Conti Guitar Worldwide Owner Comments
Enjoy this sampling of photos and commentaries from owners of Conti Guitars around the world.
Melvin Freeman – Canby, OR
As I write this, I can see my new Conti, natural blonde, single pickup, guitar sitting in its guitar stand. I’m at a loss for words in telling you how beautiful it is. For me, the 17″ body is the right size for a jazz guitar. The scale length, 24.6 inches, fits my hand better than the 25.5 inch, and the neck joining at the 16th fret is great. The Conti Guitar is a real joy to play, and I’m looking forward to connecting it to the Henriksen JazzAmp 112. Then I can really begin my new venture in electric guitar playing. Years ago, I played an acoustic guitar. Now that I’m retired, I have been bitten by the guitar bug “again.” With my new Conti Guitar and the Source Code DVD series, I have sidestepped a lot of frustration and dead ends. I now feel that I’m on my
Jim – Missouri
Mike, I just wanted to let you know that my new Conti guitar arrived safe and sound. I’ve already had it out and and begun playing it. It sounds great…lush, toneful, and resonant. And the action is smooth and fast. Thank you for postponing its delivery until I was back in town and for your care in ensuring that it arrived safely. And thank you for the complimentary Smoking Lineman and Jazz Lines DVDs as well as the Intellitouch Tuner. I am bowled over by your generosity. Please tell Mr. Conti that I love the new guitar and can’t put it down. I hope some day to have the good fortune to meet him and you.
Joe Ialacci – Hamilton, NJ
I love playing guitar. I am not a professional musician by any stretch, not even of my own imagination. I have a few guitars now that I’m older and have a little more time to play. My favorite used to be my 1979 Les Paul Custom. It’s a Silverburst and in extremely good condition. My wife asked me, “why don’t you sell that one and buy the other guitar you want?” She obviously does not understand the complexities of guitar ownership!!! I must say that as of now, my new Conti is my favorite guitar. I come home from work at lunch time and eat as quickly as I can, and then I play the Conti Guitar for a half hour before returning to work. As soon as I walk in the door, I play again until my wife comes home and gives me the look. It’s not a bad
Jean-Jacques Coulet, Précieux, France
“The guitar arrived yesterday, a day early. It is very beautiful and completely conforms to the description. It is properly adjusted and very easy to play. I knew that the Conti Guitar was manufactured by Peerless and I decided to buy without having seen or tried the instrument. I’m not disappointed even though I had to part with three good guitars. I had a Godin Multiac Jazz but it was far too heavy so I appreciate the lightness of this new guitar and its playability. The neck is perfect and flawless. I played a little blues with a slight overdrive on the bridge pickup and it responded very well. I also like the fact that it is a thinline design, as it’s very comfortable. I played a concert last Saturday and I am quite satisfied. In summary, I love this guitar.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GLfHGmGUJIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdEnsMhkroQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnggbuuno1w
Steve Hardy – Salzburg, Austria
“Thanks for the call yesterday. I couldn’t resist taking the guitar out of its shipping box today, despite my resolution to wait until I return from my Canada trip. What can I say? What a beautiful object it is. If a bear chews off my left hand next week in the wilderness camp, I will still keep this instrument for its gorgeous looks. The next “Wow-factor” is the action, fretboard and fluent playability. A mere 5 minutes was enough to make it clear to me that this is my number 1 instrument. And I haven’t even plugged it in yet! So I think you get the idea – I like it – a lot. 😉 I’d also like to thank you for the exemplary service. In these days of “anything goes as long as it makes money,” it’s good to encounter people providing an excellent product they are totally convinced
Patrick Browning, Pittsburgh, PA
There’s only one thing better than having a Conti guitar and that’s having two! I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a second guitar for traveling and once again, thank you Robert, Mike and staff. In the mid 70’s I had a black beauty Les Paul that was my favorite guitar but in the mid 90’s we were separated and I could never find a guitar I liked as much. When I received my first Black Conti Guitar, it reminded me of the past so I bought a second (Sunburst) and life is good again! Thanks for a great set of products and service.
