"Best" Small Jazz Guitar (Archtop)

[Paul Kinnear]

I am interested in finding a small size archtop 13" maybe 15" hollow.

The woman i work with is very tiny (great player) she is thinking of a benedetto bambino.

She is now playing a 1979-ish ibanez artist. It is very nice but heavey. She needs something small and light.

Price range up to $5000.00

Thanks

[docbop]

Check out Victor Baker Model 14, it's his most popular and he can make it anyway you want. His prices are very reasonable for custom made instruments.




» Victor Baker Guitars NYC

[jads57]

The great thing about Victor Baker's guitars are they can be custom tailored to the player. That said hard to go wrong w/ a Benedetto Bambino, love my Bambino Std!

[Jabberwocky]

Victor Baker for the win. VB has got the CNC process down pat with final finishing amd assembly done by hand. Best bang for the buck. And I like his 14" and 15" designs. Cute as a button. VB is a very good player too and can help your woman friend home in on the right specs.

I would go with VB first. Benedetto Bambino is also a good choice but less bespoke.

[SierraTango]

All due respect to Victor Baker and his great work, however if your friend ever decides to part with her upgraded guitar she would most likely have a better chance of selling a Benedetto Bambino for as much as she invested in it. Also check out Campellone EP series.
Note I admit a bias for Benedetto guitars

[kenbennett]

The George Benson Ibanez (GB10) is 14".

[D.G.]

Those Epi Wildcats are pretty cool guitars, but they're not exactly light weight.

I like the Eastman El Rey series. Small, light, and the ER1 I played at a music store had a great straight ahead jazz tone like a big box. They can have a neck dive problem -- which apparently can be resolved in a few ways -- so that's something to consider.

Otherwise, on the cheaper end of the scale, a thinline T style could be the ticket. I have a Fender Modern Player Thinline Deluxe w/ p90's and it's a feather. I also have a Mexi Classic Player Thinline Deluxe -- I just replaced the neck pup with a Lollar Regal -- and it's a fine sounding, lightweight guitar as well.

[SierraTango]

Campellone EP Series I mentioned earlier post. This is on Mandolin Bros website. I had a chance to play one, super instrument 15" lower bout, 2 1/4 depth. Super nice guitar.
No connection to seller.

[Max405]

The George Benson Ibanez is 14".

+1 for the gb10. Also, give the PRS hollow body 2 a plug. Very light, sounds great and beautiful.
JD

[Hammertone]

The Gibson ES-Les Paul might be worth checking out as well.

[TH]

The George Benson Ibanez is 14".

Actually closer to a 15" but who's measuring? It's VERY comfortable I agree and the 15" archtop is my favourite size if it's built well. The GB10 can't properly be called a fully acoustic instrument, and it was designed that way-to minimize acoustical qualities to make it more practical on stage, something it does really well.

On the topic of Benedetto, I'd heard from Jane Miller, who had one, that they stopped making them. Any truth to that?

I have a student with a Baker. I tried it and really liked it. It wasn't a tiny one, but his workmanship if really fine. I'd feel confident with him as a builder.

And for small jazz guitars, I've made it a hobby to hunt down old Epiphone Les Paul hollow bodies (they look like semi's but there's actually a floating block under the bridge and it's not anchored to the back, it's hollow) and with a change of pickups, they are truly seriously comfortable little guitars. I think they called them Elite or Elitist or something like that. They are Les Paul sized and that's pretty little for anybody's arms, though it doesn't have a small scale like the Bambino does.
Small scale considerations might check out old Byrdlands and ES-350's (the original issues) and they did come with small scales.
Best thing, try them. It's SO hard to tell without doing that. Body depth can make a huge difference, but what is comfortable to one person is still not nearly workable for another.
It's like asking strangers what shoes they'd recommend for an odd sized foot.
David

[Jonathan0996]

I'll second the PRS Hollowbody recommendation. It's just about fully hollow, plays great, sounds great and is extremely versatile. It's small and very, very light. It has a fast neck (even the so-called "wide-fat" neck) and is very easy to play. I'm amazed at the weight every time I pick it up. I have back issues when I play a heavier guitar for very long, but the PRS is a very comfortable guitar to play all night.

