Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 26 to 50 of 55

Thread: Gilchrist Archtops

  1. #26
    Registered User Billy Packard's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Grass Valley
    Posts
    886

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    ...For my two cent story!

    (Cutting to the chase)

    There was a time (circa 1995) when I was at the Carmel Music Co. store visiting with Stephen Gilchrist and Dextor Johnson regarding some minor warranty work on my A3. We were jamming, Steve played my mandolin and I played a Gilchrist guitar Dexter had in stock.

    My memories of the actual guitar are blended like water-colors with the whole memory of the event. What I remember about the guitar is,
    First - it felt comfortable and natural in my hands, I didn't have to adjust to the guitar as it fit just right so I could play without thinking about it, which is especially noteworthy given the circumstances!

    I remember the sound as being bright yet full with a good base and ...forward sounding (if that makes sense!) I hadn't played many arch-top guitars previous to this but what impressed me was the feeling that this is the way a guitar is supposed to sound like.
    Too allegorical? I'm a romantic soul so while I didn't covet the guitar I would rate it at a solid 10 with no reservations.

    (Where's my CC!)

    billy

    billypackardmandolin.com
    Billy Packard
    Gilchrist A3, 1993
    Stiver Fern, 1990
    Weber Fern, 2007
    Gibson F4 Hybrid #1, D. Harvey 2009
    Gibson 1923 A2
    Numerous wonderful guitars

  2. #27
    Registered User mcgroup53's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Indianapolis, IN
    Posts
    306

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    There's a 16" archtop from Bill Collings on sale at Cotten Music, and I can't imagine anything Gil builds is better than that.

  3. #28

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Hi Andy--First congrats on acquiring both the Gilchrists, archtop and mandolin! Quite the duo. If I am not mistaken, your archtop is exactly the one I'd played back in 2011 and that I wrote about in 2014 earlier in this thread. It has since been modified with inlays on the fretboard, but I believe it is the first "Jr." that Steve made. Red maple back and sides. A few months after writing that post, I went ahead and ordered one myself, that arrived late in 2015. Truly as perfect an instrument as I have played. Here's a thread on it: http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=400957 Enjoy the guitar, there are precious few instruments of that calibre. All best, Richard

  4. #29

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    And Billy, your Gilchrist story is far from too allegorical. I'm guessing that was one of Steve's early archtops, quite possibly a 17" as he built a few of those back then. I think he exclusively builds 16" now, which are somewhat truer to the late 1920s vibe, a bit more focused than the larger sizes, though possibly less "Freddie Green" in output. But from what I've heard, that guitar was probably every bit as great as you remember it.

  5. The following members say thank you to Richard Mott for this post:


  6. #30

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    This guitar, Richard?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRlxeSmTW-Q

    I've watched that video quite a bit since it was posted. Sounds absolutely wonderful; the great playing certainly doesn't hurt either.

  7. #31

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Quote Originally Posted by mcgroup53 View Post
    There's a 16" archtop from Bill Collings on sale at Cotten Music, and I can't imagine anything Gil builds is better than that.
    I haven't had a chance to play AT16 at Cotten, but I did play the blond one that they had there 2-3 years ago. First off - it was a beautifully finished instrument. I've never seen a poorly finished Collings instrument and this one may have been the best. Playability was excellent. Tone-wise, it reminded me of most Collings guitars - loud and responsive and very good at cutting through the mix, but not as warm as some other archtops I've played. I wasn't moved to scrounge the money together for that purchase as I have been for a few other guitars and mandos over the years. I can guarantee that, for someone, it could be a lifetime guitar.

  8. #32

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Hi Blauserk--Yes, that's the guitar. And your assessment of playing is extremely charitable to say the least. The instrument is capable of SO much more and the bass has deepened considerably over the past 18 months. It's improving faster than its owner. --R.

  9. #33
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    California
    Posts
    9

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Fellow Gilchrist Guitar listeners,
    Yes, Stephen Gilchrist is a super talent. I do have more than one and they are quite special. He's got THE SOUND. In my opinion, that is the most elusive quality for archtop guitars. Anyone can buy lumber. There are lots of good looking instruments out there, but it's ultimately the sound. Individual players have a sound, and so do builders.
    I don't care to compare one builder to another, as there are many dedicated folks out there doing lovely work. Most are great people and committed to making the best that they can.
    I've used them on many recordings, concerts, etc. You can hear mine on my two CDs, "Sunburst," and "Natural Blonde," available at CD Baby. I think there are some free sound bites there, too.
    Simply stated, they are a joy to play.
    Cheers!

