Most Recommended Starter Archtops?
 

I'm thinking about getting an archtop, and know nothing about them. What are the 3 or 4 most commonly recommended intro archtops? $500-$1k neighborhood. Some additional details: I don't need a p'up, will be using it for rhythm, not playing jazz, mostly interested because GAS. Thanks!

In that price range, I'd be all about a Loar 600.

A ‘50’s era Gibson L-50 can sometimes be found at the top end of that range. Or, barring that, an L-48.

In the under-$1K bracket there are some vintage bargains to be had, if you look around:

• Epiphone ('40s/50s New York, '60s Kalamazoo) Zenith
• Guild A-50 Cordoba
• Gibson L-48
• Gretsch New Yorker
• Gretsch Corsair
• Harmony Cremona
• Harmony Patrician
• Regal and National 16" instruments made by Gibson/Harmony/Kay

I've also seen the occasional Eastman non-cutaway AR605 - an all-solid/all-carved 16-incher - selling around $1K, and their 1920's Gibson L-4 clone AR400 in the $600-800 bracket; on the other hand, if you just want a comp box on the cheap the recently-discontinued Godin 5th Avenue acoustic can be had for as little as $250-300 used/$450-500 as new-old-stock, and while it won't sound quite like a carved-top jazzbox it'll give you plenty of classic archtop rhythm "bark" when set up with medium-gauge monel strings or heavy-gauge phosphor-bronze...

There are some nice Epiphone Masterbilt Zenith and Olympics for under $1000 Canadian. These have a really nice pickup system with the tone and volume controls hidden in the treble f-hole and easy to reach.
The Deluxe is a bit bigger, but a bit over $1000 (in Canada)

http://images.epiphone.com.s3.amazon...oSite_Dif1.jpg

I hadn't appreciated appreciated that Godin had discontinued the acoustic 5th ave

Don’t bother with the new Epiphones, picked up a Olympic converted to lefty and it’s crap. Feels cheap and sounds cheap.

FYI the Masterbilt Century line (Olympic, Zenith, Deluxe) has been dropped from the 2020 product listings (finally!), along with the other full-size electric archtops (Broadway, Joe Pass, Swingster, ES-175) and the Century thinline - let's hope the long-rumored New York-style reissues aren't too long in coming...

If they do New York styled reissues, I will not be able to resist.

hi, as you mention dollars I'm assuming you are in North America.
my first arch-top was a '64 Harmony Monterey, whch I bought via Ebay and it was and still is perfect.
On the US ebay there is one in Seattle for $799 which has had a neck reset so should be good to go - metalwork looks a tad tired, but such things can be easily replaced.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1963-Harmon...IAAOSwe5peAB3f

Go a little more and get any Eastman.

I have two Eastman arch tops, one laminated and one solid wood. They are an incredible value.

Loar 600
 

I second the recommendation of the Loar 600. Same design as a 1920's Gibson L-5, nice full neck, all solid woods. They sound really great if you add one of the repro DeArmond pickups, which cost about $120.

Eastman 371
 

Can also recommend the Eastman AR-371. It's basically a Gibson ES-175, and the quality is right up there. I have the sunburst version with a single pickup at the neck (don't like too much hardware and weight on the face of a guitar. It's a total workhorse-- stays in tune, doesn't need any attention.

Loar 600
 

You can find this model online for $500-800. Fully carved, great acoustic sound. I put a repro DeArmond pickup on mine, sounds killer.