Silly Moustache - Your synopsis is good, but why do you say:
"4. P/ups screwed to the top - lots of feedback problems. "
In fact, its the floating pickups (2 and 3) that have the biggest feedback problems. 4 (like an L-5CES or ES-175) have less of an issue with feedback, due to the acoustic dampening of the pickups attached to the top. In fact you might distinguish between 4a. Solid carved guitars (L-5) with mounted pickups and 4b. Laminate guitars (175 etc.) with mounted pickups, as these in general have different levels of feedback.
BTW, you could add a point 7 to cover semi-hollow guitars, which have a center block that reduces feedback inside a hollow-body construction that still adds some acoustic resonance to the tone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache
Guitars designed with a body mounted p/up, usually have a large plank of wood glued to the top in order to take the pickup, and deaden the resonance to reduce feedback, so whilst it may look like an acoustic - it's acoustic qualities are compromised.
Acoustic archtops which are amplified with a "floating" p/up secured to the end of the fretboard but proud of the carved top are a different matter.
Consider the way that the "innovations" of electrics evolved.
1. Acoustic carved top guitars - as rhythm instruments, made to sound incisive and middly.
2. Same thing but with a pick up fitted in order to amplify it (the monkey on a stick retro fitted design).
3. The humbucker style p/ups screwed to the fretboard but kept separate from the top.
4. P/ups screwed to the top - lots of feedback problems.
5. Guitar cut into three parts, with a 4 x4 inserted from neck to butt, with pick-ups screwed on, then "wings" of acoustic guitar glued on, Effectively a solid guitar. (See how Les Paul did this).
6. Guitars that look like archtops but are really archtop shaped solid guitars.
As electrification progressed, acoustic sound quality diminished.
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