uncle fester Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Hi All, Just a fun question meant for conversation sake... I've been trying to mix up the music selection and working on 'play that funky music' quite a bit lately. Was watching this video of Rob Parissi playing what looks like a super 400. Video I've been having a lot of fun playing it and trying to get a fun / cool acoustic sound (on my mahogany acoustic dread), but been wondering what other acoustic might get me a little closer to the sound of the super 400 (or whatever it is he was playing). Was guessing a super 200, but figured I'd ask - see what opinions might be out there. Believing the Super 200 is a maple big body guitar, that's about 180 deg from where i'm at today... interesting. Interested in any input. Rgds - br Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 That looks too small to be a 400 and I don’t think they had stop tails. Post it over on the Custom lounge where all arch top members hang out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny3j Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Hi All, ..............Was watching this video of Rob Parissi playing what looks like a super 400. Video That's actually an ES-137 Custom, its a semi solid electric guitar, meaning it has hollow wings but a solid center block. I have an ES-137 Classic, the 137 model is a kind of a mixture of Les Paul, ES-175 & ES-345. Can't really imagine an acoustic guitar replicating its sound (it has quite a few due to the Varitone switch). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarrr Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 This is a super 400: NO Affil https://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/msg/d/gibson-super-400c-1969/6421626853.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 The Super 400 is a big mother, with an 18" lower bout. For a definitive look at the Super 400 in a rock 'n roll setting, check out any of Scotty Moore's (Elvis's original guitarist) vintage stuff on YouTube. Having played a 1937 non-cutaway Super 400 before buying an L-7, I can tell you that the Super 400 a real man's guitar. It was originally a pure acoustic. A LOUD pure acoustic if it needed to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 JT may have a picture of him playing Roy Rogers 400 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 As the 137 arch top is constructed different than a flat top guitar and it uses a humbucker pickup, maybe (and I mean MAYBE) the closest way to go would be to attach a Rare Earth Humbucker sound hole pickup to a flat top acoustic. Since the pickup has a lot to do with the sound, I am not too sure that any flat top wouldn’t just suffice to try it, but, I would suggest using an electric amp not an acoustic guitar amp to try to get the 137’s sound (or its essence). The other option, might be a J160 flat top with its built in P90 through an electric guitar amp. You could also try one of the Epiphone Masterbuilt acoustic archtops (Olympic, Zenith, Deluxe) that fully play acoustic (like 1930s true acoustic arch tops) which have a built in Shadow pickup system, but play it through an electric guitar amp. All of these would be cool to play to try, too...whether it emulates a 137 or not. Just my thoughts. QM aka Jazzman Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 If you want a big bottom archtop you could always try an Epiphone Emperor which had an 18 1/2" lower bout. Not cheap but less than a 400 will run you. The only Gibson archtops I have spent time with are an L-12 (basically an art deco version of the L-7) and a 1935 Capital J-2 which is pretty much a re-badged Cromwell which I still own. All in all though I prefer Epiphone archtops over Gibsons and do own a blonde 1953 Triumph Regent. The reason I mention it is Triumphs remain a downright bargain in a carved top and back archtop. I also agree with the new Epi Masterbilt archtop line. The couple I have gotten my hands on were extremely nice sounding guitars for not a lot of scratch. I have heard that Eastman also makes a nice archtop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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