Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa
Grab a nice cold beverage of your choice, take a deep breath, and sit back - this is going to take some time...
- First off, if you haven't listened to (or played) many acoustic archtops you might want to get acquainted with their general tonal characteristics (very different from a flattop guitar - quicker response; narrower, midrange-biased tonal spectrum; harder/punchier attack; less sustain - and very unforgiving of technical deficiencies) before you consider laying down your money; there's no doubt they're unbelievably cool and classy-looking - what Ibanez justly referred to in a recent ad campaign as "guitar royalty" - and many players buy them for that reason alone, only to be disappointed when they don't meet up to their preconceived notions of tone. Archtops can be excellent blues instruments (and they're synonymous with the term "jazz guitar") - just don't expect the same results you'd get from an old National reso or Kalamazoo flattop...
- Addressing your two options:
- For reasons I'll explain below, I'd restrict myself to new instruments for a first purchase - good news is that there are currently more new archtops available on the market than there have been in nearly sixty years, ranging in price from US$500 to $50,000+, so the only determining factor is how much you're willing to spend. The lowest-priced instruments (those under $1000) occupy the niche of the old Harmony/Kay student archtops from the '40s-50s - serviceable, playable instruments (far better-built than the originals, BTW) with acceptable tone, and a good inexpensive introduction to the genre for a first-timer; while some of these - Epiphone Masterbilt Olympic/Zenith/Deluxe, Gretsch New Yorker, Loar LH-300 - have solid tops (carved in the case of the Loar) I've found the effect on overall tone to be negligible. Frankly, if I were asked to recommend an instrument in this price range I'd go with the all-acoustic, all laminated Godin 5th Avenue (FYI they make a single-pickup electric version as well as a two-pickup cutaway); interestingly enough, a laminated top doesn't have the same detrimental effect as on a flattop - upright bass players have been using laminated instruments for the last 80 years, and savvy working players in the post-WW II era often bought a 17" Gibson ES-150 as a true dual-purpose (acoustic and electric) guitar...
When you reach the US$1500 range you're looking at all-solid-wood, fully-carved instruments made by one of the Asian firms, as well as some dual-purpose guitars like the Guild A-150 Savoy. There are generally two schools of thought here: close adherence to vintage designs and specifications - with tonal characteristics to match - and a more contemporary approach, adopting visual/tonal cues from present-day luthiers like Benedetto, Buscarino, Monteleone, et al.; again, you need to decide what your musical needs are, as well as what's most comfortable for you to play. By way of example, the Loar LH-700 - a near dead-on copy of a mid/late-1920's 16" Gibson L-5 - will get you that incisive, brash, old-time tone in spades, but if you're not used to playing vintage instruments you might find the period-accurate, thick deep-V 1-3/4" neck difficult to negotiate; similarly, the comparably-sized/priced Eastman AR605 possesses a somewhat softer, mellower tone, but has both a more modern-feeling neck and a 21st-century visual aesthetic...
Crack the US$4000 mark and you're beginning to get into the domain of hand-carved, luthier-built guitars - the only limits here being what you're willing to pay for fancier woods/trim - as well as upscale factory-production jazzboxes from the likes of Gibson and Heritage. While I don't think you'll be looking at one of these for a first purchase (although my father's mechanic had a rare circa-1950 18" Epiphone Deluxe that he bought brand-new and never really learned to play - I should have grabbed this one for the $200 asking price back in 1969  ) I'd strongly recommend playing one or more of these if the opportunity presents itself - learn what the big-ticket stuff feels/sounds like, and use that as one of your criteria for evaluating your purchase...
- Archtops are, by nature, highly-idiosyncratic and often-temperamental beasts, and few players/guitar techs born after the Eisenhower administration really understand what makes them tick; that said, I'd never buy a repaired/restored vintage archtop from eBay, Craigslist, newspaper classifieds, et al. Unless you're familiar with the specific needs of these instruments - neck geometry (extremely important, far above and beyond that of a flattop), bridge fitment (base contouring, range of adjustment), top contour (sometimes what looks like a "sagging top" really isn't - and sometimes it is), tailpiece alignment (I've seen a few that have been off-center), etc. - there's just too many ways to get burned, and I haven't even touched on the usual caveats of neck warp/twist, binding disintegration, improper refinishing, worn/non-level frets, and the like; IME too many of the instruments you're likely to find in the classifieds were "project" guitars for amateur would-be techs at one point or another, mostly around the time they went out of fashion, and it'll cost you far more to get them "right" than it would to buy a similar piece from a reputable dealer - or a new one with a full factory warranty...
Hope this helps...  |
Wow such good info.
I don’t want to hijack this thread so I hope this adds to the conversation.
I too am interested in getting an an archtop. My desires for one are a little different.
I currently want one for solo classic country playing. With a couple caveat.
1. My budget is around $800 USD
2. I want to use a “touch of thunder” Humbucker as a pickup. Plus either a second magnetic pickup or add some type of acoustic pickup as I’d really love to capture an acoustic sound. (Although I would accept good acoustic simulated sound via body Rez tone dexter or something else.)
3. I would like this guitar to really take the place of my acoustic flat top and my telecaster for rhythm and solo acoustic performances. I would really like to be able to play this acoustically as well so I’m keen on a guitar that is not semi hollow or thin.
The type of music I want this for is; primarily a gigging solo country classic songs.
Of course playing with others should be easy too.
Sheesh I don’t ask too much do I.
I was pretty keen on the Loar 319 but am apprehensive of the neck. Maybe there’s a better guitar for my needs within budget. I mostly liked the Loar because I’m led to believe the solid carved top and violin voicing would be an advantage for an acoustic sound when playing unplugged.
Gigging is more important then playing unplugged so as long as it’s loud enough and acoustically playable to use as a couch guitar and sing with that’s enough.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.