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MISC ARCHTOPS (See also Gibson/Epiphone, Ibanez, Fender, etc.)
Bestler ES-175 Copy, (pic2), beautifully low action in a nice guitar for a sweet price This model is somewhat of a mystery as it has the lawfully-protected "Open-Book" headstock, which Gibson guards very closely, so my guess is it must have not been made for export (otherwise lawsuits would fly). Has all the other nice features including multi-ply body binding, bound F-holes, bound headstock, block inlays, gold hardware, tune-o-matic bridge with retainer wire, harp tailpiece, and single Venetian cutaway. Bridge pickup is replaced with a good sounding early mode GFS Retrotron, which was their version of a Filter 'Tron for "that Gretsch sound", very crisp and medium output. The stock neck pickup is thicker sounding and very warm and rich, and the two work very well together. Good quality hardware with sealed tuners, and fully adjustable bridge with a wooden bass and dead-on Gibson Tuneomatic style, complete with retainer wire. Overall very clean shape with the only notable flaws being (see pic) strap pin was relocated as well as the output jack. No biggie and a nice clean guitar that plays like a dream and sounds very good. $239.
Dean Boca 12-string, (front/back), (headstock). If you're looking for a bang-for-the-buck semi-hollowbody 12 string, this is probably the winner. Nothing fancy, but it sounds excellent and plays as easily as 12's costing 4X the price. Cosmetically, it features abalone inlays on the fretboard and headstock, as well as bound F-holes but this guitar isn't about fancy appointments. It has a body that's sort of a scaled down Dot, perhaps a tad deeper but smaller in the upper and lower bouts. The cutaways are very deep which allows easy access to the top frets, should you want to venture into some high 12-string leads. The stock humbuckers sound good, controlled by a master volume and tone, but I think if we drop a PAF size P90 in this thing, especially in the neck, this would be an even more versatile guitar. I don't know how these play from the factory, probably okay, but after Martin does his thing, it's very easy on the fingers. Cosmetically, it's in beautiful shape, save one long scratch on the back in the finish only. A really cool 12 for just $285 and we'll include a gigbag with it.
ca. 1951 Gretsch New Yorker 16" Acoustic Archtop, (pic2), (pic3), (pic4). "As is" special! Can't be set up with low action without some serious neck work so I'm offering this "as is" for the slide player or someone who plays only cowboy chords (action at 12th fret). Other than the action, this guitar is quite intact without extraneous rattles and no breaks, with a cool "Blind Willie Lemon" tone that's well suited for delta blues. I don't a lot about this model other than it has rather austere cosmetics for a Gretsch, with a painted on logo but it does feature a bound neck and body, and block fretboard inlays. Fretboard is Brazilian rosewood, which is a cool feature any day, and what appears to be original tortoise pickguard. Finish has a wonderfully aged patina, typical with nitro finishes (body pic) including nicely yellowed binding that's in remarkably nice shape for a 50's Gretsch. Serial 4779 stamped inside F-hole which should date it to '51. I'm into it for $400 and after talking to my luthier it's not going to be cost effective to make it a killer Spanish style player thus it's offered as is for $450.
2005 Gretsch 5129 Electromagnetic Hollowbody, (front/back), (headstock), (side). My favorite of the Electromagnetic Hollowbody series, thanks to a pair of great USA DeArmond 2000 single coil pickups. Features include maple body and neck, bound body front and back, US DeArmond 2000 pickups, bound neck, Bigsby licensed B700 tremolo, neo-classical thumbnail inlays, 1 11/6" nut, 16" body that's 2.5" deep, parallel tone bar bracing with sound post, Pearloid headstock inlays and black headstock overlay, knurled strap pins, and black plexi pickguard. This model sells new for $769 ($1100 list) but this one is "as new", only played a few hours and is in factory fresh condition. Note that the protective foam under the bridge will be removed prior to shipping. With a killer setup, quality tone, and Gretsch vibe, this is a great guitar for $569. These ship from the factory without case but I have a nice TKL hardshell case (pic here), with plush maroon lining and arched top, available for $75 if desired. Note that I have the 5120, in black or orange) with Gretsch humbuckers on my Archtops page for $450.
Ibanez Artstar AF-120, (pic2), (headstock). The big daddy and a very good quality full body archtop (16" lower bout, over 2.5" depth). This Artstar series changed the guitar market, offering unprecedented quality archtops at very reasonable prices. The AF-120 features a very comfortable Artstar neck with medium frets, body is a classic Spruce top over Maple back and sides, excellent sounding pickups with a Super 58 bridge and Super 58 neck. Cosmetic features include multi-ply binding on body, neck, and headstock, fretboard inlays with a pearloid block and center stripe of Abalone, trapeze tailpiece and gold hardware. Wonderfully low action on this guitar and tone wise, this guitar is a total winner. With these Super 58 pickups it sounds very much like an old Gibson 175 and the acoustic tone, likewise, is well-rounded for a hollowbody with good sustain. Includes original Ibanez case in fair condition (latches/hinges work fine) with plush lining and blanket covering. This guitar has been lovingly played for around 7 years and exhibits normal signs of use, primarily gold wear but no major issues such as cracks or repairs. It's one of the nicest archtops I've had for under a grand and has been professionally played and maintained since new. I consider it an excellent value in a Jazzbox for $599.
