Cheap touring guitar to get close to my Gibson ES-175

[wzpgsr]

AR371 superficially resembles a 175. I have a student who has one of these? It's a very nice guitar.

At a glance it's the Ar405 the looks like a 125. Is this the guitar you meant, and if so how does it compare to the Godin Kingpin I?

Or do you mean retrofit the 371 with a p90?

I'm not sure if it's thunk I'm going for exactly, although thunk is a bonus.

I’ve never played the Godin, so of course, that’s a firm yes! ;-)

[Rob MacKillop]

No bites from Christian, but really, the Leela is a great guitar, mint condition at half price - almost. I'll say no more!

[electricfactory]

Here's an Epiphone ES-175 Premium that I owned a few years ago, a terrific guitar in every way. I swapped the wiring harness and preferred Seth pickups.

[christianm77]

It is the spit of my ‘68 (colour and knobs aside) - I like the look of that finish

[christianm77]

No bites from Christian, but really, the Leela is a great guitar, mint condition at half price - almost. I'll say no more!

I’m waiting to hear back re the gigs - there might be no pressing need. The guitar looks great.

[christianm77]

There is noting sexier on a guitar than a gig ding.
Transportation damage on the other hand is different.
Someone who a friend of mine gigged with had her 17. century Viola get completely destroyed by an Italian Airline. That's considerably less sexy.

Man that is messed up. And not surprising.

Interesting instrument - violin/viola body shape, but are those gut frets on the fingerboard?

[Tal_175]

Looks like it's a type of viola. There were news articles about it. Apparently she got completely reimbursed. I wonder if that now sets a precedence
An airline smashed her 1660 viola da gamba - and now she’s calling them out - Classic FM
Alitalia Airlines fully reimburses musician after damaging her 17th-century... - Classic FM

[plasticpigeon]

I'd imagine if you are looking for a 175 substitute, something Japanese would be good.

Here are two available.

Excellent condition this Antoria super 70s Jazz Guitar Model 2355 Sunburst | eBay

Burny/Fernandes RFA75 ES175 WITH HARD CASE, new, setup. waranteed. | eBay


And look what you might get one for if you are lucky.

Antoria Gibson ES 175 Copy Guitar - Classic and Lovely Jazzbox | eBay

Given that price I think there is probably wiggle room on the Antoria.

Newer Hofners are beautiful guitars and often very cheap second hand

[docsteve]

Stanford offers a 175 copy that seems to be a 100% Eastman clone, but for 300€ less. I didn‘t really try it, but it looked and felt good to me.


Gesendet von iPad mit Tapatalk

[christianm77]

Looks like it's a type of viola. There were news articles about it. Apparently she got completely reimbursed. I wonder if that now sets a precedence
An airline smashed her 1660 viola da gamba - and now she’s calling them out - Classic FM
Alitalia Airlines fully reimburses musician after damaging her 17th-century... - Classic FM

That's some consolation but, really, that's a sad loss to the world. I hope they were able to repair it.

Instrument geeks corner...

According to the textbooks, Viola da Gamba is not a type of viola, but instead (in English) a Viol. According to this understanding it's more closely related to the guitar through the common ancestor the Spanish Vihuela. (Also the Porteguese name for the guitar, violao, is telling.) The viol family have six strings and an irregular tuning not unlike the guitar and very similar to the 6-string lute.

BUT - Viols tend to have sloped shoulders like a double bass (which is why the bass is sometimes called the bass viol) so the round violin style shoulders are interesting. As it is an original instrument that's kind of an indication that things weren't so cut and dried. I think a lot of the viol/viola distinction is based on outdated scholarship?

What I'd be interested to know if there are any historical Vihuela de penola (Plectum vihuela) with F-holes, I know there were bowed viols with round sound holes like a guitar, so maybe they had F-hole plectrum guitar in the 1600's?

So, guitars, viols and violins, all closer relatives than maybe we thought.... A matter of preference whether you have a fourth + third tuning or fifths.... Kind of like it is with normal guitars and tenor guitars. Interesting stuff anyway.

I suppose Rob would know more?

[christianm77]

Anyway, I've derailed my own thread.

[christianm77]

I'd imagine if you are looking for a 175 substitute, something Japanese would be good.

