One of but a few, this sparkling green Montreux Archtop from Michael Greenfield is the pinnacle of contemporary archtop construction. If Michael’s hands have touched it, you know the guitar is going to be a knock-out–and this one fits the bill nicely. With gorgeous Quilted Maple back and sides and a Spruce top finished to an emerald hue, this guitar exudes an aura of originality and excitement. Unplugged, the voice is silky and expressive, with trebles that are well-balanced. When the custom-wound Armstrong pickup employed, that voice powerful and absorbing with amplification. Now, as you may know, Greenfield’s archtops are hard to come by. They have a notoriety that is due only in part to the fact that Michael doesn’t build them very often, but does so to his exacting standards. As such, the craftsmanship on this instrument is stellar, from the voicing of the top to the adjustable bridge (which works by using different included shims to raise or lower the string height) and the all-Ebony hinged tailpiece. This one has fallen into our lap, but it won’t be there for long. This is Paul Hinton’s personal guitar, and was played by Joe Finn before him, who called it the “Green Iguana.”
Follow the link below to hear Paul’s arrangement of “Georgia On My Mind” and “Misty,” where you can see for yourself how a big-bodied archtop from Michael Greenfield can manage to sound huge and intimate at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjBbR84iO9M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kNkXKFTVbw
Follow the link below to hear Al Petteway’s take on this excellent instrument!
These are definitely rare treasures; I don't see them that often, and I 've played a lot of Greenfields. I played it in the shop against our 1949 Gibson L-5, and the difference was palpable. In contrast to the Gibson's vintage warmth, the Montreux has a sweet articulation that newer archtops exhibit, perfect for contemporary fingerstylists and Jazz crossover players. 
This reminds me of when I was asked if I wanted to play the blue archtop guitars that were on exhibit at the Smithsonian a few years back. The quality and workmanship is definitely comparable to the best I've seen, and the green color sets it apart from the rest of the crowd. Great sounding pickup with really nice tone and volume controls. The action appears to be adjustable with Greenfield's rather unique bridge design. | Scale Length | 25 in |
|---|---|
| Nut Width | 1.75 in |
| String Spacing | 2.13 in |
| Woods | Spruce, Maple - Quilted |
One of but a few, this sparkling green Montreux Archtop from Michael Greenfield is the pinnacle of contemporary archtop construction. If Michael's hands have touched it, you know the guitar is going to be a knock-out--and this one fits the bill nicely
These are definitely rare treasures; I don't see them that often, and I 've played a lot of Greenfields. I played it in the shop against our 1949 Gibson L-5, and the difference was palpable
This reminds me of when I was asked if I wanted to play the blue archtop guitars that were on exhibit at the Smithsonian a few years back. The quality and workmanship is definitely comparable to the best I've seen, and the green color sets it apart from the rest of the crowd 