Bill McIllwain – Junction, UT
I was presented this custom built Robert Conti Archtop jazz guitar. I played it the first set and the tone and feel is incredible. The guitars are amazing instruments and are all they should be and more than expected. The neck is like no other, and I mean that coming from a Gibson/Fender man. A must have for the serious Jazz and full tone player. Robert’s customer service is second to none and the Conti crew goes well and beyond, no disappointments here. What an honor to have Mr. Conti bring it to the gig and sit in with me and play the guitar live. He brought the house down!
Dr. William Bozeman – New Smyrna Beach, FL
I have played many fine archtop guitars, but I must say that my Conti stands out among all of them. Playability was perfect upon arrival. Sound is warm and robust through my Polytone amp – notes are even throughout the length of the neck. Frankly, there’s nothing that I would change about the instrument. To say it’s a great guitar for the money is misleading. It’s a great guitar – period!
Billy Stanley, Charlotte, NC
Over the years, I have come to rely on my own ability to set up my guitars without consulting the “Pros”. After pulling my new Equity out of the box and picking through a few tunes, out of habit, I grabbed the toolbox. After about 10 minutes and a few delicate tweaks of the bridge and truss rod, this bad boy was singing like a bird and ready to dig serious pay dirt! Now, after playing this fine instrument for a couple of weeks I can honestly say it is my #1 Axe! I am absolutely enchanted with the warm classic jazz tone this piece of wood produces. The action in the neck is silky smooth and the frets are blindingly fast! Playing this guitar is awe-inspiring and beckons the player to reach for their very best! I must say, I have fallen in love and it seems to get
Mike Keeling, Auckland, New Zealand
Here’s a photo of me with cheesy grin occasioned by my new Conti Guitar which arrived safe and sound, only 4 days Las Vegas to New Zealand! Beautifully packed—might spend some time reading the Las Vegas newspapers! First impressions are of a beautifully finished instrument, the fret polishing is impeccable. It even has that new guitar smell! Going out to the local guitar shop to buy a new strap, won’t insult it with a tatty old one. Buying a guitar sight unseen is always a time of mild stress, will it be what they claim? Will the neck be a small tree trunk, etc.? I read all the patrons’ comments and went ahead. Guess what? They were all right on the nail! It’s a pleasure to play and is beautifully styled. I will never achieve Roberts level of playing but I’m going to have huge fun trying! I always wanted
Patrick Browning, Pittsburgh, PA
Thank you for being you – I love the books , DVDs and the Conti Guitar is unbelievable. I would like to thank Mike for getting it in my hands around my busy travel schedule and the guitar tech who set it up. It’s true, I unpacked it and tuned it up and it played perfectly. You have no idea how long I have dreamed of being able to play chord melody but until I began your program I really didn’t make any real progress. Thank you!
Sylvain Goek, Bremen, Germany
I received the Conti Guitar and the Henriksen JazzAmp last Tuesday, in due time. Everything arrived in perfect shape. What can I say about the Conti Guitar? Well, the guitar matches your description in all points. Noble materials, high quality finish. Plugged into the Henriksen JazzAmp, the guitar delivers a clear and warm sound. I would like to thank you guys for your competent and individual support during my purchase (the online support by chat during my order on your website was a unique experience, Steve!) and for the learning material. Congratulations to RobertConti.com for the quality of their products and for the great service.
Richard Smith – Las Vegas, NV
Richard Smith takes delivery of his new Sunburst Conti Guitar directly from Robert Conti at the Suncoast Hotel in Las Vegas, NV
Mark Bauer – Cincinnati, OH
I’ve had my Conti Guitar and Henriksen 112 amp for about one month now, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I’ve played three gigs out already and have been very happy with my tone in each venue. I made a small bridge adjustment (raised it slightly) out of the box due to some minor buzzing which is likely because of the high humidity where I live. Since then, all I do is tune and play. The intonation is outstanding and the ease of play is superior to my other archtops. My experience with Mike and the guys during my purchase has been outstanding. Thanks for providing such a high quality, reasonably priced guitar. I will enjoy this rig for years to come.” UPDATE 7/22/2011: “Have I told you how much I LOVE this guitar! Finally I have an axe that produces a beautiful clean jazz sound with the lightest touch…and
Hans Rønningen, Gjettum, Norway
I am very pleased with my Conti Guitar, thank you. I work as an actor/musician in a theater in Oslo, and I think I will use it in my job this winter. It sounds great and is so light weighted. Very nice. I love the playability and I am happy to have it in my collection.
