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  #16  
Old 02-18-2019, 03:57 PM
ozarkmac ozarkmac is offline
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Default Vega Odell

What actually drew me toward archtops was a guy playing a Vega with a Dearmond pup similar to this one in the link below.

https://reverb.com/item/18279504-odell-vega-1950-s

Anyone had any experience with these or an opinion?
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  #17  
Old 02-18-2019, 07:30 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Originally Posted by ozarkmac View Post
I need to check out the 5th Avenue. Heard a lot of good things.
You're going to hear another one, from a long-time owner; one of these little $500 tone boxes with a set of Martin Monel mediums may be all the acoustic blues machine you'll ever need, and if you need to go amplified the P-90 Kingpin version - the modern-day equivalent of those early postwar Gibson ES-125 and Epiphone Zephyr first-generation electrics - sells for about $100 more. FYI Jeff Matz (Mr. Beaumont) owns one, and if you ask him nicely he might just repost that wonderful video of him playing the daylights out of his...
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  #18  
Old 02-19-2019, 12:32 AM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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Originally Posted by ozarkmac View Post
What actually drew me toward archtops was a guy playing a Vega with a Dearmond pup similar to this one in the link below.

https://reverb.com/item/18279504-odell-vega-1950-s

Anyone had any experience with these or an opinion?
If the one in that ad plays well, it looks like a great price for an archtop that should do well for what you want to do. I'm a blues guy and I like the little Olympic Archtop reissue by Epiphone for acoustic blues. They have a midrange heavy sound that has a resonator quality. That said, the archtop bridge pickup in them isn't that great and, they would benefit from an after market magnetic pickup like a clip on DeArmond.
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  #19  
Old 02-19-2019, 08:51 AM
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Al Acuff Al Acuff is offline
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One of these new Waterloo archtop guitars from Collings would be a nice for blues.

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  #20  
Old 02-19-2019, 09:34 AM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
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Originally Posted by rockabilly69 View Post
If the one in that ad plays well, it looks like a great price for an archtop that should do well for what you want to do. I'm a blues guy and I like the little Olympic Archtop reissue by Epiphone for acoustic blues. They have a midrange heavy sound that has a resonator quality. That said, the archtop bridge pickup in them isn't that great and, they would benefit from an after market magnetic pickup like a clip on DeArmond.
I don't think I've ever come across an archtop pickup that had the intent of amplifying the acoustic sound of the instrument that sounded any good.

I think that's why you almost never see them used that way...either mag pickup and go for the electric sound, or get a microphone...
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  #21  
Old 02-20-2019, 06:45 AM
ozarkmac ozarkmac is offline
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Default Vega and Harmony

Looking seriously at a Vega e-130 and a Harmony h1310 cutaway. Any opinions on those?
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  #22  
Old 02-20-2019, 07:41 AM
MC5C MC5C is offline
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My gut says the Vega might be superior, all things being equal. I think they were always carved top instruments, and had a very good reputation up to the 1940's. The Harmony is a pressed top, which can certainly be fine, and was near the top of the Harmony line. http://harmony.demont.net/guitars/H1310/59.htm It comes down to playing them both and liking one more.
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  #23  
Old 02-20-2019, 08:02 AM
ozarkmac ozarkmac is offline
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Playing them first is the issue. Difficult to find a variety of these guitars in person. Went to st Louis and Illinois this weekend and played 2 old Gretschs which were in decent condition but I didn't like the playability. I'm 2 and half hours from st Louis then another hour to the one in Illinois.
Even the guitar center stores don't have any archtops there
There is also not a lot of information on the various Vegas. The one I'm looking at may well have been outsourced overseas and is considered lower quality but no way to confirm.
I've confirmed the model and details of the harmony 1310 I'm looking at.
Almost have to take your chances online if you really want something.
May have to take another trip to the big shop in Nashville. Can't remember name but it's the popular big store there. They're pretty proud of everything in the store if you get my drift.
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  #24  
Old 02-20-2019, 08:58 AM
MC5C MC5C is offline
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I know that in general, Vega was a top tier instrument manufacturer right up to the late 1950's, but known more for brass instruments and banjo's. I've found reference to Gibson and Harmony making bodies for them, Gibson in the 1930's - 1950's probably, and Harmony in the 1960's when Vega was winding down. It would be nice to be able to learn more about Vega, all of the reports on-line seem excellent.
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  #25  
Old 03-04-2019, 01:51 PM
ozarkmac ozarkmac is offline
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Default 1942 L-30

Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard Emerson View Post
Mac,
The Gibson archtops from the early to late 1930’s are plentiful and perfectly suited for the genre.

Look at L-30, L-37, L-50, L-75, L-4, and others. Many have flat backs and are close to L-00 size.

Happy hunting!

Howard
Looking at a 42 L-30. Was the 30s a better decade meaning better quality for these guitars? Because of the war, would they have built that era with lower quality materials?
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