1930 1940 Stromberg Archtop Jazz Guitar - THE GEORGE GRUHN GUITAR SHOW (S3)

In this Episode, George describes the iconic & very rare vintage line of jazz guitars made by Stromberg Guitars (Boston, MA), circa 1930 to 1940's.
As George describes in this clip, the Stromberg line & history of these archtop jazz guitars are some of the finest jazz guitars ever made & these are HIGHLY collectible - plus, extremely rare!
Take it Away, George & We Hope Everyone Enjoys the Story Behind these Iconic & Super-Rare Jazz Guitars!
Sincerely & Stay Tuned for Much More to Come,
The Musician Network (TMNtv)

[@duanetrivett750]

I could listen to Mr. Gruhn for hours. I am so thankful for him and his knowledge. If I ever hit the Lottery I will be going to Gruhns before I go anywhere else. Thanks for the video.

[@alexanderkostan2488]

George is a phenomenal man with great knowledge of every instrument he demonstrates with, I simply enjoy watching every video, thank you so very much for making these videos!! Tell George Thank you very much and that he is truly awesome!!

[@Gibfenez]

Thanks as always George. Greatest guitar historian alive today. Never ceases to fascinate me with his knowledge and details about guitars. Live long and keep strumming away!

[@russgaines2366]

Gibfenez Thanks So Much!!!!

[@zoomzoom3950]

Last I heard his estate still has Freddie Green's Master 300 (sunburst) and 400 (blonde). IIRC, he retired his Stromberg 400 after the value skyrocketed and replaced it with a Gretsch Eldorado, which he had repaired a few times over the years, using it almost exclusively once acquired.

[@whimpypatrol5503]

Yes, collectors and guitar enthusiasts are obsessed with the pre-electric jazz orchestra rhythm guitars. However, by the 1950's players like Johny Smith moved jazz guitar into a whole new electric jazz guitar realm that lasted 15 to 20 years before fusion, high gain, overdrive and artificial reverb scorched jazz guitar playing into musical noise. Of course, those beautiful 15 to 20 years were not exactly a heyday for electric jazz; they were even then overshadowed by rock, pop and country. Unfortunately, that jazz guitar period has been largely snubbed by collectors, luthiers, dealers, and investors. Though dealers and collectors do buy them and charge into the stratosphere for such electric jazz boxes, they hate them and play them acoustic if at all. (Most collectors and investors don't seem to be players but nevertheless collect them as trophies). High collector prices pretty much keep them out of the hands of Jazz guitar virtuosos. And, after Leo Fender, not even a handful of amp builders have voiced amps for jazz boxes; so, as a result, many electric jazz players have drifted to solid state amps and affordable laminated guitars suplimented with reverb which sounds horrible.

[@bigwheel7997]

I’ll take 2 !

[@MuriMorello]

XD the family style was complex too man XD

[@clementtrimouille3465]

to bad the camera compression makes them sound so dull.

[@gben2457]

Great information, but in the end, its a guitar. The player is more important. Doesn't matter who made the guitar. Tone is subjective.

[@ACOUSTIC_4LOVE]

The 30s model though rare doesn’t sound any better than a 30s Gibson Kalamazoo KG21/ or other Kalamazoo models-or the Cromwell Model Arch tops

[@whimpypatrol5503]

FYI, picking on an electric jazz box is more difficult than strumming acoustically. Complex finger picking of any kind on an electric jazz box played clean requires tons more skill and control to avoid harsh ice picky overtones, crashing symbol string bangs and other unwanted incidental sounds that pickups amplify worse than race cars and semis in a highway tunnel. Wes Montgomery used the flesh of his thumb to prevent harsh pick attacks. Chet Atkins mastered very gentle picking so gentle an eye surgeon would be jealous of his muscle motor control. Playing a jazz box using PAF humbuckers is especially a challenge. You don't hear pickers the likes of Bela Fleck or Tony Rice accomplishing such picking feats on an electric archtop. You don't because doing such picking feats ever so lightly enough to sound anything other than horrible on an electric archtop is double the difficulty as on an accoustic instrument.

[@davidallen346]

Not really impressed with the Archtop guitar tone but they do look very nice

[@czgibson3086]

I agree that they don't sound great on their own - they sound better in the context of a big band. Listen to some Count Basie records with Freddie Green to hear them in their element.

[@andy16666]

It takes skill to get tone out of any guitar. I find they are by far the most versatile sounding guitar, but you have to have the ear and the touch to make them do what you want. They have massive headroom so there's plenty to work with and plenty to do with them besides chop as hard as you can.

[@charlesduckettjr.800]

A. George Gruhn is not a guitarist. He is a store owner and guitar historian. B. The recording quality here is on par with a $10 cassette recorder from say 1970.

[@jean-lucbersou758]

These guitars deserves a real guitar player .....for the best demonstration ! ....I think with all my respect Mr. GEORGE GRUHN kills the tone ....

[@paulhicks3595]

A fascinating subject but what’s with the camera work, it makes it so hard to watch. Please, no cameras on the floor, no jerky zooming and all cameras steady on tripods. Also get the sound in synch please. And , why the hell are you using distractingly long dissolves?

[@OscarWolf84]

sound compression is awful

[@Younguitarplayer]

I noticed that too

[@atakanengin]

This review deserves better miking and mixing.

[@elephantricity]

So weird. George, and Norm are the two cringiest and dullest guys ever.. I guess guitar selling attracts those type of people.

[@aishagolliher8402]

Nah George is cool man!

[@billg2025]

Sadly, we can't all be as suave and dynamic as you Alex.

[@RavnerRavner]

he sounds like the Joker. but its cool... he has guitars that cost more than a professional hitman.