Entrada Archtop Guitar
$1,149.00
Making the transition from rock to jazz but don’t have a jazz axe? There’s no reason to settle for a stripped down archtop without any features. Meet the new Entrada. . .
Description
For more detailed specs, photos, videos and owner comments from around the world, please visit our dedicated website for the Conti Guitar.
35 reviews for Entrada Archtop Guitar
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Jim Schaller – Blowing Rock, NC –
Holy Frioleeeeee! This guitar is everything you promised it would be! I had a few archtops, one of them is an expensive 7 string hand made arch top……this plays better and sounds better. I AM VERY HAPPY, AND I WILL BE DOING PICTURES AND A VIDEO TO UPLOAD TO YOU. Thanks so much, and your customer service is a rarity in this day and age!! Thanks again!! Gosh, if this went through a different distributor and dealer, this thing would be at least $3,000.00. WOW, if all our purchase were this good. Thanks again!
Jerry McKinnon -New Braunfels, TX –
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 guitars, but this guitar is simply the best! Thank you Robert Conti for your excellent products. For those of you thinking about getting one, do it. You will be extremely happy.
Ken Schultz – Frederick, MD –
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.
Philippe Cazaly – Chirens, France –
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!
Hi Robert and Steve, thank you very much for your great and very kind attention. The guitar arrived in perfect condition. No trace of a scratch. The sound is really good, I’m even more surprised by the semi-acoustic sound of the instrument. Note that I wanted an Entrada and not a Heirloom, because I wanted a guitar with a more mellow sound. I am completely satisfied for that. I live in the mountains, in the Alps near Grenoble and 600 meters above sea level. The air is drier here but right now the humidity variants are important, I actually think I have to adjust the action of the strings.
Thank you for many tips, by chat and video. Your service is up to your excellent reputation. I feel passion more than business. I will now watch the learning videos and enjoy studying what Robert is offering. I still have a lot of progress to make, and Robert’s approach to music interests me. So thank you again for this instrument really very beautiful construction.
What a pleasure to play on this beautiful instrument. Sincerely wishing you the best for the future.
July 31st Update:
Still really great thanks for your professionalism. I really dealt with a team of pros. This is the first time I buy an instrument that I have not first played. Besides, I humbly admit that I have watched your guitars for over 2 years and it is only last week that I decided to take the risk. I can testify now that I made the right choice. I chose to take an Entrada which is a laminated guitar because I wanted to get closer to the sound of my ES175D, which I sold. In addition I have 2 other massive archtops. For the sound, I actually found the sound more electric than I was looking for but with a slight acoustic sound. A real treat. The ease of play is really present and finally I hardly had to adjust the action of the strings. The guitar is pretty and the instrument is very well finished. It must be said that the finish “Port Wine” with the gold finger tailpiece is really very beautiful, very chic!
Now I have to get used to playing a gauge strings 11/48 because I use 12/50 usually. But it will be an opportunity to look for another way to touch the strings.
The surprise is also great looking at the educational videos that are quite exciting, I think I will work all this with pleasure because there are small gems in these videos.
So once again a big thank you, I feel that I’m going to be jealous here!
Russ Caraotta – Buffalo, NY –
Updated Review from Russ:
Years ago, I had the need to call the telephone number at the robertconti.com website to learn which DVDs would be best suited for me. When the party answered my call, I almost dropped the phone as Robert Conti was on the other end of the line. We must have chatted for close to 20 minutes. So gracious with his time and so honest. I felt like we were buddies from the old Philly days. I purchased a few DVDs and learned a ton!
Fast forward to 6 weeks ago. About 5 years had passed since my conversation with Robert; I had not bought any other learning DVDs from him since, but I was kept on the mailing list (thank you!). I received the email message about the Entrada for sale at a reduced price due to a slight flaw in the headpiece (which had been repaired).
I clicked on it and was overwhelmed. It was gorgeous. Port wine finish, gold control knobs and tune o matic bridge, ebony fretboard and tail piece, one Kent Armstrong vintage pickup, abalone and mother of pearl inlay, gold tuners, and much more. I was torn because arthritis in my left wrist was making it difficult to continue playing my current jazz box. But this guitar was different…it was thin line, and there was no solid wood piece inside. Just light enough.
