Conti Guitar Worldwide Owner Comments

Enjoy this sampling of photos and commentaries from owners of Conti Guitars around the world. 

John McCarty with his Conti Heirloom Archtop Guitar

Playability is of the greatest ease…

“Here I am with my new Conti Heirloom guitar! It is of very high quality, beauty and value. She arrived perfectly set up and intonated with Conti strings, which I’d already been using on two of my guitars. Other features include a 24 fret neck and the front strap button factory installed, both highly unusual with archtops. The playability is of the greatest ease! The sound is warm and lovely, even when played acoustically. Finally, customer service was friendly, helpful, and super professional. And what a pleasure to view the video of Robert Conti performing with my actual guitar and pointing out her many features!” John McCarty – North Kingstown, RI

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Really a first class service…

“Watching the video was as opening my presents before Christmas.  But my Entrada is at home now and works very well. It is very light (2,8 kg) for long gig or rehearsals even longer, and it changes me from my big Gibsons that tire me. From Wes to Santana, a must. Thank you to the whole team and to Mr Robert Conti spending time for me. It’s really a First Class Service.” -Michel Le Gac – Grasse, France

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It’s very pleasant to play!

“Hello Mr. Conti and a big thank you for this video presentation, it’s very nice of you. I get the guitar after tomorrow and you will share my impression of receipt. My son who resides in the USA (SF) arrives at home on Wednesday and will be able to translate me to the best your video or I only understood “Philippe” “Hello and thank you”: o)))))) Guitar well received and very well packaged ~ Thank you ~ The box was in good condition ? First impression, the potentiometers I like a lot, they are very pleasant to use. Normally, I would do the adjustment of the harmonics but apparently the bridge did not move because the strings have maintained the whole. ? The guitar is very good I am satisfied. I am even surprised by the height of the string E at the fret 12 which does not buzz. It’s

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David Hall with Conti Heirloom Archtop

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

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Dale Polewach with his Conti Entrada Archtop

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”)

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Robert DiNardo with new Conti Entrada Archtop Guitar

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.

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James Hopkins on the beach with his new Sunburst Conti Entrada Archtop Guitar

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

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Chris Shearer plays his Conti Entrada Archtop Jazz Guitar

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

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Photo of Kenneth Babb with his Conti Entrada Archtop Jazz Guitar

Playing melody is a dream – the instrument really sings

“My playing technique is adapting to the Entrada (finger style a la ” Chet ” with a “Fred Kelly BumbleBee Thumb Pick”) – it seems it’s all about the ‘very light touch’ on this instrument. Playing melody is a dream – the instrument really sings – the pitches have a beautiful natural sustain (actually a glow) – very piano-like. Harmonics are crystal clear. Four voice chords remain in tune in the upper region of the neck (beyond the 12th fret). So far I’m just playing it as an unplugged acoustic – which works very nicely for me. I’m also working with it in combination with my Taylor nylon acoustic. Much appreciation to Robert Conti for producing a great guitar and excellent learning products. Also, a shout out to his customer service staff – Steve and Mike – for communications and customer support!” –Kenneth Babb – Brooklyn, NY

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Teacher and Student Entrada Pair

“I bought my Entrada and I was nervous about buying on line without playing the guitar. I saw Robert Conti playing the guitar and listened to the sound and was very impressed. I felt that he would not sell a guitar with his name on it if it was not a great guitar. So when it came I played it in my studio and realized that the neck was very fast and it took very little effort to play. The over all sound was beautiful and in particular the highs were amazing, lots of sustain. I played it on a solo gig and it was great and then with my trio, guitar, bass and drums, and it was perfect. I love my new Entrada and for me it is perfect. Thank you Mr. Conti!” -Rich Hurdle – Bend, OR (The Teacher, left) “Loving it!” -Brendan Leary – Bend, OR (The

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The Best Guitars In The World!

