Suggestions for a newbie
 

hello,
I have been playing guitar for quite a while now and have been playing a lot of acoustic and fingerstyle. I need a new guitar and was thinking of an archtop but I am very new to that type of guitar so I would want suggestions. I would like a good but if possible economic guitar(perhaps between $300-$700). What are good options for me?

The Godin 5th Avenue line of archtops are within your budget. I've played a few and they are darned nice guitars for the money...

First off, welcome... :)

I'll second Dan on the Godins - I own two (an acoustic 5th Avenue and a single-cut CW II electric) and they're great guitars for the money; FYI there's a minor resurgence that's been taking place over the last decade or so, and there's been a gradual trickle-down effect - no longer do you need to fork over $4K or more as your price of admission to the archtop world. While $500 can get you the modern equivalent of those old '50s Harmony and Kay comp boxes - the Gretsch New Yorker (in both pure acoustic and electric versions), Loar LH-300 (this one's got a carved top), and the aforementioned Godin (all light-years ahead of the old stuff, BTW) - if you can hold out and squirrel away $1000-1500 you can come away with a Guild A-150 or one of the lower-line Eastman models, IMO far more guitar for the money...

thankyou :D

Used Eastman archtops pop up occasionally in the AGF Classifieds...

I have a couple of laminate top archtops, and I find that they have a dramatically different sound than does a good carved top guitar. Not a bad sound necessarily, just really different. I was struck by this when I played a Godin - great player, did not like the sound at all. My recommendation - if you are playing acoustically, get an archtop without a pickup and controls mounted in the top. Makes a big difference in sound. Try to get to a shop where you can play a proper acoustic carved top archtop - like a vintage gibson carved top fully acoustic, or a boutique luthier made instrument - just so you can educate your ears on what such a guitar can sound like. That will inform your search. I find that most entry level (under $1K) archtops I play in stores are heavily biased towards being electric guitars and have a poor acoustic tone.

Yunzhi. Expert violin/cello makers in China have been making archtops for several years now. Best solid woods. Benedetto style construction. Electronics suck but wood working and tone are first rate. Can be found used in your price range.

I have a Godin Kingpin with the single P90 neck PU. No it's not a punchy arch-top acoustic jazz guitar, not even close.

This is a remake of the old plywood every man's arch-top of the late 40's and 50's. With pure nickel 0.13's your can get a decent roots unplugged sound out of the plywood. The build quality is really nice for the price point. They can be had used for 4-5 bills all the time.

The P90 through a tube amp really shines for retro tones. I use an Excelsior and it likes the mic channel.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...pska3k7g66.jpg

Find a Godin dealer and try one of these. Remember that it's probably got the stock 0.12's on it and that it takes 0.13's to wake it up.

- or 14's to turn it into a total acoustic tone monster; that's what I've got on my acoustic 5th Avenue, and it'll chunk out those '40s Big Band rhythm chords till the cows come home...

Hi there and welcome! I am a AGF sponsor and carry the Godin 5th Ave archtops which are great guitars. Please check out our website at www.pacificguitarsales.com. Of course we have special pricing for AGF members. Thanks, Jerry 818-992-7939

The Loar LH650 or LH700 is a very nice 16" acoustic archtop. Shop around to find a good one.