[RoyBoy]

I believe it's all a matter of supply and demand. Acoustic swing (count me in) is such a small microcosm of the market that there simply aren't enough buyers to justify larger companies continuing to produce them. Luckily, the internet has made it easier for players to secure older instruments at not too outrageous prices.

As a builder, I can tell you that archtop guitars require some serious size bolts of wood for the tops and backs (priced accordingly). Then there's the carving of those beautiful 3 dimensional arches. Even starting with CNC, the voicing is still a time consuming process.