Good Archtop for U$ 1.800.00

**Byrdland_55** · 04-13-2009, 02:56 PM

Hi:

First excuse for my english, is very bad and Basic. I’m George, i live in Santiago, Chile. I play rockabilly-country and blues and i like Start in Jazz.

I have some guitars and good amps, Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, ES-335 and Fender Telecaster.

I have U$ 1.800.00 and i need a full body archtop guitar. I think in a Elitist Epiphone Broadway, but i don’t Know the quality of this guitar. Help Me!.

My dream is a L-5 or similar, but the problem is the Money. I like the sound of old ‘40s acoustic archtop Epiphone with a Charlie Christian Pickup, but a vintage guitar is imposible.

The Elitist Broadway is god chance?
Wait and buy a better guitar (Es-175 for example)?.

Thanks

**mr. beaumont** · 04-13-2009, 03:48 PM

I have played an elitist broadway, and it was excellent quality instrument.

you also might see if you can get into a used eastman for around that price.

**Byrdland_55** · 04-13-2009, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I have played an elitist broadway, and it was excellent quality instrument.

you also might see if you can get into a used eastman for around that price.

Many Thanks mr. beaumont. Is good option a '50s Gibson ES-125?.

**mr. beaumont** · 04-13-2009, 06:51 PM

a much cooler option, IMHO, but it depends on what you like. If I could come across a 125 in excellent condition with a CC pickup, i'd snap it up. they can still be found quite reasonably, too. just keep in mind, that's a single coil pickup, and it's going to sound a lot more "jimmy raney" than "pat martino." personally, i like that.

**bluemood** · 04-13-2009, 07:09 PM

Heritage archtop guitar Eagle maybe a used Golden eagle.

Stringbean · 04-13-2009, 08:01 PM

godin kingpin, might be good....i hear it supposed to do the rockin billy blues stuff as well as jazz stuff. never tried one though.

**JohnW400** · 04-13-2009, 10:35 PM

Take a look at this site. They have quite a few guitars in your range like D'Angelico and Eastman.

Guitars N Jazz Featuring Palen Archtops

I don't think there's any problem shipping to Chile. If you buy a guitar in the US and need to ship it to Chile, look to see if ZAI cargo delivers there. They pick up in New York, New Jersey and deliver in South America.

Your English is fine, but if you need help, yo hablo espa~ol.

**brian evans** · 04-14-2009, 12:03 PM

three months ago I bought a very nice 1944-ish Epiphone Zephyr, single pickup archtop that plays and sounds very well, for $1200 US. Sounds like an old guitar, though, kind of woody, not the same sound as a modern tight archtop with a modern humbucker.

**derek** · 04-14-2009, 12:55 PM

One of the best sites for used archtops of all kinds of price ranges is archtop.com Good company, good stuff goes thru there all the time. Good luck

**Byrdland_55** · 04-14-2009, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by JohnW400

Take a look at this site. They have quite a few guitars in your range like D'Angelico and Eastman.

Guitars N Jazz Featuring Palen Archtops

I don't think there's any problem shipping to Chile. If you buy a guitar in the US and need to ship it to Chile, look to see if ZAI cargo delivers there. They pick up in New York, New Jersey and deliver in South America.

Your English is fine, but if you need help, yo hablo espa~ol.

Many thanks to all by your comments.

I did not buy from Chile, I travel in August to Memphis because I am vice president of the fan club of Elvis in Chile (Elvis Week, Anniversary of death).

I can join more money than the U$ 1.800.00 since months remain me.
I believe that easily would be able to arrive at U$ 2.800.00 and with that money I believe I have good possibilities. A ES-175 or some old Epiphone Zephyr (Solid Woods, not laminated).

Where I can buy in Memphis?.

A Guitar Center Store exists in Memphis, that such the prices and products?.

Greetings

**riovine** · 04-14-2009, 11:29 PM

If you're making the trip all the way from Chile to Memphis, why don't you see if you can take a side trip to Nashville to visit Gruhn Guitars, you won't find a much better selection of new & used in the US, or a more well regarded guitar shop.

**Bertrand tB** · 04-15-2009, 01:25 AM

Maybe the Eastman John Pisano is an option for you. I wish you lots of succes and pleasure in finding your Archtop guitar. (And lots of fun at the home of ELVIS)

**JohnW400** · 04-15-2009, 09:23 AM

Gruhn Guitars

There are probably dozens of stores in both Memphis and Nashville. Personaly I would save the Guitar Centers for last.

**Claes Carlberg** · 04-15-2009, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by Byrdland_55

Many thanks to all by your comments.

I did not buy from Chile, I travel in August to Memphis because I am vice president of the fan club of Elvis in Chile (Elvis Week, Anniversary of death).

