Be the best dressed guitarist on your next gig.
Breathtaking Design. Maximum Playability.
Savings Opportunity
We are able to offer fully featured Conti Guitars at value pricing as they are only available direct from Conti Guitars. If our guitars were offered through the typical distributor/dealer network, the price would assuredly double, and in some cases actually triple. However, even at our value pricing, the cost may sometimes exceed one’s budget. To that end, we make efforts to discount guitars when certain events allow us to do so. On a random timetable, new guitars are played by Robert or one of his assistants at a variety of events such as:
- trade shows,
- educational videos, or
- selected live performances
Although we exercise great care in handling our instruments, they sometimes incur minor cosmetic surface scratches that are usually imperceptible after buffing. As a matter of common business ethics:
- Although demo instruments are essentially still new, we do not return those instruments into inventory as “brand new.”
- Although the subject instruments may have been played for only an hour or two, we always advise every potential purchaser of any scratches, nicks, etc.
Making our demo instruments available at a substantial price reduction (when we are able to do so) provides folks an opportunity to acquire a high quality instrument at great savings. These instruments receive the same quality control as new instruments, including a full pre-shipping inspection and set-up, and our signature personalized “owner introduction video” wherein Robert Conti actually plays and introduces you to your new instrument!
Missed this opportunity?
Black Entrada - $1,019
No Middle Men
Your dream archtop at any budget.
We don’t believe you can find a comparable feature rich guitar at this price anywhere.
The Entrada
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Laminate Maple Top
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Laminate Maple Back & Sides
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Gold Imperial Tuners
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Maple Neck
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24 Fret Ebony Fingerboard
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Ebony Pickguard
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Kent Armstrong Humbucker
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Gotoh TOM or Ebony Bridge
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Floating Ebony Bridge Base
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Ebony or Gold Finger Tailpiece
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Quality Gig Bag (Hardshell +$)
The Heirloom
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Solid Spruce Top
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Solid Maple Back & Sides
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Gold Imperial Tuners
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Maple Neck
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24 Fret Ebony Fingerboard
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Ebony Pickguard
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Kent Armstrong Humbucker
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TonePros TOM or Ebony Bridge
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Floating Ebony Bridge Base
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Ebony or Gold Finger Tailpiece
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Quality Gig Bag (Hardshell +$)
" Three Conti " Club
Michael Macklin,
New Zealand
Dr. Gary C Smith,
Somis, CA
Michael Simoni,
Lodi, CA
Our Worldwide Owners
An instant success in 2009, the Conti is the go-to archtop for players around the world. And like our jazz guitar learning resources, we let our patrons do the talking. Take some time to read comments and see photos from a sampling of elated Conti Guitar owners worldwide. We hope to see your photo here soon!
Michael Macklin – New Zealand
“The solid body has arrived safely and in good condition. All three are “different” but great instruments!” Michael Macklin – New Zealand
Great neck, incredible action!!
Here is a picture of the newest guitars for my collection. I can’t say enough about these two guitars, but let me say a few things. First of all, I have always wanted an Entrada with two pickups, and when this one became available, I had to have it. It plays like a dream guitar. Great neck, incredible action!! The Kent Armstrong pickups are very responsive and create a very warm sound responding to this body. The color of this guitar is amazing. I do not have this color on any of the guitars in my collection. This guitar is perfectly balanced and the gold hardware completes the package. My bandmates love the look and sound of this guitar and I couldn’t agree more. Now onto the solid body version. I had heard months ago that there might be a solid body Conti in the works, and when I received an email that only five would be created, again, I had to have one. This guitar utilizes the same neck as my Entrada, so the amazing feel and action was already in the package. Once again, the Kent Armstrong pickups respond well, and as I was working through the possible
Will become one of my favorite axes
The guitar arrived perfectly. In a first inspection there was a couple of notes that had a buzz in the fret, but it is already solved. My impressions: The design of the guitar is very nice. The combination of the black color with the gold pickups makes it look elegant and distinguished. It is comfortable to play and well balanced. The single cut shape makes all 24 frets accessible. The neck is excellent. As Robert Conti said in the video it is the same as that of Equity. It is one of the best necks I have ever played. Very low action and a flat fingerboard makes it a butter to play. The body of the guitar is very nice. It looks small but not as small as a Les Paul. As the whole body is mahogany, without a maple top, I think it influences (along with the pickups) that the sound is very deep and warm. Kent Armstrong pickups have quite a good output and can be a bit dark. You have to play with the tone control to fine-tune the sound. The knobs are different from a classic LP setup. It is fine for the volume ones to
Each note is tuned to perfection!