It's not what some would consider to be a pure archtop, but if she has any interest in playing other genres or using processed sounds it's a great guitar. It's also very feedback resistant. The older ones are slightly neck heavy, but I understand the ones with the piezo pickup in the bridge don't have that problem.

It's worth checking out.

[artb]

I am interested in finding a small size archtop 13" maybe 15" hollow. The woman i work with is very tiny (great player) she is thinking of a benedetto bambino. She is now playing a 1979 ish ibanez artist. It is very nice but heavey. She needs something small and light. Thanks

See my post Fine little GRECO 12/27/14 here. 13" archie cheap and very fine player.

[Jabberwocky]

Seventy-seven Guitars Stork Jazz. Pressed spruce top. Les Paul-style. Hollowbody with a block under the TOM. Under $1600 new. Epiphone Elitist Byrdland. Under $1800 new old stock. Ibanez SS500VLS. Under $1399 new.

Save the rest of the $5000 budget for the future when she knows better what she wants.

The cherry on the top: 15" Gibson L5 Lee Ritenour. 14" Steve Andersen Little Electric Archie Hybrid.

Besides Victor Baker, Steve Holst can also also whip something up for under $5000.

[Paul Kinnear]

Thanks everyone.. we have seen a couple she likes... Benedetto Andy...and we will probably talk to Mark Campellone later this week concerning a small custom archtop...I have always liked his guitars...we have several other archtops collected over the yaers as we have made our living at this for the past 30 years or so...thanks again...

[mikeSF]

Another vote for the Benedetto Bambino which is a fine guitar.

Also, I don't believe they are currently making the Andy, but I have one and the archtop hollowbody tone is surprisingly great.
I also have a Benny which is a very manageable body size for a smaller person and a beautifully made instrument.

good luck!

[cmarquerie]

Benedetto Bambino is no very valuable and is very heavy. I ve sold my bambino one week ago

[IbanezAS100]

Another one to check out:

Douglas Harrison GB, 14 1/4 lower bout, fully hollow or chambered

[SierraTango]

Another vote for the Benedetto Bambino which is a fine guitar.
Also, I don't believe they are currently making the Andy, but I have one and the archtop hollowbody tone is surprisingly great.
I also have a Benny which is a very manageable body size for a smaller person and a beautifully made instrument.
good luck!

My understanding was the Andy was discontinued. Also, I think there were two versions built: a laminated model and a fully carved "Elite" which is the one pictured in this photo. Please excuse the stupid grin, however I had a great time auditioning the Andy in the picture. It was for sale at a place called Techno Empire in Burbank and was on ebay for a while. A totally lovable, compact guitar. However, the OP stated a price range of up to 5K and this Andy was going for about 9K as I remember.
I've already put my .02 in, she would never go wrong with a Bambino and as a Cremona owner I can attest to the Benedetto quality and value. I also think the Campellone at MB would deserve a look. Meets the specs they are looking for unless the 1 3/4 nut width is not acceptable.

[Paul Kinnear]

That is a beatiful guitar...i would grin as well..

[SierraTango]

MikeSF, I stand corrected, standard model was solid top and back, laminated sides. I can't see the photo of yours, says content protected by owner. However I'll bet your Andy is a stunner. I just don't see either the standard or the Elite come up for sale often. As Benedetto freely admits, this was his take and improvement on the Gibson ES-140.
If my money bag was full I'd have one in my stable in a heartbeat

[uburoibob]

You MAY be able to find a Steve Andersen Little Archie. From my experience with all the small Archtops mentioned, the Little Archie or the Electric Archie are by far the best. $5000 MAY be doable if you keep a sharp eye out.

[mrbean]

I use a Hagstrom HL-550, very comfortable for live use...

[Gabe]

My Victor Baker 15" is the most comfortable guitar I've ever played. Very lightweight yet still totally feedback resistant due to the small block that joins the top to the back - despite the block it's still got a prominent acoustic voice.

Victors guitars are great and he's a pleasure to work with.

[coolvinny]

I really like my Eastman Thinline 145SMD, and I picked it up 2nd hand for $1,000 including an excellent fiberglass case (not as good as Calton but it is very sturdy) with D-rings for backpack straps etc. I have a couple Andersen's which are better but not by as much as you might think given the price differential.

Acoustically, it sounded much better than the Ibanez GB model they happened to have hanging around.