Douglas Martin, Woodinville, WA
I finally got a second to write you and tell you how much I’m enjoying this wonderful guitar. It’s hard to fault this guitar for form, fit or finish. I think it’s on the level of a custom shop Gibson, but with some better appointments. I currently have a Gibson ES-165HE and a ES-135 that have both been professionally Plek’ed and they don’t play as well as this Equity right out of the box. I’m really enjoying the lightweight thinline body, can play it for hours and not feel weighted down – my ES-135 feels like I’ve strapped on a bag a bricks by comparison. All I can say is I’m quite impressed with my blonde Conti Guitar, especially the fast, low action Ebony neck. Thanks guys for sending me the close up pictures and helping me feel comfortable about spending 2 large on a guitar I’ve never seen or
Geordie Thompson – Perth, W. Australia
My Sunburst Conti is a dream guitar and the light weight is a real key factor for me as I had trouble standing for long periods with a full size archtop. This one made all my fellow muso’s jealous with is smooth tone and great feel. Thanks Robert and the Conti team, the support has been fantastic and it’s all a matter of practice now!
Stefan Haeusser – Bad Endbach, Germany
I received my guitar last week. It arrived in excellent condition! It is really an amazing instrument. So beautiful with perfect action and a warm and sweet sound. The Conti Guitar is very comfortable and it is a joy to play. I am very happy with my Conti Guitar! I want to thank you, for the great service, the complimentary DVDs and the Tuner. Best wishes to all.
Dr. Michael Yollick – Scarborough, ON, Canada
I received the guitar on Wednesday as promised. I was completely blown away by its appearance. I did not anticipate that a blonde guitar would have the darker brown highlights on the neck. Also the inlay fret markers are stunning and really light up in bright light. The neck is fantastic. I now think I can keep up with Robert with his amazing runs on the guitar. The action is incredible. I have rock guitar, a Music Man Axis Sport which is known for their necks and it is great but I can play even faster and with more control on the Conti guitar. I have an old fender concert tube amp which I had to add a Tech 21NYc and Digitec digital delay to to warm my other guitars. But with the Conti i just went straight into the clean channel and I am in Archtop heaven. I really
This guitar is simply the best!
“Hi, my name is Jerry McKinnon and this is a picture of me with my wonderful Conti Entrada guitar. This guitar is super excellent when it comes to sound, playing ability, and needless to say -appearance. I’ve owned many brands of guitars, and this guitar is the greatest, best playing, and best sounding I have ever owned! Conti Guitars, state of the art. Thank you Robert Conti for your excellent products. For those of you thinking about getting one, do it. You will be extremely happy.” -Jerry McKinnon – New Braunfels, TX
It is so easy to play…
“My new Heirloom arrived safely in Norway some days ago and I couldn’t be happier! It is an incredible guitar. It was thoroughly packaged and the support and follow up from Conti Guitars was top notch so I felt in good hands all the way. Also very special to have a personal video from Mr. Conti himself playing and advising about the guitar. The sound is so inspiring and it is so easy to play it is incredible.. Highly recommended!” -Skjalg Reithaug – Norway
Build quality is perfect…
“Beautiful to look at, and beautiful to play! Today is International Left Handers Day and look what FedEx delivered! My beautiful Port Wine Entrada – Left Handed of course. The sound is just like the looks, beautiful, clear and crisp, even without an amp. It arrived earlier today and I can’t stop playing it. The build quality is perfect and the Port Wine finish is exquisite. The entire Robert Conti company is so customer/player oriented, it is a pleasure to do business with them. They called when they received the order, and once it was delivered to be sure everything arrived in perfect condition, which it did. The video of Robert holding my Entrada (and playing a right handed identical model) was great.” -Ken Schultz – Frederick, Maryland
Passion more than business…
Comments on Pre-Ship Video https://youtu.be/neBbjQk_m5Y A big thank you for this very long video for my new guitar. What a pleasure to see you play it. Thanks also for all your very detailed explanations. I see that your passion is really intact and it confirms to me that I made the right choice. Fedex announces a delivery next Monday in the evening and I can not wait to receive it. I would love to record a video clip in response to your attention, as well as some pictures. Another big thank you and especially for your final medley in tribute to this French music that you like (I also like Francis Lai and Michel Legrand who left us recently). See you soon, I’ll have fun with this guitar, I’m sure! Wishing you the best for the future! Comments After Receipt of Entrada Hi Robert and Steve, thank you very much
Like a kid before Christmas
Love the video! Robert is so kind and generous as a teacher and I really have enjoyed his lessons. What a wonderful introduction to my new guitar! My family watched the video too and we are all so excited for it to arrive on Monday! I am like a kid right before Christmas! Thanks again, to you and Robert and all the folks who made this guitar possible for me! Cynthia Zarsky – Fernandina Beach, FL
I Love This Guitar!
