Please note: All instruments that have stock numbers followed by an asterisk (*) are in stock at our San Diego store. Please call Tom @ (619) 280-9035 for further information.
New! Eastman T184MX-LTD Classic Finish: The semi-hollow archtop has long been known and appreciated for its versatility of tone as well as its comfortable playability. Eastman brings the design to a new level with their thinline archtops. This limited edition version of the T184MX features a 14" double cutaway body made of solid maple for the top, solid mahogany back and sides, one-piece mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard with dot inlay, flame maple binding on the body and neck, chrome hardware including tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece and a pair of humbucking pickups with individual volume and tone controls. Great looks, great sounds, great feel.....and great price! With hard shell case. (MSRP $2195) $CALL FOR BUFFALO BROS PRICE! Stock #NGB28947. photo
1935 Gibson L-5 Sunburst: For many players, the 17" Advanced body was the beginning of the modern Gibson L-5. This exquisite example is one of the very early examples of this new body size and not only offered more projection and volume, it also added warmth and a deep roundness to the overall tone. Hand-carved solid spruce top with early-'30s small f-holes and X-bracing, splendid figured solid flamed maple for the back and sides, quilted maple neck with ebony fingerboard, pearl block inlay, multi-layer binding on the body, neck, headstock and pickguard, adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge, and gold trapeze tailpiece. The tuners were professionally replaced, apparently a long time ago, with vintage '30s Grover Imperial tuning machines. The guitar may also have been treated to a light overspray to protect the original finish (checking and dings included) and give it a gorgeous luster.....speaking of luster and shine...the tone of this baby is simply magnificent. It's big, round, woody and warm with all the character and feel that these incredible guitars have come to be known for. Couple that with the comfortably rounded neck profile and you've got a classic combination that's tough to beat. With original hard case. $12,500 Stock #UGB28909. photo
1945 Gibson L-5 Sunburst: Here's a exceptionally fine sounding version of a Gibson L-5 from the mid-'40s. By this time the Advanced body with 17" lower bout had become the standard and the bracing had returned to the traditional parallel style. The top is solid straight grained spruce, back and sides of solid maple, tiger maple neck with ebony fingerboard, pearl block inlay, adjustable rosewood bridge, gold trapeze tailpiece and Kluson Sealfast tuning machines. The pickguard is an accurate and period correct replica. Tonally this one is balanced and full with a voice that's open and present with nice projection and volume. It's one that just WANTS to be played and needs to be experienced in person. With original hard shell case. Buffalo Bros price: $9500 Stock #UGB25926. photo
1936 Gibson L-7 Sunburst: It's common knowledge that although the L-5 was the flagship model of Gibson's archtops, it was the L-7 that was the most popular guitar in its heyday. This became the workhorse instrument for professional players across the nation as it offered similar construction specifications at a lower price point as the ornamentation was kept to a minimum. Featuring the 17" Advanced size this is built with a solid spruce top, solid maple back and sides, "X" bracing, single ply body binding, mahogany neck with bound rosewood fingerboard and split parallelogram inlay, nickel hardware including trapeze tailpiece and Kluson tuning machines. The neck has been professionally reset at some point restoring the proper neck angle and the bridge is a newer adjustable rosewood replacement. What is surprising is the unusally slim for its age "C" shape neck which offers fabulous playability, a perfect companion to the instrument's punchy tone and bark. This '36 Gibson L-7 is one you won't want to miss. With original hard shell case. Buffalo Bros price: $3250 Stock #UGB30942. PHOTO
1939 Gibson L-37 Black: This is the small bodied flat back Gibson archtop that became the basis for the ES-100 Charlie Christian guitar. Petite dimensions, yet still able to put out a lot of volume and tone, especially considering its diminutive size. The neck is the vintage V shape that falls easily into the player's hand. Combined with the short scale, 5 fret stretches become amazingly easy. With original hard case. $1650 Stock#UGB29265. PHOTO BUY NOW
New! Heritage H-575 Custom Vintage Sunburst: The H-575 continues to be one our most popular models and features include a body of solid maple for the top, back and sides with binding on the top and back, Florentine cutaway allowing easy access to the upper register notes, one-piece mahogany neck with bound rosewood fingerboard. This example is the Custom version with the addition of pearl block inlay and gold hardware, including a pair of Heritage HRW humbucking pickups with 3-way toggle selector switch, individual volume and tone controls. Players continue to be drawn to this body size for it's comfortable feel and it's versatility as it blends nicely into many styles of music. Jazz and blues, rock and R&B, even rockabilly and country can be coaxed from this great instrument. With hard shell case. (MSRP $4800) CALL FOR BUFFALO BROS PRICE! Stock #NGB26980 photo
