Robert Conti Guitars

**fleaaaaaa** · 06-30-2014, 11:41 AM

Hey there,

I own one, I know that feeling from my acoustic guitar of how it begins to ache and I don't feel that way at all on the Conti. In terms of arm ache it is no different than playing any standard electric guitar. The action is lovely and low and I enjoy playing it very much. Lovely sounding guitar and lovely feel.

**jasaco** · 06-30-2014, 12:34 PM

I think I heard that they're made in one of the major Korean factories that builds for other known brands, like Peerless. Am I right about that?

**fleaaaaaa** · 06-30-2014, 01:28 PM

Yeah theyre made in Korea by Peerless

**mgmarks** · 06-30-2014, 06:50 PM

On Will Kriski's Facebook Robert Conti Page, there has been significant discussion on the Conti Equity Guitar. Go to the site and look for the info. It should answer all your questions. Yes the guitar is made by Peerless in Korea to Robert Conti's specifications. I have one of them in burst with a single pickup. I love it. It sounds amazing, plays like a dream, has super low action, great tone, beautiful attention to detail on the fabrication, good electronics. It is a wooden guitar so you do have to watch temperature and humidity; but it is easily adjustable for any movement that the atmosphere elicits in the neck. I have not seen a Jazz guitar of this quality for anywhere near the price. I would recommend it and I would buy it again.

**fleaaaaaa** · 07-01-2014, 04:37 AM

By the way the Conti website has all the detailed specifications for this guitar Conti Jazz Guitar Patrons

**wkriski** · 07-01-2014, 09:59 AM

I have the Conti Blond Equity. I love it. I don't normally get guitars that I don't play beforehand but I took a chance and it arrived in amazing condition. The action is super low as Conti likes it and the cutaway gives me access to 24 frets. I have videos on my youtube channel that you can check out with me playing it. Being in a humid location compared to Vegas where he lives I had to get it adjusted as expected after the wood expanded to re-adjust the truss rod. It's a beautiful looking guitar as well.

**Woody Sound** · 07-01-2014, 10:12 AM

It's pretty obvious why he finally had to switch to a thinline guitar

**jasaco** · 07-01-2014, 08:57 PM

Anybody know anything about this earlier, Conti model by Parker guitars?

Robert Conti Guitars-parker-guitar-jpg

**mr. beaumont** · 07-01-2014, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

It's pretty obvious why he finally had to switch to a thinline guitar

Bob loves the carbonara?

As do I, and beer, but I like guitars from Hofner verythin deep to my Taylor 414.

Theres a lot that goes into making a guitar comfortable...which is why I cringe everytime I see somebody say "gotta be 2 1/2" thick or "its gotta have" a certain nut width....you never know til ya play. Folks think they got it figured out...but it ain't so cut and dry.

**PTChristopher2** · 07-01-2014, 09:54 PM

>>> Theres a lot that goes into making a guitar comfortable...which is why I cringe everytime I see somebody say "gotta be 2 1/2" thick or "its gotta have" a certain nut width....you never know til ya play. Folks think they got it figured out...but it ain't so cut and dry.

100% agreed. Regardless of one's morphology (or how it got that way), it may not be accurate to say that one must displace an equivalent amount of guitar when the gut expands.

I have seen plenty of girth-some players do just fine with a deep bodied guitar.

The Conti guitar, rather like his whole business, strikes me as a sincere effort to offer a very useful solution based on the guy's personal approach and sensibilities. Quite admirable in my opinion.

Chris

**mangotango** · 07-02-2014, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

It's pretty obvious why he finally had to switch to a thinline guitar

Yep, I too play a thinline guitar because I no longer have a thinline body.