  10. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to JFox For This Useful Post:


  11. #34

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Dear Jim Fox, great to see your post on here. I am sure you will not remember, but about 12 years ago you were kind enough to take my phone call about Steve Gilchrist's archtops, as I was thinking of ordering one--or, more accurately, getting on his lengthy waitlist. I'd asked you about the quality of the instruments and you said something like "Best builder on the planet!" That remark kind of stayed with me over the years. About ten years later my Gilchrist archtop arrived and I could see it was no exaggeration. Best musical decision I've ever made, it is an otherworldly instrument. All best, Richard

  12. The following members say thank you to Richard Mott for this post:


  13. #35
    Gibson F5L Gibson A5L
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    2,526
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Archtops ........ D'Angelico ... D'Aguisto ... Stromberg ...... then pre 1950 Gibson and Epiphone ....... the cost of a Gilchrist is not really part of the equation for someone looking for the top 1% in build, playability and tone of anything. Who was it first said if you have to ask how much something costs you probably can't afford it . C'est la Vie....... . R/
    I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...

  14. #36
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    California
    Posts
    9

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    About ten years later my Gilchrist archtop arrived and I could see it was no exaggeration. Best musical decision I've ever made, it is an otherworldly instrument. All best, Richard[/QUOTE]

    Hi Richard, Glad to hear that you are enjoying your guitar. It's wonderful to hear them grow, open up, and mature.
    Thank you for your kind words.
    Regards,

    -Jim

  15. #37
    Registered User sblock's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Redwood City, CA
    Posts
    2,335

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Quote Originally Posted by mcgroup53 View Post
    There's a 16" archtop from Bill Collings on sale at Cotten Music, and I can't imagine anything Gil builds is better than that.
    Well yes, it may be true that you might not be able to imagine that anything luthier Stephen Gilchrist builds might be better than something from Bill Collings' small factory, but some of the rest of us are quite capable of imagining that a Gilchrist instrument might, indeed, be able to top a Collings instrument! I've heard a number of Gilchrist mandolins that, in my estimation, top Collings mandolins -- just to cite examples from my own direct experience. So I don't have to stretch my imagination to think that a Gilchrist guitar might not sound equally terrific, too. Of course, this is a matter of sheer conjecture! Since neither you nor I have actually heard the Gilchrist guitar, both our conjectures are pretty much worthless personal opinions, based on no actual data.

  16. #38

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    I've played two...one was a blonde 16 inch that sounded sensational. The sound just leaped out, and it had that powerful "woof" we rhythm guys love. I could make that guitar fit in a duet, small group or larger band, and I bet a simple Shure 57 or 58 would love it to death.

    Number two was a cremona-finished 16 inch cutaway that sounded OK and looked grand, but from my position as a player sitting behind the instrument and feeling its presence against my chest and gut, it seemed somewhat dead. Out front it may have sounded sensational, but to me, it didn't jump the way the blonde did. Maybe in 1, 3, 5 or 20 years, but who knows?

    I think that buying a guitar sight unseen, especially an archtop, is a crapshoot. As a player, I'd have to test it out, and I'd have to have someone else play it so I could hear it from a different angle.

    Good luck and have fun,

    John

  17. #39
    Front Porch & Sweet Tea NursingDaBlues's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    My heart is in The South.
    Posts
    522

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    I've never played one but have heard some high accolades for Gilchrist archtops. However, once I had the opportunity to get this 1946 Epiphone Triumph, my Archtop Acquisition Syndrome quickly faded away. Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_4192-850x1281.jpg 
Views:	120 
Size:	126.9 KB 
ID:	160942

  18. #40

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    John, you said: "I've played two...one was a blonde 16 inch that sounded sensational."
    Were these two guitars Gils or Collings? Set-up can be a huge thing for archtops, break angle and bridge height especially, and might be part of what separated those two instruments.

  19. #41

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    They were both Gilchrists. I've played a few of the Collings guitars, and they're well-built and they look good, but they're not what I'm after in an archtop.

    You may be right about the set up, but I think I've played enough archtops where I'm able to see through their individual mechanics and figure out what the guitar can or can't do.

    More likely it's a matter of preference, personal tastes, or what one needs to get out of an archtop for performing. Someone else may love an instrument that I take a pass on.

    I like an "older" sound and feel. I've only played a couple of newly-built instruments that to me, have that mysterious, "old" quality. One is the blonde Gilchrist.

