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Hey everyone,
Wondering who/what all the options out there for a high-end laminate archtop are these days.
I'm open to lam top + back, top only, etc. just curious as to who all the builders out there are these days working with the stuff.
Thanks!
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11-22-2016 07:23 PM
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Benedetto springs to mind. They make their Bambino and Bravo models in all laminate woods. LOVE my Bambino.
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Dale Unger - American Archtops
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I've always thought of Borys as the gold standard. Sadowsky is less glamorous but first rate. And the sound on the Jack Zucker demo of the Tom Painter is one of the best i'very ever heard.
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How about this?
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=381751708314
Keith
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Collings Eastside Deluxe?
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B120 - no brainer
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Steve Andersen Laminate Vanguard. $5800.
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Bryant Trenier Jazz Special. $7500.
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Bill Moll John Pizzarelli 2. 6-string, $7500. 7-string, $8000.Last edited by Jabberwocky; 11-23-2016 at 01:46 AM.
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Dale Unger Bucky Pizzarelli American Archtop. Starts at $5400.Last edited by Jabberwocky; 11-23-2016 at 01:58 AM.
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Some beautiful choices listed above! Others include Victor Baker,Stehan Holst, Gary Mortoro,John Buscarino,even Gibson Memphis! I'm happy w/ my Benedetto Bambino!
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Tom Painter can be mentioned too - if one can find one of his guitars second hand. He's no longer making guitars and was only in business a few years. I have one of the last ones he made and am pleased with it.
Last edited by oldane; 11-23-2016 at 12:51 PM.
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I've played everyone in this picture - they are extraordinary. Very rich creamy round tone with perfect balance and ringing sustain. Playability is effortless due to shorter scale and slightly flatter neck angle ( like the real DA from which it was copied). Nearly the acoustic volume of a carved guitar and worth every penny.
Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
Bryant Trenier Jazz Special. $7500.
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I can't recommend Steve Holst enough. I own a laminate back / solid top which is nothing short of spectacular. He builds an all laminate archtop at a very fair price.
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I'm not writing this to be inflammatory but out of curiousity on choices available, versus perception.
Conventional "wisdom" "generally" associates high end gits with solid carved tops. Some even disparage laminates as unworthy of consideration because they ARE laminates.
So why would a "better" maker be immune from criticism?
Why would anyone pick an expensive laminate over a moderately priced laminate or even an equally priced solid carved git?
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I don't think I've ever heard of a lam top with a solid back. Although there are probably some out there. Originally Posted by Hogtown Fatty
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I don't know what qualifies as a "high-end" laminate, but I can't find a single fault with my Sadowsky.
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> Why would anyone pick an expensive laminate over a moderately priced laminate or even an equally priced solid carved git?
Advantages of lam vs carved: less susceptible to cracks and feedback.
Advantages of expensive vs. inexpensive lam: just like any other guitar, build quality and bling.
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High end laminates reminds me of the time I had high end Chinese food. It was surprisingly good, but only marginally better than my favorite neighborhood joint.
As has been stated, most musicians choose laminates as a compromise to be able to play at higher volumes with feedback resistance and durability for gigging. We now have lots of choices for feedback resistant solid wood archtops and I would recommend investing in a master grade carve top first. If you already have a dream carve top and still need a different tone that it doesn't cover, then go for it!Last edited by kid335; 11-23-2016 at 02:44 PM.
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Any chance you have had a chance to compare the Bambino to the Bravo? Originally Posted by JSanta
There's a lot about the Bravo that I love. It is the guitar that I mostly use. I now use D'addario Chrome 11 - 50 strings on it, as I found the lighter set seems to bring out perhaps a little less of the guitar's acoustic signature. I had tried 12 flats from several manufacturers. I have a little difficulty with the sound and resonance of the G notes on the 4th and 2nd string. I suppose the open 3rd string would bother me as well if I ever used it.
There's a number of Bravo video's on You Tube and believe if you listen to several of them you will hear a kind of signature sound that's common on those videos.
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a carve top tends to sound quite different, and not necessarily subjectively better, than a laminate though ... Originally Posted by kid335
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I don't think I necessarily agree with this advice. Once upon a time, it was true that laminates were used as a more cost effective compromise to carved woods but that was very long ago. A classic sound emerged on those early laminate guitars that was distinctly different from the typical sound of a solid carved guitar. It was typically a darker thicker tone with what I think of as having more body and less bite. Originally Posted by kid335
Guitars are first and foremost tools and the best choice is the tool that works best for the job. If you're on the hunt for a high quality guitar and the sound you're after is mostly associated with laminate guitars, then my feeling is that you should probably find a really nice laminate guitar that's designed to easily cop the sound you're after. That doesn't necessarily mean an unlimited budget, but there can be a pretty serious difference the quality of a $900 laminate archtop and a $5000 archtop. There are a lot of really serious players who have tremendous loyalty to their Borys 120s and their Sadowsky Jim Halls, in fact enough to convince me that there's probably a good reason.
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I agree with Jim S and Bill C 100% about laminates having their own unique sound, different from carved tops. My Chinese food comment really was tongue in cheek.
In the context of "high end" as represented by the Linda Manzer Blue Note thread, I am basically saying that for that kind of money I would recommend buying a top tier luthier built carve top. If its not a name like Montelone, Manzer, etc, the OP would still have enough money to buy a top tier laminate archtop built by Trenier, Borys, Gibson ES175, etc. If we are representing "high end" to be the names included in this thread, then I think the question has been asked an answered. My understanding is that the OP is looking to see if there is a high end laminate market, similar to the carve top market. I think most of us are saying that there is, but the threshold is much lower.
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Sadowsky Jim Hall.
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