**mispeltyoof** · 07-02-2014, 03:59 PM

I have a Peerless Renaissance thin line arch top...solid Maple (rather than spruce)and very similar to the Conti. Its the best guitar I have ever played in fifty years. The action is sublime and the guitar remarkably comfortable . It removes all "physicality" from playing ...the guitar becomes "invisible "and the music takes over. IMHO buy the Conti you'll be thrilled

BTW they are now being sold on ebay

**srvrip41** · 07-07-2014, 09:56 AM

Thanks for the input. I have to agree with the above comment-Conti seems sincere in his quest to demystify jazz guitar-both music and now even the guitar itself. A 17" thinline w/ a carved spruce top and all the eye candy @$1800 seems to be right on track.
By the way for those of you who want to know if he is a player-go watch his improvising on YouTube. Very bebop tinged playing for good reason. In one of his videos he states he grew up, I believe New York City-practicing with Pat Martino-he knows all the greats, and very likely played with 'em all as well.

Thanks Again

**MarkRhodes** · 07-07-2014, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by srvrip41

Thanks for the input. I have to agree with the above comment-Conti seems sincere in his quest to demystify jazz guitar-both music and now even the guitar itself. A 17" thinline w/ a carved spruce top and all the eye candy @$1800 seems to be right on track.
By the way for those of you who want to know if he is a player-go watch his improvising on YouTube. Very bebop tinged playing for good reason. In one of his videos he states he grew up, I believe New York City-practicing with Pat Martino-he knows all the greats, and very likely played with 'em all as well.

Thanks Again

Whoa! Conti is from Philly. So is Pat Martino and Jimmy Bruno. Also Joe Sgro, who Conti says gave him some important lessons.
Conti's a great player, both bop-style and chord-melody. He knows his stuff and passes on a lot of useful info.

**Skip Ellis** · 11-12-2018, 09:12 PM

Like 'em or not, are there any reviews of these guitars from anyone who's actually bought one? They all seem to be little 'thank you' vids from people who have just received them. Anyone here own one and what do you think?

**Skip Ellis** · 11-13-2018, 12:23 PM

Answered my own question - just found a pic of the Conti Heirloom and it has the dreaded scarf jointed neck. I know, I know, it probably doesn't affect the tone but, to me, it just looks like crap. Too, bad, because it appears to be a nice instrument, but there are other ways of building necks that don't require that kind of cost cutting measure on a guitar of this price point. Oh, well, I'll just stick to my Teles. Please excuse my rant but about every year or two, I get 'fat guitar fever' and usually buy an archtop to remind me why I don't care for them. Just trying to get it out of my system before I spend the money and get disappointed again.

**Cunamara** · 11-13-2018, 03:08 PM

Rick Turner uses scarf joints on guitars that cost five figures. There is nothing wrong with them and a lot right- better husbandry of scarce woods, stronger headstock that is much less likely to break unlike a Gibson headstock. Indeed, lots of Gibsons have ended up with effectively what is a scarf joint, albeit one created in an accidental and uncontrolled fashion. My Turner Renaissance RN-6 is the best playing and best sounding (amplified) nylon string instrument I have ever played or heard, scarf joint and all.

**mickmac** · 11-13-2018, 04:49 PM

I bought yhe Conti 7 mo. ago The playabilty factor is off the chart !!! Im using it for about 12 nights a month . Accept for cowboy gigs ,the Conti beats the bleep out of my tweeked 30 yr old tele Mickmac

**snoskier63** · 11-13-2018, 08:06 PM

**FredC** · 11-13-2018, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by mickmac

I bought yhe Conti 7 mo. ago The playabilty factor is off the chart !!! Im using it for about 12 nights a month . Accept for cowboy gigs ,the Conti beats the bleep out of my tweeked 30 yr old tele Mickmac

How would you describe the tone for Chord Melody and Blues? Is the pickup of good quality?

**Skip Ellis** · 11-13-2018, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by Cunamara

Rick Turner uses scarf joints on guitars that cost five figures. There is nothing wrong with them and a lot right- better husbandry of scarce woods, stronger headstock that is much less likely to break unlike a Gibson headstock. Indeed, lots of Gibsons have ended up with effectively what is a scarf joint, albeit one created in an accidental and uncontrolled fashion. My Turner Renaissance RN-6 is the best playing and best sounding (amplified) nylon string instrument I have ever played or heard, scarf joint and all.