New! Heritage Sweet 16 Old Style Burst: This Heritage Sweet 16 is just in, brand new from the Heritage factory. The features of this very popular model features a solid carved spruce top with solid maple back and sides, maple neck with ebony fingerboard, split-block pearl inlay, gold Grover tuning machines, adjustable ebony bridge, ebony tailpiece, multiple layer binding on the body, neck headstock and solid maple pickguard, bound f-holes and a single floating jazz humbucker attached to the pickguard with volume control. The body of the Sweet 16, as the name suggests, is a comfortable 16" across the lower bout. The tone is big, warm and balanced and would give even the larger sized hollow body jazz archtops a run for the money. The single Florentine cutaway allows the player easy access to the upper range of the guitar. All the Heritage instruments we've had in the store have been special and this Sweet 16 definitely caught our eyes and ears when it arrived. With hard shell case. (MSRP $6110) CALL FOR BUFFALO BROS PRICE! Stock #NGB27748. photo
1988 Heritage Golden Eagle: The Heritage Guitar Company began in 1984 when Gibson abandoned their factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan for Nashville. Some of the more senior craftsmen, including Marv Lamb, J.P. Moates and Bill Paige elected to stay behind. Using the experience they had gained as far back as 1956, and using most of the tools in the original plant, they continued making the guitars just as they had been, designing improvement to the original designs along the way. The Golden Eagle is their crowning achievement. Essentially an L-5C, with beautiful appointments that rival the finest archtops ever conceived. Hand carved tight grained Spruce for the top, and equally impressive hand carved flame Maple for the back & sides. This natural finish beauty allows the grain of the wood to show through, and quite frankly, it is spectacular. The Ebony fretboard has mother of pearl "cloud" inlays reminiscent of the Epiphone Deluxe of the '30s and '40s. The peghead is inlaid with the profile of an American Eagle, which is echoed on the back of the peghead. The guitar comes supplied with two natural finish wood pickguards, one with a cutout for the floating pickup (included) , and one without the cutout, so you can enjoy it acoustically. Heritage actually started production on the Golden Eagle model in 1985, so this is from the first 3 years of production, making it an early, and certainly Vintage example. So pull out a vintage Port or Sherry from your special cache, savor the rich flavor while you also savor the smooth sounds emanating from this quintessential jazz treasure. With original hard case. $3250 Stock#UGC31103 photo
ca. 1938 Biltmore Ace: This guitar bears so much resemblance to the early Harmony H1307 Cremona model, that we believe they are one and the same instrument. It was very common, especially in the '30s for large companies such as Harmony, Kay, Lyon & Healy, Regal, and even Martin and Gibson to make instruments under different labels for independent jobbers and on some occasions, well known teachers. The Biltmore Ace, just as its Harmony doppelganger, has a carved solid Spruce top, and two piece Maple back & sides. It is a smaller archtop, 16" at the lower bout, and sunburst finish all over. A very nice, extremely well projecting little jazz rhythm box that is also capalble of producing sweet notes for the lead player. With chipboard case. $850 Stock#UGB31366 photo
Sept. 1945 D'Angelico Excel: (VG+) Imagine the sense of optimism John D'Angelico must have had when he finished work on this guitar! WWII had just ended and America was ready to take a giant step towards peace and prosperity. There's certainly no question that these amazing and rare instruments embody everything anyone could ever want from an archtop. One look at this beauty and it's plain to see why these guitars are the stuff that dreams are made of. The top is meticulously carved solid, straight-grained spruce with back and sides of solid flame figure maple. The maple neck is a comfortably round "U" shape that's full without feeling too clubby or chunky and simply a joy to handle, both for chords or single note passages. The ebony fingerboard is inlaid with pearl block position markers. This non-cutaway Excel is outfitted with Kluson Sealfast tuning machines and the classic D'Angelico signature stairstep tailpiece. At some point the fingers of the tailpiece end tab failed so this part was professionally and expertly repaired. This D'Angelic Excel is truly a rare and wonderful guitar with a big, throaty voice that can only be obtained from the finely aged tone woods of an instrument that's been well played and loved. There is definitely no question as to why the works of John D'Angelico are legendary and this Excel is here to verify it! With hard case. $21,000 Stock#UGC29631 PHOTO BUY NOW
