I happened into Willie’s Guitar store in St. Paul. Mn. Check their website.. I was looking for a hollow body as well as a Guild bluesbired. I had never seen an Alleycat before, and after auditioning it for about 1/2 hour, I fell in love. The thin neck pickup (thin humbucker) is what sold me… It had the bite of a single coil, but the meat of a humbucker. Definately try one out, if you haven’t yet. It’s a nice guitar.

I just purchased an Epiphone DOT from http://www.bethesdamusic.com for 29.
It was a deal compared to its 99 list.
As a bonus, I was offered a Limited Edition flametop with gold hardware for the same price.
It is now a prized member of my guitar collection.

I would try ebay and gbase.com to get an idea of the archtops offered in your price range. I’ll put in a plug to sell my first archtop, an Epiphone EmporerII Joe Pass model. It has a solid spruce top with a laminated maple body. It has a full, mellow sound and very easy action for both comping and single string work. I’ve owned it for less than a year and I’m selling it because I’ve recently stepped up to a Guild X170. The Epi Joe Pass is an excellent and economical choice for any jazz player. I’d sell mine for @ 600.

: Hi,
: I am looking to buy an archtop in the 00 – 00 range. I tried out an Epiphone Alleycat and am interested in comparisons with other Epiphone archtop and any other guitars out there that are a good buy for the money. I own a number of guitars like Fender, Parker, Ibanez, Taylor, Gibson etc… However, I do not have an archtop. I don’t have a lot of money to spend on this one.

: Any recommendations or comparisons?

: I play a variety of music. I am looking for a good archtop to play some jazz stuff.

OHHHHHH….I have a link for you. go here and prosper
http://www.gryphonstrings.com/
-see old things that are new. Lemme know what yo think

I’d say go vintage! A new Epi is going to depreciate when you touch it. Track ebay for old Epi’s and Gibsons, Guilds, and Gretsch (just for pricing and ideas). Try to get a carved top, but watch out for the neck. Many of these old things need a reset, but the rewards are great! 800 should get you a very nice vintage archtop.