GAS for Vintage archtop

[vanstheman2]

Hi all , I'm on the lookout for a Vintage archtop and I stumbled on a couple of Vega guitars that seemed to be priced right .I had been looking at Epiphones and Gibsons but they seem to be slightly more expensive and weren't allways in very good condition . Anybody got any info on Vega guitars as to their tone , playability and collectability , how do they compare to Epiphone and Gibson ? And if anyone has one lying about that they are desperate to sell , let me Know !

[Thumbwrapper]

howdy vans...I'm planning on selling my 2004 Epiphone DOT within the next couple of weeks. It's been upgraded with a pair of Kent Armstrong pickups and a professional fret dressing and setup. If you're at all interested shoot me a private message and I'll send you some pics and we can discuss in more detail.

[Taylorplayer]

From my experience, the older archtops will vary a lot... in both tone & playabilty.

There are a few sites that specialize in those... if you do a few searches... also, there's usually quite a few on eBay

[Palomorado]

first off, the DOT is not an archtop.

2nd, go to

http://www.archtop.com

they have all the info you could need and will gladly answer questions you may have. great website and great prices.

[JohnZ]

I remember playing an old Vega archtop once but forget the details other than it seemed to be somewhat like an L-7. Over the years I've had an Epi, three Gibson L-50's, and a Gibson L-5 (1945), but I like my Eastman AR810CE a lot better than any of them.

Though vintage archtops are much more collectable than they were in the past, I think new or recent ones are better in tone and playability.

[Thumbwrapper]

Originally Posted by Palomorado

first off, the DOT is not an archtop.

2nd, go to

http://www.archtop.com

they have all the info you could need and will gladly answer questions you may have. great website and great prices.

Hmmm, sorry if I offended you . Admitted, I did miss the whole "vintage" thing but if you have issues with the DOT's classification perhaps you should lobby Gibson-Epiphone to reclassify the instrument.

http://www.epiphone.com/default.asp?...CollectionID=1

[JohnZ]

Originally Posted by Palomorado

first off, the DOT is not an archtop.

2nd, go to

http://www.archtop.com

they have all the info you could need and will gladly answer questions you may have. great website and great prices.

Actually it is, though it's a thin bodied laminate top, and if it's like a ES 335 family, it's got a block of balsa wood in there too. There are some advantages with laminates in stability and lower feedback when playing amplified. Then again, a good carved top archtop with a floating pickup can get harmonics and overtones that a laminate could only dream of.

[Palomorado]

Technically the 335 is an archtop.

However, the general use of the term "archtop" conotes the carved jazz box and the terms "thin-line" or "hollowbody" generally refer to the family of 335's and their like.

Case in point:

if you ask for an archtop and someone shows you a Les Paul, you are probably not getting what you are asking for even though the top is arched as well.

add that to the fact that he was speaking of ACOUSTIC archtops (it's an acoustic forum) and you would be hardpressed to find a semi-solid, thin bodied instrument.

it's all in how one looks at it.
and as for lobbying Gibson/Epiphone, i don't believe that ANYONE should use Henry's information base. it's way too full of holes.

[vanstheman2]

Originally Posted by JohnZ

I remember playing an old Vega archtop once but forget the details other than it seemed to be somewhat like an L-7. Over the years I've had an Epi, three Gibson L-50's, and a Gibson L-5 (1945), but I like my Eastman AR810CE a lot better than any of them.

Though vintage archtops are much more collectable than they were in the past, I think new or recent ones are better in tone and playability.

You're more than probably right that your Eastman sounds better then any Epi or Gison you have previously owned , but to me there is something special about a vintage guitar .Just think about the number of tunes that have been played on them and the stories that they could tell .
Thanks to everone for all the info . I'll keep you all updated as soon as I buy the guitar .

[Akubra]

I have a 1939 L-50 that's in nearly new, unplayed condition (*nearly!*).

it was purchased new by a guy who was killed 6 months later in the Pacific during WWII. His widow kept it under her bed until she passed away in 1998. I've had it ever since, and I never play it in order to preserve its condition. Well, I've played it a few times; it has a very V shaped neck, is pretty lousy for fingerstyle, but it's very loud and cutting when strummed ala Freddie Green. I think it was intended for use such as that.

I don't even know what it's worth, I guess I should investigate!

[vanstheman2]

Originally Posted by Akubra

I have a 1939 L-50 that's in nearly new, unplayed condition (*nearly!*).

it was purchased new by a guy who was killed 6 months later in the Pacific during WWII. His widow kept it under her bed until she passed away in 1998. I've had it ever since, and I never play it in order to preserve its condition. Well, I've played it a few times; it has a very V shaped neck, is pretty lousy for fingerstyle, but it's very loud and cutting when strummed ala Freddie Green. I think it was intended for use such as that.

I don't even know what it's worth, I guess I should investigate!

Hi ,send me a PM if you decide to sell the L-50.Cheers

[BassFan]

I can empathize with you - I think archtops are great, though I've personally never owned one. I used to have G.A.S. bad (acoustics mostly, but some basses & a few electrics too). Every guitar I bought locally or drove some distance to see and play. I'm amazed at those of you who buy 'em by picture only. Guess I ain't that brave.