1960 Kay Swing Master Electric Archtop Mod. K6970, (front), (back/side), (headstock/neck), (pickups/knobs), (case). Kay is a little tricky with dating and figuring out model names, but I was able to identify the model by the body stamp ("L4287 6970") and it appears identical to the Swing Master K6970 in the 1960 catalog shown in "Guitar Stories Part II" (pg. 131) by Michael Wright. It's a medium depth hollowbody archtop, measuring around 15 3/8" at the lower bout. Features include laminated spruce top with laminated maple body, flamed maple back, set neck construction, bound neck with 19-frets on a rosewood board, 14 frets clear of the body, Venetian cutaway, double-bound body multi-ply binding on top, dual "speed bump" single coil pickups, 3-leg trapeze tailpiece with cross bar, rosewood bridge, dual volume and tone controls with white Bakelite radio-style knobs. These came in 1, 2, and 3 pickup models with the 2-pickup K6970 selling for $139.50, with the finished described as "shaded walnut finish with golden highlights", a term we now refer to as tobacco sunburst. The flamed maple back on this is unusual for a budget line guitar and from the comparable models I've seen on the web, as nice as you'll find on this model. Many cheaper models had fake painted flames but this one is the real deal. Kay's history goes back to the 1890's and in in 1928, Henry Kay Kuhrmeyer bought the company, and by 1934 the company was officially known as the "Kay Musical Instrument Company". Their factory was located in Chicago IL, the Mecca of guitar building, before adding another plant in Elk Grove IL in '64. Among their accomplishments, perhaps most notably they were the first maker of electric guitars, a disputable but, quite likely, true assertion. Kay was the largest USA guitar builder during the golden era. In addition to the Kay brand, they were the builders for many other brands including Airline (Montgomery Wards), Silvertone and Supertone (Sears&Roebuck), Old Kraftsmen (Spiegel), and Truetone (Western Auto), to name just a few. Department stores or catalogs were the largest sellers of guitars when I was a kid and if you bought one during the 60's, chances are it was made by Kay. This guitar plays good for an old Kay with typical medium action, getting higher as you go up the neck. Currently set up with a fresh set of flat wound strings, in the jazz box tradition. The pickups are lower output and have a unique tone of their own. It's all original, with the exception of tuners and in extremely nice shape for 50 years with the worst flaw being a worn spot on the back, typical with a thin nitro finish, but it has obviously seen very little playing time with near perfect frets and minimal extraneous wear. For a vintage American archtop, especially with a real flamed maple back, a nice buy at $650.
Tokai ES-335 Copy, (front/back), (headstock). Excellent quality imported Dot copy. This is a recent model but Tokai's quality today seems to be as good as it's been for the last few decades, which is top notch. Plays fantastic with very low action and bends true and easy. Fit/finish are excellent as well. I'm not up on my overseas factories, but this guitar impresses me twice as much as Epiphone. Beautiful condition, perefect frets, and an excellent semi-hollowbody for $475. Includes the common "pleather" gigbag.
1965 Harmony Truetone, (pic2), (headstock). Wonderfully preserved example, from Spring of '65, from the days when most of these were sold through mail order companies like Sears & Roebuck. These were definitely a case of style over substance with painted on flamed maple, inlays, and binding, but it's actually a nice sounding archtop with a rich tone that's clear with no rattle or nasty overtones. Exceptionally clean condition, very much an "under the bed" guitar with the only real flaw is a small finish chip in the middle of the back, visible in pic2 above. Has a very chunky V-neck, common on these older Harmony's so if you have small hands you should pass on this one. I don't know why there are no longer any inexpensive USA archtops being built today - I don't think you can touch one for under $2K. Back when this one was built, it was probably a $38 guitar. For a very playable USA vintage archtop in this condition, it's a pretty sweet deal at $299.
1960's Sorrento Hollowbody, (pic2), (pic3), (pic4). "Lawsuit" headstock! A real "under the bed" beauty and a good quality Japan archtop. What sets this apart from its near pristine condition, is the Gibson "open-book" headstock, which was a no-no in terms of import shortly after this model was imported, the superb action - many of these don't have the best necks and are best used for slide guitar, and the obvious beautiful condition. No player's wear, very little finish checking, finish shines like new - a solid 9+ condition. A pair of single coil pickups sound very good and aren't prone to feedback with moderate gain settings. Just a sounding, killer playing vintage Japan hollowbody and quite a find in this condition. Vintage Japan guitars finally started taking off a few years ago but they're still quite affordable especially when you consider they can be had for LESS than new Korean Epi's, Deans, Samick, etc. $379 takes this one.
