DPhillips Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Title says it all... I'm looking to buy my first archtop, but am unsure where to start. I'm not a professional musician. $5K or less? What to look for (look out for?) when considering used archtops? Thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgretz Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 The obvious thing it that it feels good to you and sounds good. I love the L5 and the ES-175. Both can be found for under your target price. Musician's Friend has the ES-175 for $3,100.00, a Herb Ellis ES-165 for $2,200.00, and a Howard Roberts Fusion III for $2,750. Unfortunately the L5s and LeGrands are going for a lot more. When looking at a used one, make sure it's not a fake. This is more of an issue with Les Paul and SG replicas, but just the same, check the serial number, manufacturer sticker and tuners to make sure you are getting the real thing. Good luck and enjoy. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 $5K will buy you a whole lot of guitar, anything in the Gibson line, up to and including a used L-5. I'm partial to the L-5 of course, and mine is a CES model. I also have an old full acoustic L-7 which actually gets more playing time. I can't tell from your original post whether you're looking for an acoustic or an electric, if you clarify this I think you'll get better answers. I recently had an e-mail from a member here with the "what to look for, look out for" question. I responded with a lengthy step-by-step probably not suitable for posting here, but if you like I can forward it to you via e-mail. Let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Nahum Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Title says it all... I'm looking to buy my first archtop' date=' but am unsure where to start. I'm not a professional musician. $5K or less? What to look for (look out for?) when considering used archtops? Thanks...[/quote'] What style of music will you play? What are you expecting from an archtop? RN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPhillips Posted December 5, 2008 Author Share Posted December 5, 2008 Guess I should clarify a few things... Music I play is blues and jazz and various other fingerstyle genres. I am looking for an acoustic with no cuts or single cutaway. Not particularly interested in electrics. I do certainly love the sound of the f hole L4's, 5's and some of the Campellone guitars that I have heard. I haven't been around any of the higher model number Gibsons like the L48's, 50's, etc (not exactly been around a bunch of any of them for that matter) and am not sure what the difference is between these and their paternal axes. How do the new L7C's stack up? Living where I do, it's not real easy to spend a lot of time around these types of instruments to get a real feel for them. From what I've been able to find on the web, it doesn't seem I would be able to find a great condition L4, L5 or something like a Super 400 in my price range... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Nahum Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 ....Music I play is blues and jazz and various other fingerstyle genres. I am looking for an acoustic with no cuts or single cutaway..... It may be worth your while having a look at the Mandolin Brothers website: www.mandoweb.com They have a large number of such instruments in stock. RN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flameburst Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Always worth looking here: http://www.myjazzhome.com/pricelist.html#gibson John sells at good prices, and get some great guitars in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidblair Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 archtop.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blaster Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 If you're in the market for a nice non cut Gibson archtop and have a certain amount to spend, you might want to consider a Gibson L-7 or L-7N. Here's a pic of an '54 L-5N and '49 L-7N for comparison. You can see they are very similar in constrution, appearance, playability and tone. While the L-5N has fancier appointments, the L-7N is still a great guitar, and a tremendous bargain in today's vintage market. In many cases, the vintage L-7 can be had for less than the contemporary L-7C models. In the event you decide on a used Gibson archtop, it's best to actually play the guitar rather than buy on faith over the internet. If you have no alternative and decide to buy over then internet, make sure there is a reasonable cash back return policy. As with many guitars, be on the lookout for cracks, seam separations, neck warping or humps, any type of non-reversable modification, refinish, etc. I don't mind refrets, as long as they're done professionally. There are some great archtops out there that have been properly cared for by their owners, and those are the ones that will usually bring top dollar. There is usually a good market for re-sale, in the event you want to try something else or upgrade to that Super 400 or L5. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPhillips Posted December 20, 2008 Author Share Posted December 20, 2008 Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I'm keeping my out on the various reputable sites... I would like to hear anyone's experience with the new L7C's, if possible. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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