UpTown Kat ES

[Risa Engel]

I was in my my local guitar shop yesterday, when I noticed a beautiful blue UpTown Kat ES, they just got in. I've never owned an archtop before, but was quite impressed by it's looks and playability. I'm seriously considering buying it.

Does anyone have any experience/knowledge, about this model?

 

[RR-Ramblers]

The Uptown Kat is a unique guitar. Single cutaway uncommon for an archtop with roughly a Les Paul outline plus with the Bigsby tremolo and humbuckers is quite the guitar, pretty guitar, ornate some of them.

I played an Uptown Kat and an Epiphone ES 335 Dot MIK side to side at a music shop last year and choose the 335. The Kat was prettier almost gaudy bright white with gold hardware and the 335 was vintage sunburst. The Kat played OK but the 335 just felt better and was more 'me'. That's the way it is with guitars when you play them, you know, the guitar will tell you if it's right for you. Everyone has different styles and tastes.

As for archtops in general, I've fallen in love with them, sound and playability. My 335 is a '99 and one of my favorite all time guitars, reminds me of an archtop Silvertone I had as a kid that was stolen when I was 16 or 17 (only better). Recently I restored a 1973 Epiphone Riviera archtop that I absolutely love plus, though the last thing I need is another guitar, I bought a single P90 Loar archtop on eBay for a steal that I am quite impressed with. A lot of the old Riviera's had tremolos or were modded with Bigsbys. I'm not a big tremolo arm guy but it really works on the Uptown. Would have to say the new line of Epiphone archtops is mouthwatering - DOTs, 339's, Casinos, the new Riviera especially all reasonably priced around $449 though Riviera is about $200 more....