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I'm a long time Telecaster guy, inspired by Ed Bickert and Ted Greene, but more recently I've been really digging that modern jazz sound of rounds on an archtop (Julian Lage, Jonathan Kreisberg, et al.)
I'm not looking to sink a whole lot of money on an electric archtop, purely because my Telecaster is my main squeeze and always will be, but I'm also not a beginner so I don't want to cheap out on an entry level model.
With that in mind, I've come up with four candidates. I know that I want a single pickup guitar with a wooden bridge so that has narrowed it down quite a lot. Problem is, there is a severe lack of archtop dealers here in the North of England so trying any of these guitars before I buy is completely out of the question. So without further ado, here are the finalists:
Additional info:
Ibanez: Throughout my research on these guitars, this has been at the top of the pile. I love the modern look, I love the Ibanez association with players such as Metheny and Sco. The Super 58 seems like a great pickup. The smaller body width would be more comfortable for me as I'm used to the Telecaster. However, by all reports, the neck is very narrow and I have quite big hands. Also, and I can't believe I'm saying this, it just seems too cheap. At £419, this is the cheapest of the four by a good £300. I can't help but be weary of a guitar this cheap but perhaps it really is just incredible value.
Peerless: The real looker of the group. I love the Bauhaus stylings and angular vintage/modern hardware; it's straight-up Jim Hall. The scale length is more in line with what I'm used to with Fenders but the body is pretty fat. Also, having played some of the Peerless made Epiphones, I have my doubts about the electronics and I would probably swap it all out, along with the pickup. On a purely superficial level, the headstock makes me feel a bit nauseous.
Eastman: I kind of like the Gibson stylings, although I've never been much of a Gibson lover. For one of the most expensive guitars in the group, it seems to offer the least, specs-wise. The headstock looks a little cheap and as a rule, I don't like the vintage Kluson style "tulip" machine heads. Eastman provides no information whatsoever about the pickup, which suggests to me that it's nothing to write home about. Body size is appealing and I like the Florentine cutaway.
Godin: The most expensive and a last minute addition to the lineup. Good quality woods and a unique design. I like the understated look and the scale length seems like a good compromise between the four. There's no info on the Godin site about the body dimensions but it looks to be on the smaller side. Things I don't like: Price, tusq bridge, vintage Gibson style tailpiece (having owned an Epiphone Casino with one of these, I don't like the way they resonate).
One more thing to note: Whichever guitar I choose will go straight to my tech for a full setup with rounds, fret dress and bone nut.
All signs point to the Ibanez but it just seems too good to be true. Failing that, I really like the features of the Peerless.
If anybody has anything to add, I would really appreciate the help. I realise that this has been kind of a wordy post but if you got this far, thanks for reading!
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12-15-2013 12:47 PM
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I own that Ibanez (as do a few other forum members) and I do consider it to be an incredible value. They have used some very disciplined manufacturing to keep the prices down on the entire Elitist series (using a single neck on multiple models, using the same pickups on the entire series, a single finish for an entire model etc) and the result is a wonderfully well built guitar for an absurdly low price. Mine is a well balanced, well built guitar with absolutely no obvious manufacturing or finishing flaws. BTW, do bear in mind that unlike the others in your list, the Ibanez price does not include the case so add $100 for that.
Here's a short demo of mine.
Last edited by Jim Soloway; 12-15-2013 at 01:07 PM.
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when in doubt go japanese
i have a similiar model, an af105nt i recently got. such a wonderful guitar... it really sings
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If you are anywhere near Hartlepool, you are welcome to try my Yunzhi
https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guita...players-4.html
Post #42 is mine. Custom guitar for £800 inc shipping, pm me if you are interested.
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Thanks Jim.
I've watched your demo many times as I've been looking into the Ibanez. It sounds fantastic but that's due almost entirely to your playing.
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Originally Posted by IanBart
That is truly a beautiful guitar but I'm after an electric archtop only.
You're also quite a bit further North than I am (West Lancs).
Thanks for the offer though, good luck with the sale.