Happy 4th of July 2019 to all of you Conti Guitar players from an El Dorado County California Combat Infantry Veteran! I call my new baby My Little Blonde. She will never sound as good as she did when Mr. Conti played her and sent me my video, but I’ll give her my best effort as she is my main axe from now on. She plays like butter and the pickups sound fantastic. I am not a real jazzer, so I needed the two-pickup model for my vocal backup and solo act. I play a variety of clean old jazz standards like Ain’t Misbehavin, Country, Country Rock, Rockabilly and Classic Rock and Roll. I needed a clean jazz guitar going direct into the amp along with the ability to get the other sounds when jamming or gigging with others. I’m mostly into chords and rhythm for backing up my vocals
Looks and feels great
Yes, ‘Bob’ arrived Friday, nice! Loved the intro video, thank Robert for us. My wife Claire watched it with me, and was impressed with his passion for music, the instruments, and the people. Guitar looks and feels great. The nice grain on the top looks like a spruce cap, is that the case? Also, I have to report a dissatisfaction in playability. I don’t know if the guitar could be faulty? I find in life that effort is usually rewarded, however, when I play I don’t seem to be making any effort, but still the sound comes out, I don’t understand 😉 Will contact next week, with photo to follow. Steven Essery – Umina Beach, Australia
Everything I could want out of a guitar…
“Whilst I am very much a late starter and a beginner with guitars I have very rapidly come to love the quality and feel of a guitar. Therefore although still learning to play and gain a limited amount of skill I am fortunate to have a few good guitars so I cannot ever blame the tools I am using. My new Entrada has everything I could want out of a guitar, quality, looks, it exudes passion and musicality – I just hope that it can turn me into something similar!! The Entrada is the first guitar which has sounded like a jazz guitar from the very first touch. Love it! It plays and feels just right, lovely action, smooth and proportioned neck makes it easy to get the fingering positions. Thank you (Mike), and obviously Robert Conti as well, for my personalised video showing my new guitar. It was great
Everything I had been looking for
After receiving his personalized pre-ship video Robert, I continue to be blown away by your organization each time we interact. I recall a few years back when I called your company with a couple of questions and YOU answered the phone and we chatted for 15 – 20 minutes. That was very gracious of you and something I knew I would never forget. Well, you have taken things even further with this video. You define personalization and customer service and so many businesses should sit up and see how you do things…we would all be better off for it. Thank you so much. Yes it has been a few years since we did some business together. And I am grateful that you never took me off your mailing list. The email a couple days ago with the Entrada offer hit me just at the right time. You see, I own
Super sweet machine…
“My Conti Equity is a super sweet machine. It’s kinda like a Byrdland with one pickup. Being a big old guy, the big boxes, though I have several, are sometimes uncomfortable. This fits much better. And at 17″, with great wood (I might add) it doesn’t sound bad at all acoustic. Too bad an American equivalent would probably cost around $5,000.00 or more.” -Lou Cicconi – Odessa, NY