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  #1  
Old 12-03-2009, 10:44 AM
Blue in VT Blue in VT is offline
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Default Fingerpicking on an Archtop

Howdy all,

I've recently been really drawn to archtop guitars....not sure why exactly but its a fun new area to explore.

Just curious how many of ya'll play fingerpicking tunes on their arch tops...and what kinds you have?

cheers,

Blue
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  #2  
Old 12-03-2009, 10:51 AM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue in VT View Post
Howdy all,

I've recently been really drawn to archtop guitars....not sure why exactly but its a fun new area to explore.

Just curious how many of ya'll play fingerpicking tunes on their arch tops...and what kinds you have?

cheers,

Blue
Hi Blue,
I have a 1927 Gibson L-5 on which I fingerpick and play bottleneck:

http://www.howardemerson.com/music1.html

Listen to 'Nokie's Blue Bottle' for an open D fingerstyle bottleneck track, or listen to 'Dust Mop' for straight open E country blues (open D, capo 2)

HE
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  #3  
Old 12-03-2009, 11:01 AM
JoeCharter JoeCharter is offline
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Personally, I find archtops to be the most beautiful guitars, period.

I think "fingerpicking" might be a bit broad as you can fingerpick any type of guitar. Most jazz chord melodies were certainly meant to be played on an archtop. My personal favourites are Joe Pass and Tuck Andress -- but there are many other fine players in this genre. Lots of folks use archtops for blues as well.

I do think archtops have a repertoire of their own and I would not play the same pieces that I play on my flat-tops. I've seen my share of Youtube videos where people were strumming away and playing power chords on their archtops. While people are certainly free to do whatever they want on their guitars, I think it's a waste.

So if the question is whether you can "fingerpick" an archtop, absolutely.

If the question is whether it's cool to play Tommy Emmanuel's latest ballad on an archtop, I'd say no.

The difference in tone is debatable -- but it's rather the difference in decay that makes archtops less suitable for music traditionally associated with flat-tops.

Joe
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Old 12-03-2009, 11:12 AM
Christian Reno Christian Reno is offline
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Archtops are the most beautiful works of wood that exist - good ones, that is. Cheap ones are another story.

I have been playing a very long time and I have never had the opportunity to play a very high quality archtop. I also play fingerstyle. Howard E. has convinced me that I would like a top-notch archtop for fingerstyle, but he hasn't sent me any money to buy one, so here I am, writing about it rather than experiencing it.

I do hope someday to find a quiet place to sit down with a great archtop and experience what so many people find so wonderful about these guitars.
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Old 12-03-2009, 11:25 AM
unclrob unclrob is offline
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I play fingerstyle on all my guitars.I don't use picks much anymore.
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Old 12-03-2009, 11:36 AM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Christian Reno View Post
Archtops are the most beautiful works of wood that exist - good ones, that is. Cheap ones are another story.

I have been playing a very long time and I have never had the opportunity to play a very high quality archtop. I also play fingerstyle. Howard E. has convinced me that I would like a top-notch archtop for fingerstyle, but he hasn't sent me any money to buy one, so here I am, writing about it rather than experiencing it.

I do hope someday to find a quiet place to sit down with a great archtop and experience what so many people find so wonderful about these guitars.
Christian,
I can lend you $35.

That's all my L-5 cost me back in 1976.

Here's another taste of it, in video, if you'll just fast-foward to 3:40 in the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Gho...eature=related

HE
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Old 12-03-2009, 11:46 AM
Christian Reno Christian Reno is offline
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Originally Posted by Howard Emerson View Post
Christian,
I can lend you $35.

That's all my L-5 cost me back in 1976.HE
Hi Howard,

Can you add a few zeros to that number? It is the season of giving you know. :-)

CR
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Old 12-03-2009, 12:10 PM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Hi Howard,

Can you add a few zeros to that number? It is the season of giving you know. :-)

CR
CR,
But then I'd be lying about what I paid for it.

If it makes you feel any better the heel was cracked through the sides, about 4" each side.

And the original red stripe case has a replacment latch and lots of tape on it.

I tried.........

HE
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Old 12-03-2009, 03:22 PM
bishopdm bishopdm is offline
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Howard:

Do you realize that with inflation, your L5 would probably cost you a whopping $133 today? No matter the year, you certainly won—in a big, big way!
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  #10  
Old 12-03-2009, 03:24 PM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Howard:

Do you realize that with inflation, your L5 would probably cost you a whopping $133 today? No matter the year, you certainly won—in a big, big way!
David,
Is that you, from Arizona?

How're you doon?

Pharmacy?

HE
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Old 12-03-2009, 03:35 PM
Edbuff Edbuff is offline
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I like oval hole archtop guitars. They are the best of both worlds for chord melody acoustic. They are very sweet sounding and project a little better than a f-hole archtop. Eastman makes a nice on and Erich Soloman makes a terrific aval hole archtop.
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Old 12-03-2009, 04:00 PM
wcap wcap is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard Emerson View Post
Hi Blue,
I have a 1927 Gibson L-5 on which I fingerpick and play bottleneck:

http://www.howardemerson.com/music1.html

Listen to 'Nokie's Blue Bottle' for an open D fingerstyle bottleneck track, or listen to 'Dust Mop' for straight open E country blues (open D, capo 2)

HE
This is some seriously nice music.

I don't buy much music, but I like this enough to maybe even spring for a CD.

And I might buy a slide a some point too.... cool stuff!

Last edited by wcap; 12-03-2009 at 04:28 PM.
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  #13  
Old 12-03-2009, 04:32 PM
Taylorplayer Taylorplayer is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard Emerson View Post
Christian,
I can lend you $35.

That's all my L-5 cost me back in 1976.

Here's another taste of it, in video, if you'll just fast-foward to 3:40 in the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Gho...eature=related

HE
That is a seriously nice guitar!
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  #14  
Old 12-03-2009, 05:51 PM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wcap View Post
This is some seriously nice music.

I don't buy much music, but I like this enough to maybe even spring for a CD.

And I might buy a slide a some point too.... cool stuff!
Thank you for saying so.

Isn't it terrible how good taste will cause you to spend money?

You might be interested to know that each of my CD's comes with an 8 page booklet. Each song has the key, tuning, capo location, guitar used, mic's used, placement, etc, etc.

Thanks again for the kind remarks.

HE
http://www.howardemerson.com/
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  #15  
Old 12-03-2009, 06:02 PM
riovine riovine is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue in VT View Post
Howdy all,

I've recently been really drawn to archtop guitars....not sure why exactly but its a fun new area to explore.

Just curious how many of ya'll play fingerpicking tunes on their arch tops...and what kinds you have?

cheers,

Blue
I just recently got a custom archtop from Mark Campellone, here's a couple of videos I did recently of some fingerstyle stuff on the archtop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE_AP-pI0Ns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYQgzBCOwWU

I really love the definition and articulation and the way the voices blend but yet still have good separation.
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