Ok, I know this is not a Gretsch but I couldn’t resist it. Apparently there were only 500 of these made. Here’s what I found on it “Samick Guitars issued a limited edition Tommy Allsup model, a beautiful full-sized arch-top with gold-plated hardware. Only 500 were custom created, and each is considered a classic today”. Well, not sure about the classic thing but it has sealed Grover tuners and once I stripped it down, cleaned it and put on some new strings it plays and sounds really good….

Great deal. it's beeyoutifull, plays really good, sounds really good. Samick or not, a lot went into that guitar.

Nice! I think it looks sweet! Good score.

Samick manufactures more than half the world's guitars, many of them quite fine, and for brands you know quite well. You got a good deal.

Sounds like a good deal if you mean it when you say "plays and sounds really good".

Just for fun, research which Gibson model(s) it is based on.

There are a lot of great cheap guitars out there. who cares what it says on the headstock if it plays and sounds good! Its just such a guitar that got me back playing after a 10 year break.

theres my $125 dollar carlo robelli on top, it just got a set of surf 90's, I like it almost as much as my 5120

i should look at craigs list ,,, Great buy

Stephen, that Robelli looks fantatstic. Do you have another pic?

I, too, sail under the Samick banner on occasions. The second electric I ever bought, $450 brand new in 1989. Plays like a dream, just swapped the pups out to give it a little more. Compliments my Strat and Gretsch nicely, and has been a go to guitar onstage ever since I bought it. I've owned a few in between, but never considered selling it.

I got all my guitars from Craigslist. Two Gretsches and a Larrivee. Great way to buy provided you are careful.

Samick must make a LOT of guitars, for a run of 500 to be considered "limited". Maybe I need to peek my head out of the Gretsch world once in awhile, but 59 units of the Setzer Tribute, and 75 (or was it less?) units of the Harrison Tribute... is what I've come to consider "limited". I guess everything is relative. Maybe if I knew how many American Standard Strats are made per year, the 500 figure might be more in context.

BTW... great buy on what appears to be a really nice electric archtop! When you can get a great playing whole guitar for what it costs to buy a Bigsby tailpiece (retail) I'd say good on ya!

Great deal...especially after you put in a set of dogear P90s!

Looks like a great deal to me. A friend of mine has a Samick very similar to the one you just bought, only it's more of a jazz box with a single floater neck PU. I think he paid around $750 for it, so you should feel pretty good about your purchase!

Here is another. this is after I added the bigsby, before I switched in the gretchbuckers. The gretschbuckers actually sounded great in there.. I had a hard time deciding whether to switch them to the surf 90s In the end I am happy with it, the surf 90s are really great. now I need another cheapo with humbuckers

I like it a lot and the deal was exceptional. I care not at all what name is on the headstock or country of origin if I like the guitar. The only person I have to impress is... me.

$175 for a well-made, good-sounding, good-playing, full-size hollow body archtop is a KILLER deal! That guitar is essentially the same as the Greg Bennett Samick JZ-2, and they normally go for $500 to $600 in good condition.

Wow...Great find! Good on ya!

Just for fun, research which Gibson model(s) it is based on.

It certainly evokes an L-5 to me, with the gold fittings, venetian cutaway, imperial inlays and fretboard tip

My Samick is not a bad guitar at all, particularly with the pickups and bigs! plays beautifully:

it is up for sale though as i have to make room!

Looks like an ES350. 175 clams. We are truly living in the golden age of guitars, my friends. My main gigger set me back $250 and it's as nice as any guitar I've played.

Mustafa, Looks great with the pups and Bigs , I thought about doing this but wondered about how the top would react to the down force pressure of it. I figured i may have to brace it somewhat in order to fit a Bigs, did you do anything or just mount it like it is…. What are you asking????