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  #1  
Old 06-03-2022, 03:01 PM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Default It's just too big!

18" might have been just fine for a guy as tall as Scott Chinery was, but I'm 5'4", so no way.

I'm told it sounded good out front, though.

Photo courtesy of Michael Watts.



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  #2  
Old 06-03-2022, 03:43 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard Emerson View Post
18" might have been just fine for a guy as tall as Scott Chinery was, but I'm 5'4", so no way.

I'm told it sounded good out front, though.

Photo courtesy of Michael Watts.



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Holey Moley, that thing is gargantuan!
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  #3  
Old 06-03-2022, 04:55 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Hey, if this guy could handle a J-200 none of us should have any complaints about "size" :

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Old 06-03-2022, 05:19 PM
tbeltrans tbeltrans is offline
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True enough, though one player is sitting down with the guitar on his knee, while the other is standing up and using a strap.

I have a Peerless Robert Conti Equity archtop that is 17". Granted it is thin like a 335, but still too big for me to play as Howard is doing. I use a strap and can then position it so I can handle it. I don't play it as much as I did the Ibanez and now the Howard Roberts though.

I much prefer smaller guitars because years ago, I broke one bone in my right wrist and since then, I lost half the rotation of that hand. I had to make adjustments with regard to how I hold a guitar in order to continue playing.

So though small body guitars have become more popular in recent years, they have always been my choice.

The Ibanez archtop that I just sold, and the Gibson Howard Roberts that I just replaced it with, both have 14 or 14 1/2" lower bout and short scale. That is ideal for me. It is amazing how a few inches in body size and scale length, and a few millimeters in string spacing can make such a difference in playability.

Tony
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  #5  
Old 06-03-2022, 06:09 PM
Sage Runner Sage Runner is offline
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That’s a Massive Blue Whale Howard. Cool looking though. The 16” prewar L-5 is optimum for size. Too bad Gibson and Epiphone got in the Bigger is better war. It’s understood with the quest for volume before Pick-ups came along. 17” is sill larger than I prefer, but there’s probably 10 17” Vintage arch-tops to 1 16” or smaller. Imagine if Gibson made a 14 1/2” Loar L-5 back in the Day. I often see old Emperors that look real tempting, but the size always keeps me from crossing that Bridge.
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Old 06-03-2022, 06:17 PM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard Emerson View Post
18" might have been just fine for a guy as tall as Scott Chinery was, but I'm 5'4", so no way.

I'm told it sounded good out front, though.

Photo courtesy of Michael Watts.



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Howard Emerson
That does look huge on you, Howard! Beautiful guitar, though!

Great photo from Michael Watts!

- Glenn
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  #7  
Old 06-03-2022, 07:13 PM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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This one has fit me perfectly since 1976.



HE
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Last edited by Howard Emerson; 06-04-2022 at 03:53 AM. Reason: Photo embedding
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  #8  
Old 06-03-2022, 07:51 PM
Sage Runner Sage Runner is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard Emerson View Post
This one has fit me perfectly since 1976.

https://i.imgur.com/pZ5AOw6.jpg

HE
. Those Early 16” L-5s are the classiest Arch-top of all time.
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Last edited by Sage Runner; 06-03-2022 at 09:58 PM.
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  #9  
Old 06-04-2022, 03:31 PM
GerryJ GerryJ is offline
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Who is the luthier for that? It looks like one of those Chinery (r.i.p.) archtops, but I thought those were all blue color.
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Old 06-04-2022, 04:16 PM
Bluemonk Bluemonk is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GerryJ View Post
Who is the luthier for that? It looks like one of those Chinery (r.i.p.) archtops, but I thought those were all blue color.
It's a Monteleone. They all started blue, but most of them morphed in color over time.
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  #11  
Old 06-04-2022, 05:02 PM
DanR DanR is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa View Post
Hey, if this guy could handle a J-200 none of us should have any complaints about "size" :

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  #12  
Old 06-07-2022, 09:23 AM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard Emerson View Post
This one has fit me perfectly since 1976.



HE
Yes, Howard, the L5 is such a classic! That looks perfect on you!

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  #13  
Old 01-07-2023, 07:33 PM
Quickstep192 Quickstep192 is offline
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What the thing that appears to be poking out of the bass side upper bout that looks like an adjusting knob?
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  #14  
Old 01-07-2023, 08:42 PM
DCCougar DCCougar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard Emerson View Post
18" might have been just fine for a guy as tall as Scott Chinery was, but I'm 5'4", so no way.
17.25" is plenty big enough for me!


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  #15  
Old 01-08-2023, 05:27 AM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Quickstep192 View Post
What the thing that appears to be poking out of the bass side upper bout that looks like an adjusting knob?
That is the knob/rod that opens/closes the sound hole in front.

If you look carefully the stainless steel door panel is just protruding from the fingerboard side of the sound hole.

Here's a recent video of John where he's just been reunited with The Rocket Convertible, which I played a few tunes on that day.





HE
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