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Several here have had Mr. Wu make them one or more archtops, but does anyone have any experience with acoustic flattops? I am considering having one made, but it would be nice to first hear how they sound, or at leather get a review from someone. I'm not too concerned as the archtops I have seen have been incredible, but it doesn't hurt to see what has been done for others and get their input. Thanks!
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06-08-2016 12:19 PM
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What are the prices like?
It seemed for archtops, Wu/Yunzhi were filling a void in a price bracket...but I can think of plenty of good flattops already in the sub 2k market...
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$900 shipped with a case
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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That's 3.6X the monthly wages of a Foxconn worker working 12-hour days, 6-day work week, assembling iphones with no time allowed even for a pee. In American terms, $11.89 an hour x 40 hours a week x 4 x 3.6 that guitar should cost $6848.64. On the same slave hours, that guitar should cost $12 327.55. That is the price of a Jim Olson. Originally Posted by snoskier63
A Martin OM costs lower than $3200, street. In other words, a $900 guitar is a Jim Olson to the average Chinese worker. In other other words, a Made in America Martin is cheaper.Last edited by Jabberwocky; 06-09-2016 at 02:28 AM.
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> a Martin is cheaper
If you dont mind buying used, sub 900 will easily buy you an all solid woods USA built Martin, the D16.
https://reverb.com/item/2341538-mart...-original-case
https://reverb.com/item/2337151-mart...ckup-installed
Just saying, dont have any further opinions on the Wu guitarsas I havent seen or played thoseLast edited by fws6; 06-09-2016 at 06:27 AM.
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I still have all of my Yunzhi and Wu guitars and over the years (has it really been 7 years since I got the first one?) they have proven to be a great purchase. No long term issues with wood stability, finish, or anything else. If you want something better you have to go to a custom/boutique maker or vintage.
Wu was the tech manager for Eastman. He was a partner at Yunzhi. Now he makes guitars on his own. I suggest you play an Eastman flat top and see what you think. If you like those, you'll probably like something from Mr. Wu (his first name btw). However on the Wu guitar you can specify a lot of things and Ms Lora makes the transaction easy and pleasant. You might also try Yunzhi. Might be cheaper and the communication won't be as good but probably about the same construction, materials, and the ability to specify exactly what you want.
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you can get a brand new guild usa california made d-20 for slightly over $1200...
cordoba has recently begun line of usa made guild acoustics...2 models out now & more to come...
also check out godin and their various acoustic lines...le petrie, seagull, simon & patrick etc etc..north american made for low $$$
cheers
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an archtop at nearly 4" depth...oh yeah, it's a "void filler" alright! Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
Have Wu make you an "arched back" jumbo...talk about shakin' some air!
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The new F20 has me thinking, but I'm really more of a jumbo or grand auditorium kind of guy. I'm anxious to see the new higher end Guilds that will be out in the near future. In the meantime, I do have a big itch for a New Hartford F-50R, and if I find one in my budget all else will be forgotten. Originally Posted by neatomic
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How is the volume unplugged, or does that not have a pickup? Does it compare with a traditional jumbo acoustic? Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
an archtop at nearly 4" depth...oh yeah, it's a "void filler" alright!
Have Wu make you an "arched back" jumbo...talk about shakin' some air!
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whew/wu, now your thinking like your guild avatar again!!!
hahaha
incidentally, im a huge jumbo gibby j-200 kinda guy..but one of the best jumbo's i've ever heard was the guild f-50..huge toned
i also love the small mahog m-20..nick drake guitar...which usa guild is making again (and in my radar)
cheers
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It's got the volume of an acoustic jumbo...and very competitive "volume wise" with my flattop Eastman AJ817 "arched back" jumbo...which sounds like a refined flattop...or a cross between an archtop and flattop...The Eastman bested a Guild JF65 by a large margin...Guild's "arched back" jumbo...real wood vs. laminates in the Guild Originally Posted by snoskier63
Wu would have been at Eastman when the AJ817 evolved. It's since been discontinued...too expensive to make I suspect.
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I used to own a JF-65 and an Eastman AR810CE. My Eastman was good, but its acoustic properties didn't compare to my my JF-65, which was the loudest unplugged guitar I have ever played, and at the same time had incredible clarity. Perhaps the AR810CE is very different from the archtop in your picture. In any event, the guitars from yolandateam look and sound very tempting.
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Way back in what seems like a lifetime ago I owned an 810. It didn't push the air the AJ817 does. In spots the '817 has nearly a 5" depth.
And yes, that guitar with the near 4" depth is an 18" Wu made arch-top. Different beast
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A flat top and archtop just don't sound the same. The sound envelope is so different. Archtops tend to have a fast attack with a strong fundamental, peak quickly, then less sustain as compared to a flat top. Good reason to stock up on both.
When I want a flat top I'm lucky to have some very good ones acquired over the years but if I were looking for a new one, I'd be looking pretty hard at the Yunzhi and Wu. Even the more expensive flat top guitars I play at Guitar Center don't sound better to me than Eastman flat tops. Maybe someone with better ears can see a difference. And while I don't think the Yunzhi/Wu guitars are better made or better materials than an Eastman, I do think their finish is better. People have always complained about a brittle finish on Eastmans. And, or course, I like being able to specify woods/shading/binding/inlay/et al when I order a guitar.
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Great looking guitar. I'll let you know if we end up re-locating to OR so I can provide you a second opinion on how it sounds. Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
an archtop at nearly 4" depth...oh yeah, it's a "void filler" alright!
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Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
so in mathematical terms?
$3200 < $900
that's probably the most "interesting" piece of maths I've seen in a long time
You should get a job in marketing.
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[
Originally Posted by Spook410
Great advice from Spook...
As for the mathematical discussions on salaries we've heard all that before. It's not relevant to the OP's question.
Loving Mr. WU's work and owning many of his pieces (and having another in the works as we speak) I am sure if you dealt with him you'd get a lovely guitar. Eastman also makes great flattops and you could likely find one in a store to actually try. Yeah the price would be higher in a store, perhaps after trying one you could find one in NOS condition online at a better price. Just saying.
I went the non-traditional route a few months ago buying two amazing flat tops. A '68 BC Rich B-38 (made by Bernardo Caesar Rico Senior during the Summer of Love), solid brazilian rosewood back and sides, solid spruce top. Definitely his nod to Martin D-35 style more or less. Flat amazing. Then score a late 70s BC Rich BC100 produced by his son Bernie in collaboration with Ibanez and Tama. Also solid rosewood back and sides, spruce top. Another real cannon. The B38s are very pricey, the Tama version of the BC100 which is called the T120 is lovely and you can spot them a mile away with that thumb shaped knotch out of the bottom of the wood pick guard. Great guitar. The Tama is easier to find on eBay and Reverb and sell from $1000.00 to $1600.00 depending on who is selling and what condition they're in. They're a real sleeper of a deal.
There are so many options out there when you look around. The market is very flat so a prudent shopper would be wise to save his money and look for something that will really satisfy him for a long time.
Best of luck deciding.
Last edited by BigMikeinNJ; 06-12-2016 at 09:40 AM.
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