Did I want to spend the money on a guitar I wasn’t test driving? Well, over the next 2 days, I must have chatted with Steve online for 2 hours. I checked out YouTube videos, I watched the videos of Entrada owners on the Conti website. Finally, I was ready and pressed the Buy It button on the website. And I could not be happier!
First, it is gorgeous. It sends shivers down my spine it is so pretty. Sometimes I just look at it and can’t believe it is mine. It is elegant in its simplicity. It is uncluttered to look at and the color combination is awe inspiring.
Second, it plays like a dream. When Robert says that each instrument is professionally set up before shipment and played by him personally, this is the truth. I can play longer than before as the neck is wonderful and the action is responsive.
And here is an accidental benefit I just discovered. I don’t know why – but using the thin Conti picks in conjunction with this guitar produces less stress on the wrist as I glide across the fretboard.
The versatility of the guitar is also not to be understated, I play a lot of jazz blues, but it can scream with the best of them with rock blues as well.
So, in closing, the email with the Entrada offer came just at the right time for me. I was ready to abandon jazz and go back to finger picking acoustic music. That would have been a decision I know I would have regretted.
Thanks Robert! You made me an offer I’m glad I didn’t refuse!
Nick Weakley – Essex, United Kingdom –
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 that Robert could showcase it for me, and to provide a musical rendition of an identical right handed model. Lots of useful practical advice straight from Robert; it is an extra level of customer respect that shows his respect for his ‘babies’ and his customers. Very well received.
Once again, my thanks to you, Mike, and Robert Conti, and to all those behind the scenes that I don’t know about, who have delivered me what I asked for – a superb guitar (far better than my playing may ever be, but I do it to enjoy it and not to become a professional or play to others!!
Russ Caraotta – East Aurora, NY –
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 a lot of average guitars (some I built myself); they are nice but I never thought I deserved a really good one. So my plan was to get rid of everything and buy a good Martin and focus on acoustic music. Then I opened the message with the Entrada opportunity. It had everything I had been looking for previously but had settled far short of my dreams. It was gorgeous, an excellent pickup, great components, ebony fretboard with a flatter radius, thin body, lightweight and the inlays! Can you tell I am excited? Thanks to Steve who patiently answered my many questions.
I really love the attention you devoted to her in the video. As a basement guitar maker, you were speaking my language when you talked about truss rods, humidity, string gauges and tension. Don’t worry, she will be well cared for.
Thanks again for everything. I will send a video in a little while.
And as our paisano Clemenza said in the Godfather, “…don’t forget the cannoli”
Lenito Sitoy – Livingston, NJ –
I got hold of my Conti Entrada guitar just this evening when I arrived home from my workplace in New York. I let the package acclimate for a few hours before opening it and unwrapping the guitar. This thing looks gorgeous! I played it for almost 2 hours and really enjoyed the feel and playability. What can i say… this thing is flawless and perfect! I’m happy to have this guitar and would be my companion for a very long time. I’m also pleased and inspired to see Robert’s video with his jazz rendition of some of my favorite tunes along with his instructions on the care and maintenance of the guitar. Thank you Robert Conti!
Sam Russo – Brooksville, FL –
All is good! It arrived in great condition…I am very pleased! This feels and plays better than my $7,000.00 Benedetto!!!!!
Paul Getty – San Francisco, CA –
Since laying my hands on this Conti Entrada a few weeks ago, it has quickly become my “go-to” guitar. It is not only a pleasure to play due to its flawless out-of-the-box set-up that allows fast, effortless playing, but it also sounds terrific through my large collection of amps, pedals, and computer modeling software. I have about 25 guitars in my collection ranging from a Gibson L5, Super 400., Les Paul Custom, PRS, Fender Strat, – most of the classics. The Conti Entrada not only stands up to head-to-head comparisons with these great guitars, it goes beyond in many respects as a very easy to play guitar that delivers a very wide range of sounds from jazz to blues and rock. It is also very comfortable and relatively light weight yet delivers a very creamy and full big-box sound.
If this is your first guitar or your 20th guitar, you won’t be disappointed. This instrument is very likely to take your playing to a new level. Highly recommended.