JUST IN!! 1952 Epiphone Zephyr Regent Deluxe Sunburst: We just LOVE these great vintage Epiphone archtops! The Zephyr Regent Deluxe was one of the top-of-line electric instruments produced by the original Epiphone factory in New York and has a 17 3/8" wide body with rounded cutaway and multi-layer binding, 5-piece maple neck with bound Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and block/V pearl and abalone position markers, adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge, recently re-plated gold hardware including original Epiphone "Epsilon" tuning machines and Frequensator tailpiece. The pickups have been changed to a nice set of P-90s and the neck reset to proper angle. For years the vintage Epiphone instruments have been favorites of players around the world and this is a great example of good, solid workhorse of an archtop. With hard shell case. Buffalo Bros price: $2650 Stock #UGB31376. photo
JUST IN!! 1960 Gretsch 6119 Chet Atkins Tennessean Faded Burgundy Stain ~~~ EARLY 2-PICKUP VERSION ~~~: George Harrison at Shea Stadium.... for many players around the world the Gretsch 6119 Chet Atkins Tennessean is tied to this remarkable time period of one the most influential bands of all time. Designed by Chet Atkins in cooperation with the Gretsch company, the 6119 Tennessean features a fullly hollow 15 3/4" wide and 2" deep body with simulated f-holes to focus the sound to the pair of HiLoTron pickups, bound rosewood fingerboard with neo-classic thumbnail inlay, bar bridge with ebonuy foot, Bigsby "V" cutout vibrato tailpiece. The original dark burgundy finish has faded to a lovely mahogany colored stain. With vintage Gretsch hard shell case. Buffalo Bros price: $3250 Stock #UGB31402. photo
2004 Hofner Jazzica: From all aspects, the Hofner Jazzica is a very unique instrument. One glance at its severely tapered body, from standard arch top depth at the lower bout, to almost thinline depth at the upper bout, there is something special here. Powered by a single humbucking pickup in the neck position, the guitar almost assuredly speaks jazz fusion. The tonality is at once both rich and powerful, yet can be called upon for its many subtleties as well. The visual aspects are equally rewarding to the beholder. A natural finish body of Spruce and Maple, with Ebony tailpiece, pickguard and tuner buttons, and crowned with gold hardware. An excellent choice for the player with taste. With hard case. $2500 Stock#UGB15405
ca. 1950 Isana Jazz: Certainly this guitar, hand built by Ignaz Sandner would be little more than a footnote in the annals of guitar history were it not for the fact that Elvis Aaron Presley owned two of them while serving in the army in Germany in the late 1950s. One of those guitars recently sold at auction for $150,000. This one, with its unique 'S' holes and an additonal small round soundhole near the end of the fretboard, has that same remarkable tone for a whole lot less money. With gig bag. $600 Stock#UGB30972 photo
1938 Kalamazoo KG-31T: Pretty high up on the rarity scale is this unique 4 string tenor made by Gibson under their Kalamazoo label. It's definitely a Kalamazoo model even though a previous owner has added his own logo that reads "Atom" screwed onto the peghead. It has great tone, easy playability and who knows, may have belonged to a famous Atom at one time. You gotta see it, you gotta play it. That's just all there is to it. With chipboard case. $1000 Stock#UGB30923 photo
'50s Kay K-45 Professional Sunburst: Although primarily known as a manufacturer of entry level student instruments, Kay also produced some very fine higher quality guitars. Case in point is this model K-45 Professional from the 1950s. Aimed at the Gibson L-7 and Epiphone Triumph market, this is a 17" hollow body archtop with single rounded cutaway, solid spruce top, maple back and sides, maple neck with bound Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, block inlay, trapeze tailpiece, 3-on-a-side tuners and trapeze tailpiece. The neck profile is a comfortably full "D" shape that's not overly clubby or chunky and the tone is warm and full with nice clarity. This Kay K-45 Professional is an excellent choice for the vintage archtop aficionado and is a great value for a very well crafted instrument. Buffalo Bros price: $1500 Stock #UGB30971. photo
JUST IN!! Used! "The Loar" LH 550 SN Sunburst: Here's a great deal for someone looking for a great quality archtop jazz guitar at price to fit the current economic times. The Loar LH 550 features a carved solid spruce top with laminate maple back and sides, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard and dot inlay, fast 24 3/4" scale length, adjustable ebony bridge, chrome hardware including trapeze tailpiece and floating mini humbucker with pickguard-mounted volume control. Buffalo Bros price: $750 Stock #UGB31405. photo
JUST IN!! Used! David Wren 17" Archtop Violin Stain: David Wren is a very well respected builder out of Toronto, Canada and is known for his high quality hand-crafted instruments. This is a beautiful 17" hollowbody archtop with high grade, straight-grained solid spruce for the top, AAA flame maple for the back and sides, multi-layer wood binding, barber pole flame maple neck with ebony fingerboard, bridge, tailpiece and pickguard, floating pickup. The sound is rich and warm with a smooth response and the neck profile is comfortably slim and fast. An incredible value for a hand-made boutique archtop. With hard shell case. Buffalo Bros price: $3500 Stock #UGB31377. photo
Looking for something special? We can't possibly list all we have so please ask!