Teisco Del Ray EP-8T hollowbody (pic2), (pic3). Thinline hollowbody electric. Needs some attention. , Cracks visible in the pics are just lacquer cracks (i.e. finish checking) and are not in the wood. Gretsch bridge used for photo's only and is NOT included. You will need to supply a bridge. Make it your next project for $75/as is.
Univox Coily - Model U1825 - Jade Green, (front), (back), (headstock), (detail), (action at 12th fret), (finish checking), (catalog-with later logo). Fantastic playing old Univox from ca. '69. Univox guitars were built by the Matsumoko guitar factory in Japan, which were OEM suppliers to Aria, Westbury, Westone, Epiphone, Fender Japan and several other brands at the time, and were probably the premier Japan builder of this era. Univox guitars were produced there from around '65 to '72. This model is very close to the disputed Gibson "open book" headstock design and along with the horizontal slanted logo, I think this dates it to late 60's. It's a surprisingly good sounding guitar. Pickups are very good quality and a cut above many of the MIJ pickups from this era. They have a rather unusual design, with the adjustable poles having Phillips heads, and the opposing poles rectangular bars, with the lead wires well shielded in a metal braiding, much like Gibson pickups. They're low-medium output and are very resistant to feedback. Even with its hollowbody design the guitar doesn't feedback, even with high gain settings on my amp. The neck is very comfortable, with a thin profile - it has wide shoulders but is rather shallow, with somewhat of a flat back. It's a bolt on but not a cheap Teisco style which usually featured a solidbody style neck joint while this model has the neck wrap around the heel as shown here as well as a tenon that sets into the body much like a Les Paul. It's sort of the best of both worlds, with an attachment that's basically like a set neck, but the bolt-on design allows easily changing the neck angle if needed. Cosmetically, it's a pretty fancy guitar with nicely flamed maple back, rosewood trim on the tailpiece, inlaid full block fretboard inlays, 4-ply elevated pickguard, side-mounted barrel output jack, w-b-w-b top purfling, bound body, bound f-holes, bound neck, and bound headstock. You'll notice a paint chip missing from the headstock, which we can touch-up if desired, chrome paint has worn of the sides of the pickups, and it has random finish checking front and back - but otherwise this is a clean guitar. Japan was still producing many American knockoffs during this era and this guitar seems to be their version of an ES-330, with a touch of Fender Coronado thrown in for good measure. It's missing the trem arm but the rest of the tremolo is there so all you need is a flat bar with a hole and you're good to go. Japanese guitars from this era aren't particularly rare but finding one that plays this superbly and sounds good without feeding back, and you've got a pretty good find. This one's not cheap at $450, but it's a totally gigworthy hollowbody that will be around for years to come.
Washburn Oscar Schmidt OE-30 Semi-Hollowbody, NOS 2004 model, an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a decent ES-335 style for under $200. Factory setup left something to be desired but we touched up the fret ends and tweaked it all around. The result is an excellent playing guitar with good sounding Washburn 400-series pickups; quality Grover tuners keep it in tune. Never retailed and better than new since it'll be ready to play right out of the box. Lists at $349 but this one with a pro-setup is just $199.
ca. '69 Yamaha SA-50 Archtop, (front), (front/back), (headstock), (closed f-holes), (features), (tuners/pickguard), (case). A fantastic player in nice vintage condition. If you're a fan of low action, like the 60's Gibson archtops, you'll love this guitar. Action is cut very low at the nut and stays parallel with the fretboard all the way to the top fret. Appears to be loosely based on an ES-335, although perhaps an inch smaller in the lower bout. Features include: semi-hollow slim body, double cutaway, double f-holes with factory "dampers" installed; multi-ply body binding; bound neck; bound f-holes; bound headstock; real mother of pearl fretboard inlays; Yamaha proprietary tremolo with a fully-adjustable roller bridge; two small humbuckers; three-way switch; volume-tone-balance pots; mono output; zero fret, 22-fret set-in neck; single truss rod; thin profile neck shape; rosewood fretboard; bone nut; Yamaha non-locking tuners (replaced with Kluson style); and 24 3/4" scale. The way the balancer control seems to be designed to blend in the bridge pickup, effective with the 3-way in the middle position, which lets you balance the neck pickup with any amount of the bridge. Depending on where you have the 3-way set, it can zero the output so I've found it best to simply keep it set in the middle which allows the 3-way to act as a normal 3-way. This guitar has a nice mellow tone which would lend itself especially to jazz players. The f-hole covers are recessed and I'm assuming were designed to cut back on feedback that many hollow or semi-hollow body guitars are prone to. Yamaha archive pages have production of this guitar from '67 to 72 and from others that I've seen, I'm guessing it's serial, 1561, places it around '69. Japan-made Yamaha's are among the best imports made and Nippon Gakki was a premier builder during this era. For a guitar of this obvious quality and superb playability, a nice buy at $899(Hold - Robert 7/29). Includes heavy-duty original case in nice shape.