Paul Getty,
Former Motown Player and Sideman for Stevie Wonder
Tony Pereira – Las Vegas, Nevada –
“Loving the new ax haven’t put it down! It arrived in perfect shape and plays like a dream. The sound is amazing. Nothing better than a guitar designed by a player. The photo of me in action with the Entrada was taken at the Italian American Club in Las Vegas. The guitar played like butter and people loved the sound of the ax. One person said it played itself! On keys is Joey Melotti (Barry Manilow’s MD), Blaise Sison (Family Stone MD) on bass, and Jimmy Racey on Drums. Irina Nero is singing.”
Robin Masters – Swansea, UK –
“I bought my first Entrada (Ruby) in October 2017, and it quickly became my go-to guitar. It’s such a beauty with a nice round mellow tone, and a build quality I would’ve expected to pay a lot more for. Its focus on playability is of the highest standard. On arrival, the setup was perfect after such a long journey, and it merely needed tweaking back in tune. It’s such a pleasure to play, with its low and light action. It spent most of the year sat on its stand beside my chair where I could pick it up at will, and it often demands I do that. When I saw the launch video for the second generation Entradas, with their refinements, I knew I had to have one, and so I bought my second in October of this year (Port Wine), and I couldn’t be more pleased. The Kent Armstrong Vintage 57 pickup, The Imperial style tuners and the extra fingerboard binding are welcome refinements to an already perfect instrument. Both models have far exceeded all my expectations of an entry level instrument. Thank you Robert for all your efforts and to all at Pinnacle for your professionalism and for making the purchase so easy”
Harrison Root – Austin, TX –
“Just wanted to give you guys an update about what I think about the guitar! Straight out of the box it plays and sounds great! It is set up perfectly and plays wonderfully. I could not believe the difference in tone it had compared to my other guitars! I have played it every day since I received it. Thank you guys very much for producing such a wonderful instrument at an affordable price!”
Michel Le Gac – Grasse, France –
“Watching the video was as opening my presents before Christmas. But my Entrada is at home now and works very well. It is very light (2,8 kg) for long gig or rehearsals even longer, and it changes me from my big Gibsons that tire me. From Wes to Santana, a must. Thank you to the whole team and to Mr Robert Conti spending time for me. It’s really a First Class Service.”
Paul Swanson – Milford, CT –
“I just got the Conti Entrada Lefty and as I like to say, you get what you play for! And this is definitely a player’s guitar. The fit and finish are superb and the sound is beautiful. Thanks guys, and tell Mr. Conti I’ll definitely take good care of it but it is my baby now!”
Dale Polewach – Loudon, TN –
“The Conti Entrada is my first electric guitar. My 20 year old Martin acoustic is now gathering dust. The looks and value impressed a top professional, and it’s fun to play!”
Robert DiNardo – N. Fort Meyers, FL –
“Robert, Thank so much for your video and the kind words! The Entrada is a beautiful instrument that sounds and looks GREAT!! You have great taste. You have touched all the bases with this guitar. I uploaded a song I hope you’ll enjoy. I will try to get a pic as soon as I can. Remember, I’m over 80 yrs old and I don’t have the chops I used to have. I still have fun though. You have certainly come a long way from shining shoes and becoming a fine musician. If I was in any way an inspiration to you, I’m really flattered. I wish continued success to you. It’s great to see a fellow musician doing so well. God bless and keep in touch.”
James Hopkins – Brighton, UK –
“I really love this new guitar, it is a dream to play, the ebony fret board is so smooth and the low action really helps me when playing some of the harder piano style voicings built in thirds. I love the gold hardware with the sunburst effect, combined with the dark ebony fret board, it looks so classy. I’m destined for beautiful jazz when playing this amazing Conti guitar. I took it to the local technician to adjust the action slightly due to a little bit of fret buzz, caused by the long journey here.
When I collected it, we were right next to the beach so we took a photo of the guitar here in the middle of the English summer. I then put it back in the case, and went home. I have been playing this guitar, and ONLY this guitar ever since.
Thank you so much for the free DVDs and booklets too, I’ll be working on them for a long time to come.”
Jerry McKinnon – New Braunfels, TX –
“Just got my Entrada and wow the guitar is SUPER EXCELLENT. I have owned many brands of guitars and this guitar is the greatest, best playing, and best sounding guitar that I have ever owned. Conti guitars, state of the art. Thank you for making a superb instrument.”
Kenneth Babb – Brooklyn, NY –
“My playing technique is adapting to the Entrada (finger style a la ” Chet ” with a “Fred Kelly BumbleBee Thumb Pick”) – it seems it’s all about the ‘very light touch’ on this instrument. Playing melody is a dream – the instrument really sings – the pitches have a beautiful natural sustain (actually a glow) – very piano-like. Harmonics are crystal clear. Four voice chords remain in tune in the upper region of the neck (beyond the 12th fret). So far I’m just playing it as an unplugged acoustic – which works very nicely for me. I’m also working with it in combination with my Taylor nylon acoustic. Much appreciation to Robert Conti for producing a great guitar and excellent learning products. Also, a shout out to his customer service staff – Steve and Mike – for communications and customer support!”
Paul McCormick –
Donald Grass – Beaumont, CA –
The Entrada just walked in the door! What a Beauty!! Mike, your the Best! Thank you, very much, for the care and handling it took to get it here. Very grateful to all involved. It’s a pleasure doing business with a first-rate outfit. Mr. Conti, thank you for taking the time to review my guitar. Your attention to detail is a hallmark of your playing and your business. Mr. Conti, Mike, et all, Good Luck and Good Health to you and your families. Very much appreciate it!!
Bob Burrell – Oxon, United Kingdom –
I’m very happy to confirm that my Entrada arrived here in the UK yesterday afternoon and has already taken part in a jam session (this morning) with my fellow villager and guitarist friend Davey McCormack playing his new Conti Heirloom!
I am really thrilled with the guitar and look forward to many hours of pure pleasure playing it.
Can I also say how impressed I’ve been with all aspects of the buying process from the online chat with Steve and yourself before ordering; the personal video message from Robert himself; the incredibly fast order to delivery time (I placed my order on the 14th December and received my guitar on the 20th); and the follow up phone call from yourself this evening. I don’t think I have ever experienced such attentive service from any other company.
In short – I am one very satisfied customer!
Steve Merr – Kingston, NY –
“I ordered 2 Entradas. These guys really make buying a guitar fun. They are eager to speak with you, answer your questions, and always get back to you if they have to check something out. Feels like you’re buying a guitar from an old friend. One Entrada was dead perfect right out of the box. Even in perfect tune!! It still has barely gone out of tune. The other needed a bit of tweaking to get it the way I like it, but nothing major. The surprising thing is that both of these played like butter right out of the box. It has what I would call Jazz Lights on it (11’s) but it feels more like it has 8’s or 9’s on it! The neck is THAT fast! And of course, nothing feels like an Ebony fingerboard, except an Ebony fingerboard. All in all, a most enjoyable experience. It’s hard to have a Conti guitar sitting in your house and not play it, so you better get all those errands done before it arrives.”
John Martin – Modesto, CA –
““Wow, what a beautiful guitar”, was my first reaction when I unzipped the case. The bound ebony neck with inlaid fret markers, the gorgeous ruby red body, and…I always wanted a guitar with a Florentine cut-away. My wife soon commented, “Well, aren’t you going to play it?” The thin-line body and overall balance made it feel like an old friend right away. When I plugged it in the great jazz tone I had been trying unsuccessfully to coax out of my GS came quite naturally from the Entrada. I soon went back to “Ticket to Improv, Volume 1” and found my fingers were moving over the fingerboard with greater ease then before. But then, I did see Robert Conti put some mojo on it before it headed my way! All the best.”
John Khil, Esq. – Honolulu, HI –
Hi Steve…this confirms that I received exactly at the promised time by the US postal service. I was in middle of jam session and I received congratulations as if I had just given birth as I unboxed the instrument….everyone was impressed. Thanks…and I’ll be in touch.
Dave Illig – Houston, TX –
“Right out of the box the Entrada played perfectly. Low action with great tone. I am extremely impressed with the quality of the guitar. The ebony fret board is made with a very high quality piece of ebony, the grain is incredibly tight. I am very surprised that the bridge, tail piece, tuning knobs and even the nut cover are all ebony. I’ve seen guitars that cost three times as much as this one that don’t have that level of high quality accouterments. The machine heads are very smooth and have a very high gear ratio which allows for precise tuning. The playability and rich tone far exceeded my expectations. I have no idea how Mr. Conti can produce a guitar of this quality at such a reasonable price.”
