Thinline acoustic archtop?

[entresz]

I have a Levin 335 acoustic archtop (nothing in common with a Gibson ES335), I haven't measured the rim depth but it's under 3'', lower bout is just over 16". Strange construction, has a single parallel braced carved top ala Stromberg but has laminated back/sides. Acoustic sound isn't bad - surprisingly loud - it lacks bass compared to something with a deeper body. They're not particularly collectable so they're good value. Cool feature is the neck is actually bolted on (but looks like a normal set neck) - neck resets can be done easier if required.

[RobbieAG]

I've been practicing in silent mode but plugged in using headphones into my Roland Cube 60. Works very well and doesn't disturb anyone.

[raymoan]

The number and variety of guitars in the world is astounding, as is the knowledge of guitars on display in this forum. The old saying, "There's somebody out there for everyone," isn't necessarily true, but there probably is a guitar out there for everyone.

[John A.]

Something to consider -- the depth of the guitar at the rims is not necessarily a good indicator of how thick the guitar actually is. You also have to factor in the how much the back and topped are arched. There are some nominally 3" guitars that are comparable to nominally thinner guitars, and some nominally 2.5" guitars that feel much thicker than that. So don't necessarily limit your search by dimensions. With that in mind, I'd suggest looking at a Godin 5th Ave Kingpin. The rims are 3", but the back is almost flat, and the top less arched than a typical archtop. I find it almost as comfortable to play as my thinline, and very noticeably thinner than my other nominally 3" archtop. It has an excellent unplugged sound, much fuller than any fully hollow thinline I've encountered. And they're cheap and easy to re-sell, so a low-risk experiment.

Here's a (sloppy, alas) sample.

John

[Webby]

I'm not really sure if this one might do the trick for you, as it's "only a plywood guitar", but it checks at least some of the boxes (fully hollowbody, floating pickup, thinner body), and I really love mine:
Harley Benton Custom Line Manhattan Standard



I wrote about mine here when I got it new.

Paul

[raymoan]

Something to consider -- the depth of the guitar at the rims is not necessarily a good indicator of how thick the guitar actually is. You also have to factor in the how much the back and topped are arched. There are some nominally 3" guitars that are comparable to nominally thinner guitars, and some nominally 2.5" guitars that feel much thicker than that. So don't necessarily limit your search by dimensions. With that in mind, I'd suggest looking at a Godin 5th Ave Kingpin. The rims are 3", but the back is almost flat, and the top less arched than a typical archtop. I find it almost as comfortable to play as my thinline, and very noticeably thinner than my other nominally 3" archtop. It has an excellent unplugged sound, much fuller than any fully hollow thinline I've encountered. And they're cheap and easy to re-sell, so a low-risk experiment.

Here's a (sloppy, alas) sample.

John

Good point about nominal vs. effective thickness.

Thanks for the sound demo. Enjoyed your playing!

[raymoan]

I'm not really sure if this one might do the trick for you, as it's "only a plywood guitar", but it checks at least some of the boxes (fully hollowbody, floating pickup, thinner body), and I really love mine:
Harley Benton Custom Line Manhattan Standard



I wrote about mine here when I got it new.

Paul

Can't beat the price, that's for sure, if you can find one in the U.S.

Really enjoyed your playing in the clip on your original thread.