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There isn't a bad one in the bunch even if you threw a dart to choose; so it's down to personal preference: they all feel really different. The Peerless and Eastman are the superior instruments in that crew with the Eastman being the only one with a lacquer finish. The Ibanez likely has the best stock pickup. Wouldn't it be down to specs anyhow? They are pretty different. What nut width, scale length, and body size do you want? What kind of neck size? It should be an easy choice based on the scale length and body depth alone. Since you won't be able to play them first it won't matter how they feel and you can only judge on specs / how they look.
If the Ibanez is top of your list, go that way. Ibanez makes amazing instruments that are also a bargain. You shouldn't be worried.
I personally own the Eastman even though I'm also not a huge Gibson fan. The construction is top notch, the neck isn't too skinny, and I still have no idea how they can make an instrument of this calibre for the price they ask. If you don't dig how it looks, don't consider it. Part of love is what it looks like when you wake up next to it in the AM.
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Don't overlook the Ibanez PM2 - a stunning guitar for the price, with an ebony fingerboard and Super 58 Custom pickup. I love mine!
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No problem just throwing it out there on the Yunzhi guitars, not selling mine just thought if you were local you could see what they offer. They do pretty much anything you can come up with Electric Archtop/Acoustic and are an alternative at what you are looking at the moment within that price range.
good hunting
Ian
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Spiral: At this point, it's really down to the Ibanez or the Peerless. The Ibanez looks better for me on paper but the Peerless has a more familiar scale length and is a true work of art.
Good to know that both guitars are held in high regard around here.
Rob: I had looked at the PM2 when I first got a hankering for an archtop but I can't get past the metal tailpiece and tune-o-matic type bridge. The body seems to be similar to the AFJ91 in terms of construction and size so hopefully, they sound equally good.
It's funny that you should reply to this thread, I've spent the evening watching through your Mickey Baker and Van Eps lesson walkthroughs and admiring your Loar LH-700. My partner lives in Edinburgh so I might have to organise a lesson next time I'm up there.
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You'd be most welcome!
All those guitars are good - you can't lose, really. Tell us what you go for, and what your thoughts are when you get it (even if you wished you'd listened to Rob and got a PM2!)
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Ibanez AFJ91 unless the 25.5" scale length is more to your liking; in that case, only the Peerless Jazz City qualifies.
The Ibanez AFJ91 is great. Great fretwork. Good quality construction all round. I don't think you will be disappointed. My first archtop is the AF105NT and I still have it and play it regularly today even though I have added more expensive archtops to my collection since its acquisition. It is the archtop I am not afraid to bang about a bit. With a wooden saddle, beefy strings and a thick pick, it sounds great in my feeble hands.
Save yourself some money for a nice amp, strings and stuff and go with the Ibby.
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Given that you're looking to get your feet wet, go with the Ibanez. All your targeted instruments are good.
If you really get hooked, you'll probably upgrade down the road.
I started out with a cheap ( but very playable) SX EG7, since I wasn't sure an Archtop was for me. I just upgraded to an Eastman 371, which is a huge step forward. Great sound, playability, and construction. Believe the pickup is a Kent Armstrong.
Best advice is to play before you buy and see which speaks to you.
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A little while back, believing that I needed exactly what you're talking about (one set-in Humbucker archtop with cutaway) as an addition and alternative to my main guitar, I went into Mairants in London and A/B'ed the Peerless and Eastman. The Ibanez wasn't about then and TBH, whereas I've tried it since, it wouldn't have made the cut due to its overwhelming redness (I really do not like red guitars - and like Spiral says, you've got to be able to cope with the way that it looks in the morning!), though more because I didn't think that it was as good an instrument for me as either of the Peerless/Eastman.
I found the Peerless to be very similar, in the end, to my Vestax D'Angelico, except that it had much more bass (deeper body than my NYL-5, full humbucker rather than KA floater). The Eastman was what I'd expect from a 175-a-like and for similar money to the Peerless, was every bit as good but different. Since I was looking for different, I'd probably have gone for the Eastman as an addition to the D'Angelico.
