DFC Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Can someone please talk me into buying an Epi archtop instead of waiting to buy the Wes Montgomery L5?!?!? At least tell me why I should buy one of the Epis rather than the Ibanez Artcore. Thanks, DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafaelh Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 You can play professionally with any of those...sooo, the only reason I would get the high dollar Wes L5 is if I was concerned with resale....or collecting maybe?. Plus budget would be the major determining factor for me anyways. I mean will the L5 make you sound, or play, any better than them others? I'd still sound as crappy no matter what guitar. My preference from your list would be the Regent....LOL, I don't like the lighting bolt looking thing on the Ibanez headstock. I use to fancy the broadway, real pretty, but didn't like the way it felt.....would prefer the Joe Pass. Anyhow you need to ask your wallet and your fingers....I'm cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 The Artcores are fine guitars. The Jap-made upper-crust models being a couple light years ahead of Epiphone, and in many cases, Gibson. If the lightning bolt bothers you, put a piece of electrical tape over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafaelh Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 If the lightning bolt bothers you' date=' put a piece of electrical tape over it.[/quote'] Ha....yeah, that would be much better . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyFingers Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 What "artcore" are you talking about? There are many models and the lower end artcores are not remotely in the same class as the Casino... As for the top line artcores AF 105's, 125's, AS103 they are okay, they are not light years ahead of Epiphone or Gibson...I prefer the Sheraton over the 103... I have not tried guitars like the George Benson model and the like so I cannot comment on those guitars I have owned many Ibanez guitars and there is a reason why I now own two Casino's and a Les Paul Ultra II... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafaelh Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Dizzy, I belive he's interested in the full body single cut types...seeing DFC mentions the L5, Regent and Broadway. LOL, otherwise I'd would have mention the Casino too....really prefer mine over those. Well, maybe not over the L5...well, maybe yes, just becuase I prefer a double cut over a single cut. But since he only asked about those... No help with a George Benson. I played one a few years ago and can't remember much....I remember not liking it, especially at the price they was asking for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyFingers Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Dizzy' date=' I belive he's interested in the full body single cut types...seeing DFC mentions the L5, Regent and Broadway. LOL, otherwise I'd would have mention the Casino too....really prefer mine over those. Well, maybe not over the L5...well, maybe yes, just becuase I prefer a double cut over a single cut. But since he only asked about those... No help with a George Benson. I played one a few years ago and can't remember much....I remember not liking it, especially at the price they was asking for it.[/quote'] He mentioned "Ibanez Artcore"...that covers alot of ground... If a guy can afford a L5 why not just get one of everything else...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafaelh Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 If a guy can afford a L5 why not just get one of everything else...? You aint kidding...definitely a lot more outcome than income I make playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Can someone please talk me into buying an Epi archtop instead of waiting to buy the Wes Montgomery L5?!?!? At least tell me why I should buy one of the Epis rather than the Ibanez Artcore. Thanks' date=' DC [/quote'] DC, if you are looking to plunge into the big box market at L5 levels, then consider the Epiphone Elitist Broadway. Some L5 players consider the Elitist Broadway the equal of a modern L5, if not superior, and it's 1/3 to 1/4 of the cost. They're not made any more, but you should be able to find a good used one for between $1600 to $2000. The Elitists were made in the famous Terada factory in Japan, which is in reality a relatively small shop staffed by highly skilled luthiers. The high-end import Gretsch guitars are also made there, among others. The Elitist Broaday shares the same body demensions as the L5, as well as its carved spruce top. AA flamed maple is used for the back and sides. It has a 3 piece maple neck, birds-beak fret board end, bound neck with covered fret ends, and Gibson pick ups. The workmanship is flawless. The standard Epiphone Broadway is a very nice guitar, and one of Epiphone's best offerings. The Elitist Broadway is a world class instrument. You would probably have to go to a small custom shop type builder to get a much better guitar. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFC Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 Red - Thanks for the info. I guess I should clarify: I can't afford a Wes L5 now - or in the near future for that matter. (I'll have to wait for my ship to come in - or my fleet!) I was really inquiring into the quality of the Epi archtops and whether they will last any length of time. If they are fairly durable - say, 5 - 10 yrs, I may go ahead and buy one. If they fall apart after 2 or 3 years I'd rather wait. I plan on giving all of my musical instruments to my son, so I'd like them to last. Thanks again, DFC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pawwap Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I have owned a Epi Joe Pass, Epi Brodaway, 2 Sheratons and a Sheraton Elitist. ALL are well built guitars that will provide years of service. The Joe Pass was great, no complaints, I just upgraded a bit to a Guild Manhattan and I often miss the Pass. The Broadway was a BIG guitar and while it played and sounded great, it was just uncomfortable for me due to its size. The Sheraton is my favorites due to its versatility. I had, one, my first guitar of that type, upgraded to a Gibson 335, felt that the Sheraton was actually a better player so I sold the Gibson and got another Sheraton. Finally settled on the Sheraton Elitist. It will stay with me as long as I can play. Bottom line. These guitars are excellent for the money, and if treated with some care will do you well. Any one of them would be a wise and satisfying purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerome_travis Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 well.. unless you decide to go pete townshend every now and then, I'm sure the Epiphones will last (: The artcores are actually great, but it's a matter of preference actually. The artcores although shunned due to their country of make - china - have excellent QC. They do not have the vintage good looks of an epiphone but it is the most value for money; swap out the 'buckers and you're good to gig! Having said that, the artcores would generally have lower resale value as compared to the epiphones, should you decide to sell it. I would recommend for the ibanez side - Ibanez AS103 if you have the cash and looking for great jazzy tones and solidly built Ibanez AS73 if you are looking at value for money hope it helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 What "artcore" are you talking about? There are many models and the lower end artcores are not remotely in the same class as the Casino... As for the top line artcores AF 105's' date=' 125's, AS103 they are okay, they are [u']not[/u] light years ahead of Epiphone or Gibson...I prefer the Sheraton over the 103... I have not tried guitars like the George Benson model and the like so I cannot comment on those guitars Those are Chinee-made guitars, certainly not the top of the line, and not to be confused with the Jap-built guitars like the AS200. The Benson is built in Japan though. Most of the Korean-made Ibby's are of higher quality than the modern Chinee-made Epi's, and are bringing excellent money on ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Red - Thanks for the info. I guess I should clarify: I can't afford a Wes L5 now - or in the near future for that matter. (I'll have to wait for my ship to come in - or my fleet!) I was really inquiring into the quality of the Epi archtops and whether they will last any length of time. If they are fairly durable - say' date=' 5 - 10 yrs, I may go ahead and buy one. If they fall apart after 2 or 3 years I'd rather wait. I plan on giving all of my musical instruments to my son, so I'd like them to last. Thanks again, DFC[/quote'] If you got a chance to read my reply on the Gibson forum, then you know I think the standard Broadway is a good guitar, as well, though not as well appointed as the Elitist. The workmanship is very impressive, though. By the way, I believe the Broadway and Emperor regent are still made in Korea, if that's a concern of yours. However, many excellent instrument instruments are being made in China, including the very well regarded Eastman archtops. Price-point is going to be the barometer of quality in some respects. The old adage, "you get what you pay for" is especially true on the budget-oriented end of the spectrum. Good luck in your search! Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFC Posted May 17, 2009 Author Share Posted May 17, 2009 Red - who is the girl in your forum signature? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 Red - who is the girl in your forum signature? That is the lovely and talented Aimee Mann, and her lovely Gibson J45! Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesman345 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I had an Epi Joe Pass and thought it was a beautiful guitar. I added a Bigsby vibrato and a Schaller bridge so I could get into more of a rockabilly thing. My only complaint was that the stock HB's were a little to bassy/harsh trebly for me. As you can see in my Avatar, I was fortunate enough to get ahold of a new Zephyr Blues Deluxe - it was one of only four left in the Long & McQuade chain in Canada - ZBD's are now discontinued. It was made in Korea by Premier. Sam Ash sold virtually the identical guitar under the Carlo Robelli brand. I believe that the body is basically the same as the Emperor/Broadway, although it is made of highly flamed maple plywood, not spruce, and the neck is quite slim and fast (not chunky). The major difference is that it has 3 P90's instead of HB's, so it sounds a little more raw and organic. The ZBD is based on the 1949 Gibson ES-5, which was the weapon of choice for T-Bone Walker. It later gained 3 tone knobs and a "strat-style" pup selector, and was renamed the "Switchmaster" (played by Carl Perkins in "Matchbox"). My ZBD is now the ultimate Bigsby-equipped rockabilly machine. It still has 3 volume controls, but the master tone control on the cutaway has been replaced with a 6 position pickup selector (including an out-of-phase position for a little T-Bone). Considering your choice of guitars, I would guess that you are looking strictly for a jazz box. However, if you can find a ZBD anywhere, it would be worth grabbing it - they are very versatile guitars. HAGGD!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerome_travis Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 the ZBD looks pretty similar to the Dean palomino Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesman345 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 the ZBD looks pretty similar to the Dean palomino From what I have read, the Palomino is similar to an ES175. Instead of HB's, it has 3 P90's, similar to the ZBD. It has a sharp cutaway, unlike the ZBD's rounded one. The body is also much smaller than the full-size ZBD. The quality is at least as good as the Epi ES175 or the equivilent Ibanez Artcore offering. It appears to be a very good value at around $500, which is half of what I paid for the ZBD new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelC Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I bought a standard Broadway about a year ago and have been pleased as could be. You didn't mention what you'd be playing--jazz, rock, blues, or whatever. I think that makes a difference with this guitar. I'm playing straight jazz and have found this to be a really nice instrument. It really needs to be strung heavy (I'm using D'Addario .013-.056) and needs a little bit of tweaking to get string resonances under control. The Frequensator bridge is a pretty dumb idea, but a bit of cloth or some rubber grommets behind the nut will fix that. As others have mentioned, this is a BIG guitar. I play seated and still sometimes find it tricky to get the thing in just the right position. If you're bending a lot of strings, you may find it something of a challenge--a 15" or 16" body might be a better call. But the build is solid and I don't expect many problems as the instrument ages. The original L5 is (or was) a nice guitar, but I can't see ever paying such a premium to own a guitar that isn't 20 times better than a Broadway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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