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Post by aquaduct on Nov 17, 2019 21:12:36 GMT -5
Their website doesn't seem to show any these days. Casualty of the bankruptcy?
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Post by Marty on Nov 17, 2019 21:42:27 GMT -5
Looks like the ES-350T is the only archtop, if you can call it a archtop, that they make at the moment, and it's $10k.
Imagine what they would want for a new L-5.
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Post by Marshall on Nov 17, 2019 21:57:29 GMT -5
ES-350 is a pressed plywood top. The L-7, L-5, & Super 400 were always carved tops from a hunk of solid spruce.
This probably leaves the carved archtop market to the likes of Mr. Kennedy and other boutique manufacturers.
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Post by John B on Nov 17, 2019 22:07:16 GMT -5
And Eastman.
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Post by aquaduct on Nov 17, 2019 22:10:50 GMT -5
Looks like the ES-350T is the only archtop, if you can call it a archtop, that they make at the moment, and it's $10k. Imagine what they would want for a new L-5. That's some kind of limited run Chuck Berry thing, not regular production. |
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Post by TKennedy on Nov 17, 2019 23:58:32 GMT -5
For what it’s worth here is a 16” all laminate I just strung up. It’s the perfect size for me. I just may keep it.  |
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Post by theevan on Nov 18, 2019 6:05:48 GMT -5
For the record, that is BEAUTIFUL.
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Post by brucemacneill on Nov 18, 2019 7:20:13 GMT -5
Their website doesn't seem to show any these days. Casualty of the bankruptcy? The custom shop made some L7-Cs a couple of years ago. The list price was 8K but the sale price was around 6K and the Gibson forum folks thought the old ones were better guitars. |
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Post by Cosmic Wonder on Nov 18, 2019 10:13:56 GMT -5
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Post by Marty on Nov 18, 2019 11:43:08 GMT -5
Just had 2000 L-4ce in the shop. Figured maple b&s with spruce top 24 5/8" scale, 57 Classic pickups. Nice guitar. Too bad they had to go stick a bridge pickup in it.
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Post by Russell Letson on Nov 18, 2019 12:35:06 GMT -5
"Archtops" covers quite a bit of market/musical territory, even if one trims it down to the "solid, hand-carved" segment. If I were to buy yet another solid, hand-carved archtop, I could choose from a range that runs from good-enough Chinese (Loar) through very good Chinese (Eastman) to mostly-pricey American (Collings, Megas, Comins, Buscarino, Moll). (I'm not ignoring Terry--we all know about his work.) Gibson's offerings in this part of the market have long seemed to me to be overpriced for what they are. Personally, I've never played an L5 that I liked, and as nice as my 1945 L7 was, I sold it off because I preferred my '46 Epi Broadway. But that's just me. (On the other hand, I've heard '30s L5/L7/L12s that I'd be sore tempted to pay market price for.)
The laminate branches of the archtop family are even more densely populated, and while that's not my turf, my impression is that outside of a handful of classic models (335, Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Byrdland), other makers offer better price/performance--Ibanez gets mentioned by jazz guys. And I'm not sure whether any of those Gibson classics are still in production, even through the custom shop.
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Post by brucemacneill on Nov 18, 2019 13:04:22 GMT -5
Just had 2000 L-4ce in the shop. Figured maple b&s with spruce top 24 5/8" scale, 57 Classic pickups. Nice guitar. Too bad they had to go stick a bridge pickup in it. Musicians friend says they have new L4-CES models coming in 2020, all wood hollow body not laminated. Looks like an ES-175 but those are laminated. Expected prices around 7K. |
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Post by Russell Letson on Nov 18, 2019 14:09:39 GMT -5
I wonder whether those new solid-wood models might be "formed" rather than carved-that is, with pressed tops. That seems to be a path some companies are following--and it's not necessarily a bad thing (ask Terry). I think some of Dale Unger's models have solid-pressed tops, as do the current resurrection of Epiphones and the Guild A-150.
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Post by TKennedy on Nov 18, 2019 15:27:33 GMT -5
I have been using laminated plates from Steve Holst a builder who makes what look like beautiful instruments.
They sound pretty darn good acoustically. I am not sure I’ll build another carved top instrument unless someone specifically asks for it. They are a lot of work and hard to sell at a price that justifies the work and everyone (except Russ😀) plugs in anyway.
I know there is a developing subculture of guys building lighter braced more resonant/responsive solid wood archtops designed I think for finger style play acoustically. Steve Marchioni is one guy I have read about.
I would love to play something like that.
Unless you want a vanity logo on your headstock Eastmans seem to compare very favorably to Gibsons. Hard for me to justify the price difference
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Post by brucemacneill on Nov 18, 2019 15:37:35 GMT -5
Dumb question probably but my archtops have archbacks too. Were the old archtops carved top and back? I never really thought about it. I assume the newer ES-165, laminated, is just pressed but the L7 was probably carved like the top. Right?
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Post by TKennedy on Nov 18, 2019 16:06:33 GMT -5
Yes the L7 has a carved back.
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Post by aquaduct on Nov 18, 2019 16:26:19 GMT -5
"Archtops" covers quite a bit of market/musical territory, even if one trims it down to the "solid, hand-carved" segment. If I were to buy yet another solid, hand-carved archtop, I could choose from a range that runs from good-enough Chinese (Loar) through very good Chinese (Eastman) to mostly-pricey American (Collings, Megas, Comins, Buscarino, Moll). (I'm not ignoring Terry--we all know about his work.) Gibson's offerings in this part of the market have long seemed to me to be overpriced for what they are. Personally, I've never played an L5 that I liked, and as nice as my 1945 L7 was, I sold it off because I preferred my '46 Epi Broadway. But that's just me. (On the other hand, I've heard '30s L5/L7/L12s that I'd be sore tempted to pay market price for.) The laminate branches of the archtop family are even more densely populated, and while that's not my turf, my impression is that outside of a handful of classic models (335, Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Byrdland), other makers offer better price/performance--Ibanez gets mentioned by jazz guys. And I'm not sure whether any of those Gibson classics are still in production, even through the custom shop. The 335 is deservedly iconic (pretty close to the pinnacle of practical, versatile guitar) and Gibson still makes those in varying shades of gorgeousness. The others you mention are gone. |
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