“I want to thank Robert Conti for his excellent products! The guitars (I have 3! 2 Equity Models and now an Entrada) amps(I have a Henriksen) and the educational materials! I brought my Equity models to a well known guitar technician in Southern California and he said, “I’ve never worked on finer guitars!!. He sets up guitars for all the studio pros in LA. My Entrada came out of the box and played perfectly, as did the 2 Equity models. I have all Conti’s educational materials and am looking forward to more. Thanks again!” -Dr. Gary Smith – Somis, California

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Donald Grass holding his two Conti archtop guitars

Donald Grass – Beaumont, CA

Second Conti Guitar The Entrada just walked in the door! What a Beauty!! Mike, your the Best! Thank you, very much, for the care and handling it took to get it here. Very grateful to all involved. It’s a pleasure doing business with a first-rate outfit. Mr. Conti, thank you for taking the time to review my guitar. Your attention to detail is a hallmark of your playing and your business. Mr. Conti, Mike, et all, Good Luck and Good Health to you and your families. Very much appreciate it!! First Conti Guitar To all at RobertConti.com: What a pleasure it is doing business with a first class organization such as yours! From the initial contact to the final arrival (right on time!) of your beautiful instrument – the whole process has been flawless. The guitar is a work of art – fine craftsmanship. Tough to describe, like owning a

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My gorgeous Heirloom..She’ll be my last

“You gave me lessons on the Gibson, my first guitar. Now fifty years later, I’m playing my gorgeous Heirloom. She’ll be my last. Always save the best for last….right? As you performed the Classics on the video, I knew this would be my last guitar. She’s even better than I expected! Every aspect of the guitar is exactly how it is described on your web site. Believe me folks, you will not find any guitar with the craftsmanship, precision and quality as the Heirloom for this affordable price. I am so pleased that I made the purchase! Could have spent 3x the amount and would’ve gotten much less. I opted for the gold finger tail piece and the gold knobs. You know you like it…I can’t put her down! Bob, thank you and your team for taking care of an old friend/student. You’re the best guitarist on the planet! Love

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Already taken part in a jam session

I’m very happy to confirm that my Entrada arrived here in the UK yesterday afternoon and has already taken part in a jam session (this morning) with my fellow villager and guitarist friend Davey McCormack playing his new Conti Heirloom! I am really thrilled with the guitar and look forward to many hours of pure pleasure playing it. Can I also say how impressed I’ve been with all aspects of the buying process from the online chat with Steve and yourself before ordering; the personal video message from Robert himself; the incredibly fast order to delivery time (I placed my order on the 14th December and received my guitar on the 20th); and the follow up phone call from yourself this evening. I don’t think I have ever experienced such attentive service from any other company. In short – I am one very satisfied customer! Bob Burrell – Oxon, United

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Steve Merr, Kingston NY

Nothing feels like an Ebony fingerboard…

I ordered 2 Entradas. These guys really make buying a guitar fun. They are eager to speak with you, answer your questions, and always get back to you if they have to check something out. Feels like you’re buying a guitar from an old friend. One Entrada was dead perfect right out of the box. Even in perfect tune!! It still has barely gone out of tune. The other needed a bit of tweaking to get it the way I like it, but nothing major. The surprising thing is that both of these played like butter right out of the box. It has what I would call Jazz Lights on it (11’s) but it feels more like it has 8’s or 9’s on it! The neck is THAT fast! And of course, nothing feels like an Ebony fingerboard, except an Ebony fingerboard. All in all, a most enjoyable experience. It’s

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Photo of John Martin, Ruby Red Entrada

Feels like an old friend right away

““Wow, what a beautiful guitar”, was my first reaction when I unzipped the case. The bound ebony neck with inlaid fret markers, the gorgeous ruby red body, and…I always wanted a guitar with a Florentine cut-away. My wife soon commented, “Well, aren’t you going to play it?” The thin-line body and overall balance made it feel like an old friend right away. When I plugged it in the great jazz tone I had been trying unsuccessfully to coax out of my GS came quite naturally from the Entrada. I soon went back to “Ticket to Improv, Volume 1” and found my fingers were moving over the fingerboard with greater ease then before. But then, I did see Robert Conti put some mojo on it before it headed my way! All the best, John Martin – Modesto, CA

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Terry Gillen – Tring, UK

Even though I own a Conti Equity archtop, I couldn’t resist the temptation to buy a honey blond Heirloom. Recognising an anxious customer, Mike ‘held my hand’ through the purchase and import process and FedEx did an excellent delivery job. As for the guitar, what can I say that hasn’t already been said by other ecstatic customers? It is visually stunning, the build quality is impeccable, the playing ‘feel’ is excellent (size and balance of the guitar, neck dimensions, profile and fretboard radius – how did you guys get it so ‘right’?) the set-up is spot on, even after a journey of several thousand miles, and the sound is crystal clear everywhere on the fretboard. The name Heirloom is apt because that is what it will become. It is a truly lovely guitar and, at this price, even after paying to import it, it’s a bargain. My sincere thanks to everyone.