Here are two available.

Excellent condition this Antoria super 70s Jazz Guitar Model 2355 Sunburst | eBay

Burny/Fernandes RFA75 ES175 WITH HARD CASE, new, setup. waranteed. | eBay


And look what you might get one for if you are lucky.

Antoria Gibson ES 175 Copy Guitar - Classic and Lovely Jazzbox | eBay

Given that price I think there is probably wiggle room on the Antoria.

Newer Hofners are beautiful guitars and often very cheap second hand

Which Hofner models were you thinking of?

That second Antoria could be modelled on my box.

[christianm77]

Maybe there were - these guys are clearly Benson-picking on their jazz boxes. I KNEW IT!

[mr. beaumont]

Philip Catherine replaced his old 175 with a God in Composer...if that ain't an endorsement, then..

[grahambop]

Maybe there were - these guys are clearly Benson-picking on their jazz boxes. I KNEW IT!

Isn’t that Gilad Hekselman on the left?

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Philip Catherine replaced his old 175 with a God in Composer...if that ain't an endorsement, then..

I'm gonna assume that's a typo, but Mark's the authority on that. :wink:

[christianm77]

Isn’t that Gilad Hekselman on the left?

You're goddam right.

[blille]

Maybe there were - these guys are clearly Benson-picking on their jazz boxes. I KNEW IT!

Isn’t that Gilad Hekselman on the left?

With a young Allan Holdsworth on the right

[plasticpigeon]

Which Hofner models were you thinking of?

That second Antoria could be modelled on my box.

I was thinking something like the "New President". They are not popular in the UK, and I have seen them for sale for around £1000, but as far as I know it is carved and the finish probably at least as nice as a 175 so it would be a shame to have one as a guitar that can take a beating as it is a very fine instrument.

https://www.hofner-guitars.com/media..._President.pdf

[Thelonious1]

Unsure if you saw this or someone posted already


Epiphone ES175 Premium - $600

[John A.]

Hi everyone,

I got my '68 ES175D a while back and while it's not a terribly valuable instrument and insured, I do really love it and would be devastated to have anything happen to it.

It seems that whatever amp I plug it into, it has a lovely mellow, yet punchy mid range sound. I guess that's Gibson for you.

As a result I would like to get a touring guitar that'll get me in the ball park tonally. that I can check and not be too worried about getting smashed up should that be unlucky enough to happen.

I gather the pickups are probably T-types and not that highly thought of... However I like them!

This guitar is RESONANT - if anything halfway towards a Godin Kingpin as opposed a modern Gibson 175. I also like this and would like to have that quality if possible.

A few options:
Buy a new/used cheapish guitar
Buy a new/used cheapish guitar and swap the pickup
Fit a new pickup into the Samick built Ibanez AF-85 I have collecting dust.

What do you think? Budget would probably be around 1000USD which translates to around 1000GBP it seems in UK prices. Cheap and cheerful is best. 3 is obviously the cheap sensible option, but hey where's the fun in that?

PS - the used market is a lot smaller in the UK than the states, but I'm open to used, probably sensible in fact.

In addition to the Eastman AR 371/2 and Epi ES 175 Premium, I suggest checking out the Ibanez AKJV90D. The one I played was really nice. The tone struck as leaning a bit more toward a carved top tone, but still in the 175-ish neighborhood. Either of the Godin Kingpins, or the Godin Composer might also do the trick. Heritage 575, though I suspect that would be pretty scarce in the UK.

John

[blille]

Heritage 575, though I suspect that would be pretty scarce in the UK.

Imho the H575 is very different with the carved body and also significantly more expensive. But wonderful

[Rob MacKillop]

I can't think of any f-hole vihuelas, Christian, though many of the early types of viola da mano were close in outline to the viola da arco, such as the one depicted in this portrait of the lovely Borgias family jamming on The Chicken...imagine!

[christianm77]

I can't think of any f-hole vihuelas, Christian, though many of the early types of viola da mano were close in outline the viola da arco, such as the one depicted in this portrait of the lovely Borgias family jamming on The Chicken...imagine!

such a lovely family

[christianm77]

Unsure if you saw this or someone posted already


Epiphone ES175 Premium - $600

Sadly I don’t think he’ll ship it to London