Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
You can get a solid topped (or even a all solid wood archtop) for a good price nowadays...it doesn't require a second mortgage.
If we're talking purely acoustic archtops, it's a very unique sound...one I love, but it's not for everbody. Nothing else does what they do...a flat top will never cut it if it's an archtop sound you want. forceful, punchy, tight, focused, these are all words that describe their tone, but they are capable of subtle beauty as well...not just for pounding out jazz chords (though they do that better than just about anthing) a great instrument for somone who wants their lines to be heard cleanly without a bunch of overtones smearing the sound into a "haze." you could think of playing an archtop like playing an electric guitar through a perfectly clean amp with no reverb...maybe a little unforgiving, but done right, very rewarding.
as for the "jazz boxes" with magnetic pickups on board, they're really "electric" guitars that deliver a very different sound than an "electric-acoustic" guitar.
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Jeff,
Your last sentence is absolutely correct. I have always wanted to hear more of an archtop (carved) acoustic sound and less of a floating pickup (which does not sound like the guitar). My luthier did a cool mod to my Eastman Pagelli....he installed a Fishman Matrix Infinity under the saddle, wired it in stereo with the Armstrong magnetic pickup. I come out of the guitar with a stereo cable into an Ultrasound DI Max Stereo preamp, blend the signals, and come out mono to the board. I am running the about 75/25 in favor of the Fishman. The magnetic pickup fills out the bottom end a touch.
Jimmy