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  #31  
Old 01-14-2014, 03:15 PM
Archtop Guy Archtop Guy is offline
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Jeb, oh my! That back, that headstock! The simple lines and color! It definitely captures the original L-5 and updates it. Enjoy, revel, celebrate. What a day!

Tell us about the touch, the sound, the dynamic range... everything!
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  #32  
Old 01-14-2014, 07:10 PM
jebsong jebsong is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Archtop Guy View Post
Jeb, oh my! That back, that headstock! The simple lines and color! It definitely captures the original L-5 and updates it. Enjoy, revel, celebrate. What a day!

Tell us about the touch, the sound, the dynamic range... everything!
Hi Guy,

Here is a sound clip courtesy of Dream Guitars of Grammy award winning Al Petteway playing my AT 16.

Apparently they had it in 2006 and probably got it from the original owner. I called Dream Guitars and they confirmed it was a 2005 and are going to try to contact the original owner to find out the Collings dealer that sold it.

I think it sounds really close to Eric Schoenberg's 1929 Gibson L-5 that he is playing on a youtube recording of "Good Ship Lollipop".

The AT 16 has an overall warm sound with a good bass response and a round creamy mid and high end, with great sustain. The volume is even across the spectrum.

jebsong

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  #33  
Old 01-14-2014, 07:42 PM
jebsong jebsong is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Archtop Guy View Post
Jeb, oh my! That back, that headstock! The simple lines and color! It definitely captures the original L-5 and updates it. Enjoy, revel, celebrate. What a day!

Tell us about the touch, the sound, the dynamic range... everything!
Hi Guy,

Here is a sound clip courtesy of Dream Guitars of Grammy award winning Al Petteway playing my AT 16.

Apparently they had it in 2006 and probably got it from the original owner. I called Dream Guitars and they confirmed it was a 2005 and are going to try to contact the original owner to find out the Collings dealer that sold it.

I think it sounds really close to Eric Schoenberg's 1929 Gibson L-5 that he is playing on a youtube recording of "Good Ship Lollipop".

The AT 16 has an overall warm punchy sound with a good bass response and as you go up the neck the bass gets creamier with a more Cello like sound. The individual notes are round and focused, the mids and highs are creamy it has great sustain and the volume is even across the spectrum.

I have the action adjusted as low as it will go and it plays like a dream with no buzz unless I hit a single string really hard.

jebsong

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  #34  
Old 01-14-2014, 09:33 PM
Archtop Guy Archtop Guy is offline
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Nice recording and pictures. Stereotypes just don't work when a guitar like that one comes along.
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  #35  
Old 01-14-2014, 11:23 PM
jebsong jebsong is offline
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Originally Posted by Archtop Guy View Post
Nice recording and pictures. Stereotypes just don't work when a guitar like that one comes along.
Guy

I got a little carried away with my comparison to the Gibson L-5! LOL

The AT 16 has it's own unique sound just like your Trenier's have their own unique sound.

And if I really get into the archtop I may have to get a Trenier especially since they are such a good deal compared to a Collings!

And while the recording by Al Petteway is the best recording I've been able to find for a AT 16 and Petteway is a great guitar player he is not really a jazz guitarist.

I wish I could find a recording like the ones you made on your website and played by you or someone else who really knows how to play an archtop like you do.

Those recordings of yours are awesome!

Can you recommend a good instructional DVD on 30's swing jazz?

My goal for now is to learn "Sunny Side of The Street", "Good Ship Lollypop" and maybe "Mack the Knife", 30's swing and gypsy jazz.

Jeb
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  #36  
Old 01-15-2014, 08:13 AM
Jabberwocky Jabberwocky is offline
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An absolute beauty, jebsong. It looks unplayed. Do owners of the AT-16 actually play theirs with gloves on ?

Enjoy her in good health.

I'm green like Kermit

with envy.
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  #37  
Old 01-15-2014, 11:37 AM
Archtop Guy Archtop Guy is offline
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Originally Posted by jebsong View Post
Can you recommend a good instructional DVD on 30's swing jazz?

My goal for now is to learn "Sunny Side of The Street", "Good Ship Lollypop" and maybe "Mack the Knife", 30's swing and gypsy jazz.

Jeb
Sorry, I don't know of a good swing jazz DVD, but I am sure there are some out there.

My recommendation would be the Mickey Baker book, just the chord section is essential. You have this one already, right? My own twisted history includes that, plus learning every song on Willie Nelson's Stardust record. He's not strictly 30's swing but that whole record is beautiful interpretations of the era. If you've got that under your belt, the 30's swing feel comes easily. Have you checked out local teachers?

Of course, I play all the songs you mentioned. So if you're ever in the Bay Area....
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  #38  
Old 01-15-2014, 11:55 PM
jebsong jebsong is offline
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Originally Posted by Archtop Guy View Post
Sorry, I don't know of a good swing jazz DVD, but I am sure there are some out there.

My recommendation would be the Mickey Baker book, just the chord section is essential. You have this one already, right? My own twisted history includes that, plus learning every song on Willie Nelson's Stardust record. He's not strictly 30's swing but that whole record is beautiful interpretations of the era. If you've got that under your belt, the 30's swing feel comes easily. Have you checked out local teachers?

Of course, I play all the songs you mentioned. So if you're ever in the Bay Area....
I just ordered the Mickey Baker book and I've been working on the songs I mentioned. I'm pretty good a watching a video and making out the chords along with the help of chord sites online. I think the Baker book will really help me.

I've been searching online for a mic that can be used in a live venue without problems with feedback. And I've found 2 interesting new mics made by LR Bags and K&K.

The LR Baggs Lyric is a mic that mounts on the bridge plate on a flattop and from all the reviews I've seen it might be the best new mic for live performance.
http://www.lrbaggs.com/pickups/lyric...tar-microphone

The K&K Meridian microphone is an external mount that might be just as good and the cool thing about it is you might be able to use it on an archtop. I sent them an email today to see if it would work on my AT 16. The Meridian clamps on a guitar without damaging the finish and can be attached and removed easily.
http://kksound.com/products/meridian.php

Let me know if you've heard anything about these mics.

And thanks for your advice and recommending the Mickey Baker book!

My wife Patty and I used to go see Willie Nelson in Austin before he became a superstar. We went to the first fourth of July picnic which was not very far from where Collings shop is located. People were dropping like flies from heat exhaustion.

I have a friend who is a jazz musician and I used to take lessons from him on theory but I wasn't into jazz at the time.

Jeb
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  #39  
Old 01-16-2014, 07:07 AM
backdrifter backdrifter is offline
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Jeb,

I have a similarly shaped (f-holes) guitar that I recently purchased. I'll have an occasional need to amplify mine, and I think I've decided to go with a DPA 4099. Here's an old thread that I started here on the forum when I was trying to identify this mic:

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=215464

That, of course, is Julian Lage in the photo with his '34 L-5. If it's good enough for him to play live, it's certainly good enough for me! Another plus is that it requires zero modifications to the guitar, and can be removed any time with no trace that it was ever mounted. I don't know about you, but that's important to me.

Best of luck!

By the way, I sent you a PM over on the Collings Forum.
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  #40  
Old 01-16-2014, 02:00 PM
Jabberwocky Jabberwocky is offline
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The DPA 4099 is a good recommendation. It is a small condenser mike that clips with the help of a rubber mount to the section of the strings between the tailpiece and bridge.

Another recommendation is the AMT mic. The AMT is not as elegantly mounted and requires a clamp. I don't trust clamps; they will damage the finish no matter what the manufacturer says. But the AMT mic is good. I just wish it would mount like a DPA 4099.

The third recommendation would be a Schertler Dyn-G. It mounts directly to the top with some kind of tacky material that is promised not to mar the finish. You remove it when you don't want to use it. OK, better than a clamp but don't leave the mic tacked to the top for too long.

The fourth would be a good condensor mic mounted to a mike-stand and pointed at your guitar. Works a treat if you don't move around a lot. And you don't look like a "mover", jebsong

Lastly, one could use a good old lavalier/lapel mic from Sony or Audio-Technika. Good, cheap and really does the job. Clip it under the pickguard.
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  #41  
Old 01-16-2014, 02:11 PM
jebsong jebsong is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by backdrifter View Post
Jeb,

I have a similarly shaped (f-holes) guitar that I recently purchased. I'll have an occasional need to amplify mine, and I think I've decided to go with a DPA 4099. Here's an old thread that I started here on the forum when I was trying to identify this mic:

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=215464

That, of course, is Julian Lage in the photo with his '34 L-5. If it's good enough for him to play live, it's certainly good enough for me! Another plus is that it requires zero modifications to the guitar, and can be removed any time with no trace that it was ever mounted. I don't know about you, but that's important to me.

Best of luck!

By the way, I sent you a PM over on the Collings Forum.
I agree there is no way I'd ever modify my AT 16 that's why I was checking out the K&K Meridian mic. I emailed K&k yesterday about its suitability for use in a live venue. I got a reply from them today and they said that they could not guarantee that I would not have feedback issues with the Meridian.

So thanks for the heads up on the DPA 4099 it looks to be just what I need and I would also be able to use it on my flattops!

Jeb
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  #42  
Old 01-16-2014, 02:39 PM
backdrifter backdrifter is offline
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It also looks like Audio Technica makes some mics that are similar to the DPA 4099, but significantly cheaper. I've read a few reviews and they seem to be very positive. Maybe that's where I'll start for now.

Good luck!
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  #43  
Old 01-16-2014, 06:32 PM
Archtop Guy Archtop Guy is offline
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I have an Audio Technic AT831 and a Bartlett Audio mic. I don't use them.

I don't move around much, so a good mic on a stand is my preference. I'd use my AKG C414 if I could, or my C391, or even my mid-nineties Austrian made C1000 if the set up was under my control. But even an SM57 placed correctly sounds better than my clip on mics.

IMO the close location is just not ideal, it only captures a fraction of the guitar, and so lots of EQ is required. You could get it to work if necessary, but it's not ideal. Even when I've seen Julian play (three times) he used a mic on a stand and he moved around to control the volume.

Amplifying archtops is always a challenge and it may be one reason why they aren't more common. But work with what you have, keep it simple, and keep playing.
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  #44  
Old 01-16-2014, 08:32 PM
backdrifter backdrifter is offline
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I have an SM57 and have never been happy with the tone I get through it and into my acoustic amp with any of my guitars. I'm sure this is in no small part due to my own ignorance. It always seems like I have to turn my amp way up to hear the guitar well enough and then I have feedback issues. What am I doing wrong, and where do you recommend placing the mic?
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  #45  
Old 01-17-2014, 10:16 AM
Archtop Guy Archtop Guy is offline
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Edited to correct for absolute BS and factually wrong stuff, caused by extreme brain fuzz from swine flu:

I was thinking SM57 into a house PA when I wrote that. However, I can use a regular mic with my Fishman Loudbox too. Of course, a mic has a very low impedance compared to a guitar PU so it needs a different kind of preamp.

BTW, the Para Acoustic DI is a great piece of kit for any acoustic player. I would highly recommend it. The EQ is very well suited for dialing out the boominess, reducing feedback, and sweetening the tone, all assuming you're starting with a high impedance signal on a 1/4" jack.
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Last edited by Archtop Guy; 01-17-2014 at 06:26 PM.
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