Quote:
Originally Posted by sunra
In a different vein, what about an Epiphone Blackstone from the 40s or 50s? Beautiful build, necks and easy to install a pickup (raised fretboard extension).
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I used to own a '46 Blackstone, and IME they're seriously undervalued on the market (as are virtually all New York Epiphones) - you'll probably pay about 20-30% less than a Gibson L-50 (the closest comparable model) in similar condition; BTW if you're used to Gibson archtop tone be advised that the tops are carved to very different specifications, which translates to the uniquely Epiphone "cutting power" - more even across the board, versus the characteristic Gibson lower-midrange "thump." Unless you live in the Northeast Corridor they can be relatively scarce - this was considered an advanced-beginner/semi-pro 16" instrument, situated between the entry-level Zenith (the latter of which outsold/outlasted the Blackstone, which was discontinued in 1949, and was still produced in nominal quantities into the Kalamazoo era) and the Spartan, Epi's pro-level 16-incher (also discontinued by 1949) - but if you have a line on a nice one they're well worth checking out...