The Loar LH-700 VS

The Loar LH-700 VS: Detailed Hands-On Test

The Loar LH-700 VS holds a special place on the market among jazz archtop guitars. Priced at $1268, this is a hand-carved, all-solid wood instrument aimed at players seeking authentic prewar jazz tone without the high price tag of historic American-made models. I took a deep look at its construction, finish quality, playability, and above all, its voice in a range of jazz and swing contexts.

Woods, Build, and Classic Looks

The LH-700 VS uses a solid spruce top paired with solid flamed maple for the back, sides, and neck. The fretboard and bridge are both crafted from ebony. There are 19 frets along a 630 mm scale length (just under 25 inches), and the nut measures 44.5 mm wide. Grover's vintage-style tuners complete the headstock. With its vintage sunburst finish, nitrocellulose lacquer, and gold-plated hardware, the guitar is clearly styled after the legendary American jazz boxes of the 1920s and 1930s.

Detail inspection shows the solid woods are not just window dressing: the spruce top grain is tight, and the maple used for the back and sides displays attractive, subtle flaming. The neck, also maple, is substantial. The instrument displays a high level of hand craftsmanship at this price, particularly in the arched body contours.

• Top: Solid spruce
• Back & sides: Solid flamed maple
• Neck: Maple
• Fingerboard/Bridge: Ebony
• Finish: Nitrocellulose sunburst
• Tuners: Grover vintage style

Finish Quality and Setup

The nitrocellulose finish achieves a mirror polish, helping the sunburst colors "pop." However, several reviewers noted small imperfections, paint buildup around the f-holes, slightly misaligned truss rod cover, or a black stripe on the neck that isn't perfectly centered. Under the fingerboard extension, you may spot areas not fully lacquered, a trait shared by vintage originals. While these touches may irk the most detail-oriented buyers, they don't affect the guitar's function or resonance. In short, the visual flaws are minor and, for some, add character.

Out of the box, some players report a setup that is functional but not fully optimized: higher action past the 12th fret and fretwork that needs refinement. Fret ends above the octave can feel sharp. Accordingly, a visit to a luthier or a careful player's own hand to address the setup and minor finishing goes a long way. Once optimized, the bridge's precise ebony fit and the bone nut contribute to excellent tuning stability and intonation. Grover tuners operate with a smooth feel, and the instrument holds pitch reliably through long playing sessions.

Neck Shape and Playability

The neck profile is a pronounced V, faithful to 1920s specs. This chunkier shape rewards players used to vintage archtops, but those with smaller hands or seeking a modern "C" profile might find the adjustment difficult. The fingerboard is smoothly finished, and the ebony imparts a fast, tactile surface beneath the fingers, but all agree that the neck's geometry defines the feel of the LH-700 VS. Access past the 12th fret is limited due to the body joint, as expected in this design.

Acoustic Sound: Projection and Tone

The heart of the LH-700 VS is its robust acoustic voice. It is loud and projects well in ensemble settings thanks to its carved spruce and maple construction. The tonality is distinct from a standard flat-top steel-string guitar. There is less low-end "boom" and a more focused, percussive midrange ideal for old-school swing, jazz comping, and chord-melody lines. The top's responsive nature helps the instrument bloom and evolve with playtime; many owners note that the sound "opens up" as the woods age and the instrument is broken in.

String choice plays an important role. Out of the box, the guitar ships with 0.13 gauge roundwound strings, which can sound bright and metallic. Jazz players nearly unanimously recommend switching to flatwounds (such as Thomastik-Infeld 12s). The result is a warmer, woodier tone with rounded attack and less string noise, exactly the voice associated with prewar jazz. With flatwounds and a proper setup, the LH-700 VS delivers a strong, characterful jazz tone with volume and depth that punches far above its price point.

Use, Modding, and Final Thoughts

This model ships without an electronic pickup system. Owners seeking amplified jazz tones generally install a floating pickup (Bartolini and others), mounted without drilling the solid spruce top. This approach preserves both the acoustic integrity and the period-correct visual presentation. The lack of a case or gigbag at this price is noted, though nearly every review highlights that the money is spent on the instrument's woods and construction, not accessories.

In hands-on comparisons, the LH-700 VS stands firmly against much higher-priced, well-known American archtops in core tone and projection. It is not without its quirks: small visual imperfections, setup needs, and a neck profile that does not suit every player. But for the jazz guitarist looking for an affordable, all-solid, hand-carved archtop with an authentic vintage voice, The Loar LH-700 VS is a remarkable value that rewards those willing to invest a bit of time into setup and string selection.