Solid Body Prototype – SOLD OUT

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 an email that only five would be created, again, I had to have one. This guitar utilizes the same neck as my Entrada, so the amazing feel and action was already in the package. Once again, the Kent Armstrong pickups respond well, and as I was working through the possible sounds, I was remarkably surprised at how hot these pickups get when in an overdrive state. The sound is most acceptable. You can also hear the audible changes by adjusting the tone controls on this guitar. Again, the gold hardware is a very nice touch, and although the metallic purple was not my first choice, it stands out big time under the stage lights. I have had numerous comments about this guitar and since it is part of a very limited collection (#1 of 5), I am always eager to talk about it. Robert, you have created a masterpiece.

Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to your craft. I fully expect to play both of these guitars on my upcoming gigs ( I usually bring four different guitars to each gig as required by the music). Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of the Robert Conti Guitar Universe.

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 the sound is very deep and warm.
Kent Armstrong pickups have quite a good output and can be a bit dark. You have to play with the tone control to fine-tune the sound.
The knobs are different from a classic LP setup. It is fine for the volume ones to be at the top and the tone ones at the bottom. But I didn’t like the tone controls. If you turn the tone all the way down, the volume of the guitar practically disappears. This is easily solved with other capacitors, which are also very cheap… I did like that with the pickup selection in the middle (both pickups sounding), if you remove the volume of one of the pickups, the guitar continues to sound with the other (but the tone of the pickup that is without volume does work: a little strange), and it does not happen that the guitar stops sounding, as it happens in a classic configuration like an LP or type 335: good idea.
Ultimately, I think this prototype is a solid guitar geared towards jazz sounds (and beyond) with the benefit of solving the problem of feedback in an archtop. With slightly better electronics, I have no doubt that it will become one of my favorite axes.
I hope that when all the pandemic problem ends, this guitar will become a standard model in the Conti range. I think that many musicians (pro or amateurs) are waiting for something like this at a more than reasonable price.
I can only add my thanks to the entire team for their kindness and great work, and especially to Robert Conti. Take care and I hope everyone is safe.

Kind Regards,
Carles Vidal – Barcelona, Spain

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! ”