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BY ART THOMPSON

Iine woods, hand-carved tops

L u.,o iavrsn appornrments maKe
I archtops the Cadillacs of the 6-
stringworld. But if you're contemplat-
ing a top-flight custom, better grab
your anti-sticker-shock vest-prices
of $10,000 and up are the norm, with
$50,000 a not-unheard-of figure. Okay
so you live nearer the base of Mt.
Moola-willyour dreams of chonking ffi
ffi
out rich, dark tones while squinting at
a scary-looking chart remain
ffi
qs
unftrl-
filled? To find out, we selected five pro-
letarian archtops-{orts larry Coryell,
Epiphone's Emperor Regent and loe
Pass Emperor II, Gibson's ES-175, and
Samick's Charlie Christian. Most are
surprisingly affordable, and each is
unique in how it addresses classic
acoustic-electric sound.
We tested these axes through a
Polytone Mini-Brute I and aVoxACtS,
conditioned our ears with a '65 Gibson
Tal Farlow, and subjected each to
blindfold comparisons.
Gibson's ES-175 has been a stan-
dard since its introduction in '49. Orig-
inaÌly fitted with one P-90 pickup, it's
the dual-humbucker version-which
fust appeared in 's7-that seems to be
the choice of most players. Our $5,300
natural-finish version (93,839 in vin-
tage sunburst) sports a nicely flamed

Arch deluxe: Gibson ES-175 (L)

and Cort Larry Coryell.

11 8 GUITAB PLAYER OGTOBEB 1997 PHOTOS: PAUL HAGGARD ''I wot

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NEW AMPS FIVE NEW ARCHTOPS li

7ée eaap Continuedfrompage 121

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reverb than just about arty spring unit rve've en-
countered. Maximum reverb settings are rela-
tively modest by, say, Fender standards-this
amp doesn't do full-bore surf-era drip.
The A20R does record handsomely It sounds
full even at minimal volumes, and pans emerge
with compact, compressed precision. Tones re-
main consistent as you tum up-the highs never
Ìeap out at you. For better or worse, the amp is
devoid of small-combo trashiness. Those rvho
revel in the anarchic edges of smaÌl vintage rube
amps may find it a bit cold and predictable.
Thick, contrapuntaÌ and harmonically complex
parts are well served by its clarity, but we oc-
casionally found ourselves reaching for the mlx-
ing board's midrange pots to add pointy edges
to simple, aggressive figures.
The A20R is truly a one-of-a-kind amp. It ex-
cels at its studio aspirations, even if it omits
Medium to Heavy Duty Cases
some features one might wish for on a dedicated
Available for Keyboards,
recording amp, notably a standby switch and
Mixers, Guitars, Rack Mount
line- and speaker-outjacks (the speaker con-
Equipment and More!
nection is hidden behind a rear-panel metal
Call for pricing on standard plate, which also impedes quick tube chalges).
or custom designed cases! Those who thrive on the lo-fi idiosl.ncrasies of
,:i
smooth fretwork, the Emperor gets high mark
for playabiliry. Tonally, this is a very satisfuing
instrument with lots of acoustic air and snap.
Its electrified sounds are balanced and compler
and note detaiÌ was on par with our fine-sound-
ing Tal Farlow's. The only downer was a loose
trussrod that rattled noticeably at lower frequen-
cies. Tightening it didn't help.
Problems aside, the vibey-sounding Emperor
Regent is a natural for trio or big-band guitarists,
or even those who want to strum something dif-
ferent in a rock or country band. Comments:
''Has the richness and vibe one expects from a
real jazz gttitar." "I could live with that sound."
Despite the fact that l,arry Coryell pioneered
jazz-rock fusion in the late '60s, only now has
a guitar company seen fit to honor him with a
signature ax. Cort's Larry Coryell (S1,495) is a
deep-bodied guitar with a laminated spruce top,
maple sides and a two-piece maple back. Its 20-
fret neck (built from sixpieces of maple) neatly
joins the bodv at the 14th fret and features a
scarfed headstockjoint and a huge heel. The
25 " - scale roseryood fretboard wears perfectly

an overdriven combo may be put off by the set block-stvle pearl inlays with diagonal
DISCOUNT Rocket's phlegmatic precision, but those whod abalone stripes. The ftets are well shaped and
DISTRIBUTORS like to capture their playing with crisp definition crowned, though not highly polished. Single-
800-346-4638 ttn trtyt5l6-563-8326 and near-orchestral balance should investigate layer bindings edge the fretboard and f-holes,
this boldly original box. if rvhile the top, back and lor-ely flared headstock

\Irfl 99.9% of strings b ?;l( WE WROTE

at the saddle.
rHE BOOK
VeNal eaààlee holà your elrinqo firmly. foo firnly. lmagina ON
LiqhLly qri??lnq a wire coal hanger anà banàinq iN back
anà toùh, over anà over - it Òna?Ò. ?atonLeà AR.A?H TECH
3IRING 9AVER 5ADDLEO eaee thie qrip anà micro-
REPLACEftIENT
ocopically epreaà the olreoo over a qreaLar ?orl:ton ol lhe
eLrinq. The rcd)ll are strinqb thal laal anà laÒt, no rnat-
NECKS
terhowharà you play. l,nàthe aounà? )lrrnqSaverohave

fr(\ {H{l #
the full bodiaà lone anà bfie of vtnlaqa e,eel eaààles wi'h

fl
25'/" more Òual^n than braeellry Lhem anà you'\\ eee why
oa many of our cuoLomers eay ")trin7 Sauers are abao-
Iutel5r the best luitar modification lVa wer made."

"l wae ehockeà alt the

Not getting the action, feel or sound you want? Spare
?a Aox 1794 ?otnt.
yourself the grief - replace your worn or otherwise
improtefrent in tone. I'ly ?obertb,Wb,9b2b1
gtrin4g lagt at leaet twice kr (644)24'13121 gross neck with the bestl We've got over 250,000
as lon4!" pon Carr - -lhe Fe 16A1)241-3122

Oaknà4e Doys
En ail 4ru pht e c@ n -- é N e -c a tr. custom options to choose from. More woods, styles
1-800-388-701 l shapes, widths and best of all, the new Warmoth
uoeà by Dick D ale, 54-4a, Kenny \\ ayn e theVp arà, C arvin, Taavey & more Compound Radius Fingerboard.
t*',.,ffi rf6- $',,@ Get what's rioht for vou from the
people ivno do'it best.
For your copy of "The Book" of premium quality guitar pafts &
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f
Made ^
in the
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Guit
r
6424 112th St. E., Puyallup, WA 98373 . (206) 845-0403
1 36 GUITAR PTAYER OCTOBER 1S97
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FIVE NEW ARCHTOPS
Continued[rom page 139
attractively finished in gloss black with multi-
layer bindings on the top and back, the body's
squarish shape and odd, two-section f-holes
werent particularly endearing to our testers. The
f-holes are bound, but their inside edges are so
rough we wonder why anyone bothered.
The Samick's substantial maple neck joins
the body at the 16th fret, and its bound, 24314"
rosewood fretboard sports 22 well-shaped and
finished frets. Double-parallelogram pearl inlays
grace the fingerboard, mhile the bound peghead
sports abalone "Solo-Flight" and "Charlie Chris-
tian' inlays. A large pearl held in place by a brass
pin resides in a notch at the tip of the headstock.
The Christian's gold-plated hardware includes
no-nanìe tuners, Tune-o-matic bridge and stop
tailpiece. Two humbuckers feed a pair of volume
and tone controls (with push-pull coil taps) and
a three-way selector.
For all-out jazz tone, the Christian proved
the least exciting of the bunch. Its acoustic voice
was rather small, and the humbuckers, while
plenty strong, failed to enhance the midrange
richness enough to hang with the deeper-bod-
ied guitars. In other scenarios, however, the
Samick fared much better. This punchy, thick-
sounding ax sounded in its element when
played in a more solidbody or ES-335 context,
and activating its coil taps yielded a distinct im-
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provement in crispness, definition and air. We
could even get a decent country twang out of
and Samick's Charlie Christian-all of which
are able to dip into the solidbody tonal range
this baby-a flavor that none of our other arch- with their brighter, crunchier response. At over
tops offered. $3,800, the U.S.-made Grbson r.ras the most ex-
Wine and cheese time. After repeated blind- pensive of the group. This fir.re-sounding guitar
fold comparisons, Cort's Lar4rCoryell emerged can certainly cover a lot of sonic bases, but then
as our unanimous fave. Its impressive vibe and so can the slightlv less bodacious Joe Pass-at
depth make it a fine choice for anyone seeking just over one-third the cost. The Charlie Chris-
a trulyhappening jazz sound at minimal cost. tian may have litde in common with its name-
Epiphone's Emperor Regentwas a close second sake's legary but it offers compellingblues and
(in spite of its rattling trussrod), followed by Gib- R&B sounds for those r*ro want to strum some-
son's ES-175, Epiphone's Joe Pass Emperor II thing different. I
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