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NGD!!! Gibson Arlo Guthrie LG 2 3/4


mr newhaven

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ok before i start...it just came in like 5 minutes ago from the guys over at zzounds.com

 

its cold out here in ct and all i was able to do so far was open the case real quick to take out the warranty card...(my office is warmer than the back of a UPS truck so i wanna give it a few more minutes before i just open it up and take pics)

 

but the first thing i noticed was that oooh so pleasant wood smell from Bozeman!

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

and i also noticed that i am already in love with my new guitar and i havent even taken it out of the case yet to give it a one over...assuming all of that checks out (and im sure it will) i think we have the makings of a beautiful frienship!

 

...god im such a nerd!

haha

 

but i know you would all understand my overwhelming joy!

 

thanks to all that helped me...and by helped me i mean pushed me into buying a ladder braced small body!

hahaha!

 

ill post pics later today!

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Nice! Very nice! I just picked one of these up last Friday from a local dealer and am amazed at how much fun this little guy can be. Luckily I don't have big hands, so the slightly narrower fingerboard doesn't bother me. The short scale makes playing a breeze and the tone is, well, funky. I've found fingerpicking closer to the end of the fingerboard produces a nice round, full tone while flatpicking with a heavy(ish) pick produces a clear somewhat jangly response. Besides its great looks, the Arlo is extremely comfortable to hold. Now, if I can just get this thing away from my son for a while ... Ce

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hahaha good to meet another owner...so little on these guitars info wise and video wise is available online that making this purchase was a little bit of a leap of faith...

but i love it...

a bit smaller than my old L-00 but im getting used to it and starting to find it very comfortable...

 

i have been without an acoustic for almost 6 month and have been primarily playing tele's recently so i was at first a bit taken aback by the neck size and nut width...20 minutes later and its like i dont even remember what my other guitars look like...

 

if i just had to keep one....this is it! and i love my other guitars...absolutely love them but this thing is climbing right to the top!

 

i used to have a little martin and i banged around on it for a bit...and it got me loving the 3/4 size...the little martin has a slightly wider nut though...but this thing just feels right!

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mr. new, So, you're really taken with this little guy. So am I. At home here, I've been A/Bing it with my RJ, which now sounds and feels like a huge guitar in comparison. The Arlo however just cuts through. The top b and e strings ring out and, well, all the notes on this guitar are easy to hear. I got used to the neck pretty quickly too. Don't have a problem going from one neck width to another. The scale though is another matter. After playing the Arlo for any length of time I have to keep an eye on my left hand for a bit if I switch to a 24.9 or 25.4 scale instrument.

Maybe others who have had this guitar a little longer than we have will share a comment. Anyway, enjoy! This guitar would make anyone happy! Ce.

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haha i haven't a/b'd it yet with anything but i can see how your hands can get a bit confused...

 

i would imagine it would be similar to grabbing a bass guitar after noodling on a 6 string for a while...

 

i think only one other member of this forum had one...damn i forgot the name...but hopefully they chime in with their thoughts...

 

what made you buy it cameleye if you dont mind me asking...

 

i personally have been wanting one of these for about 2 years yet always bought something else when i had the loot...i finally got fed up with putting this on the back burner and picked it up out of spite of myself!

haha

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mr. n, I first tried one out a year or so ago when the Gibson Acoustic Trailer came by one of our local dealers. At the time I was more focused on a J-185 so when I tried the Arlo I was flat out unimpressed because I was seeking a different tone . Liked the look though. Then I got serious about picking up a Robert Johnson and managed to find a used one about a month ago. I thought, this is it. Now I have all the small bodied guitar I need. Har, har. (The wife would say.)

So, last week I walk into another local Gibson dealer and lo and behold, there flanked by L-00 Blues Kings, was this tiny Arlo. Thought I'd give it a try. Big mistake. When I finally looked up an unknown length of time had passed and my pickin' buddy was pacing the floor. I played every style of pickin' I knew on that little guitar, then grabbed a capo and tried out the higher stuff. I was hooked! Went home, thought it over, and two days later I thought I'd just go back and give it another shot. Big mistake (not really!). Got a great deal and now, here we are. Ce

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I'll probably go with D'Addario PB lights when it's time for a change. Use 'em on my RJ and others. I am curious to try a set of nickle lights though. Might increase the "funk" factor.

Larry, the newer BKs are bubinga. Produces a good tone, but I prefer the slightly earlier ones in mahogany. Ce

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I'd like to get it alongside my original "under the bed" '57 for comparison. Does it have ladder bracing?

 

Brian

 

it has ladder bracing...one of the reasons I bought it!

I had an 01 L-00 and while I loved that guitar I knew that it had to go to make room for a ladder braced Gibson small body...now if only I could play better...hahaha

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Great looking guitar Mr. N!!!

 

I bet she sounds great. Hope your getting some nice blues licks out of it.

 

As for strings' date=' I tried a few different ones after getting my LG1 and have ended up right back where I always do.... Elixir Nano Phospher Bronze (12-53's). They sound great and last a very long time. [/quote']

 

 

the first song I'm learning now is Alice's Restaurant...thanksgiving is coming up soon...all the more reason right?

 

haha

 

i might try a pack of those elixir's...ill keep you updated!

 

thanks again for everyone's help/encouragement on this site!

 

you've all put up with my pining for a long time and i consult this site religiously before i make any sort of purchase!

 

thanks once again...

 

i had a hard time going to work today cause i didnt wanna put it down!

 

but alas...here i am...

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  • 1 month later...
I've been told that the ladder bracing is more made for strumming than fingerpicking.
Old-time blues guys (fingerpickers) swear by ladder bracing. The sound is very direct and in your face. Minimal sustain for max clarity. Bold tone for bottlenecking. Mr Newhaven-- maybe you chime in on this?

 

Ditto the caution re BKs. The hogs are 25.5; the bubinga 24.75s arent going to be as sweet). Built Ford tough (read: heavy).

 

Anyway, a nice find Mr. N--from the first pick, it looks like the top had some nice silking...?

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  • 3 years later...

I have a 1962 LG-2 3/4. This is just after they went to the cherry sunburst. Yes it is, of course, ladder braced. I have been playing this guitar for many years and it has become one of my favorite guitars as it can be kept on the couch for a little late night playing with no fuss. It will even fit in the overhead on most planes and is the perfect traveling guitar. It measures 12 11/16" at the lower bout and the body is 17 1/4" long. It has a 23 inch scale neck. I string it with light gauge strings and it has a wonderful voice.

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