The Loar introduces the LH-302 single-cutaway archtop, based on classic jazzboxes but with a comfortable 1.5″ thin body.
Related Feature:
The Loar LH-301T Archtop
This premium looking full-hollowbody archtop joins the company’s already extensive line up, all of which come at considerably lower price points when compared to those from popular guitar makers.
Thanks to companies like The Loar, classic electric guitar designs such as archtops have become more accessible. On top of affordability, the company also strives to provide different models that cover various configurations for guitarists to choose from. Their latest expansion effort includes the LH-302, providing players with a thinline full-hollow body that has two P-90 pickups.
The Loar Director of Product Development Travis Atz said, “There’s something about an electric guitar with resonant chambers; having a fully hollow soundbox really creates a sound that can’t be duplicated by any other means.“
The LH 302 sports a fully hollow body that is comfortable thin, while still retaining the classic 16″ wide lower bout. The top, back and sides are crafted from maple wrapped in gloss finish of either vintage sunburst or cherryburst. The Florentine cutaway stays true to the classic design prevalent in the ’60s, providing easy access to the upper frets.
Matching the guitar’s thin body is its thin profile C-shape mahogany neck, which has a short scale length of 24.75″ and 1.69″ nut width. This combination of thin profile, short scale and thin fingerboard width makes this archtop guitar comfortable to play, and I for one prefer this type of neck specifications. The neck is topped by a rosewood fretboard with 19 frets. I’m not too fond of the headstock shape but it has become a distinct feature found on many of their guitars.
Staying true to the classic design, the LH 302 is equipped with a tune-o-matic bridge paired with a floating stop tailpiece. The other end of the strings are held in place by three-a-side Tonepros Kluson tuners, which sit beside the gold decal “The Loar” logo on the headstock.
The guitar is equipped with two The Loar Dogear P-90S pickups, both of which are wired to a straightforward set of controls that include independent volume and tone adjustment knobs, and a 3-way pickup selector switch. Other features include ivory body binding, and two F-holes, which complete the classic archtop look.
To give you a better idea of how it sounds, the company uploaded an official video demo:
The demo video even showcased the sound of the guitar when overdriven, which seems to work really well because of the thinner body. The company concludes, “From smoother acoustic tones to aggressive power chords, The Loar thinbody archtops deliver style, elegance and power for players who want true vintage inspiration in an impressive package.”
The LH-302 is now retailing for just under $600. For more information and the complete specifications, head over to The Loar. They also offer other instruments that are ideal for first guitar buyers.
Related Article:
Check out our roundup of Hollow Body Electric Guitars