I can join more money than the U$ 1.800.00 since months remain me.
I believe that easily would be able to arrive at U$ 2.800.00 and with that money I believe I have good possibilities. A ES-175 or some old Epiphone Zephyr (Solid Woods, not laminated).

Where I can buy in Memphis?.

A Guitar Center Store exists in Memphis, that such the prices and products?.

Greetings

Hi George,
just one thing you should know, ES-175 is built from laminated maple, not solid woods.

I think you should check out Eastman guitars. I bought me one myself, not a fullbody model but the 16" 335 model called T185 MX (mahogny side and bottom with a spruce top) and these guitars are made of carved solid woods. I get a really sweet jazzy sound with it using DAddario Half Round 11's. I have also tried some fullbody models of Eastman when I bought mine and they sound really good.
Yes I know they are chinese made but they are very well built and affordable and sounds and plays great.

claes@jazzedblues.com

**Byrdland_55** · 04-15-2009, 02:41 PM

Hello:

D’Angelico Guitars are precious, really very beautiful and sound stupendous, the truth is this is the guitar I would like to have. The problem is I think that would leave me tied into jazz only and I would like to use this guitar for other styles.

Primarily I’m a blues guitarist for the last 28 years and I have my Gibson LP Deluxe and an ES 335. Also I play the Rockabilly and country circuit. For that I have a Gretch 6120 and a Telecaster. I have good equipment for this type of music. Also I have good apms.

My case is similar to that of Duke Robillard (from afar hahahaha) in that one day he’s playing Jump Swing Blues with jazz overtones, another day Chicago Blues and even so, he wants to record a duo with Herb Ellis. He (Duke) has the momey to by all the guitars in the store, but me, no. L

I don’t have any formal jazz traing, but on the contrary, it’s owing to that I have an extensive collection of CD’s and DVD’s that go from Charlie Christian , through Farlow, Kessel and up to Bruno or Pass. It’s that I understand it thanks to this material in the language of jazz.

I don’t have excellent technique, nor am I so fast like some others. The jazz musicians that I have played with have told me that I swing real good , and good taste as well. I believe I‘ve acquired so much from listening to jazz, that it’s a music that delights me always, the standard above all.

Now playing in a jazz club in Santiago I know people and we are forming a ‘mini-big bad’ of 8 musicians with which we propose to play a lot of Swing and also incorporate old blues (T-Bone Walker style) and jazz. Besides playing guitar, I sing rather well, therefore it’s for that I need an archtop guitar.

Looking at the olds big bands and musicians that have influenced me the most, those guitars don’t have humbuckers. Generally most jazz and blues musicians like Charlie Christian. Barney Kessel or T-Bone Walker use Charlie Christian Pick-ups, P-90’s or mini humbuckers, in the case of Robillard.
It’s for that I was thinking to look for an older, good condition Epiphone (Solid Wood), around the late 40’s or 50’s, even though they were acoustic and install a Charlie Christian Pick up. Specifically this:

http://www.ccpickups.co.uk/pickups.html

I’m moving away from the possibility of a Gibson Archtop, now that actually almost all come equipped with humbuckers. Besides Gibson I realized that there’s little in my price range. It would have to be an ES-125 from the 50’s with P-90’s, but those guitars at that time were economical, the equivalent to the ES135 of today, but I would prefer to have something of a higher quality.

For me it’s difficult to make a clear decision in my choice, now en Chile there doesn’t exist much of a jazz culture and the stores don’t have a great variety of archtops.

Since I’m traveling to Memphis Tennessee I would like to look there. I would appreciate any help with this.

Greetings

**derek** · 04-15-2009, 03:40 PM

Given the above information, the ES135 came with P-90s in recent models. I have played a couple of these, and they are fine guitars. They are semi hollow though, and not fully hollow. Frankly, I prefer the ES135 over the ES137, which is more expensive.

D'Angelico exists in name only now, as all production for the past 4-5 years is done in Korea. There haven't been US made D'Angelicos in many years. 5 years ago they were made by Vestax in Japan. I still think the best deal for you would be a Heritage 575, based on what you describe and budget. However, this is the best place I know to find good used archtops. Good luck.

www.archtop.com

**Byrdland_55** · 04-15-2009, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by derek

Given the above information, the ES135 came with P-90s in recent models. I have played a couple of these, and they are fine guitars. They are semi hollow though, and not fully hollow. Frankly, I prefer the ES135 over the ES137, which is more expensive.

D'Angelico exists in name only now, as all production for the past 4-5 years is done in Korea. There haven't been US made D'Angelicos in many years. 5 years ago they were made by Vestax in Japan. I still think the best deal for you would be a Heritage 575, based on what you describe and budget. However, this is the best place I know to find good used archtops. Good luck.

www.archtop.com

Many Thanks, but i believe the Gibson ES135 have P-100 pickups, not P-90's. I'm not Shure but i like a better quality guitar than the 135.

Regards