#16
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Keep looking for a nicer L7, they are out there..
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#17
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You can find nicer for sure, but for a price? I'll at least take a look and see if I can bargain it down, but I just want to be sure it's not totally out of line.
You can find deals on anything if you wait long enough and search hard enough, but sometimes you just wanna jump. :-) |
#18
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Quote:
Buy in haste, repent at leisure - there's other (and better) stuff out there for reasonable prices...
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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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Quote:
Edit... didn't mean to hijack the thread. I think the lesson applies, though: be informed before you shop. And AGF is as great resource! |
#20
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Peerless also makes some nice new archtops.
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#21
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I suggest some clarification here.
Surely a genuine archtop guitar is an acoustic guitar with a carved top. An acoustic archtop may have a magnetic pick-up suspended from the raised fretboard. Any guitar with a pick-up screwed to the top, is surely compromised acoustically, and becomes , essentially, an electric guitar. I believe that most guitars designed for this purpose have large central wooden blocks installed under the top to reduce acoustic vibration.
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Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom! |
#22
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Quote:
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#23
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Having owned and played both inset-pickup and floating pickup archtop from a variety of makers, here are some observations....
- floating pickup guitars are a little woodier or stringier but don't seem to produce as much sustain as set-in pickups - set-in pickups add sustain and warmth at the cost of some sonic detail - just like any other acoustic instrument, scale length matters - longer often adds power, and shorter often adds sweetness - laminates are not necessarily bad - depends on the use case. Acoustically, a solid spruce top with a low arch a la Benedetto is warm and woody and wonderful, and records like a dream when miced. That doesn't translate well to a lot of live situations, though. In many live situations, a single pickup laminated jazz box works better - that is, is warmer and more sustaining - than a lot of acoustically better, far more expensive instruments. This may require a pickup swap for more clarity but sounds way better through a guitar amp than many solid archtops, and it doesn't feed back like fully-acoustic carved guitars. So if the goal is to play acoustically, then a fine hand-carved solid wood jazz box is just the thing. If you need to be able to set up quickly and have consistent, feedback-free tone in unpredictable casual situations, laminated jazz boxes serve that need. |
#24
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Was in the same boat. Nice flat tops.. Goodall, Kinscherff.. but wanted an archtop. Playing them in music stores was disappointing. Cardboard. Some of this was my untrained ear. Some was the 10 gauge electric guitar strings they were strung with. Some was that so few archtops are good acoustic instruments.
Loar has a loyal following. May need to be tweaked but don't let that put you off. Yunzhi/Wu was the path I went. Google for reviews and comments. Very low ($1K) dollar risk for very good guitars built on the Benedetto pattern. Not a 30's vibe in appearance or sound but good acoustic instruments in best quality solid hand carved woods. I bought one. Ended up with seven. The oval hole models are the best all-rounder's. I play these every day. Eastman oval hole would be my first choice if buying used. They don't make them anymore but are a very good acoustic instrument for any type of music. Lot's of people of looking for good Gibson L7's. If you can play one and know that's what you want it will probably hold value well.
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Spook Southern Oregon |
#25
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FYI they're back, the new model designation is AR400, and they're available in at least three finishes - tobacco burst (Ted @ LA has one of these - looks cheap IMO ), classic ('20s L-4 redburst - Soundpure had one and it's my fave of the bunch - this one's on my 2017 GAS shortlist ), and blacktop (like an F-2 mandolin or early L-10), as well as a mandocello version...
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#26
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For around $1000, I would be looking for a Guild X-50 from the '50's or early '60's. Beats an ES-125 at its own game!
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Neal A few nice ones, a few beaters, and a few I should probably sell... |
#27
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Dave,
If you're still looking... "Peerless also makes some nice new archtops" they sure do. I just picked up a 17" Monarch from an ad in Jazz Guitar classified. Great guitar and hardshell for $900- looks new. The same guy has a Cremona by Peerless that also looks new for a little more money. Someone mentioned Peerless makes guitars for other brands- Epi & others. I don't know if they are building the new Masterbilts or not. On the other hand, I have some vintage arch tops. Kalamazooes, Harmony and very nice '48-49 Gibson L-48. If you're interested, email me at nedelab at gmail dot com. bill |
#28
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I have extremely happy with the Eastman 805 e I bought used a couple
Of years ago. My first guitar of this type. It was hardly more expensive than the loar, godin, and slip one models I found to compare. Found it to be a lot of guitar and I am aging a lot of fun with it. Jeff
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Flammang RS35, Flammang el35, SC 000 12 Fret ss, SC H13, SC PJ, Rockbridge 00, Eastman 810ce, Recording King RPH 03, Martin LX (on loan), Martin 0018vs (given to Godson), Lowden F388c (traded), SC OM (traded), Martin OM28v (traded), Martin 00017s (sold), Bourgeois Martin Simpson Slope D 12 fret (sold), Larrivee Parlor (traded), Larrivee L05MT (sold), Gibson LG1 (sold), Seagull Folk (traded) |
#29
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Where to start imo, would be to determine if you desire an acoustic guitar, or an electric guitar.
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Sobell Model 1 Sobell six string archtop Gibson ES-165 Herb Ellis Eastman John Pisano Gibson Johnny A Franklin Prairie State Collings D1A |
#30
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Quote:
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |