Time Tested Archtops
From Robert Conti
Our World Wide Owners
An instant success in 2009, the Conti Guitar is the go to archtop for players both amateur and professional around the world. Like our learning resources, we let our patrons do the talking. Take some time to read commentaries from a sampling of Conti Guitar owners around the world.
Fretboard action is silky smooth
This “Heirloom” is quite simply one exquisite modern jazz guitar & I am absolutely delighted with it. Out of the box, having shipped several thousand miles, a slight tweak of the G string tuning was all that was needed as the set up by your guy is perfection. What was quite unexpected however, given the relatively thin body depth, was this instrument’s beautiful acoustic sound — it truly ” sings” with a perfect Jazz voicing. Harmonics ring clear at every harmonic fret & again surprise, given the 24 frets fingerboard, the 23rd & 24th frets rang clear & true across all strings. Fretboard action is silky smooth — I am no “Tal Farlow” & have relatively small hands & fingers but to my delight, I was able to make the “Johnny Smith” 5 fret stretches on the opening chords of “Moonlight in Vermont” seamlessly — something I have always found difficult on a number of guitars. Plugged in , the Kent Armstrong Humbucker is just right presenting a modern version of a true “Johnny Smith” humbucker albeit being slightly sweeter across the pitch range on all strings. I have found that the tone & playability of all the very best
Looks and value impressed a top professional
“The Conti Entrada is my first electric guitar. My 20 year old Martin acoustic is now gathering dust. The looks and value impressed a top professional, and it’s fun to play!” -Dale Polewach – Loudon, TN (pictured with his Knoxville based group, “The Jazz Suspects”)
Robert “Bobby” DiNardo
“Robert, Thank so much for your video and the kind words! The Entrada is a beautiful instrument that sounds and looks GREAT!! You have great taste. You have touched all the bases with this guitar. I uploaded a song I hope you’ll enjoy. I will try to get a pic as soon as I can. Remember, I’m over 80 yrs old and I don’t have the chops I used to have. I still have fun though. You have certainly come a long way from shining shoes and becoming a fine musician. If I was in any way an inspiration to you, I’m really flattered. I wish continued success to you. It’s great to see a fellow musician doing so well. God bless and keep in touch.” About Bobby DiNardo In many past decades, the city of Philadelphia has produced a huge and very well documented body of notable virtuoso guitarists. It’s our pleasure to introduce Bobby DiNardo, as he is one of Philly’s very best. Bobby’s career as a working pro began just after high school in 1955, when he began performing with the Herbie Fields Jazz Group for two years, until Herbie passed away. The George Young Revue In
It is a dream to play…
“I really love this new guitar, it is a dream to play, the ebony fret board is so smooth and the low action really helps me when playing some of the harder piano style voicings built in thirds. I love the gold hardware with the sunburst effect, combined with the dark ebony fret board, it looks so classy. I’m destined for beautiful jazz when playing this amazing Conti guitar. I took it to the local technician to adjust the action slightly due to a little bit of fret buzz, caused by the long journey here. When I collected it, we were right next to the beach so we took a photo of the guitar here in the middle of the English summer. I then put it back in the case, and went home. I have been playing this guitar, and ONLY this guitar ever since. Thank you so much for the free DVDs and booklets too, I’ll be working on them for a long time to come.” -James Hopkins – Brighton, United Kingdom
Plays and sounds as good as it looks
Robert and crew, I received my Conti Entrada archtop jazz guitar yesterday. My father, who is retired, kindly stayed at my house to receive the guitar from FedEx while I was at work. Just as I was leaving the office I got a call from Mike to make sure I received the guitar okay. The customer service with this crew is outstanding. There is nothing I can say about the guitar that hasn’t been said already. It is absolutely gorgeous and it plays and sounds as good as it looks. I didn’t want to put it down last night but I needed at least a few hours of sleep before going to work the next day. I can’t wait to get home from work so I can play it some more! It’s so much fun to finally play jazz on a proper jazz guitar. Pure joy. The guitar introduction video from Robert was fantastic. He discussed the guitar, playing technique, and my playing which he had heard. What a thrill. It’s obvious he really cares about his customers and students and runs a crew with the same values. As he was playing several tunes, I turned to my wife and
Fretboard action is silky smooth
This “Heirloom” is quite simply one exquisite modern jazz guitar & I am absolutely delighted with it. Out of the box, having shipped several thousand miles, a slight tweak of the G string tuning was all that was needed as the set up by your guy is perfection. What was quite unexpected however, given the relatively thin body depth, was this instrument’s beautiful acoustic sound — it truly ” sings” with a perfect Jazz voicing. Harmonics ring clear at every harmonic fret & again surprise, given the 24 frets fingerboard, the 23rd & 24th frets rang clear & true across all strings. Fretboard action is silky smooth — I am no “Tal Farlow” & have relatively small hands & fingers but to my delight, I was able to make the “Johnny Smith” 5 fret stretches on the opening chords of “Moonlight in Vermont” seamlessly — something I have always found difficult on a number of guitars. Plugged in , the Kent Armstrong Humbucker is just right presenting a modern version of a true “Johnny Smith” humbucker albeit being slightly sweeter across the pitch range on all strings. I have found that the tone & playability of all the very best
Looks and value impressed a top professional
“The Conti Entrada is my first electric guitar. My 20 year old Martin acoustic is now gathering dust. The looks and value impressed a top professional, and it’s fun to play!” -Dale Polewach – Loudon, TN (pictured with his Knoxville based group, “The Jazz Suspects”)
Robert “Bobby” DiNardo
“Robert, Thank so much for your video and the kind words! The Entrada is a beautiful instrument that sounds and looks GREAT!! You have great taste. You have touched all the bases with this guitar. I uploaded a song I hope you’ll enjoy. I will try to get a pic as soon as I can. Remember, I’m over 80 yrs old and I don’t have the chops I used to have. I still have fun though. You have certainly come a long way from shining shoes and becoming a fine musician. If I was in any way an inspiration to you, I’m really flattered. I wish continued success to you. It’s great to see a fellow musician doing so well. God bless and keep in touch.” About Bobby DiNardo In many past decades, the city of Philadelphia has produced a huge and very well documented body of notable virtuoso guitarists. It’s our pleasure to introduce Bobby DiNardo, as he is one of Philly’s very best. Bobby’s career as a working pro began just after high school in 1955, when he began performing with the Herbie Fields Jazz Group for two years, until Herbie passed away. The George Young Revue In
It is a dream to play…
“I really love this new guitar, it is a dream to play, the ebony fret board is so smooth and the low action really helps me when playing some of the harder piano style voicings built in thirds. I love the gold hardware with the sunburst effect, combined with the dark ebony fret board, it looks so classy. I’m destined for beautiful jazz when playing this amazing Conti guitar. I took it to the local technician to adjust the action slightly due to a little bit of fret buzz, caused by the long journey here. When I collected it, we were right next to the beach so we took a photo of the guitar here in the middle of the English summer. I then put it back in the case, and went home. I have been playing this guitar, and ONLY this guitar ever since. Thank you so much for the free DVDs and booklets too, I’ll be working on them for a long time to come.” -James Hopkins – Brighton, United Kingdom
Plays and sounds as good as it looks
Robert and crew, I received my Conti Entrada archtop jazz guitar yesterday. My father, who is retired, kindly stayed at my house to receive the guitar from FedEx while I was at work. Just as I was leaving the office I got a call from Mike to make sure I received the guitar okay. The customer service with this crew is outstanding. There is nothing I can say about the guitar that hasn’t been said already. It is absolutely gorgeous and it plays and sounds as good as it looks. I didn’t want to put it down last night but I needed at least a few hours of sleep before going to work the next day. I can’t wait to get home from work so I can play it some more! It’s so much fun to finally play jazz on a proper jazz guitar. Pure joy. The guitar introduction video from Robert was fantastic. He discussed the guitar, playing technique, and my playing which he had heard. What a thrill. It’s obvious he really cares about his customers and students and runs a crew with the same values. As he was playing several tunes, I turned to my wife and
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 Customer 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.
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
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!)
