Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommy_G
...it took a little getting used to a tone that initially presents as less harmonically complex, boxy and dark compared to electrics or flattops...
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Welcome to the "dark" side...
You're right about archtops having a very different tone than (solidbody) electrics or flattops; that said, there's a broad spectrum of "archtop tone" out there, and experienced players are going to have very specific preferences when it comes to achieving their signature sound. You've got a good example of what was one of the first commercial multi-source (piezo/mag) instruments - if memory serves me correctly Martin Taylor used one back in the late-90's (I'm sure many players will recall the clever ad copy) - but I'd also recommend getting your hands on other types/sizes, by other makers, and really fine-tuning your ear to the possibilities. By way of suggestion, if you find the AEX1500 dark and boxy-sounding you might want to look at something with a thinner top; I own a '64 Gretsch Double Anniversary and a recent Godin CW II, and the thinner tops (about half that of a typical laminated archtop) lend a natural liveliness and sparkle to the tone...
There's also the question of pickups and how they're mounted, which in combination with the body construction (laminated, solid pressed, solid carved, hybrid) can make differences - some subtle, some dramatic - in tone; as a general rule a fully-carved instrument with a suspended pickup (or two) will offer not only the greatest versatility (usable as either an acoustic or electric) but arguably the most-complex and least-boxy tone, as the finely-tuned soundboard is free to vibrate. On the other hand, thick-topped full-laminated instruments with built-in controls/pickups (such as your Yamaha) can often sound "thuddy" and one-dimensional, particularly if paired with darker-sounding pickups; be advised, however, that some players like this combination - mellow when doing chord-melody work or amplified comping, punchy and percussive on single-string lines - so it's a matter of what works best for
your style...
Finally, there's the matter of which amp you're using; while "big clean" - plenty of headroom/dynamic range, mid-/high-power, 1x12"/2x12"/1x15" speaker(s) - is the order of the day for full-bodied archtops, you're going to get a
very different response from a tube amp versus solid-state with the same speaker complement. Unlike typical rock players for whom tube amps are the tonal Holy Grail, archtop players (particularly jazzers) after a more "modern" tone will use high-quality solid-state equipment like Polytone, Henriksen, Jazzcat, Evans,
et al.; by the same token, there's a certain magic when a big-body guitar is played through a nice tube amp - the classic tones of the first generation of electric jazz and blues, as well as every rockabilly record you've ever heard - and if you can handle the requisite maintenance schedule (plan on visiting your friendly local tech at least once a year if you're gigging regularly) and generally heavier weight, they're still a viable option...
Hope this helps...