Lucas Costner – Nashville, TN –
“A great guitar I will enjoy for many years! Packed well and played great straight out of the box!”
Joe Basebase – Las Vegas, NV –
I’ve had too many guitars in my lifetime but the Entrada I recently bought is outstanding. I love playing it and it has killer action with a beautiful jazz tone. Does not rattle anywhere which is unusual. It is very acoustically live unplugged and has a killer tone through my AER. The thin body is very comfortable to hold sitting or standing and is lightweight. I must thank Bob and his staff for excellent service. I really love this guitar. Thanks again. mahalo!
Amy Ferman – Cambridge, MN –
“Just thought I would let you know that I love my new guitar!! I will send you a photo and hopefully also a video. It plays perfectly right out of the box. I have been getting acquainted with her for the last couple of hours. And thank you so much for the tuner and the awesome customer service. I loved the video!”
Doug Scott – Hamburg, NJ –
Thank you for great support! I was trying to download the album on my iPhone but was unsuccessful. I completed the process on my laptop and moved it to my phone.
I’m 65 and have been playing guitar for 55 years. I started with Rock/Blues and moved to classical guitar. After 35 years in classical I began 10 years of Bluegrass Flatpicking all the while watching, listening and dabbling in Jazz Guitar. I was really turned on watching Pat Martino on several occasions at the Bottom Line in NYC in the 70’s and also was a regular at Gulliver’s Monday Night Jazz Guitar in West Paterson, NJ also in the 70’s. I don’t know why it took me this long to realize Jazz has always been my true love! I now think it’s time to really apply myself in Jazz and I believe Robert Conti is the right person to help me. I have about 15 guitars and I’m sure the Conti Entrada is the right guitar to begin my Jazz Guitar Journey, I’m sure it will not be my last Jazz Guitar based upon my guitar purchase history.
If your assistance in this issue is a sample of what I can expect relative to Robert Conti’s business services, I cannot wait to begin! Please share this email with Robert, I want him to know his support is great! Thank you.
Mark Lansaw – Franklin, OH –
I recently purchased a Conti Entrada and have received nothing but compliments on the guitar. I play it out every weekend and it always meets and exceeds my expectations.
Ray Guntren – Sioux City, Iowa –
Received the Entrada and I’m very pleased! Just received a new “bud” amp by Henriksen. I think I have the perfect combination of guitar and amp. Within a few days, I should be able to knock out a couple tunes to highlight the quality of the Conti guitar. The Entrada has EXCEEDED my expectations. The setup was done just the way I like. Over the years, I have used a Super V by Gibson, ES335, ES175, D’Angelico, Yamaha AE1200S and a Heritage American Eagle. The Conti is now my go-to guitar for a variety of musical styles and performance groups. The big-band I play in won’t get together until next month but I am confident it will fill the bill. Thanks much for the accommodation. Thanks again and best regards to you and Robert for producing a very fine product.
Randy Daniels –
The guitar is great! I especially like the Ebony fingerboard and the 24 fret features. As we have discussed, I am impressed with all its features — they belie the title “entry level jazz guitar.” If anything, the price is entry level – the rest is pure professional. It came perfectly intonated. And its sound and playability rivals that of another guitar I own which cost $6,000! I have already put 4 videos of me with it on Youtube. I also appreciate the DVDs and strings you sent. Again, much thanks from me and I wish you all the best! -Randy Daniels – Gainesville, GA
Shahin Baratpour –
When my guitar arrived, it was extremely well-packed and arrived on time. The first thing I noticed when I opened the case—after the amazing color and finish top—was that the guitar was set up perfectly. The body vibrated and provided good resonance and sustain even unplugged.
These are really great guitars, especially considering how affordable they are. When I played uninterrupted for an hour I didn’t experience any of the fret-hand fatigue I often encounter on a this kind of archtop. Excellent playability and sound, by the way I’ve received a specialized video made for me about the guitar and how it plays -now that’s what I call excellent customer service.
I have owned many guitars, some 10 times more than what I paid for this guitar, but this one is a very special guitar, looking forward to take it on the road and studio. Plays like a dream, and has a rich, complex sound that will satisfy any jazz purist. Best of all, with a price tag very easy to afford , it’s a value that’s nearly impossible to beat. Thanks again Robert Conti!
Shahin, http://www.shahinb.com