Quote:
Originally Posted by Carbonius
Thanks guys!
I actually need something that is less acoustic, not more. I don't want the solid body electric tone though. I need lower acoustic volume, but still the acoustic resonance.
I have some rare hearing issues that have made steel string acoustic guitars unbearable for me. The high end grinds my ears horribly. We are talking the 4,000hz to 12,000hz range. You can do all sorts of things with the 4 wound strings, however there's no solution for the unwound E & B. They cut through everything like a saw blade to my head for me. I can only play with earplugs in... not much enjoyment in that, so I don't play.
I bought a great classical last year at this time and have really enjoyed that. However I miss strumming and all the songs I wrote in the last 20+ years.
Archtops of course have unwound strings, but they don't cut the same. The shorted scale also helps with this. I went and A'B'ed the 2 guitars again and found just how much the resonance affects tone. The Epi has higher top end unplugged, so it's those frequencies are louder plugged in.
That said, I see various used Godin 5th ave with dual pickups (HB and P90 versions) here in Canada for good prices. I want the dual pickups for more plugged in options. Prices range from $600 to $750 CDN ($450USD to $575 USD). I'm guessing the Rosewood has killed their cross-border sellability. That's half price vs the Gretsch that I like! None are within 300 miles of me, so I'd have to buy used blind. I've never done that!
Does Paypal protect buyers in private sales like these?
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I assume you must have hyperacousis. I also have the condition, so I can sympathize.
If I wanted an archtop but had steel string issues I'd think about just picking up something like the Epi Olympic and retrofitting with nylon strings that are commonly run on the crossover acoustics. Crossover strings are usually hard tension with flourocarbon trebles and might be a good option. Since the Epi has a piezo saddle bridge that should work for amplification purposes.