Fantastic archtop gallery

[H]

This may have been posted before, and there are many other brands of guitar in this gallery, but some great Heritage items in there too. I found it by accident but spent half an hour looking at all the fantastic guitars!

 

http://gulfcoastguitars.net/elarcgal.htm

[barrymclark]

Very interesting! It would appear that the inspiration for the 550 is on there too! I had never even heard of the ES-350. The difference being that the 550, from what I could tell, has a laminate top and the 350s were solid. Other than that, similar body shapes.

[111518]

Very interesting! It would appear that the inspiration for the 550 is on there too! I had never even heard of the ES-350. The difference being that the 550, from what I could tell, has a laminate top and the 350s were solid. Other than that, similar body shapes.

 

The es-350 was also a laminated, 17" guitar, although, there are always exceptions to any Gibson rule. The thinline version of the 350 was produced into the late 70s and was reissued in pretty substantial numbers in the 90s, but I don't think the full depth model has been produced since perhaps the early/mid60s. So, Heritage was really filling a gap in available US archtops at the time they introduced the 550.

[Patrick]

Now I know why Rick Derringers blonde Super 400 sounded ao good . . . . he had the truss rod cover on upside down I wonder what the heck that was all about??? If that was my Super 400, the upside down truss rod cover would keep me awake at night and probably cause me irreperable psychological challanges . . . . beyond my existing ones.

[barrymclark]

The es-350 was also a laminated, 17" guitar, although, there are always exceptions to any Gibson rule. The thinline version of the 350 was produced into the late 70s and was reissued in pretty substantial numbers in the 90s, but I don't think the full depth model has been produced since perhaps the early/mid60s. So, Heritage was really filling a gap in available US archtops at the time they introduced the 550.

Yeah the full size ones I found.... well, the full size ONE I found online that had any mention of specs was a solid carved top and I believe it was a 1947.

[barrymclark]

Now I know why Rick Derringers blonde Super 400 sounded ao good . . . . he had the truss rod cover on upside down I wonder what the heck that was all about??? If that was my Super 400, the upside down truss rod cover would keep me awake at night and probably cause me irreperable psychological challanges . . . . beyond my existing ones.

I saw that! I turned mine upside down. Nope, i still suck.

[111518]

Yeah the full size ones I found.... well, the full size ONE I found online that had any mention of specs was a solid carved top and I believe it was a 1947. Didn't see a spec in the rim size. My bad.

 

No "bad." Just filling in some trivia. As I've mentioned before, there was a time when I worked in a shop that did a fair business in vintage instruments, and I was expected to know this stuff, and not get fooled. For example, some early 350t's had short scale necks, so some over the years "acquired" Byrdland tailpieces and were sold as Byrdlands --same body size, same scale neck, but very different guitars (solid/lam; ebony/rosewood; blocks/double stripes). So, that was a distinction you had to know, or you'd be vulnerable to a scam, since Byrdlands were worth a considerable amount more than short-scale 350t's.

 

The thing about Gibson is that they were never very consistent with model specs, and always did a fair number of custom one-offs, so for every rule there are exceptions, and sometimes the rules changed. So, for example, es, electric spanish, was a new designation in the late 30s for laminated guitars with pickups, but then, over the years, "es" got applied to some one offs with solid tops, and some of the "L's," which once were solid carved, got laminated backs. Also, the numbers in the es line initially were related to the price of the guitars, ie., the es-150 cost around $150 bucks. That relationship continued for a while, and then it got broken. It all can be very confusing ...and I don't claim to know it all, or even as much as I once knew. Best source is Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars, but again, there are many exceptions to the generalizations in that book.

 

Does seem to me there is a basic, (these are far from identical guitars) relationship between Heritage numbering system and old gibson line...

535-335

555-355

550-350

Beyond that, seems relationships are less clear.

[Windstring]

This may have been posted before, and there are many other brands of guitar in this gallery, but some great Heritage items in there too. I found it by accident but spent half an hour looking at all the fantastic guitars!

 

http://gulfcoastguitars.net/elarcgal.htm

 

Sir, You may also be interested in this link:

 

http://www.archtop.com/ac_sold.html

 

There was a time when almost every guitar on this list had a separate page with history, pictures, etc, but he recently pared it back to a relatively small number. It is still an interesting archive. They are a good dealership too, although their prices can be a bit steep. They occasionally have guitars at reasonable prices, especially when they have "stagnated" on their site for a while, and they do ship internationally too (at a price...).

Cheers.

[Patrick]

Sir, You may also be interested in this link:

 

http://www.archtop.com/ac_sold.html

 

There was a time when almost every guitar on this list had a separate page with history, pictures, etc, but he recently pared it back to a relatively small number. It is still an interesting archive. They are a good dealership too, although their prices can be a bit steep. They occasionally have guitars at reasonable prices, especially when they have "stagnated" on their site for a while, and they do ship internationally too (at a price...).

Cheers.

 

 

I agree. That site is one of my favorites as well. Here's another;; www.myjazzhome.com The photos are of a pretty good quality. The "Items sold' catagory is also loaded with great stuff

[Windstring]

I agree. That site is one of my favorites as well. Here's another;; www.myjazzhome.com The photos are of a pretty good quality. The "Items sold' catagory is also loaded with great stuff

Yup, Mr Stewart, I believe... also Gruhn guitars has an interesting gallery...