August 6, 2021 – Comments on Solid Body Prototype “This solid body guitar maintains the nuances of the archtop sound of the Heirloom and Entrada models. It sounds just as good or even better, I would say! Many other guitars with a similar output may cost a few thousand more dollars online or in guitar stores, but I can tell that this guitar is unique; it has been carefully crafted in both exterior design and pickup capabilities to optimize playability and the bright bell sounds of jazz. The high end sounds fantastic! The exterior design is marvelous as well, and I’m sure this will serve as my primary guitar for shows for the rest of my career. Thanks for everything that went into constructing this masterpiece! ” September 29, 2019 – Comments on Heirloom: “Thank you so much Mr. Conti. I am very excited to start practicing with this guitar and hopefully showing it off at some jazz gigs in the near future. I am very grateful that you were able to personally go over the optimal conditions for the life time health of the instrument as well as the features. I must admit, the guitar sounds and chimes are
Nothing short of beautiful…
Received my new Entrada. Arrived safe and sound thanks to the great packaging. After opening, it was nothing short of beautiful. The action height, intonation & the neck was straight as an arrow. Bob and his crew do an unbelievable job on getting the instrument into your hands. Needless to say I was quite anxious to put it to work. I got the chance this weekend to do that with our group. I’m extremely pleased in how it worked out. While working I was not the only one impressed with the guitar. Some other guitarists happened to be there and they were wowed at its sound and beauty. Everyone wanted to know where I got it. But a word about Bob in that he actually plays it before shipping it out. He then sends a video of your guitar being played by him. That is no different than going yourself to a store and trying it out. You see it, you hear it, and can’t wait to get it. This guitar will be with me a long time. Thanks So Much! -Bob Warren – Mount Laurel, NJ
Louis LaPaitra Jr Comments On His Entrada
Click Read More to watch a video from Louis as he comments on and performs with his new Conti Entrada archtop guitar!
Michael Macklin – New Zealand
“The solid body has arrived safely and in good condition. All three are “different” but great instruments!” Michael Macklin – New Zealand
Great neck, incredible action!!
Here is a picture of the newest guitars for my collection. I can’t say enough about these two guitars, but let me say a few things. First of all, I have always wanted an Entrada with two pickups, and when this one became available, I had to have it. It plays like a dream guitar. Great neck, incredible action!! The Kent Armstrong pickups are very responsive and create a very warm sound responding to this body. The color of this guitar is amazing. I do not have this color on any of the guitars in my collection. This guitar is perfectly balanced and the gold hardware completes the package. My bandmates love the look and sound of this guitar and I couldn’t agree more. Now onto the solid body version. I had heard months ago that there might be a solid body Conti in the works, and when I received an email that only five would be created, again, I had to have one. This guitar utilizes the same neck as my Entrada, so the amazing feel and action was already in the package. Once again, the Kent Armstrong pickups respond well, and as I was working through the possible
Will become one of my favorite axes
The guitar arrived perfectly. In a first inspection there was a couple of notes that had a buzz in the fret, but it is already solved. My impressions: The design of the guitar is very nice. The combination of the black color with the gold pickups makes it look elegant and distinguished. It is comfortable to play and well balanced. The single cut shape makes all 24 frets accessible. The neck is excellent. As Robert Conti said in the video it is the same as that of Equity. It is one of the best necks I have ever played. Very low action and a flat fingerboard makes it a butter to play. The body of the guitar is very nice. It looks small but not as small as a Les Paul. As the whole body is mahogany, without a maple top, I think it influences (along with the pickups) that the sound is very deep and warm. Kent Armstrong pickups have quite a good output and can be a bit dark. You have to play with the tone control to fine-tune the sound. The knobs are different from a classic LP setup. It is fine for the volume ones to
Each note is tuned to perfection!
