Why play an arch top?
 

Is there a particular type of music that an arch top is particularly suited for? Would one ever fingerpick or bluegrass flatpick with an arch top guitar? Does the unique shape of an arch top impart a particular tone that flat tops do not have?

Archtop shapes vary as much as flat tops. I believe it is the arch that gives the unique tone and playing characteristics.

Were I to own only one guitar, it would be a classical/flamenco.
If I could own two, the second would be an archtop.

Anything played on a flattop can be played on an arch top. No restrictions.

I persoanlly see and hear more color and tonal variety and nuance in an archtop than a flat top. The archtop to me is the violin of guitars, it can play anything.

I fingerpick, and do use an archtop. Lots of folks flat pick them consdering the number of jazz guitars whi use then. But they are ocassionaly used for Gypsy Jazz and many styles of American music.

Owning and playing an archtop , in my opinion, singles you out as someoene who has a special ear and appreciation for something often held in disdain by others.

Go for it ;be that unique individual who dares to be different. Listen to Rawlings wail on his small body archtop with Gillian Welch.

Beacause theyre loud, clear, great for chunky rhythm or cutting lead, theyre gorgeous, easier to adjust than flattops...sheesh...why NOT?

My electric is an archtop and you don't look dorky playing almost any style of music with it...except maybe death metal, for which you need one of these:

http://www.bcrich.com/handcrafted/su...B/imageLrg.jpg

Why not? ;) They have a unique tone.

Archtops are good. Go buy one immediately.

(I don't use flattops anymore -except the Brunners because they are foldable, and made to my specs- archtops and resonators all the way for me since a few years. BTW my last purchase is a cheap spider cone resonator from Gretsch, and I witness that the pleasure to play is not in proportion of the price of the guitar you play on)

Archtops are good. And resos too.
And Macaferris, also.

Yipper. Ever played on through an acoustic amp? :D

Everyone knows that would create a rift in the space-time continuum. Duh.

Indeed. .

Why would you have a classical/flamenco as an only guitar? I have been thinking about getting a classical and making it my only guitar. I am curious as to what other people think about it.

Bohemian's comment about being the "violin of guitars" is very apropos, not only in terms of construction principles but also in terms of technique - simply put, if you try to just slam it like a dread chances are it's going to sound like garbage; old-time big-band players (who were still plentiful when I was a kid taking lessons back in the early '60s) used to speak in terms of "coaxing the velvet out." That clear, rich, tone-you-can-eat-with-a-spoon - the Holy Grail for us archtop aficionados - requires a bow-based rather than pick-based approach: think "glide" rather than "pick," "stroke" rather than "strum," and let the guitar do the work. There's a lot of nuanced tone color (and far more projection than you think - what the old-timers called "cutting power") in even a middling archtop; the best of them are, in the words of a recent Ibanez ad, guitar royalty in every sense of the word. In addition, true to their violin heritage they also take a longer time to open up than flattop guitars; I can recall playing Big Band-era Gibsons and Epiphones back in the '70s (when almost nobody wanted them...) that were just coming into their own, 30-40 years after they first saw the light of day. If you're considering getting into archtops, listen to a variety of players, decide on the general tone you prefer (I'm partial to Duke Robillard's solo work and the rhythm tracks on Johnny Mathis' early cuts) and find yourself a tech who really understands what constitutes a good setup before you buy; archtops are by nature somewhat finicky beasts, and subtle tweaks that might go largely unnoticed on a typical flattop can often have a significant impact on tone and playability - many techs who do first-rate work on flattops and electrics don't really "get it" when it comes to making them sound and play their best. Thanks to a revival of interest over the last decade there are some nice affordable pieces on the market; $500 will get you a Godin 5th Avenue or Loar LH-300 - not in the same league as an old D'Angelico or Stromberg, but they'll give you an idea of what the excitement is all about...

Not anymore. They evolved to cut through a band situation without amplification. Today you can play anything on anything, but the beauty, and unique tone of an archtop is absolutely undeniable. If you happen to play the music they were built for, why not use one of the most beautiful instruments ever built?

As to playing other types of music, I've owned and used roundhole archtop for country blues, back when the only resonators available were originals, and I was a broke student. They do a phenomenal job. They are more versatile than you would expect. Selmer style "gypsy jazz" guitars are also underrated for versatility.

A good classical is as expressive and dynamic as a guitar gets...ill have one someday...in the meantime ill get my technique working...

Kudos to all of you above who encourage such an open minded, unstereotyped, non-limiting view of archtops!

Back to the original post, I'll list some of the reasons I choose an archtop over a flatop:

1. Balance. The bass does not dominate on a good archtop. The treble does not dominate. When I play a scale form the lowest E to the highest A, all the notes are the same volume. For some styles of music the booming bass is an asset, but for me, walking bass over a chord melody or comping alongside a standup bass, or just soloing, I want balance.

2. Projection. The natural EQ of a good archtop cuts through the band. It stands out either in a big band or in a small group of guitars.

3. Dynamic range. When played softly they can be smooth and luscious, or when hit hard they bark like a big dog. Both sounds are good, both are useful, both are musical.

4. Acoustic and electric versatility. The very first electric-acoustic guitars were archtops. An acoustic archtop with a floating pickup can cover a huge amount of ground.

And all of the above work together to make an archtop what it is. Lately I've been playing straight up jazz, but I think archtops work for a wide range of musical styles. They accompany voice well, they mix with other instruments well. The limit is not the guitar, it's the player.

I play bluegrass with a small, vintage archtop. Many say that's against the dogma, which is part of why I enjoy it so much. more importantly, I love the peculiar sound. Google Dave Rawlings on YouTube and you'll understand. :)