 

http://www.gruhn.com/

 

You need to click on "Info" then on "Features"... Enjoy!

[barrymclark]

No "bad." Just filling in some trivia. As I've mentioned before, there was a time when I worked in a shop that did a fair business in vintage instruments, and I was expected to know this stuff, and not get fooled. For example, some early 350t's had short scale necks, so some over the years "acquired" Byrdland tailpieces and were sold as Byrdlands --same body size, same scale neck, but very different guitars (solid/lam; ebony/rosewood; blocks/double stripes). So, that was a distinction you had to know, or you'd be vulnerable to a scam, since Byrdlands were worth a considerable amount more than short-scale 350t's.

 

The thing about Gibson is that they were never very consistent with model specs, and always did a fair number of custom one-offs, so for every rule there are exceptions, and sometimes the rules changed. So, for example, es, electric spanish, was a new designation in the late 30s for laminated guitars with pickups, but then, over the years, "es" got applied to some one offs with solid tops, and some of the "L's," which once were solid carved, got laminated backs. Also, the numbers in the es line initially were related to the price of the guitars, ie., the es-150 cost around $150 bucks. That relationship continued for a while, and then it got broken. It all can be very confusing ...and I don't claim to know it all, or even as much as I once knew. Best source is Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars, but again, there are many exceptions to the generalizations in that book.

 

Does seem to me there is a basic, (these are far from identical guitars) relationship between Heritage numbering system and old gibson line...

535-335

555-355

550-350

Beyond that, seems relationships are less clear.

575-175

530-330

525-125

Super Eagle - Super 400

 

 

[111518]

575-175

530-330

525-125

Super Eagle - Super 400

 

 

 

Agreed, though maybe the 525 is the 225? (I tend to think of 125s as single pickup, though there were 125td's).

Too early on Sunday for my brain to work properly.

 

Another seller of archtops I check out periodically is Legato Guitars. http://www.legatoguitars.com/

[Windstring]

Probably can add:

 

Golden Eagle - L-5C

Johnny Smith - Johnny Smith

[barrymclark]

Agreed, though maybe the 525 is the 225? (I tend to think of 125s as single pickup, though there were 125td's).

Too early on Sunday for my brain to work properly.

 

Another seller of archtops I check out periodically is Legato Guitars. http://www.legatoguitars.com/

Was thinking 125 due to different bridge they used on 225's.

 

The 125 I am accustomed to seeing is the TDC models with the cutaway and double P90s. THey are a dead ringer for the 525 we see from Heritage for sure. The wraparound bridge is the only difference I know of between the 125 and 525 which is absent from the 525.

[111518]

Was thinking 125 due to different bridge they used on 225's.

 

The 125 I am accustomed to seeing is the TDC models with the cutaway and double P90s. THey are a dead ringer for the 525 we see from Heritage for sure. The wraparound bridge is the only difference I know of between the 125 and 525 which is absent from the 525.

 

I don't think there is a point-to-point relationship. I tend to see the 225 as closer, but I think a case could be made either way. Here's my logic: you are right that the 225's were marked by that horrible combo trapeze/bridge thing, which I don't think any modern guitar maker would try to reproduce. On the other hand, 125s had rosewood bridges, 525's have tune-amatics. 125's had unbound necks, 225's had bound, as do 525s. 125's had strip tuners ... in general, 125s were entry level guitars, 225s were a step up ... the 525 does not seem to me to be positioned as an entry level guitar. Most of the 125s I saw back in the 70s and 80s when I worked in a shop were noncut, single pickup, came in soft shell cases; they were purchased as people's first decent electric ... and a quick check shows that at least through the mid60s, significantly more 125s were made noncut with with one pickup (over 9,000) than cut with two (approx 3,200). The book (Duchossoir's Gibson Electrics, the Classic Years) does say that more TDC than other varients were shipped after 65, but doesn't give #'s. I can't put my hands on my copy of Gruhn's Guide --I don't know if he gives more complete numbers.

 

To me, the iconic 125 is a one-pickup, noncut guitar, the iconic 225 (George Thorogood) is a two pickup cutaway (although approx. as many one pickup 225s were made as two.) So, the later seems closer to the 525.

 

Again, this isn't science, just an impression. You sure have a right to your own. Just explaining mine.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by the "wraparound bridge." So far as I know, all 125s had trapezes and rosewood bridges, at least originally, though many certainly were modified. Many that I saw in the 70s and 80s were sadly hacked up --stops and tuneamatics, buckers, etc. I wish I'd nabbed a 125TC back in the day --great, simple little guitars.

 

Again, just explaining my take on this. I'm not a vintage guitar equivalent of a baseball statistics freak. I knew a ton of those vintage trivia guys, and they drove me absolutely crazy, because, there is so much variation, there is always an exception out there to prove any generalization wrong.

[barrymclark]

Oh, I hear ya. No worries. I am working off of half ass memories of long ago searches! haha.

 

I think the bridge I saw on the 225 was sort of like the wraparound you might see on a 137 but MUCH smaller and mounted to the trapeze like you said. I could be wrong... and would expect to be so! haha.

[yoslate]

Oh, I hear ya. No worries. I am working off of half ass memories of long ago searches! haha.

 

I think the bridge I saw on the 225 was sort of like the wraparound you might see on a 137 but MUCH smaller and mounted to the trapeze like you said.

 

 

Sounds like the setup on the very early Les Pauls, Barry.