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#1
01-30-2002, 12:13 PM
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How About An Archtop?
Anyone else like to see Taylor take a stab at an archtop? A lot of other makers, such as Collings and Santa Cruz, have a model. I'd love to have an Archtop that plays "like a Taylor".
Last edited by min7b5; 09-03-2011 at 03:46 AM. 
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#4
01-30-2002, 01:53 PM
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I'm holding out for the resonator baritone uke.
 Seriously, I'd LOVE to see a Taylor archtop...just let me save up for the Nylon series first, ok? And the ensuing marriage counselling costs.
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#6
01-30-2002, 03:08 PM
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Great call on the Taylor archtop. Actually, that could segway into a whole family of archtops ranging from a semi-hollow body to a 7 string model. Using non-traditional archtop woods would be a nice twist as well. Imbuia, koa, walnut...
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DHN
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#7
01-30-2002, 03:15 PM
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Easy there, let me get my first Taylor Nylon Guitar. I can't wait !!!
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#8
01-30-2002, 03:27 PM
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I bet Taylor could do this up right, but hey, they just gave us the nylon string models. Give Bob some time to breathe!
The technology is certainly there, though. Tacoma's been making an archtop for a few years and -- get this -- it sells for a price we normal people can afford, even though it has a carved, solid wood top and a solid back (I don't know about the sides). The trick is that they do the carving with a CNC machine. I played one once and though I'm no judge of archtops, I have to say it was pretty swell.
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Chris We all do better when we all do better.
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#9
01-30-2002, 04:57 PM
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Great Idea! I love them Archtops. Got a Johney Smith, L5, Joe Pass, and some old Hamonys plus an old archtop from the 20s Thats a Taylor (no the same co.) How about a 600 series archtop?JW
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Resident Driver of the Drama Bus. Yes, I can beat a horse to death with just my right wing.
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#10
01-30-2002, 06:38 PM
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I love archtops too. I own my grandfathers 1936 Kalamazoo KG-31. Only problem is I had to have a bunch of work done on the neck to make it playable. I can't imagine the "woody" sound of an archtop with Taylor's fantastic neck and playability. Count me in.
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John "Constantly wrong but never in doubt" 2007 Gibson ES 335 2004 Taylor 814ce (engelmann top) 2001 Taylor 712ce (Sold 1962 Gibson ES 330 1961 Gibson Hummingbird (Sold) 1936 Kalamazoo K36 Archtop
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#11
01-31-2002, 09:01 AM
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Hey guys - I'm pretty ignorant of archtops in general. What styles of music are archtops suited for? What's the difference between an archtop and a flattop acoustic? Are they as playable as flattops?
Ken
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#12
01-31-2002, 10:06 AM
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Archtop guitars are most commonly found in jazz but are also used in country, rockabilly, and blues. The amplified sound has a mellower, warmer tone than solid body guitars.
Archtops were used acoustically in the early big bands because they were louder than flat tops or banjos. However, before amplification, single line playing could not be heard over the horn players so big band guitarists typical played in the rhythm section playing four to the bar chord progressions. Of course that changed when the guitar was first amplified in the 1930s. Charlie Christian was among the first guitarists to play on the front line, with the horn section. He had a Gibson archtop with a magnetic pick up. Shortly after that you have many jazz guitarists like Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, and later, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrel, Tal Farlow, etc. who played jazz on electric archtops. I'm not much a rock fan, but you see a lot of archtops in 50s rock, rockabilly (Bryan Setzer), blues, and even current pop players like Chris Isaak. The Gibson L5 was pretty standard amongst counry players as well as the ES175 and ES335. There's a lot that goes into making an archtop. Usually the tops are solid spruce and are hand carved to achieve the arched shape. Luthiers tap sections of the top with small mallet to customize the thickness, during the carving process. You should check websites like Benedetto's, Anderson's or Buscarino's to get a look at some awesome pieces of art. Okay, now back to Taylor. Awaiting an update on the launch of the new line up of archtops!
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DHN
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#15
01-31-2002, 04:50 PM
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Less expensive archtops will have a bent top and back instead of being carved. Carving a top is the preferred more traditional way, but is ultimately quite wasteful with respect to the wood involved (imagine the block of wood required to produce the arch, then imagine how many flat tops that same block could produce), and we all know how BobT feels about wasting wood. Until recently and still for the high end archtops the carving has been done primarily by hand, another reason for the expense involved.
By expense I mean the archtops made by the best contemporary archtop luthiers can cost 3-5 times what a Taylor PS will cost. There are , however, few things in this world as outright beautiful to these eyes as a well turned out D'Angelico, D'Aquisto, Bennedetto, Andersen, Buscarino, et al. Interestingly, I have seen examples of dreadnaught style (flat back) guitars with arched tops (bent with soundhole) as well as flat top guitars with arched backs. There probably have been other combinations as well that I haven't seen.
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