As I've been trying to put together buyers' guides for most of the instruments I play, teach, and recommend to readers, I'm moving onto guitars next. I started with Archtops because they're one of the hardest to track down. I refined my search to non-electrified archtops, since they have an entirely different sound plugged in and I wanted to focus on the acoustic sounds.

To my surprise, there are afforable Chinese models that you can get from a reputable dealer like Elderly or order through Amazon or Musician's friend and be ready to inspect and set up while you still have return privileges. And very little else. Even the "midrange" solid-topped archtops are made in China and have very uneven quality control. So if you're interested in an upgrade model, my "buyers' guide" tells you what to look for but not, frankly, where to find them.

http://riverboatmusic.com/guitar/archto ... guitar.htm

Still, it's a start.