Archtop players

[Bob Mc]

First off, Paul thanks so much for this site!
Now, you fatbody guys, I'm returning to the instrument after a long absense and wonder first off who's playing what.
I'm playing one of the other 'G's: a 50's Gretsch Electromatic.
I've got questions about: rattle, strings, amps, PUPS, feeeeeeedback, players, technique, and ,most importantly good BBQ rib recipes.

[Tele295]

ES-295 - GHS Nickel Rockers
L-7C with a Charlie Christian pickup, old flatwounds.

Gotta love them archtop with single coils! No feedback problems, but I'm not running a Marshall flat out. I don't like the response when the body is stuffed or the f-holes covered up.

BBQ recipe - Farmer John Louisiana Hot Links, basted with a sweet BBQ sace while grilling. MMMmmmm.

Barbequed Archtops = our answer to Blazing Telecasters :D

[Michael]

I've been an archtop lover almost as long as I've been a Tele junkie. I've had a couple over the years, the first being a Byrdland and then an L5-CES. Neither of them fit my hand the way I wanted and I ended up with a Super 300. My wife affectionately calls it the "Granddaddy" because of its age (51 years) & the style of music I play on it (old jazz & swing tunes). To me the coolest combo is archtop guitar and mandolin (Can you say Tone Poems?). It is my favorite guitar to play and hear. I love my Fenders but if I could have only one guitar it would be "Granddaddy".

[Michael Minnis]

I love my Telecaster, but, I, too, am an archtop guy. I have one Tele and a lot of archtops. They are:

1957 Super 400 CN with a floating DeArmond 1100.
1956 L5 CESN with AlNiCos.
A custom archtop made by an extremely talented local luthier by the name of Chris Forshage. It's in the vein of a D'Aquisto Centura. Simply gorgeous piece of work. It has Kent Armstrong's new single coil floating pickup. Highly recommended.
1978 ES-175.

I usually string up the "electrics", the L5 and 175 with Thomastik-Infeld George Benson flatwounds, 14s. And I tend to string up the "acoustics", the Super 400 and the Forshage with Thomastik-Infeld roundwound BeBop 14s. I have two amps. A 1965 Deluxe Reverb with an old P12N and a custom Alessandro Italian Greyhound. The Alessandro is a wonderful amp specifically voiced for archtops.

That's about it. Thanks for letting me share. I hope we get more posts about archtops. I've had a love affair with their beauty, both sonically and visually, for many years.

[Russinator]

Have had an ES-330TD and an ES-335TDC in the past along with a Gretsch Country Club, Country Classic, DeArmond, and A George Benson. Always wanted an ES-175 or L-5 or 400 CES or the like but never did get one. :)

Anyone ever have any experience with the Trini Lopez model? A local polka band guy uses one.

[Paul G.]

The most common is the Trini Lopez Standard. This is an ES335 with a
non-reverse Firebird headstock, Diamond soundholes and fingerboard inlays
and a custom tailpiece.

These are great guitars, I've had one--they sound fine and play very well. It
is essentially a late 60's era ES335.

The other model is the Trini Lopez Custom. This is a double cutaway, deep
body guitar, fully hollow. It has the same tailpiece, headstock, inlays and
soundholes as the semi-hollow model. It has an additional switch for
"standby". This is essentially a redecorated Barney Kessel model. I have no
experience with this one, but I have played a bunch of Kessels and they're
pretty nice guitars.


P.

[Tascosa]

Did you like the George Benson guitar ? It looked like a great guitar to me , I never got to see one in person tho ! The ES135 is a really nice guitar and the price is god too !! :D

[Andy R]

Boy ! Nice guitars! I have a few too...
63 Tal Farlow
66 Barney Kessel (probably my fave )
38 ES 150
94 Heritage Golden Eagle
60 ES 335TDN
61 Gretsch 6120
56 Gretsch Convertable (in restoration)
39 D'A A1
ca 42 Stromberg Master 300
30s Vivitone
La Bella flats on most of the electrics, med guage,
La Bella tapes on the Heritage
La Bella Bronze heavy on the acoustics

[Russinator]

Did you like the George Benson guitar

Well yes and no. It seemed a little strange and unfamiliar to me. I got it in a fantastic trade deal and shortly later disposed of it in the same manner :)

The ES-135LE is very similar to the 1970's ES335TDC I used to have. Always thought those were good stand alone do anything guitars.
http://junior.apk.net/~rji/es335tdc.jpg

[Bob Mc]

has some similarities to a good Tele sound; unique, full AND biting, and IMHO at it's best when there's no effects. It's apples and oranges as to the physical playing one after the other, but I find myself playing very similar stuff on them.
Could be because with effort, I stink.

[Aaron Schiff]

I'm playing a Stromberg now, but over in the "Custom, Art and Historic" section I posted on two Barney Kessels that I've played in the last month: a '64 Custom and a '61 standard. The '61 is still available, but I don't have the cash. I think the double cutaway horns are ugly on an archtop, but they play and sound so smooth and good that I would buy one of these in a heartbeat.

[Eric Karonen]

Man, am I glad to see Paul do this.

I've got couple of Gibsons, but the one I like the most is my 1994 ES-355, a joy to play when I'm in the mood for some woody tones.

Cheers everyone.

[Roy]

Thanks Paul. I have two: A circa 1948 ES 150 and a 1992 ES 335.

[FlameTop]

Here's my 97 blond ES175...

http://www.flametop.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images10/ES175.jpg

[Chris S.]

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/restless314/pics/AARelicHR.jpg

I've got a couple. My main jazz axe is this early 70s Guild Artist Award with the floating DeArmond pickup. No tone control, but through the right amp it sounds perfect as is.

