Best archtops?

MichaelHorowitz

@rgrice as others have mentioned, the Eastmans are really pretty amazing, especially considering the price. Their non-cutaway models have much better acoustic performance than the cutaway ones, with these two being among the best sounding (and loudest) acoustic archtops I've ever come across:

http://www.djangobooks.com/Item/eastman-ar805-sb

http://www.djangobooks.com/Item/eastman-ar610-cs

The new Frank Vignola model is the best of both worlds....it's quite impressive acoustically and amplifies nicely as well: http://www.djangobooks.com/Item/eastman-fv680ce-sb-vignola

AndrewUlle

made by Gibson:
https://reverb.com/item/10913453-cromwell-g4-1930-s-sunburst

Lango-Django

Cromwell! Who knew? Thanks, Brad, for introducing that to me.

Now here's a guitar idea for the OP:

Find yourself a vintage archtop that it is nice looking, but a clunker... That shouldn't be too hard to do.

(Eg, how many of you have ever played an Epiphone Emporer? I've only seen a few, but they were all clunkers! But the inlay work was incredible.)

Then pass that clunker over to one of our genius builders here at djangobooks.com and have them design and install a brand new hi-tech top on it for you....

That might be fun.

Bones

Hey RG, I love archtops for rhythm but for soloing I definitely prefer a Selmac. IN GENERAL (always exceptions) Selmacs tend to be louder/more cutting for soloing particularly in the high register.

Again, finding one guitar that is loud and responsive and balanced acoustically will be hard to amplify to high gain levels because of feedback. At high amp you will need to compromise 'natural' tone depending on the room/situation/equipment.

And yeah what Lango said, definitely try to play it well before you buy. Every guitar is different.

Good luck and hope that helps.

Lango- I had an Epi once. Forget the model. Great for rhythm really punchy but the high end sucked. One data point though.

MarkA

I think it's tough to buy your first archtop, so playing as many as you can in your price range both vintage and new is important. With the vintage ones, there are gems that you notice right away, and there are some clunkers. But don't be too quick to dismiss them, a lot are simply asleep. I have picked up several vintage Epiphones and others over the years and some have sounded quite good after several months of playing and setup changes (and some have resisted resuscitation attempts). Finding a balanced guitar is important to me as I have found that doesn't change much over time, but volume can be worked on (especially if you're trying one out with old, dead strings that are too light). 13-56 strings and somewhat higher action can work wonders. Body size will play a part as will parallel vs x-bracing, depends on what you're looking for. I had an Epiphone Blackstone that was really punchy but had weak bass, I also had an Emperor that was very loud, but weak treble, some of that due to the difference in size (lower bout 16 1/4 vs 18 3/8 inches). New guitars offer their advantages too.
Good luck in your search!

rgrice

I really appreciate all the suggestions and advice. Now I'm even more befuddled! LOL. I'm really torn between vintage and new and lower end or upscale although the upscale issue is almost rhetorical tho, isn't it. No need to settle for less. Looks like whatever I choose, I'll need to sell off or trade a guitar.
@Bones agree with GJ for soloing. I'm thinking David Rawlings style stuff, swing, and even some rockabilly so trying to get a guitar that may bridge the gap.
Playing them is another issue. Tough to get my hands on many of them and who wants to buy untried? Especially vintage! I do have a line on a vintage Epi in town that I can play for a bit.
Agree with @MarkA and it reminds me of shopping my first GJ guitar.
@michaelhorowitz what's the best, most natural pickup for the Eastman?
@Andrew Ulle I saw that one and think I actually bookmarked it. Looks pretty beat but a good price. Again, hard to pull the trigger without playing it tho! How's school? My break starts tomorrow!!

Buco

MichaelHorowitz wrote: »

Their non-cutaway models have much better acoustic performance than the cutaway ones

Interesting you say that, Risto Ivanovski who built my guitar built a couple of custom GJ guitars without a cutaway (one D and one oval) for a guy in Chicago that plays Irish traditional music. He found that no cutaway gave the guitar a better acoustic response too, especially in the bass register.

rgrice

@Buco that makes two reasons to have a non-cutaway. The other is that it looks so dang cool!

Buco

@rgrice I was thinking about it, asking him to do a non cutaway when he was working on my guitar. He said, as it makes sense, that it would make it easier for him too. At the end as it was, and still is, my first GJ guitar I decided I shouldn't go with something so different to begin with.

Which now gives me ideas, as I want him to make me another guitar eventually and I also want an archtop some day as well. Hmmm...

Bones

Hey RG- Cool, what model Epi do you have locally? How are the highs? There are good Epis out there. If the highs are weak you will need more gain on your amp to be heard for soloing and that will make feedback issues worse. Make sure the guitar has good high end response. Archtops tend in general (again always exceptions) to not have the highs like a Selmac.

A non-cut is a big compromise for soloing (i.e. getting to those high notes) but a plus for a rhythm instrument IMHO.

Again, not at all dissing archtops. I'm making 2 right now. I love them but you need to find a good one.