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A lot of discussions on various pick-up equipped boxes, how about plain acoustic archtops. I'd like to find one that projects well and does not require a second mortgage to obtain. The Godin 5th Ave. is a nice guitar but it is rather quiet on the projection side. What else is out there?
I'm not looking to use it in a working environment but want a good well-built piece with good tone. Size is not an issue.
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06-16-2015 04:26 PM
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The question is whether your budget ends at the roughly $1k Loar budget point, or if it extends into the 2's or 3's. If so, your options open dramatically to player grade Gibson L-7s and the like. That's a mortgage payment perhaps, but not a mortgage itself. On the shy side of that range you can get into a nice full size Eastman like an 805 or even a 905.
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This LH-700 is what I deem to be an exceptional and affordable buy. The V neck has been reshaped into a "50's C shape." It's got projection aplenty. I don't need it but I had to resist buying it. I spoke to the trusted east coast luthier selling it and it sounds like an exceptional guitar.
https://reverb.com/item/734715-the-l...tique-sunburst
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In my limited experience, an oval soundhole style archtop is a more functional acoustic instrument than most f hole models. Both in volume and sound envelope. By that I mean they seem to have more flat top characteristics like sustain and some additional harmonic content while still having a drier archtop sound compared to a flat top.
An Eastman 800/800C would be an example. If you're more adventurous I recommend the 16" gypsy style from Yunzhi or a 17" oval from Mr. Wu via Yolandateam. There's also a 17" Yunzhi oval that's reputed to be a very good guitar that might be for sale from one of our fellow forumites. PM if that's of interest and I'll help connect the dots.Last edited by Spook410; 06-16-2015 at 06:09 PM.
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I think the LH-700 Loar is a pretty cool guitar for a grand. I kinda preferred the old V-neck, but the new C-neck is going to be much preferred by most players. The guitar sounds loud and appropriate. It even has some of the treble natural reverb going on...much like the 30s Gibsons (16" carved guitars) had.
If you want to check out acoustic archtop guitar without breaking the bank, I think the Loar is a great place to begin.
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To hear how good the Loar 700 can sound, check out some of fellow forumite Rob McKillops y-tube vids of Harry Volpe pieces, just beautiful. I had one briefly, but the V neck was too tough on my hands, (arthritis). If they've made it more C shaped now, its a very nice acoustic for the money.
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Gretsch g400s can be found for just over $1000. Avoid pre-2003 if possible as QA can be iffy before they were bought by FMIC (2003).
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I was thinking about getting this guitar myself, but the general opinion was, while the tone is great, in terms of projection and volume its not that good.
Originally Posted by TheGrandWazoo
Gretsch g400s can be found for just over $1000. Avoid pre-2003 if possible as QA can be iffy before they were bought by FMIC (2003).
I personally gave up on finding an acoustic archtop that would cut through unamplified with a New Orleans style band. The Gypsy jazz guitar came close, but its still not enough. Tenor banjo was the answer for me.
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Yup, I feel like this thread pops up once every couple of weeks/months.
Recapping: the ONLY carved top, carved back, REAL acoustic archtops under $2k:
Loar LH-600 and 700
Eastman 605, 610, 805 and 810.
Otherwise, you're looking at something new and luthier-built, or something vintage.
As someone who's played an 805 non cutaway for 10 years, has borrowed 10+ Loars while traveling on the road, and now owns to proper vintage archtops, '35 L-12 and a '32 De Luxe, get the best Loar you can afford, or get an Eastman if you can afford it and find a non-cutaway one. The Loar will probably win on sheer projection, being parallel-braced, but for great projection and tonal quality, the X-braced Eastman will probably sound "better".
Wazoo and I disagree about those Gretsches. I had two different ones in 2003-2004. One was pre-Fender and the other post-Fender. Neither one of them had a carved top, and both sounded mediocre compared to a real, carved-top guitar.
The first got sent back as a warrantee claim because the top started to cave after I put 13's on it with a 14/18 for the E and B. The second was the replacement, and the exact same thing happened to it. At that point, I asked if I could exchange the third one they were going to send me for something else at the store, specifically an Eastman 810CE they had. A/B'ing the Gretsch against the Eastman, it wasn't even a comparison. My only complaint was the modern cosmetics of the Eastman. I eventually put a tortoise-type pickguard on it, which helped.
Maybe Wazoo got an exceptional one (after all, he seems to dig it), and mine were the worst two ever made... but still, I would avoid anything without a carved top.
