Woul'd like your opinion - Best Archtop under $10k

[Alan Carruth]

I've got a fairly fancy on on hand you could try, and my base price for an archtop is under $10k.

[Rossw]

Originally Posted by Alan Carruth

I've got a fairly fancy on on hand you could try, and my base price for an archtop is under $10k.

Can you please elaborate? I'm not following. Thanks

[bigsnaketex]

I've got an embarassing number of guitars but only one archtop.

I paid about a day's wage for an old Washburn 17" maple archtop that I refurbished with all kinds of new shiny parts, engravings, inlays, dual humbuckers, etc and by the time I got it finished and set up like I wanted it, it plays like it cost 10 grand and I wouldn't trade it or sell it for anything.

So don't lose sight of the journey because that's where the fun is!!

[Dr. Jazz]

this has been a fun thread. You seldom run across folks with a knowledge of Archies. At least outside the pure jazz world. And even the jazz guys seldom show an interest in the acoustic sound of an Archtop guitar.

[Kitchen Guitars]

Playing a Solomon is a dream. Wonderful, wonderful guitars!

Harv that is beautiful! I didn't know you had your hat in the Archtops also!

[coldshot]

Harv's archie is a work of art.

Since i got my 2000 Gibson L5ces my archtop search ceased.

[harvl]

Originally Posted by Kitchen Guitars

Playing a Solomon is a dream. Wonderful, wonderful guitars!

Harv that is beautiful! I didn't know you had your hat in the Archtops also!

I'll build just about anything with strings... I've built 25 or 30 archtops so that's less than 10%. I like them because they are a bit less cookie-cutter than flattops. More like sculpture.

I found another one, this one is an acoustic with walnut back and sides. The inlays are fun too.

[The Eristic]

Redentore, built by Mark Piper, one of the two men who built the Guild Benedettos. They equal or better every modern archtop I've had my hands on, and have consistently been among the very best guitars I've played, period. The most decked-out model clocks in at $8495, two "plainer" models go down by a grand per tier. When I am able to budget for my next major purchase, I'll almost certainly be ordering a Santissimo.

http://www.redentoreguitars.com/

[Tuba Mike]

http://blog.metmuseum.org/guitarheroes/

[Rossw]

Originally Posted by harvl

I'll build just about anything with strings... I've built 25 or 30 archtops so that's less than 10%. I like them because they are a bit less cookie-cutter than flattops. More like sculpture.

I found another one, this one is an acoustic with walnut back and sides. The inlays are fun too.

That's really awesome. I have no idea how it plays or sounds, but it's a very cool looking guitar. As a huge Beatles fan..I want one!

[Livingston]

Originally Posted by drcmusic7

I can't say enough good things about Erich Solomon. Highly recommended. If I buy a new archtop, it will be from him.

http://www.solomonguitars.com/

Kindly,
Danny

+1.

Played an Erich Solomon guitar at Healdsburg that sounded wonderful as a fingerstyle instrument. Sounded great with a flat pick as well.

I guess I would add that I wouldn't rule out other makers that build acoustic archtops. I'd like to check out a Howard Klepper archtop someday. He has one with a round sound hole that I'm guessing sounds wonderful as a fingerstyle instrument.

One other thing I'd mention...not all archtops are designed to be purely acoustic. Maybe I am stating the obvious. Many (most?) archtops are designed as electric instruments - e.g. Gibson ES175, etc. They don't sound very good acoustically, especially if used to hearing a beautiful handmade flattop. Amplified, they sound wonderful but acoustically, maybe not so much.

Having said that, I'd look for the builders that making an acoustic archtop vs. an electric archtop. Your price range should get you a very nice guitar.

[Nick Beach]

One letter and one number is all you need to answer this question.

L5

[Howard Klepper]

Email me.

Or not.

[Alan Carruth]

Rossw asked:
"Can you please elaborate? I'm not following. Thanks"

The fancy archtop I have on hand is my 'Winter' guitar; sort of a portfolio piece with a certain amount or MOP on it. You can see some pictures of it on my web site. Other than the inlay and soundhole shape it's prety much like my 'base' model, which costs less than 10k. Sorry if that was not clear.

[harvl]

Originally Posted by Rossw

That's really awesome. I have no idea how it plays or sounds, but it's a very cool looking guitar. As a huge Beatles fan..I want one!

The owner of this guitar actually has it for sale... a divorce related tragedy to be sure. The original price was $18K but I think he's looking for something in the range of this thread title. Knowing the owner it's probably immaculate.

Harv