The best archtop you've played?

kswilson89

I've recently been getting into some swing style jazz and have really enjoyed learning the basics. I've been using my tele to learn but it seems archtop guitars are far more well suited to this style. Now, due to the fact that I'm addicted to the GAS and believe that a new guitar will obviously take my playing skills from zero to hero, I'm now looking for one. Could anyone suggest their favourite archtops at whatever price bracket, I'm looking for as many ideas as possible.

Thanks

57Deluxe

I love my Hofner 457 E2 - Had it for over 33 years now. Is so many sounds in one, but really it wants to Rock. Does a Gretsch White Falcon with ease too...

octatonic

Benedetto Cremona.

I'd never spend $30k on an instrument though.
They look like this:

JDE

Assuming current production, the best I’ve played off the top of my head....
Under £1000 (new):
Ibanez AF151
Peerless Manhattan
Eastman AR371

£1000-3000:
Eastman T-49
Dupont St Louis
Ibanez GB100
Peerless Leela

£3000 plus:
Gibson Es175 59RI
Gibson L5
Dupont Bebop
Benedetto Bravo


Vintage? I prefer an ES175 type guitar, personally, so if I were in the market for a great vintage archtop, I’d be looking there, possibly at a vintage Guild. 

What type of guitar are you looking for - solid wood, laminate? Floating pickup or set pickup? If you’re anywhere near me (Essex), you’re more than welcome to have a bash on my Dupont Bebop; I think it’s a great example of a no-frills high end 175 style guitar. 

richh

If you can afford it, Gibson ES-175 or many other Gibson archtop variances.  If you can't afford or justify it, there are loads of great options out there from Ibanez, Yamaha, Epiphone, and so on.

Purely for jazz a big bodied archtop may be preferable, but something like an ES-335 would be far more versatile.  If you've not played a full size archtop before though, do bear in mind that it is quite different to playing a telecaster, especially in right hand / arm position, so it may take a bit of adjusting to.

kswilson89

JDE said:

Assuming current production, the best I’ve played off the top of my head....
Under £1000 (new):
Ibanez AF151
Peerless Manhattan
Eastman AR371

£1000-3000:
Eastman T-49
Dupont St Louis
Ibanez GB100
Peerless Leela

£3000 plus:
Gibson Es175 59RI
Gibson L5
Dupont Bebop
Benedetto Bravo


Vintage? I prefer an ES175 type guitar, personally, so if I were in the market for a great vintage archtop, I’d be looking there, possibly at a vintage Guild. 

What type of guitar are you looking for - solid wood, laminate? Floating pickup or set pickup? If you’re anywhere near me (Essex), you’re more than welcome to have a bash on my Dupont Bebop; I think it’s a great example of a no-frills high end 175 style guitar. 

Thanks for the replies everyone. My interest was piqued when I saw this video of Frank Stallone playing an Epiphone Emperor in Norm's... 



Obviously I couldn't afford that but something similar in around the £1000 - £3000 category would be ideal.

JDE

Loar is the “budget” (£800-1000ish) Acoustic Archtop of choice. I’ve had a couple and they’ve been ok, although I would only personally go for either an LH600 (see Thomann) or an LH700 (which is now discontinued in Europe, I think). If buying new, factor in some kind of setup. Both of mine only needed minor work but there’s a lot of horror stories online (the Internet!!). 

A better instrument would probably be an acoustic Eastman - a 605 or 805. Don’t have the growl of a vintage Epi or L5 as they’re more built in the Benedetto style but nice to play. 

Jalapeno

My Roger Sadowsky Jim Hall model, it is a replica of Jim Hall's ageing D'Aquisto - it was cheaper than an ES 175 when I got it - not true now though sadly.

There are smaller and bigger ones in his range

koss59

I know of an awesome Ibanez L5 from 1977 for sale.  Hand carved top in blonde with lovely figured back.

DB1

I currently have a 1956 ES-175 (2 x P90) and that's one of the nicest that I've played. An Eastman AR580CE was also lovely, and at the lower end of the price scale, a Godin 5th Ave Kingpin, for 'older' style swing/blues stuff..

CloudNine

DB1 said:

I currently have a 1956 ES-175 (2 x P90) and that's one of the nicest that I've played. .

I have exactly the same model/year, and it is epic. All vintage guitars are not magic, but this one definitely is, and I played a couple of other 50's P90 175's, which were also great, especially compared to the more modern versions.

ourmaninthenorth

Some really fine guitars being suggested...here's my contribution. A Martin/Dale Unger (American Archtop Co) CF1.

Long gone, sorely missed...every time I think of this guitar I shake my head and murmur under my breath.."you dopey f**ker"

Funkfingers

Early Sixties Gibson ES-125CD, belonging to the previous owner of my Goldtop.

The only archtop I owned for any length of time was an early Eighties Guild X-170.

p90fool

I used to gig a '52 ES-295, so for me a laminate top dual P90 guitar is the way to go.

Other than bragging rights I really see very little point in a delicate solid spruce top electric jazz guitar. 

I have a solid top acoustic archtop I've added a pickup to but it's a bit of a fight onstage for no real benefit. 

jimmyguitar

My favourite guitar, a 1952 Gibson ES-300, it sounds deep, warm, bluesy and with flatwounds is the perfect jazz guitar (not that i’m much of a jazz player)

CloudNine

Well, that's not too shabby is it eh?

smigeon

Left field suggestion: I see you’re not too far from Manchester. Well, in Sounds Great in Cheadle, they have a old Australian-made archtop hanging up in their quiet room, downstairs. It used to belong to a member of the Batchelors (a slightly corny vocal harmony group from the 60s). I think they are selling it on commission (I have no afilliation I hasten to add!).

Well, I have a play on this everytime I visit. The guitar has a kind of magic for me both in the asonishing playability and the sound. It’s quite expensive though which, along with the fact that it’s a little-known make, is no doubt why it’s been sitting there a good while. I’d buy it if I could afford it. It’s a pretty unique guitar.

Just a thought...

KKJale

ourmaninthenorth said:

Some really fine guitars being suggested...here's my contribution. A Martin/Dale Unger (American Archtop Co) CF1.

Those were really good. A chap I visited a few years ago had a lovely one... I was buying his '70s Fender Deluxe 8 lap steel. Don't 'pose that was you

Back on topic, my favourite acoustic archtops generally have been vintage Epiphones. A Deluxe and a Spartan particularly stick out. As for modern... the most memorable I've ever played was a Ken Parker, but that's over budget (by about x 20).  

The upcoming Waterloo archtops could be really interesting. Quick clip: bad phone recording.

DB1

jimmyguitar said:

My favourite guitar, a 1952 Gibson ES-300, it sounds deep, warm, bluesy and with flatwounds is the perfect jazz guitar (not that i’m much of a jazz player)

Lovely that, Jimmy - I have a 1948 single P90 version in mint condition, with original case. Lovely, lovely things. 

grappagreen

I had a wonderful '69 L5 CES a few years ago... truly lovely..

merciful-evans

I'm not sure what the best one is. I have never played a Gibson L7, but that's the style of guitar for classic jazz and definitely what I prefer.

Specifically: Fully hollowbody big box (16" or 17" lower bout)

Strap pin anchored tailpiece and floating pickup & bridge to to minimise anything encroaching into the chamber.

I use one of these. Its a Hofner HCT-J17. Its Chinese and cheap. I looked to upgrade it last year and took it to Guitar Village (where I bought it for £500 four years ago). I tried out some similar specced Eastman AR605CE and Fibonacci models. They were great but I brought the Hofner back home.

Have fun trying a few out!

Flatwound strings help a lot too.