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Old 12-06-2016, 01:42 AM
rwtwguitar rwtwguitar is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: San Diego, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rick-slo View Post
Curious. Who is doing most of the jazz playing on a flattop acoustic guitar versus and electric guitar and/or archtop? Draw backs of an acoustic flattop guitar for jazz?

A number of jazz scores I have looked at with numerous and continuous block chording way, way, up the neck would seem fairly fatiguing on an acoustic flattop as well as the issue of sustain and base note sound quality running out of gas up there more on an acoustic than on an electric.
I am absolutely certain that you can play jazz on a flattop, but what matters is what sound you are after. Most iconic jazz recordings are on electric guitars set up in a particular way with a particular sound. If you want that sound, its hard to get it out of a flattop.

I've spent several years building guitars chasing that sound out of an acoustic. I couldn't get there with a flattop. I now build an archtop guitar with a composite carbon fiber soundboard. There is a clarity of tone, long sustain and balance across the fretboard and strings that define "jazz archtop" to my ears. When I try to play one of my older flattop guitars made in a more traditional way I feel like I've put a blanket over the guitar. And yet for other styles I love my flattops.

Like so much with guitars, our experience, culture, and musical history really define what is "right" in a guitar.
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