Share Your Arch Top (archtop)

[McCarthy]

I was searching and didn’t see a thread dedicated to Gibson arch tops or at least one from any time in the fairly recent past.

If you have a Gibson arch tops (or archtop) please share!

Here is my 1955 L-5CEN: seen a lot of gigs and a few smokey bars…

 

[jb_abides]

What are your parameters here...?
- Vintage, carved, any style
- Carved, deep body only
- Carved, but ES and LP style OK?
- Deep body, but laminates OK?

 

[McCarthy]

What are your parameters here...?
- Vintage, carved, any style
- Carved, deep body only
- Carved, but ES and LP style OK?
- Deep body, but laminates OK?

I guess I was thinking any Gibson from any era that isn’t a solid body and has an arched top - so, guitars like 335s/330s would fit as well.

 

[jb_abides]

I guess I was thinking any Gibson from any era that isn’t a solid body and has an arched top - so, guitars like 335s/330s would fit as well.

Floodgates open!

 

[jb_abides]

Here's something you don't see much of: a custom-ordered ES-275 Custom (Memphis, under the leadership of Mike Voltz):

"The 2018 Gibson ES-275 Custom is a reinvented classic archtop designed with the modern player in mind. Honoring the long tradition of Gibson's great jazz guitars in looks, tone and feel, the ES-275 Custom offers players of any musical genre a timeless instrument with modern functionality. For improved access to the 22 fret dark rosewood fretboard, the thinline body design features a single rounded cutaway. The Grover "Milk Bottle" Rotomatic tuners and pinned ABR-1 bridge with titanium saddles offer precise intonation and tuning stability. Rich tones are always on tap thanks to the hand-wired MTC Premirere control assembly with Orange Drop capacitors, 550K matched pots, and MHS humbucking pickups."

2" Deep Maple/poplar/maple; Rosewood fretboard with MOP; Ebony finish; speed knobs; MHS humbuckers; Nut: 1.687




I'll post more along the way, after others weigh in...

 

[Greywolf]

my H575 custom

 

[deytookerjaabs]

I saw your L5 on TGP, that guitar is taste to the max!

At the very least I would confine "archtop" to fully hollow?

I'm proud of my boys:

 

[deytookerjaabs]

my H575 custom View attachment 30773

These are the Les Paul of arches. I've had two over the many years and both, for me, were as at home set up for all weather electric guitar playing as they were for more traditional archtop tones. The last one had longer sustain than almost any other guitar I've owned when set up with lighter strings. Very underrated guitars and I think they fall in that "look but doesn't sound like an es 175" category, if Gibson made something like this in the 50's they'd be as sought after as PAF L5's.

For those that don't know 575 bodies are solid carved maple. One of the best bargains on the market.

 

[Greywolf]

Amen , mine is a 2012 when all the Gibson Master Luthiers were hand building them . I've got flatwounds on it and it's spectacular. As a Luthier for 40+ years I use it as one of my reference models . ALL my clients love it the best of all my 50 instruments, including 4 CS Gibsons.

 

[brandtkronholm]

1960 Byrdland, blonde, Florentine cut-away, PAFs, one-piece back, modern repro pick guard. (I have since replaced the neck pick up cover.)
The pickups are out-of phase!
It is a lively instrument; the spruce top is alive!



I gig it too!
I plug straight into a '90s Fender Pro Jr. when I play with the jazz crew. (Mostly bebop/hard bop.)
Tone - max (12)
Volume - 4 or 5, just enough to break up when the guitar's volume is wide open but big and warm (and out of the way) when rolled back. It will feedback if I'm not paying attention!

 

[brandtkronholm]

I saw your L5 on TGP, that guitar is taste to the max!

At the very least I would confine "archtop" to fully hollow?

I'm proud of my boys:

Details, please!

 

[57gold]

1934

1957

1964

Have a couple of Collings ATs, but sticking to Gibson theme.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

Details, please!

L5 is a '54, heavily played then and now, big ole neck on it too.

Barney is a '66 or '67, tone for days!

Byrdland is a '59 refin. I bought it from a parter-outer w/original case. Slowly restoring it with old parts, almost all there (even got cap can centralabs) a few years into it. Final goal is to eventually get proper PAF's for it but that might be a pipe dream. Right now it has regular spaced t-tops which are great too. I do hope to get a better refinish done by one of the vintage restoration guys.

 

[Wilko]

 

[Jignant]

1963 L7c with a JS pickup installed at Johnny Smith Music in Colorado where my Dad was a teacher. He put food on the table with this guitar for over 40 years...It will Always be his.

 

[brandtkronholm]

1963 L7c with a JS pickup installed at Johnny Smith Music in Colorado where my Dad was a teacher. He put food on the table with this guitar for over 40 years...It will Always be his.

That’s very cool!
It’s interesting to see a Venetian (soft) cut away on an early ‘60s Gibson.
I love the single reflector knob on the pick guard.

 

[MarcB]

Here’s my very first Gibson .. a es165 Herb Ellis.. with the floating pickup.

I bought this with money kindly left to me by my grandmother in the early 2000s.. knowing at one point I’d start my jazz guitar journey (as I was still an active drummer at this time). Since then I’ve utilised the guitar to its maximum.. and have progressed with my jazz journey. Thanks Nanna Gladys x

 

[charliechitlins]

Not my favorite, but it's the one I have a pic of in my phone
Awww...skip it.
File too big.

 

[Wilko]

Here’s my very first Gibson .. a es165 Herb Ellis.. with the floating pickup.

That's cool! nice to see the headstock has the MOP logo and crown. I had the first issue Herb Ellis with gold logo and signature. Top mounted Humbucker.

 

[Strings Jr.]

Proud of my 1988 L-5.





Also proud that I found this set of unused labels, signed by my buddy, Jim Hutchins.