Share Your Arch Top (archtop)

[MarcB]

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.

I was very unknown about anything archtop when I bought my 165, from the legendary guitar shop in Hanwell (Ealing) Peter Cook’s guitars.. (apparently Mr Page went there too) .. all I knew I wanted a “jazz guitar” mine was used.. but in top condition.. so I just bought it .. i didn’t even know who Herb Ellis was at the time lol.. it was only years later I found that Gibson’s come with booklets.. which mine didn’t have.. and there were other types of Herb Ellis models.. I’m not bothered about the booklet tbh.. but glad I got this version with the floating pickup.. which has a good balance of tone.. and definitely gives a very good acoustic feel to the sound. It’s also rather hot.. and I play around 6/7 on the volume.

 

[garywright]

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.

gorgeous !!!

 

[Wilko]

Those two (the 165 and the 175D I posted) were sold to buy this 1963 L-4C. Carved spruce top and floating pickup. It's an acoustic guitar has a floating pickup. It's my current fave (along with my1976 ES-175D.

 

[Wilko]

 

[deytookerjaabs]

I had the first issue Herb Ellis with gold logo and signature. Top mounted Humbucker.

Last week I got to play Herb's old ES175!

 

[MarcB]

Last week I got to play Herb's old ES175!

Please tell us more.. in detail.. how did this transpire.. was the action very low?

 

[deytookerjaabs]

Please tell us more.. in detail.. how did this transpire.. was the action very low?

A collector/seller of mostly archtops put it in my hand. I didn't know he had the guitar going into it (and it's not for sale), in the middle of playing about 20 wonderful guitars he's like "oh and here's Herb Ellis' 175." Action was mid-height to maybe a bit high, not too low IIRC but who knows if it's in adjustment or not. If had a some funky thing on the headstock. Flatwounds were very soft and thunky feeling, might be the same ones since he owned it? I don't remember if I plugged it in, don't think so. So I didn't really put it through it's paces but I picked on it for a minute. I was playing mostly very nice archtops, L5's, Supers, D'Angelico's, Epi's, even some modern ones when it happened so it sounded like an......ES175.

Funny enough I went into it to get a certain archtop for a few guitars and was ready to make a deal but he had an electric that was killing me. And it kept killing me. Come to find out it's previous owners is a great player I'm on a first name basis with! There were too many coincidences happening that day, so I went back to the rental car and added my L5 on top. Oof. I'm ecstatic but I really wanted the archtop too and it's getting to me bad, especially with the L5 being gone so I'm desperately trying to "figure it out" as they say.

 

[MarcB]

A collector/seller of mostly archtops put it in my hand. I didn't know he had the guitar going into it (and it's not for sale), in the middle of playing about 20 wonderful guitars he's like "oh and here's Herb Ellis' 175." Action was mid-height to maybe a bit high, not too low IIRC but who knows if it's in adjustment or not. If had a some funky thing on the headstock. Flatwounds were very soft and thunky feeling, might be the same ones since he owned it? I don't remember if I plugged it in, don't think so. So I didn't really put it through it's paces but I picked on it for a minute. I was playing mostly very nice archtops, L5's, Supers, D'Angelico's, Epi's, even some modern ones when it happened so it sounded like an......ES175.

Funny enough I went into it to get a certain archtop for a few guitars and was ready to make a deal but he had an electric that was killing me. And it kept killing me. Come to find out it's previous owners is a great player I'm on a first name basis with! There were too many coincidences happening that day, so I went back to the rental car and added my L5 on top. Oof. I'm ecstatic but I really wanted the archtop too and it's getting to me bad, especially with the L5 being gone so I'm desperately trying to "figure it out" as they say.

Sounds like an interesting deal day for sure.. I’m guessing of the funky think on the headstock was a van eps string damper.. as I know Herb liked to use these.. in regards to the L5.. you had to do what you had to do on the day.. to get the deal done.. at least you had the commodity at hand to do the deal.. and maybe.. that L5 will come back to you one day.. (or another that’s better) .. things happen for a reason.. and guitars come and go and come back again.. for sure.
Appreciate the reply and story..and I hope the L5 returns

 

[Wilko]

Funky thing on the headstock is a Van Epps mute that a bunch of the old jazz cats used. He always had it when I saw him play in a tiny club in La Jolla:

 

[AA00475Bassman]

1945 1 of 3 carved that year .

 

[EFLOW]

My upgraded Casino,

 

[Maguchi]

2013 Gibson L4-CES

 

[Wilko]

Here's the Archtop family: