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#16
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Not sure I will not opt for the acoustic Eastman. Tom |
#17
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Thank you for that option. I have heard the 125 on YouTube and it is nice and mellow. Tom
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#18
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There's also the new Godin 5th Avenue Jumbo P-Rail, which gives you the option of three distinct pickup tonalities (P-90, humbucker, and "Fender" single-coil - the latter more DeArmond-like in this application IMO) with the added richness and depth of the larger body; the only drawbacks here are the Bigsby (which adds a substantial amount of unwanted weight to what would be a 5 lb.+/- guitar ![]()
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#19
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But yeah, the lowly Kingpin is a great single pickup jazzbox. I still play mine a lot, even though I like my Heritage even better ![]() |
#20
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Folks: would anyone know the difference between the AR805CE and the AR503CE?
A local dealer just advised he has a used 503 in stock if I would like to try it. Last edited by tmont; 10-24-2022 at 10:24 AM. |
#21
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I think it's laminated back and sides versus solid maple
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#22
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The 805 is solid maple?
And I will check your YouTube channel out! Thanks |
#23
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I'm realizing I haven't done any videos with myKingpin in quite a while. I'll need to remedy that. Here's one with a decent amount of single notes and chords so you can get the "full picture" of the sound. I've said for years, best budget archtop on the market. I tend to play my Heritage more as it's my "nicer" guitar and I like the cutaway, but I'd be comfortable gigging the Kingpin pretty much any where any time. |
#24
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#25
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Carter Vintage usually has some player grade ES125's at the store. I got one a few years ago. It has scars, but it has good bones.
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#26
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![]() https://cartervintage.com/collection...xe-regent-1949 BTW a lot of savvy local semi-pros bought these (and their postwar Gibson ES-150 counterpart) as dual-purpose acoustic + electric guitars: the best of them could rival a contemporary Triumph/Broadway cutaway for tone and volume, and with the recent re-availability of pure nickel and monel strings (either of which would be period-correct) it could be a true best-of-all-worlds - laminate durability and feedback resistance with viable acoustic response... ![]()
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#27
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I played the 5th Ave Jumbo with the single pickup yesterday (unplugged only). It's a pretty nice guitar, and plays really well. The acoustic sound was fuller than the smaller bodied 5th ave (I've owned a couple, but they've never stuck). Worth checking out.
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#28
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I gotta Echo What Steve and others have shared regards to Vintage Carved Arch tops. Vintage NY EPIPHONE have always been my choice for Value and Tone quality, and the best bang for the Buck $ . I own Three Old Carved top Epiphone Archtops. All my Acoustic Guitars are Vintage, except for a few Custom Flat top Guitars I crafted over the last 35 years. The High end Eastman guitars continues to get high praise. Few years back the old Gibson ES 120,125,140 and 150 were fairly affordable, but they have become more sought after and command big money now. I really dig the old P-90 pickups and those old laminated entry level Gibson Jazzers from the Golden Era are well built and will continue to last a lifetime. The P-90 pickups are also great for bottle neck slide, playing blues, rockabilly and of course Jazz. Even though I primarily play Acoustic, I am still hanging onto my 1956 ES175D. Best of luck on your search! Sage
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Sage Runner Last edited by Sage Runner; 11-16-2022 at 09:45 AM. |
#29
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If you're looking for an archtop electric, an ES-125 is a superb choice, but make sure it still has the original P-90, because many of them were harvested back when the ES-125 was a "cheap" guitar.
I have a very clean '55 that I paid $2000 for a few months ago, and it's an absolute delight to play. It has that wonderfully fulsome, round '50s Gibson neck profile, and the action can go as low as anyone would ever desire. The tone is absolutely lovely too, and it even sounds pretty good unplugged. I have it strung with Thomastik Infeld Jazz Swing flatwound .012s. In today's skyrocketing vintage guitar market, the ES-125 remains one of the few affordable '50s electric guitars made by one of the major companies. ![]() ![]() ![]()
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1937(?) Silvertone Songster 1955 Gibson ES-125 1956 Fender Champ lap steel 1964 Guild Starfire III 1984 Rickenbacker 330 1990s Mosrite (Kurokumo) Ventures 2002/2005 Fender Japan '60s Tele [TL-62-66US] 2018 Martin Custom Shop 00-18 slot-head 2021 Fender Vintera '60s Jazzmaster 1963 Fender Bandmaster (blonde blackface) 1965 Ampeg Gemini I 2020 Mojotone tweed Champ kit build |
#30
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I've owned a 2007 Eastman MDC805 (the mandocello version of the AR805) for several years. A few years back I swapped out the nut and bridge and now it's an archtop guitar. Added a Kent Armstrong floating neck magnetic pickup and it's similar to an AR805E. I also have a piezo SBT that I can blend with the neck pickup. I have Curt Mangan round core monels on it, .013 (mediums). It's great unplugged as well as plugged in. The Godin archtops I've tried didn't have near the same unplugged volume, which is important to me. Last edited by Mandobart; 02-17-2023 at 05:43 PM. |