In the background there is a Gibson L-4 CES, which just recently moved to a new home. I also have a Gibson Howard Roberts (con)Fusion which I've modified a bit. Hard to know what category to put that in -- it looks like what you'd get if you mated an ebony ES-175 and a Les Paul Custom. ;-)

Anyway, I agree with youse guys: THANKS PAUL! It's great to have a place to talk about these with familiar folks. :-) CS

[jazzguitar]

Glad to see more archtop lovers around !!

Apart from one more Tele and one L-5 (and some maybee's) I now have all my dream guitars.

Thanks Paul !

Here's my collection (part of) if you have't already seen ...

http://www.blueglow.de/images/Gear01.jpg (http://www.blueglow.de/images/Gear01.jpg)

(Click for full size)

[Emmitt O.]

At this point I'm happy playing my Heritage archtops. I have a Blonde ES-576 and an ASB ES-535. Both have changed out pickups (SD's in both) and are great.

I have toyed with consilidating to one archtop, but could not pick between the two of which one to get rid of. I have thought of selling both and buying the ES-350T at Elderly's right now. But.......... I like my Heritages too much.

Take care. Count me in with the Archtop crowd. I own a pair of "tele's", but I love the sound of my archtops.
Take care.
Emmitt O.

[joeyv]

My first hollow body guitar was an Ibanez "George Gobel" Byrdland, ES350 clone ...great guitar and beautiful....ended up trading it for a 51 Epiphone Zephre Regent Deluxe just like Duke Robillards....played it for couple of years and got a 38 or 39 ES150 ...ahhh what came next...oh yeah..I got a 56 Gretch Chet Atkins off an old hippy for $400.00 .I then got a black Howie Roberts fusion at Chuck Levins when I lived in Virginia for a short time,,,traded that for a Guild X175 sold that and the Gretch for down payment money on my house and then I just played my Tele with flatwound 12's on it..I was flirting with have a custom box made and the two I liked and was ready to move on was a Mesrobian and a Cronin archtop...but then again....I probably will end up back on the tele after I get the strat out of my system....almost bought a flame top today, then I said I better think on it for a few days.....I get like this..hungry for something else...always end up backwith the tele

[swijak]

After being a Telecaster player for the last 10 years, 3 of 4 of my main gigging guitars are archtops. I've always considered archtops to be more "real" guitars than solidbodies. I've got a Telecaster and Stratocaster I bring out every now and then, but my archtops and Les Paul are all I really ever gig with anymore.

Here's what I have:

1953 Gibson ES-125 - Great guitar one pickup straight into the amp gives an awesome raw blues sound. Great for early BB, Elmore James and T-Bone sounds. Plays fantastic, and it's a tough guitar to put down.

1970's Ventura Archtop - Not sure what model this is but I traded a 1969 Gibson SG Special for it (I paid $300 for the SG a year before) and have never regretted it. This guitar has a fat neck, body a little bigger than the ES125 and a SOLID spruce top. Gibson T-top humbuckers were added before I got, but they are keepers. This guitar SCREAMS the blues or can get really mellow. The guitar has an awesome fat tone that I love. I keep thinking I'll get an ES-175 to replace it but I have not found a '175 that sounds close. I've had a '95 ES-175 in my studio off and on to compare it with, while the '175 plays like a dream, the Venture just has that "sound".

2001 Gretsch Streamliner Reissue - For the price this guitar is very versitle. I play this guitar when we do country, Rockabilly and it makes a great Surf guitar. Neck is a little thin for me, but I love it just the same.

[Knucklehead]

I've always liked Archtops, sort of like that old Gibson ad where a guitar is held up by an admiring player and the caption says "Man, what a guitar!"
I've accumulated a few, always with the intention of selling one every time a new one joins the fold, but I've been unable to part with them.
Here's what I have:

1941 L5N
1950 L7N
1951 ES5N
1997 L5CTN Acoustic
1993 Super 400PN Acoustic

L5N...... it's ashame Gibson hasn't reintroduced this model.

This is great section of the Forum, Thanks, Paul!

[jazztop]

I have these:

Schroeder Excel. The most vibrant, resonant acoustic guitar I have ever played, including many of the classic archtops.
Heritage H535. Vintage sunburst
Heritage Super Eagle ("CES style"). Chestnut burst.

Would like to have an archtop with a single P90 but haven't found anything yet.

Phil

[guitarded]

Count me in as an archtop lover!

I have a Gretsch 6120SSL
Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe
Late 70s blonde Ibanez ES175 type guitar (???)
335 copy(?)

[guitarded]

Count me in as an archtop lover!

I have a Gretsch 6120SSL
Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe
Late 70s blonde Ibanez ES175 type guitar (???)
335 copy(?)

[Buffalosix]

Gibson Historic ES-345
Hamer Newport Korina

[Luca P]

Wow, all those big names I see:
L5's, Super 400's, even a Stromberg!
What kind of jobs you have??

I'll have to do with:
-1990 ES295.
-Gibson Country Gentleman
-ES135, P100's

Almost traded my 295 for a 1991 ES350.
I was afraid I'd be missing my 295 so I didn't.

[jonnyrapp]

I started out playing archtops in '67 since my uncle was a big band player and he gave me my first lessons. He also gave me a Harmony Broadway to learn on. Since then, I have gone through a bunch of them and kept a few:

'50 Epi Emperor
'60 ES 175
'55 Guild Stratford
'52 ES 150
'66 Guild X500
'48 Epi Century
'68 Guild X350S
'91 ES 350T
'97 McKerrihan Mini Keenan

I also have used semihollows (a whole different sort of guitar), one or two Gretsches (yuck), and more than a few assorted Harmony, Kay, etc mud boxes. I try to avoid Fenders, although I own the obligatory Tele and a Strat. I think my favorite combination has been P90 equipped guitars through tweed amps set clean. Or a Polytone...