Budget archtop?

Freedom Fries · January 25th, 2008, 06:55 PM

Your budget archtop recommendations? EDIT:Sorry, found thread.

BTW - I saw some shots of some of the new Harmony archtops at NAMM and they look sweet! Can't find the link, I'll post it when I do.

HARMONY

johnnytronics · January 25th, 2008, 09:41 PM

I've been waiting for those to hit the stores. I think there''s good potential there. Even the old Gibson 125's are going for $1800 which is insane.

maestrovert · January 25th, 2008, 09:46 PM

Check out Gary Stroup's work, well worth the very reasonable price(s)....

Robert(og) · January 26th, 2008, 12:50 AM

i was able to build this thing for a good friend of mine for about 600.00 bucks
solid spruce top. solid maple back and sides, maple neck with ebony fingerboard.
the green paint was a paint to mix up right. but it turned out pretty decent for my first one,
my girlfriend plays a washburn archtop for practice that was about 300.00 bucks new or something, its not bad for what it is, the acoustics could be better tho.

and yes i did put knobs on it, but he could not decide what he wanted for about 3 weeks after it was done so it looked like this for a while.

eryque · January 26th, 2008, 07:18 AM

Robert, when you say you built that, what exactly did you do? Did you build it from scratch and form the sides and top and all that, or what?

I spent last night blowing off some steam and tried out a lot of guitars at the store. All of the Epi archtops were very nice, including two or three Sheratons, a Casino, and a Joe Pass model. All were $599 w/o the case.

It's been a long time since I tried one, but the Ibanez archtops were also very nice.

lostpick · January 26th, 2008, 07:32 AM

oscar schmidt on MF
150>>200 dollars last time I looked
I have an black OE30 that strangely arrived without
the Delta King logo on the headstock
My son records with it
An indy band from NYC>>>>
"And You Will Know Us By Our Trail of Dead"
recorded an most of an album with one...
I put cheap PAF clones in mine and love
its tone and thin fast neck...
My Oscar sparked four other sales at my sons High School
when players asked to check it out..
they did not get such a thin neck as mine though....
now I gotta go get it out of his room...

WildTele · January 26th, 2008, 03:16 PM

Wait for new models from Godin -- they will be affordable and good quality!

Jellecaster · January 26th, 2008, 03:21 PM

I have an Ibanez Artcore and I can't believe how nice it is for the price. Actually, regardless of the price!

odiemann · January 26th, 2008, 03:41 PM

pretty guitar the Artcore, very nice

lostpick · January 26th, 2008, 03:47 PM

What ever possessed Ibanez to put a lightning bolt
on the headstock...

it seems so "out of character" with the overall
traditional classic vibe of that otherwise killer guitar

Robert(og) · January 27th, 2008, 03:01 AM

i mean i hand carved that thing and bent the sides, made the entire thing from scratch, if you wish i have build pics from day one.
i had a thought on a budget archtop, i have see a few kay archtops go for cheap online and they good thing about them is that they are generally solid wood and decently built, and thru the years they tend to sound better but you will have to deal with the issues of a 40 year old guitar.

eryque · January 27th, 2008, 08:43 AM

Robert, I would love to see the pictures from your build! I think a project like that deserves it's own thread if you're up for it.

maestrovert · January 27th, 2008, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eryque

Robert, I would love to see the pictures from your build! I think a project like that deserves it's own thread if you're up for it.

i wholeheartedly agree ! i'd love to see it, an' i'm sure others would too...