Some people can live with it but I can't. Taylor does it and it's not noticeable and most classicals have the headstock scarf jointed on and you don't see it but to put it at the third fret like Peerless and Pono just looks cheap in my opinion. Doesn't matter what they cost, it still looks cheap to me. I'll just look elsewhere for a guitar - maybe even Gibson.

**Skip Ellis** · 11-13-2018, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by Cunamara

Rick Turner uses scarf joints on guitars that cost five figures. There is nothing wrong with them and a lot right- better husbandry of scarce woods, stronger headstock that is much less likely to break unlike a Gibson headstock. Indeed, lots of Gibsons have ended up with effectively what is a scarf joint, albeit one created in an accidental and uncontrolled fashion. My Turner Renaissance RN-6 is the best playing and best sounding (amplified) nylon string instrument I have ever played or heard, scarf joint and all.

<br><br>Some people can live with it but I can't. Taylor does it and it's not noticeable and most classicals have the headstock scarf jointed on and you don't see it but to put it at the third fret like Peerless and Pono just looks cheap in my opinion. Doesn't matter what they cost, it still looks cheap to me. I'll just look elsewhere for a guitar - maybe even Gibson.<br>
<br>

**Skip Ellis** · 11-13-2018, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by Cunamara

Rick Turner uses scarf joints on guitars that cost five figures. There is nothing wrong with them and a lot right- better husbandry of scarce woods, stronger headstock that is much less likely to break unlike a Gibson headstock. Indeed, lots of Gibsons have ended up with effectively what is a scarf joint, albeit one created in an accidental and uncontrolled fashion. My Turner Renaissance RN-6 is the best playing and best sounding (amplified) nylon string instrument I have ever played or heard, scarf joint and all.

Some people can live with it but I can't. Taylor does it and it's not noticeable and most classicals have the headstock scarf jointed on and you don't see it but to put it at the third fret like Peerless and Pono just looks cheap in my opinion. Doesn't matter what they cost, it still looks cheap to me. I'll just look elsewhere for a guitar - maybe even Gibson.

**GNAPPI** · 11-13-2018, 11:32 PM

Originally Posted by FredC

"Different strokes for different folks".

I really like my Monarch 16 and am thinking about buying a "Hardtail" semi-hollow (ES335 clone) in the future.

The hardtail is a pretty nice git, mine has a heel and scarf joint, but I can live with it because I got it as new / mint for a bit over $500.

At the $1k and up price point, others can make three piece necks like D'Angelico, Eastman, the Epi Sheraton and Ibanez models.

All things equal that's a cost savings nothing more, and it has absolutely nothing to do with saving the whales, the snail darter, wood, global warming or the health of the planet.

Back to the hardtail...

On the negative side (aside from the neck joints)...

The tuners really rot. The hardtail is one of the VERY few I've owned that REALLY needed the tuners replaced.

The switch on mine failed, and the frets went proud on me.

On the positive side...

I REALLY like the jack placement, Epi, Gibson, and some Ibanez models are some of the few that locate it there. It's very handy if you want to put it in the case instead of a stand when practicing.

The neck thickness is perfect for me, not too fat, not too thin.

Pups are more than very usable straight out of the box.

The deep amber finish and top / back woods on mine are flawless and absolutely stunning, right up there with others costing much more.

**blackcat** · 11-14-2018, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by Skip Ellis

Yes, I knew that and once owned a Peerless Monarch. I was mostly wondering if the Conti had the same scarf joint neck as other Peerless guitars.That's an absolute deal breaker for me. Need to look for more pics,I guess.

That's an absolute deal breaker for me.

One has to ask why? Still waiting for evidence on this site or others of failures or distortion of a neck directly attributable to scarf joints. Aesthetics perhaps?