August 6, 2021 – Comments on Solid Body Prototype “This solid body guitar maintains the nuances of the archtop sound of the Heirloom and Entrada models. It sounds just as good or even better, I would say! Many other guitars with a similar output may cost a few thousand more dollars online or in guitar stores, but I can tell that this guitar is unique; it has been carefully crafted in both exterior design and pickup capabilities to optimize playability and the bright bell sounds of jazz. The high end sounds fantastic! The exterior design is marvelous as well, and I’m sure this will serve as my primary guitar for shows for the rest of my career. Thanks for everything that went into constructing this masterpiece! ” September 29, 2019 – Comments on Heirloom: “Thank you so much Mr. Conti. I am very excited to start practicing with this guitar and hopefully showing it off at some jazz gigs in the near future. I am very grateful that you were able to personally go over the optimal conditions for the life time health of the instrument as well as the features. I must admit, the guitar sounds and chimes are
Nothing short of beautiful…
Received my new Entrada. Arrived safe and sound thanks to the great packaging. After opening, it was nothing short of beautiful. The action height, intonation & the neck was straight as an arrow. Bob and his crew do an unbelievable job on getting the instrument into your hands. Needless to say I was quite anxious to put it to work. I got the chance this weekend to do that with our group. I’m extremely pleased in how it worked out. While working I was not the only one impressed with the guitar. Some other guitarists happened to be there and they were wowed at its sound and beauty. Everyone wanted to know where I got it. But a word about Bob in that he actually plays it before shipping it out. He then sends a video of your guitar being played by him. That is no different than going yourself to a store and trying it out. You see it, you hear it, and can’t wait to get it. This guitar will be with me a long time. Thanks So Much! -Bob Warren – Mount Laurel, NJ
Set Up To Stringent Specifications
When you’re Robert Conti, you play a lot of notes.
When you play a lot of notes, you need a neck that plays like butter.
When you need a neck that plays like butter, you better have a good luthier.
Prior to shipment, every Conti Guitar is scrutinized by a highly qualified luthier with 30+ years of experience. Each instrument is set up to Robert’s specifications and fully inspected.
Personalized Pre-Shipping Video Intro
As an integral part of our First Class Owner Service, before your guitar is shipped, you will receive a personalized high quality video, wherein Robert Conti plays and introduces you to your new guitar – a truly, memorable and unparalleled service in the guitar industry.
Only The Most Desirable Features
We introduced the first generation Conti Guitar to be the most affordable, feature rich archtop on the market. However, we certainly understand that the solid wood model may still be out of reach for some aspiring jazz guitar students. As such, the laminate model is by no means stripped down. See info below for what we believe are the most important features that you’ll find on both the solid and laminate models.
(Mouse over images for info)
Ebony Fingerboard
MOP & Real Abalone
Output Jack Placement
Shallow Florentine Cutaway
Low Playing Action
Preferred Gauge Strings
If you can find a better looking easier playing more featured more affordable archtop, buy it.
The Journey
Through the course of many prior years, numerous guitarists have solicited my advice on how to find a great sounding jazz guitar with excellent playability at an affordable price. I’ve observed many aspiring jazz guitarists who have unknowingly limited their potential by playing an inferior instrument, almost always due to the constraint of high prices. On the other hand, I have also seen dramatic improvements in skill levels even when entry level guitarists begin using a quality instrument that is set-up to play easily. In 2006. . .
The Conti Archtop Jazz Guitar is the result of 55 years of on the bandstand playing experience.
Yes, We Really Mean 55 Years
(and still going strong!)