January 25th, 2008, 06:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
Freedom Fries Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2003 Location: Mason, MI Posts: 217	Budget archtop? Your budget archtop recommendations? EDIT:Sorry, found thread. BTW - I saw some shots of some of the new Harmony archtops at NAMM and they look sweet! Can't find the link, I'll post it when I do. HARMONY __________________ http://www.drewhoward.com http://www.steelshealtheworld.com Last edited by Freedom Fries; January 25th, 2008 at 07:13 PM. Reason: found TDPRI thread

January 25th, 2008, 09:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
johnnytronics Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Big Apple, NYC Age: 58 Posts: 522	I've been waiting for those to hit the stores. I think there''s good potential there. Even the old Gibson 125's are going for $1800 which is insane. __________________ Support our Troops

January 25th, 2008, 09:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
maestrovert Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Branch Mi. Posts: 6,236	Check out Gary Stroup's work, well worth the very reasonable price(s).... __________________ Sing the Song Bro' Play on Drummer www.godonthe.net

January 26th, 2008, 07:18 AM	#5 (permalink)
eryque Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: albany, ny [not chicago] Posts: 6,993 44 Photos	Robert, when you say you built that, what exactly did you do? Did you build it from scratch and form the sides and top and all that, or what? I spent last night blowing off some steam and tried out a lot of guitars at the store. All of the Epi archtops were very nice, including two or three Sheratons, a Casino, and a Joe Pass model. All were $599 w/o the case. It's been a long time since I tried one, but the Ibanez archtops were also very nice. __________________ my blog: eryque.blogspot.com Updated 9.17.08! Subscribe_____________________

January 26th, 2008, 03:21 PM	#8 (permalink)
Jellecaster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New Hampshire, USA Age: 40 Posts: 2,087	I have an Ibanez Artcore and I can't believe how nice it is for the price. Actually, regardless of the price! __________________ It was born at the junction of form and function...

January 26th, 2008, 12:50 AM	#4 (permalink)
Robert(og) Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: crawfordsville In. Age: 22 Posts: 128	i was able to build this thing for a good friend of mine for about 600.00 bucks solid spruce top. solid maple back and sides, maple neck with ebony fingerboard. the green paint was a paint to mix up right. but it turned out pretty decent for my first one, my girlfriend plays a washburn archtop for practice that was about 300.00 bucks new or something, its not bad for what it is, the acoustics could be better tho. and yes i did put knobs on it, but he could not decide what he wanted for about 3 weeks after it was done so it looked like this for a while.

January 26th, 2008, 07:32 AM	#6 (permalink)
lostpick Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Staten Island, NYC Posts: 994	oscar schmidt on MF 150>>200 dollars last time I looked I have an black OE30 that strangely arrived without the Delta King logo on the headstock My son records with it An indy band from NYC>>>> "And You Will Know Us By Our Trail of Dead" recorded an most of an album with one... I put cheap PAF clones in mine and love its tone and thin fast neck... My Oscar sparked four other sales at my sons High School when players asked to check it out.. they did not get such a thin neck as mine though.... now I gotta go get it out of his room...

January 26th, 2008, 03:16 PM	#7 (permalink)
WildTele TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Montreal Posts: 36	Wait for new models from Godin -- they will be affordable and good quality!

January 26th, 2008, 03:41 PM	#9 (permalink)
odiemann Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Denver Age: 41 Posts: 1,406	pretty guitar the Artcore, very nice __________________ It just got better, I think

January 26th, 2008, 03:47 PM	#10 (permalink)
lostpick Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Staten Island, NYC Posts: 994	Artcores What ever possessed Ibanez to put a lightning bolt on the headstock... it seems so "out of character" with the overall traditional classic vibe of that otherwise killer guitar

January 27th, 2008, 03:01 AM	#11 (permalink)
Robert(og) Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: crawfordsville In. Age: 22 Posts: 128	i mean i hand carved that thing and bent the sides, made the entire thing from scratch, if you wish i have build pics from day one. i had a thought on a budget archtop, i have see a few kay archtops go for cheap online and they good thing about them is that they are generally solid wood and decently built, and thru the years they tend to sound better but you will have to deal with the issues of a 40 year old guitar.

January 27th, 2008, 08:43 AM	#12 (permalink)
eryque Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: albany, ny [not chicago] Posts: 6,993 44 Photos	Robert, I would love to see the pictures from your build! I think a project like that deserves it's own thread if you're up for it. __________________ my blog: eryque.blogspot.com Updated 9.17.08! Subscribe_____________________