PSA: High-end vintage on the (relatively) cheap...

[Steve DeRosa]

If you're an electric comper, traditional chord-melody player, roots/Americana/early blues picker, or don't do much soloing above the 12th fret, a rare opportunity to grab a flagship American electric archtop for the price of a high-end Eastman:



https://www.archtop.com/ac_51zdr_221.html

[Al Mojo]

Good call, Steve!

[Steve DeRosa]

For sure: FYI this version was the competitor to the post-1948 Gibson two-pickup ES-300, albeit with more upscale appointments (the 300 was essentially an electrified L-7 with all-laminated construction) and TMK priced slightly higher; it's interesting to see how the market has shuffled out over the years, and why New York-era Epiphones as a whole are such a bargain - here's a similar-vintage ES-300N in comparable condition, selling for $3K more on the basis of name alone:



https://harbormusic.net/products/gibson-1951-es-300

[Al Mojo]

Love it! Vintage P-90's and NY pickups rule.

[Steve DeRosa]

You might find this of interest:



https://www.archtop.com/ac_48zdr_323.html

Clearly a players' instrument with a fair bit of modification: added P-90's, gold Grover Imperials, shaved neck (except for a very brief period in the late-30's the New York Epi necks generally came in on either side of .90" at the first fret, with 10th-fret measurements as high as 1.20" ) and what I suspect is a factory refin, IMO all done by Gibson in the early/mid-60's but perfectly serviceable - not to mention $500 less than the all-original non-cut Deluxe above, and about half the price of a clean postwar example with no alterations...

[Al Mojo]

Wow, nice .. thanks for the tip! Joe seems to always the goods! At the moment I've got my hands full (but you never can tell):