" Gretsch feature); FYI the Rambler died within about a year, this one's not going to do any better - and the Gretsch was cheaper to boot, relative to the market...
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Old 02-20-2018, 08:44 AM
imwjl imwjl is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa View Post
Thumbnail markers, small Florentine cutaway hollow body, "eggplant" pickguard - reminds me of a '57 Gretsch Rambler with cat's-eye soundholes (another "borrowed" Gretsch feature); FYI the Rambler died within about a year, this one's not going to do any better - and the Gretsch was cheaper to boot, relative to the market...

You make me wonder if a whole lot of Gibson’s market are existing customers and people who want one of the traditional Gibson designs.

I sure give them credit for doing something new or different. In the market for something different or variations on a theme they’re up against a Collings in the same price neighborhood. To compete there it will have to have the WOW, how did humans do something so perfect aspect. When you get outside of all the work they do reproducing classics you see a whole lot of serious competition.

I say good luck to them. Recent news shows they’ve got business problems to overcome and guitars are probably their only salvation if they solve the debt problems. At least I don’t have much interest in the other businesses they’ve bought.
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Old 02-20-2018, 10:47 AM
cmajor9 cmajor9 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Prof_Stack View Post
Is the Modern Archtop made in the USA?
As far as I know, all Gibson-branded guitars are currently made in the US.
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Old 02-20-2018, 10:49 AM
cmajor9 cmajor9 is offline
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Here's a Gretsch Rambler:



Maybe its me, but I don't see a lot of similarity to the Gibson Modern Archtop.
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Old 02-20-2018, 11:22 AM
kayakman kayakman is offline
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5,000.00, too much for that thing!
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Old 02-20-2018, 11:59 AM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
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Interesting guitar...jazz players are a pretty small market, but this definitely seems aimed at the young jazz player market--a lot of those guys are playing Victor Baker's instruments and similar, going smaller and thinner than the "jazzboxes" of old...

Seeing that VB can make a fully customized instrument for 1-2k less than this, it smells of another Gibson fail.
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  #11  
Old 02-20-2018, 11:47 PM
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I like the idea of the carved mahogany back, 15" lower bout, and shallow body depth. Not sure how modern (as in cutting edge) this is (as others have already pointed out) but perhaps modern for Gibson.

I do think the cutaway while not earth-shattering has a very contemporary shape. Perhaps same comment on the updated f-holes. I wonder if there was an opportunity to update the pick guard with a more modern shape and perhaps the same material used in the fretboard (Richlite?).

I wish more makers "updating" or "modernizing" their guitars would use an endpin jack instead of a jack plate cover mounted in the side of the lower bout of the guitar. The former seems like such an elegant solution to the latter, which in contrast seems so archaic and impractical. I also wish someone would try 1 volume + 1 tone + a "blend" pot and 3 way switch instead of 2 volume + 2 tone pots and 3 way switch. I think these mods would certainly modernize archtops in a very positive way.

I would have favored a shorter scale neck with a 1-3/4" nut width, but arguably perhaps a 25.5" scale is more modern than 24.75". Lastly, it seems like finish, tailpiece, potentiometer knobs, pick-up switches and tuners would have been a very visible way of modernizing the guitar.

Would love to hear and play this guitar. I think the carved spruce top and carved mahogany back combined with shallow body could be a winning combination. Hat's off to Gibson for taking a whack at a new guitar.
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Old 03-16-2018, 11:11 AM
jwguitar jwguitar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cmajor9 View Post
Here's the Gibson product page:

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Elect...n-Archtop.aspx

Actually, the Modern Archtop has both a carved spruce top and carved mahogany body (not laminate). Of course its still intended as as electric guitar, not acoustic. Good to see Gibson trying something new.
I really like that guitar. That is definitely something I would play. I even like the sound holes. The only thing I would change would be Id like a fanciers tailpiece but that is a very small thing.
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Old 03-20-2018, 10:04 PM
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I am an archtop builder and made a carved Mahogany/Sitka 15” model a couple of years ago. Floating Kent Armstrong pickup. Top was made from 20 year old billets from the Bellanca Aircraft wing factory which used to be in my home town.

It has a very warm acoustic sound and is very easy to play ergonomically compared to a 17” model.

Big drawback? The carved Mahogany body feeds back a lot more than Maple or a laminate back. For me F hole plugs are mandatory even on a fairly quite stage.

I still love the guitar.

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  #14  
Old 03-22-2018, 04:03 AM
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Who ever designed the Gibson "Modern" line should be fired immediately, along with Henry.
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  #15  
Old 03-24-2018, 07:33 AM
jwguitar jwguitar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cmajor9 View Post
Here's a Gretsch Rambler:



Maybe its me, but I don't see a lot of similarity to the Gibson Modern Archtop.
That is beautiful. I love how the sharp cutaway looks on that guitar while still maintaining the Gretsch look.
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