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Old 06-22-2022, 01:08 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
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I do - I own a 5th Avenue, play just about anything with a Gretsch logo on the headstock every chance I get...

First off, if you're using flattop guitars as a reference point be advised that laminated construction doesn't have the same deleterious effect on tone - something double-bass makers have known for over a century (FYI New York-era Epiphone laminated basses still have a strong following among knowledgeable players); while it'll never be a threat to a Loar-era L-5 the Godin is a fine-sounding little 16-incher in the mold of the postwar student archtops, with a bit more upper-bass/lower-midrange response that'll make it more appealing to a newbie and/or someone looking for an outside-the-box fingerstyle instrument - and with a set of medium-gauge monels it'll also do the Big Band four-to-the-bar comp thing. If you've ever played one of the Seagull mini-jumbos you'll find a lot to like here - including the light weight (thanks to the ultra-thin woods used in its construction) and identical neck profile...

Conversely and unfortunately, IME the New Yorker's solid top does little for tone - I've played a few (both the original acoustic-only and the current DeArmond equipped model) and find them to be thin, metallic, and strident-sounding; in addition, unless you've ever handled one in person suffice it to say that the neck is an anachronistic '20s profile (the original Gretsch New Yorker - an all-laminated instrument BTW - was introduced in 1949) - a thick V-shape which, depending on what you're accustomed to, can be a real bear to handle. If you're looking for a solid carved-top with a big neck, save up your bucks and score a postwar 16" New York Epiphone (Zenith, Blackstone, Spartan) - no tonal compromises, still available at fairly reasonable prices, and built to the quality standard you'd expect from a good vintage guitar; although the Loar LH-600 has "that" classic Jazz Age tone and can be had used for under $1K if you look around, the neck geometry - very important to both the tone and playability of an archtop (more so than a typical flattop) - can be a bit of a crap shoot, and even though it would appear to check all your boxes I didn't/wouldn't recommend it...
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Last edited by Steve DeRosa; 06-25-2022 at 08:53 PM.
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