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Steve Negri with Ruby Red Heirloom Archtop

Steve Negri – Summerville, SC

This year I gave myself a truly fine gift for my birthday. Witness my Ruby Red Conti Heirloom Guitar. It is the finest instrument I have ever owned, including a Gibson Gold Top Les Paul, a Gibson ES355TD, a Martin Classic O model, and a Johnny Smith model Gibson to name a few. The action is unsurpassed and the tone is mellow and superb. Such a pleasure to play and hear. Thus have I satiated my guitar lust for years to come. If I live another seventy-three years I may become its equal.

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Dave Illig with his Conti Entrada Archtop Jazz Guitar

Dave Illig – Houston, TX

“Right out of the box the Entrada played perfectly. Low action with great tone. I am extremely impressed with the quality of the guitar. The ebony fret board is made with a very high quality piece of ebony, the grain is incredibly tight. I am very surprised that the bridge, tail piece, tuning knobs and even the nut cover are all ebony. I’ve seen guitars that cost three times as much as this one that don’t have that level of high quality accouterments. The machine heads are very smooth and have a very high gear ratio which allows for precise tuning. The playability and rich tone far exceeded my expectations. I have no idea how Mr. Conti can produce a guitar of this quality at such a reasonable price.” -Dave Illig – Houston TX

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Dale Rawson with his new deep port wine Conti Entrada Archtop Jazz Guitar

Truly a joy to play!

I played my first gig with my new Conti Entrada last night. Truly a joy to play! The action was right where I expected it to be and the response over the whole fretboard was even. No “hot” or “dead” spots. I would recommend this guitar to anyone! Thanks for your personalized attention! -Dale Rawson – Sheboygan, WI

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Aviv holding his new Port Wine Conti Entrada archtop jazz guitar

The Perfect Dream Guitar

Response to Pre-Ship Video: Thank you very much for this personal and detailed courtesy video! This is certainly the best customer experience I ever had! I was extremely excited and enjoyed listening to your playing. I almost felt bad taking the guitar away from you 🙂 I also enjoyed listening to all the details you provided. Your devotion, patience, and attention to details are admirable! The experience and passion that you present makes me positive that I’ll get the very best. I’m confident it will arrive safely. And I promise to update when it does arrive. Also, I wanted to thank your crew for their devotion. In particular, the technician for taking care to set up the guitar, and also Steve and Ann for helping me answer all the questions I had with great patience. Thank you! I wish you all good health, happiness, and all the best of everything

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Nancy Powers with her new Conti Entrada Archtop Jazz Guitar

A Happy Owner

Nancy Powers from Jacksonville, FL shares a photo of herself with her new Conti Entrada Archtop Jazz Guitar

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Dennis Wechter's Two Conti Guitars

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

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Carles Vidal of Barcelona, Spain with his new Black Conti Solid Body Prototype Guitar

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

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Joseph Ahmad standing proud with a Conti Solid Body and a Conti Heirloom archtop

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

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Bob Warren with his Conti Entrada archtop, on the gig!

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

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Dave with his Conti Entrada archtop guitar

Radiates that elusive jazz tone

Two thumbs up for Robert and his entire team! I just got this beautiful Entrada and have been floating up on Cloud 9 ever since I first touched it. The sound is simply amazing. It radiates that elusive jazz tone that one can spend years trying to find or create. Right out of the box the action was setup perfectly and required only a slight tuning of the strings. The neck of this guitar is slender and fits nicely in the hand from the bottom to the top of the fretboard. I agree with Robert when he says it “plays like butter”. I also like the balance between the headstock and the body so with or without the strap it doesn’t want to tip up or down. The entire experience from ordering to receiving this guitar has been great fun. Thanks again Robert, Steve and Mike! Dave Durward – Surrey,

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Wayne Holt on the gig with his Conti Equity archtop

My Conti Equity goes on every gig

My 2012 Conti Equity in Blonde is right at the top of my favorite guitars of all time . . . and I’ve owned them all in 50+ years of professional playing. The fit and finish is exquisite, with action that provides just the right amount of “bounce” off the strings to make it a dream to play. As someone who plays barehand fingerstyle, two big features that my Conti shines at are pickup response and string spread in the right hand. The pickups have just the right amount of thump in the bass while giving me a smooth top end that is easy on the ears. String spread for right hand placement is perfect for a normal adult hand. I don’t have to be conscious of where my fingers are naturally laying. And with the single pickup I prefer, it nudges me to use the full range of the

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