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Add Eastman 604 and 804 oval hole models to the above if you like... otherwise +1
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I agree with Roger and 2B, go with the Loar 700, in the$1K range. I've fallen in love with my Gibson L7, but it was a little bit more money and needed a little work to whip into shape, which added a few bucks. The Loar that 2B referenced looks fabulous and she's ready and waiting to go.
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I will also endorse the Loar LH-700 as a great acoustic archtop. The neck is substantial, and it has a strong midrange 20's type voicing, so make sure those are things you like. As an alternative, you can find Eastman oval hole and f-hole acoustics for just under $1k but they are more rare and you have to stay vigilant (used on the GC site, Reverb, eBay).
About that Loar with the shaved neck: a friend had that done and he was sorely disappointed at the huge loss of volume after losing all that mass on the neck. It was nothing he anticipated. I would spring for a non-modded one. [edit: he just told me that is likely his.]
I've been thinking about selling one of my Yunzhi guitars. This one has been professionally set up and has a K&K pickup installed. It's a versatile guitar and gets you into the seat of a BWM on a Honda budget. PM if you want more info. (I may be the forumite Spook mentioned. Si?)
Last edited by spiral; 06-17-2015 at 08:24 PM.
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Hey Spiral! Ask your LH-700 friend if his guitars neck was left unfinished. The current seller, a luthier, put a satin lacquer finish on that LH-700 that arrived to him with an unfinished neck. The seller seemed legitimate to me, super nice guy, and raved up and down about that specific LH-700's volume projection....btw, nice Yunzhi acoustic! Originally Posted by spiral
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Yes the neck was previously unfinished. The work was done by Willcutt's so it was done properly, originally. He just found that all of the bark, that made the Loar special in the first place, was gone. From what I've read, neck stiffness plays a big part in the volume and tone of an archtop and I think that is absolutely the case with the Loars. Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
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One of these is on my shortlist of wants! Believe our not, my shortlist is short! Only a few guitars on it. Originally Posted by TheGrandWazoo
Gretsch g400s can be found for just over $1000. Avoid pre-2003 if possible as QA can be iffy before they were bought by FMIC (2003).
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[QUOTE=spiral;541957]
I've been thinking about selling one of my Yunzhi guitars. This one has been professionally set up and has a K&K pickup installed. It's a versatile guitar and gets you into the seat of a BWM on a Honda budget. PM if you want more info. (I may be the forumite Spook mentioned. Si?)[QUOTE]
Yea.. that's the one I had in mind. I would buy it myself if I didn't already have a second Mr Wu Oval on the way. Would be fun to pass one of these around to the group here. Great guitars.
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I'd love one of those Eastman Oval Holes.
Still mad at myself for letting one slip by a couple of years ago . . .
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There's an AR-604CE on Reverb, $1199, or $999 for a TGP member. Originally Posted by Longways to Go
I found an old clip of my 604 that sounds pretty good:
http://www.mybigshirt.net/rdp/audio/demos/AR604.mp3
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Nominations for "best" versatile acoustic jazz guitar??? I say versatile because rhythm guitar for swing jazz is a rather different category. I like some sustain myself.
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Best? Better have a big budget! That's probably not the word you want to use. "Good" would yield a more practical list.
For versatile acoustic archtops, focus on these flavors:
- 16" tone bar braced in the spirit of the original 20s/30s Gibsons;
- 17" X-braced in the spirit of the earliest Gibson Advanced models;
- Any other X-braced 16" or 17" derived from Benedetto or D'Aquisto genes; or
- Oval hole archtops
All of these are going to have better sustain, sweetness, etc. than big parallel braced swing band type guitars.
IMHO of course.
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A flattop. Originally Posted by Rob L.
To me an archtop is a percussion instrument first and the notes are a side benefit that we've exploited. So even if you get an oval hole, x-braced archtop, which sounds a little more "even" and perhaps is more versatile, you won't have the sustain or harmonic ring of a flattop. I guess I'm saying you can move the needle a little bit with construction techniques, but it will always be an archtop. I have these guys—one of which was designed by D'Aquisto to be more versatile and flattop-like with the quad-port holes and x-bracing. While they are a little more sweet harmonically, they still sound like archtops. So these are my nominations for more versatile:
Last edited by spiral; 06-19-2015 at 11:19 AM.
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True, you're reading the statement literally and it doesn't mention "archtop." If so, then sure, a Martin 000-18 is gonna be a nice choice. Good punch, mahogany B&S for focus and sweet midrange, nice size, etc.
A Martin 000-18 and a 16" L-5 and you'll be all set for anything that comes your way.
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> Try an Epiphone Triumph. That'll cut through it. Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive
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