  20. #42
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    California
    Posts
    9

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Hi again, gang. Bill Collings made some brilliant archtop guitars, and I had the pleasure of discussing archtop guitar design, construction and sound with him on several occasions. He checked out one of my Gilchrists and expressed his respect for Steve. I recorded a multi-guitar arrangement; six parts, all acoustically, on my four Gilchrist guitars. One part is rhythm. You can hear it at Steve’s site in the artist section (If you like). The arrangement, by Wm. G. Leavitt, was always done with pickups and amps. I mic’d The guitars acoustically in stereo. In any event, you can hear Gilchrist guitars; four of them together.
    Steve Gilchrist is a super talent. This is not a reflection on other builders. I would never be interested in comparing the great luthiers. I have seen great work by dedicated artists and for me, praising one is not a put-down of another.
    One thing I know for sure: you still have to play them, and they need to be played. When they lay dormant for a while, they tend to go to sleep and need to be reawakened.
    Cheers!
    -JF

  21. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to JFox For This Useful Post:


  22. #43

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    What a fabulous recording! For anyone interested, here's the link: http://www.gilchristmandolins.com/274

  23. The following members say thank you to Richard Mott for this post:


  24. #44
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    30,753

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Fantastic playing, Jim Fox! Wow, 4 Gilchrist arch tops. Amazing!
    Jim

    My Stream on Soundcloud
    Facebook
    19th Century Tunes
    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

  25. #45
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    California
    Posts
    9

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Thank you, Richard!

    - - - Updated - - -

    Thank you, Jim!

  26. #46
    Registered User Mark Seale's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Posts
    1,055

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Quote Originally Posted by JFox View Post
    Hi again, gang. Bill Collings made some brilliant archtop guitars, and I had the pleasure of discussing archtop guitar design, construction and sound with him on several occasions. He checked out one of my Gilchrists and expressed his respect for Steve. I recorded a multi-guitar arrangement; six parts, all acoustically, on my four Gilchrist guitars. One part is rhythm. You can hear it at Steve’s site in the artist section (If you like). The arrangement, by Wm. G. Leavitt, was always done with pickups and amps. I mic’d The guitars acoustically in stereo. In any event, you can hear Gilchrist guitars; four of them together.
    Steve Gilchrist is a super talent. This is not a reflection on other builders. I would never be interested in comparing the great luthiers. I have seen great work by dedicated artists and for me, praising one is not a put-down of another.
    One thing I know for sure: you still have to play them, and they need to be played. When they lay dormant for a while, they tend to go to sleep and need to be reawakened.
    Cheers!
    -JF
    Jim -

    Would you be willing to speak to the differences in tone between the guitars. I noted in the link provided that 2 share the same wood and bracing selection, while the others differ. How have the aged, particularly the consecutive numbered guitars? Do they share a family voice, with only slight variation in sound, or are they profoundly different?

  27. #47

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    I'll be fascinated to see what Jim Fox says! While we're waiting, I'm gonna guess that #473 is the brightest sounding. Not that I've heard it. Jim?

  28. #48
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    California
    Posts
    9

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Hi Mark,
    I don’t own a Collings archtop. I have played a number of them at several Summer NAMM shows. There are so many factors involved, such as wood selection, scale length, body dimensions and of course, the carve.
    Their archtops are excellent. A pleasure to play. Responsive.
    I think they are crisp, clear and balanced, like their flat tops. Great jazz guitars.

  29. #49
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    California
    Posts
    9

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    Richard,
    Big questions here! These archtop acoustics are funny. One day, a certain one is the best, and another day it’s a different one. To keep them fresh I string them all and rotate through them until they need restringing. 473 is not necessarily the brightest, but it does have remarkable focus and fundamental.
    I record with them quite often, and they sound remarkably alike recorded. They “print” beautifully. Realistically, there is less difference between my four than one would expect. Steve is very consistent. His model 16 has it all: Range, Balance, Complexity, Clarity, Volume, Responsiveness.
    I also don’t think it matters that much which variety of maple or spruce he chooses. His carving is so refined that he compensates for variations with precision.
    Now for the broken record part:
    Collings and some others are very fine builders and deserve high praise for their instruments. The fact that I speak so highly of Mr. Gilchrist is no reflection on others. We players have different needs and expectations of our instruments. It’s personal. One person’s favorite may not be another’s.
    Study and practice are far more important than accumulating guitars. George Van Eps had one archtop acoustic and stated, in so many words, that one is all he needed.

  30. #50
    Registered User mtucker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Los Angeles CA
    Posts
    1,500

    Default Re: Gilchrist Archtops

    wow! just thought this belonged here. From Steve's new batch.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	16.jpg 
Views:	92 
Size:	68.8 KB 
ID:	161843  

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •