16 inch body archtop with L5CES-ish tone?

**jads57** · 03-12-2014, 11:16 AM

And what a monster Jazz guitarist Hank Garland was!

**GoergeBenson** · 03-12-2014, 04:19 PM

I can't say I've ever played an L4 that sounded like an L5, and boy have I tried. The guitar that came closest was a guild x-175/500 which I think have a slightly smaller body, although could be wrong.

**Franz 1997** · 03-13-2014, 01:25 PM

Those Guilds are laminated tops. Great guitars, but not carved.

**GoergeBenson** · 03-13-2014, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Franz 1997

Those Guilds are laminated tops. Great guitars, but not carved.

Yeh I know but I thought the op was asking about tone, not construction. IMO the guild x-500 sounds very much like an l5. Not entirely the same unplugged, butter laminate tops are the best live sounding tops I have come across to date.

Anyway I don't think there 16 bouts, so a redundant comment probably.

L4's sound way to dark to me. They don't sound like they are breathing in any way.

**Franz 1997** · 03-13-2014, 02:59 PM

I have owned an x500 and an L5CES at the same time- and I partly agree with you, the amplified tone is somewhat close; closer than most lam-tops. My theory is that the X500's underwound HB1 pickups add a 'stringiness' that counters the tone-thickening effect of the lam top.

Don't agree at all about the L4 - it's been described as a ""smaller-sounding"" L5 ( scale length, body size) and I think that's a good description. It is not a dark-sounding guitar IMO. Have you played one for any length of time? I haven't found anything closer to the L5 in 16" size that isn't luthier-made.