Quote:
Originally Posted by PineMarten
With the Godins being discontinued, and other recent models like the Epiphone Masterbilts, Gretsch New Yorker, Loar etc not being around for long either, I wonder if the demand is really there. Electric archtops with routed in pickups seem to be a much more reliable segment of the market, as several budget options have been more sustainable and lasted for a good few years now.
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I think that the problem was marketing. Those guitars were sold as "jazz boxes". Folks who actually wanted a "jazz box" would likely be the type of musician willing to pay for higher quality. The products perhaps would work if they were aimed at the "folk roots - I'm not going to plug in" players. Playing my 5th Avenue is like playing through a warm valve amp, just when I'm playing acoustically. It's a lovely timbre. When my friends come around the house with their dreads I get told to get out the archtop, it is just so complimentary. That's the market to aim at. Folks who go to jams or play in local roots bands with other guitarists, or solo singer songwriters who want to put some variety into their sets. It is the second guitar buyer you need to focus on and that $500-$600 bracket is perfect for those folks. They want something pragmatic but with a bit of character to its timbre and a solid build that sets up well. Believe me, that's exactly the line I took when I ran Busker Guitars dealing with resonators - and I always had a full order book.
If I was 15 years younger I'd do it myself!!!!