Best Gypsy Jazz Archtop

Stringswinger

Having a Guild Benedetto, I can assure everyone that what Michael said in regards to Guild Benedettos is correct.

There are 4 types of guitars that I use from time to time for Gypsy Jazz (and I'd bet most European Gypsys would concur that all 4 are of value)

1. Oval Hole Selmer replicas

2. D Hole Macaferri replicas

3. Acoustic archtops

4. Electric archtops


Any loud, cutting acoustic archtop will do. Pre war Gibsons and Epiphones are probably best (That's what I recommend). (D'Angelico's and Strombergs would work pretty good as well )

Modern acoustic archtops tend to not be as loud, as the builders assume that they will be amplified and tone is more of a concern than volume. The Benedetto Vignola model is an exception. Amplified modern acoustic archtops sound great for Gypsy Jazz as they mostly have a very focused and defined sound. There are lots of great builders making them. If you can get a Guild Benedetto at a good price, you will be a happy camper.

Electric archtops work well amplified. I have played with Ninine Garcia in Paris and he was playng an Asian electric archtop and sounded better than 99 percent of the guys that I have played with in the States who were using Favinos, Duponts and Parks. It really is the mechanic, not the tool. I'd still recommend a Gibson for an electric archtop.

For a straight acoustic jam...I'd want a Selmac. They are as loud as a Dobro and are lighter and have a cutaway. I think Dupont's are the best made today.

Cheers,

Marc

www.hotclubpacific.com

MichaelHorowitz

gitpicker wrote:

I don't think the laminate top in this case is "cheaper".

I meant the labor costs less then carving a top. Like you said, laminate tops are great for guitars designed solely for amplification. Once you plug it in it's debatable how much the carved top really matters. But when playing acoustic the carved top is usually much better. But I was surprised how well those Martin CF-1s sounded acoustic...and they are laminate tops....

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Stringswinger

The martin is a strange guitar. Laminated top with solid sides and back. The opposite of a traditional Selmac.

Laminated tops (like a ES175) are great for gigging. They travel well (weather doesn't affect the setup), stay in tune well (assuming quality tuners) and can get real loud before feedback.

The trade off is that they do not sound as good (in general) as a carved top.

I saw Jim Hall play his signature (Asian made) laminated top archtop through a late model Polytone mini-brute at the Village Vanguatd a couple of months ago...and he sounded great.

Cheers,

Marc

www.hotclubpacific.com

MichaelHorowitz

Stringswinger wrote:

Any loud, cutting acoustic archtop will do. Pre war Gibsons and Epiphones are probably best (That's what I recommend). (D'Angelico's and Strombergs would work pretty good as well )

It's such a drag that the really loud, resonant archtops were mostly built pre-war and those also happen to be the most insanely expensive collectors pieces! ugh....

Modern acoustic archtops tend to not be as loud, as the builders assume that they will be amplified and tone is more of a concern than volume.

And the few modern luthiers who build viable acoustic archtops are the ones who charge the most!! (i.e. Benedetto, Monteleone, Lacey, Buscarino, etc.)

This model by Steve Andersen is one of the loudest archtop type instruments I've played. I think you could probably survive a campfire jam with this one:



http://archtop.com/ac_98andersen_oval.html

Great luthier....his shop is just a few miles from my house.

It really is the mechanic, not the tool.

Totaly....Paulus Schaefer plays a cheap Asian archtop with flatwound strings and is still acoutically louder then me! He's playing it here:

http://www.djangobooks.com/archives/200 ... tml#000010

waldenjazz

Thanks for that Marc... everything you guys are saying is all true! What beautiful guitars. Hey Doug I hope to meet up with you some time... are you going to Nashville NAMM this summer? It's going to be earlier than last year.

gitpicker

I doubt I'll be there but you never know.