If however, I were choosing one of them to be my only archtop, I'd have had the Peerless.
Not had chance to try out the Godin, so cannot help you there. It looks good and other Godins I have tried have been of very high quality, but I personally wouldn't make any assumptions, I'd want to try out.
Whereabouts in Lancs are you based? (I'm a Scouse, but living in the Southeast nowadays). Is there no chance of your being able to get to Foulds in Derby? They'd be able to help you try some of these guitars.
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1. Godin
2. Eastman (though as a fellow Fender man I'd recommend the 403CE with its 25" scale and slightly thinner body for a few bucks more)
I have no experience with Peerless, but between the Ibanez and the Eastman, no contest. The Ibanez feels cheaper with a thick poly finish and one of those skinny Ibanez necks. The Eastman has an acceptable acoustic voice (albeit fairly quiet due to being a laminate guitar) whereas the Ibanez is fairly dead acoustically. I found this difference to translate to the plugged in sound as well. Which means if you're looking for a straight electric sound the Ibanez might float your boat more than the Eastman. The Eastman is also significantly lighter weight than the Ibanez. I like a very light guitar on my leg (seated playing only, NO straps for me!)
I have a Godin Kingpin non-cutaway w/ p90 and an Eastman 371 pimped out with a Duncan Prails pickup and the 2 guitars sound pretty much identical with the Duncan on the p90 setting. The Kingpin has a bit more sustain on the upper frets but the Eastman has a slightly "woodier" sound. I attribute at least part of this difference to the tusq bridge on the Kingpin. Of course the Kingpin has that typical Godin "unfinished" feeling neck which I am not that fond of, though it's certainly no deal breaker.
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I don't know what the Eastman weighs but my AFJ91 is 5 lbs 15 oz. It's not an especially heavy guitar. Originally Posted by D.G.
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I also don't know how much the Eastman weighs, but any Ibanez I've tried is "relatively" heavy. Which is not to say they're heavy guitars, just that the Eastman is noticeably lighter Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
I also have a Gretsch G100CE and I really notice the weight on that one!
My Godin Kingpin is slightly lighter than than my Eastman 371, but not enough for me to really notice on the leg. It's a weird thing, but even though I really like the sound of the Gretsch, the weight and ergonomics of the body (it feels bigger than my other guitars) makes it my least favorite guitar to gig with. Go figger!
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I'm waiting to see this Eastman AR580, whenever it becomes available...
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Well, I'm sold. (BTW Jim- are you particularly big/tall? You make that instrument look... well...much smaller than I expected.)
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No. I'm about 5'9 but I'm quite out of proportion with very large shoulders, a long torso and short legs. I hunch over the body when I'm sitting so you're just seeing the large half of me. Plus my right foot is sitting on a foot rest raising my leg about 5" making my legs look longer than they really are. Originally Posted by Blues Traveler
And for the OP, I played a Godin Composer this afternoon. It was a nice guitar, very light weight with a very active acoustic voice. I have mixed feeling about it but at least part of that was that it as set up much stiffer than I like.Last edited by Jim Soloway; 12-16-2013 at 11:51 PM.
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Ok, I've pretty much decided on the Ibanez.
Well, an Ibanez.
My affections have since moved to the AS153.
As I said in the original post, I'm an electric-only player, so acoustic sound isn't a priority to me. Also, I may be in the minority but I actually like poly finishes.
Although I was initially looking to get an electric archtop, the AS153 is intriguing to me because it can potentially get those big ES175 tones and then be dialed back with the coil-split to get the Fender sounds that I'm more familiar with.
I'm definitely going to have to give it some more thought and decide what kind of sound I'm really trying to achieve by adding a second guitar to my arsenal.
I tend to associate the AS sound with fusion (i.e. Sco, obviously and 335 players such as Robben Ford) and that's not really something I'm interested in. However, I think it could work very well for the solo guitar type stuff that I do à la Jody Fisher and Greene.
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Sounds like a plan, post a video of your solo work when you get it....
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